Page 10 of Rancher's Pride

Julie smiled through the tears welling in her eyes. “I’mhere, my girl.” She walked to the head of the bed and gently kissed Fallon on the head. “You’re safe now. We’ve got you. Where do you need me, Nora?” Julie tore her eyes from her daughter and looked down at where we stood. “I’ll deal with you later, Nash Powers.” She pointed at me, but I saw the gleam in her eyes. She wasn’t mad like her overgrown man child of a son. Julie looked back at her daughter, who had drifted off to sleep again.

Nora motioned for all of us to move to the corner of the room. Julie reluctantly let her daughter’s hand go. What must it be like to see her home after almost six years of being gone? They’d had no idea where she was, or who she was with. I’d seen her almost three years ago, but I’d kept her secret, and hadn’t ever truly let her go. If anyone had come right out and asked me, I knew where she was this entire time. “As long as everything happens as it should, this wouldn’t be as scary. I wish the guys were home. We could at least send one of them to get the doctor. I’m not sure I can spare Kipp. He’s got to stay with Cooper and Josie.” Nora’s voice went quiet and she stared off out the window into the darkness. “Is Phil still at your house, Julie?” She closed her eyes and sighed. Julie’s face went red, and she stared at Nora.

“This conversation doesn’t leave this corner. Am I clear?” Julie pointed at me. “I haven’t told Kipp he’s here, much less that he’s staying with me.”

“Don’t you think you should tell him?” I whispered,and now daggers shot from her eyes. “It’s like you’re a teenager sneaking around, Julie.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you’re one to talk about keeping your love life on the down low. I’ll sneak around all I want to thank you very much.” She grinned and nodded. “I’ll text him and make sure he’s ready if need be. Lord, love a duck. I hope he doesn’t need to go, for more than one reason.” She glanced back at Fallon, who was still asleep.

“I’m going to run and get some towels, string, and scissors. Dang, I should have watched more Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman reruns.” Nora shook her head and walked out of the room.

“Nash.” Julie looked up at me. “Did you really sleep with my daughter?” She crossed her arms and for the first time, I realized how much Fallon looked like her mom. The dainty features, the long slender fingers, Fallon was taller, and she got that from Miller, but she was her mom through and through.

“Yes, ma’am. I did.” There was no reason to hide it anymore. Fallon had outed our tryst, one of them at least.

“When?”

“After Miller died.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and waited.

“She was hurting. We all were, but she was her daddy’s shadow. He’d had so many plans for her to help take over this place.” Her voice trailed off and her eyes darted to the woman sleeping peacefully in the bed. “You were there for her when I couldn’t be. Thank you, Nash,” she patted my shoulder and moved to walk back to the bed. And immediately stopped and looked back at me. “But you should have kept it in your pants. Think you can manage that this time?”

“I know. Of course.” I nodded and watched her sit back at Fallon’s side. That might be the strangest conversation that I’d ever had. It was also going to be easier than talking to Kipp.

I felt like I was intruding standing here watching them, but going out into the hallway wasn’t exactly my idea of fun, either. Reaching for the door handle, I peeked around the corner and it was all clear. Sighing, I needed to focus, Nora and Julie needed me, but more importantly, I needed to step up for Fallon. It’s what she’d begged me to do three years ago, and I wasn’t willing then, but I’d already lost too much time with her because I was an idiot. She wouldn’t be in this state if I’d been the man she needed me to be years ago.

Now was the time.

CHAPTER EIGHT

FALLON

These three were the worst for talking quietly, so getting sleep had been impossible, but lying there letting them think I was asleep was comical. I heard Nash’s voice grow closer to the door, but couldn’t make out what he was saying, not that it mattered.

He opened it, but not far enough to make the hinges creak. There would be no way he could fit through that small of an opening. I barely fit through it in my teen years, but it was how I’d been able to sneak out. The soft thud made me realize he’d closed it without leaving. Kipp must be out there and he decided staying in here was easier than facing him.

“You know my brother isn’t going to kill you, just maim you a little.” A giggle escaped, and Nash’s shoulders slumped before he turned. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mom nod in agreement.

“I’m more worried about maiming than killing.” He ran his hands through his brown hair. From what I could see, he still didn’t have any gray hair. He wasn’t as built as he was when we’d been together, but this stalkier figure before me might just be more attractive.

Oh my god, Fallon, you’re getting ready to have another man’s baby. Why are you ogling Nash?

I had no business looking or thinking about Nash like that. For all I knew, there was someone in his life. I mean, why wouldn’t there be? He was amazing.

Just not for me.

A gripping contraction tore through my body, and I squeezed Mom’s hand. Nash ran to the opposite side of the bed and grabbed my free hand as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Breathe, Toots. In through your nose, out through your mouth.” I watched his lips as he spoke. He’d always had an uncanny ability to both get me excited and calm me. His voice calmed me and I focused on my breathing, trying not to think of the man who was holding my hand and the fact that he’d just called me the nickname he’d coined for me years ago.

Nora opened the door and the bright light from the hallway shone in.

“She just had a contraction,” Nash said, not taking his eyes off me other than to glance at his watch. His brows were drawn together, and he was biting the corner of his mouth. It was something he’d alwaysdone when he was worried. Was he was worried about me?

Before I could say anything, I gripped the hand that was held mine and panted through another contraction. “Okay, well, from the quick reading I did, I think we’re on baby watch.” Nora smiled and bent my knees, placing a blanket over them.

“I think we’ve been on baby watch since Fallon showed up.” Nash’s flat voice made me smile. He still didn’t have a sense of humor.

“Oh. Oh. Well, a watch isn’t what’s happening here. So if you feel like pushing, I guess you should. I see this little one’s head.” All heads turned to Nora, who was looking less confident than before. She grabbed a phone and dialed a number.

“Nora, is everything okay?” A man’s voice calmly asked as his voice rang out over the speaker.

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