Page 82 of Cowboy Stole My Heart
“I feel really bad for leaving you.” Tanner appeared, crouching beside her, blocking the sun from her eyes.
“It’s fine,” she said, smiling over at him. “You’ve been my rock, Tan.”
He made a grunting noise. “Yeah, well, someone has to look after you.”
Tanner kissed the top of her head and rose, looking worried.
“I’ll be fine. Go ride bulls and forget all about me, okay?”
He nodded. “Okay. But you call me if you need me.”
“I won’t,” she assured him. It had been nice having him stay a few days, but she was ready to have her house back to herself and she bet he was ready to break free, no matter how much he cared about her. “And anyway, Kat’s coming over soon. She’s back from her conference and I toldher I needed to see her.” She wasn’t looking forward to telling her because actually telling someone other than Tanner was making it real, but she needed to talk to her. And then once she’d told Kat, she was going to FaceTime her sister. She slowly needed to let her entire family know that the youngest Ford had officially gotten herself knocked up.
“Guess it’s just you and me,” she whispered to her stomach, pulling her feet up and wriggling her toes to shake off the droplets of water clinging to her skin. Mia walked inside, flicked on the television and sunk down into the sofa. She’d already fed all the horses, and she was exhausted from her rides earlier in the day, so some time flopped in front of the TV was exactly what she needed until Kat arrived. And perhaps some brainless reality shows would stop her second-guessing herself or wondering what else Sam might have said if she’d been brave enough to ask him in.
What if. That was the question circling her mind over and over. What if she’d talked to him? What if she’d told him? What if he’d changed his mind and wanted to be with her, wanted something real instead of the stupid agreement they’d had at the start? What if she’d been wrong not to let him say whatever he’d wanted to say to her in private?
What if. It was a dangerous question and she knew it, but it was one she couldn’t have put out of her mind even if she’d wanted to.
A knock echoed out and made her jump. She quickly stood and by the time she reached her door, Kat was already standing in the hall.
“Hey!” Kat said, leaning in for a hug and holding a bottle of wine in her other hand. “Hope you’re ready for a drink because after the week from hell that I’ve had…”
Mia burst into tears and couldn’t stop. A big sob erupted from deep inside of her and she fought to catch her breath.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Did I buy the wrong kind of wine? I can go back for something else?”
Mia laughed through her tears. Trust Kat to make a joke when she was in the middle of a breakdown.
“I’m pregnant,” she managed to blurt out, wiping her cheeks and slowly catching her breath.
“Pregnant?” Kat whispered back, her eyes wide as she stared back at her. “By who?”
“Sam, you idiot!” She shook her head. “Your cousin was way too interested in work to even get me to first base, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Kat slung an arm around her and walked them both into the kitchen. “Come on, let’s get you a lemonade and me a big glass of wine. I think I need it.”
Mia got out a glass while Kat opened the bottle and she found herself a soda. Then she tucked up on the sofa and watched as Kat settled across from her.
“So Sam’s the daddy,” Kat said.
Mia nodded. “Yup. Only he doesn’t know it yet.”
“So let me get this straight, you haven’t told him yet because you don’t want to ruin his marriage, or because you don’t want him to know period?” Kat asked. “Because I’m guessing that termination isn’t an option.”
Mia shuddered just hearing the word and placed a hand on her stomach. “Just so happens he’s not married. It was his sister and her kids.” She felt stupid about even confessing how wrong she’d been.
Kat took a big gulp of wine. “So does that change the way you feel about him?”
Mia sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know. I mean, deep down I can’t shut off my feelings for him, but the way heended things…” She met Kat’s warm gaze. “He came by today but Tanner was ready to shoot him and there were some things left unsaid.”
“Can I touch your stomach?” Kat asked, setting down her glass and coming over to sit beside Mia.
Mia nodded. “Of course. There’s nothing to feel though.”
“I know that,” Kat said, her palm warm through the thin fabric of Mia’s shirt. “Hey, little baby,” she whispered, “this is Auntie Kat here.”
They both laughed and Mia felt tears prickle her eyes again.
“You don’t need a daddy around to be loved, because you’ve got a whole team of aunties and uncles who’ll spoil you rotten. Isn’t that right, Momma?”
Mia grinned.Momma. She’d expected that title to be a long way off in her future.
“Yeah, that’s right,” she replied.
Kat tucked up tight to her and gave her a big hug, and Mia shut her eyes. Her baby didn’t need a father, but she sure would have done anything for things to be different between her and Sam.
