Daniel didn’t care if it was a solid-gold nugget. He wanted to talk about her and the baby growing inside her. “Have you seen a doctor?”
Alex nodded. “I visited the clinic and had a blood test to confirm I was pregnant. I was prescribed some vitamins, given a handful of pamphlets to read through and was recommended a couple of books. I need to visit an ob-gyn when I get back and have an ultrasound scan. That way the doctor will get a better idea of my due date. It’s also to check that the baby is growing as it should.”
Daniel leaned forward, opened his online calendar and sent her an expectant look. “When is the appointment?”
“Do you want to come with me?”
She sounded surprised. “When are you going to realize that you’re not alone, Lex? That we are in this together?”
Alex rattled off the date and time and Daniel tapped the it into his calendar. He was determined to be the exact opposite of his father—and his mother—who’d missed every milestone of his life, from his birth to football games to graduation.
Alex sent him a grateful look. “Thanks. Knowing you will be there will make me feel less—” she hesitated before completing her sentence “—alone. I’ve never missed my mom more than I have in the past few weeks and I dare not even think about Sarah. If I do, I won’t stop crying.”
Daniel placed his hand on her knee, his skin several shades darker than hers. He started to stroke back and forth, and then reminded himself that he was touching her in comfort, not for pleasure. “Your mom and dad died when you were pretty young. Do you remember them?”
Alex wrinkled her nose. “A little. But I’m not sure if my memories are my own or because I heard so many stories about them. I can’t tell what’s real or what’s been planted.”
“Does it matter, if they are good memories?” He didn’t have any good memories of his mom, of his early life. He’d been so damn busy trying to survive, to get through the day, the week, until he could next visit The Silver C and his grandmother. On the ranch, under that big blue Texas sky, riding and exploring, he could let go, find a little peace.
Alex touched her stomach with her fingertips. “I just wish she was here.”
Daniel squeezed her knee, choosing to express his sympathy through touch rather than words. Then he removed his hand because there was only so much temptation he could take.
“Have you eaten? There’s a fruit salad in the fridge. Or I can make you pancakes. And bacon.”
Alex’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You cook?”
“Yes, smarty-pants, I can cook. In fact, I intend to catch and then cook our lunch.”
Alex gestured to the ocean beyond the open windows. “I’m impressed. Maybe you should get to it, because the fish might not be in a cooperative mood. I haven’t seen any fishing rods lying around.”
“They are in the storage shed, along with fins, goggles and a Jet Ski. And a spear gun, which I’m going to use.”
“Marvelous idea.” Alex looked deeply skeptical at his abilities to provide her with food. She smirked. “If you come back empty-handed, I suppose we can always have peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.”
“Oh, you of little faith.” Daniel heard the ping indicating that he had a new email and leaned forward to check the screen. He read the subject line and released an annoyed groan.
“Problem? Can I peek?” she asked. He nodded, her legs tangling with his bare ones as she leaned forward to look at the screen. He smiled at her squint.
“Do you need glasses to read, Lex?”
“Bite me.” Lex cheerfully responded before frowning. “‘Please date me.’” She read out the subject line for an email. There were more, some more direct than others. “‘I’m your soul mate. I think I may be in love with you. I have really big...’” Alex’s laughing eyes met his. “Did you register for a dating site or something? Or place an ad for a date on some skanky message board?”
Daniel glared at her. “No, that’s the response from that article Grandmother made me do to promote the auction, and what it’s like being one of the state’s most eligible bachelors.”