London spun around to look at him.

She crossed her arms in front of her body protectively. “Why do you think you want to marry me, Tyler? You don’t even know me.”

Tyler stood up and walked over to where she was standing.

“I know you.” He took off his hat and placed it on the rectangular preacher’s podium. “I’ve known you since the moment I saw you.”

He put his hands on her upper arms. “No matter how hard you tried to hide from me, I always saw you.”

Staring into his eyes, it seemed to London that she could see directly into his soul. He was standing before her, unguarded, baring himself to her, and she could see the goodness in him. She could see beyond the dashing bachelor cowboy exterior to the true man he was inside. And he wanted her, pregnant or not.

* * *

The Brands of Montana: Wrangling their own happily-ever-afters

High Country Christmas

Joanna Sims

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JOANNA SIMS lives in Florida with her awesome husband, Cory, and their three fabulous felines, Sebastian, Chester (aka Tubby) and Ranger. By day, Joanna works as a speech-language pathologist, and by night, she writes contemporary romance for Mills & Boon Special Edition. Joanna loves to hear from Mills & Boon readers and invites you to stop by her website for a visit: www.joannasimsromance.com.

Dedicated to Gail Chasan …

Thank you for taking a chance, giving me a shot and making me a better writer.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

At the front door of Tyler Brand’s cabin, London Davenport paused to slip off her cowboy boots and tuck them under her arm. There weren’t any lights on at the main house, just as there weren’t any lights on in the cabin. It was summertime, and life on the Brand family’s Montana cattle ranch typically started before sunrise; it appeared that she was the only one foolish enough to be sneaking around after midnight.

This is crazy.

That was the loudest thought in her mind when she reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. The large open living space of Tyler’s rustic log cabin was dimly lit by a night-light in the hallway that led to the small cluster of secondary bedrooms. Tyler’s room, the master bedroom, was on the other side of the cabin. And that’s where she was heading.

As quietly as she could, she made her way to Tyler’s bedroom. Tyler’s sister was getting married, and the best man, Logan Wolf, a police officer from San Diego, was bunking in the cabin. The last thing she wanted was to get caught sneaking into Tyler’s bedroom like a horny teenage girl. When she reached her destination, she stood in the dark, debating whether or not to even try the door. If it was locked, she would be able to chicken out gracefully and no one would be the wiser. But she did try the door, and the door was unlocked.

Instead of turning around as she knew she should, London slipped into Tyler’s bedroom and shut the door behind her. She leaned back against the door, her hands behind her body and her fingers still on the cool doorknob. Tyler was sound asleep on his back, covers kicked off his body, pillows on the floor. His Stetson hung on one of the short bedposts at the foot of the queen-size bed.

“Tyler...” She whispered his name from her spot at the door.

He didn’t budge.

“Tyler...”

When he still didn’t budge, London moved away from the door, toward the bed, and promptly tripped over his boots.

“Ow!” She had to drop her boots on the floor in order to catch herself on the edge of the bed. “Darn it!”

She had managed to stub her toe in the process. It wasn’t how she had played this out in her mind, but her exclamation of pain had done the job—he was awake now. Tyler rolled out of bed as if he was under attack, grabbed something off the nightstand and switched on the light.

“Jesus, London...” Tyler lowered the revolver he had aimed at her. “I could’ve shot you!”

London stopped rubbing her toe and stood upright. “Well, why’d you leave your stupid boots in front of the door for me to trip over?”

“I didn’t know you were coming, now did I?”

“You invited me!”

“I’ve invited you a hundred different times, in a hundred different ways, and you’ve never taken me up on it before.”

He had a point. She was embarrassed about her klutzy tumble over his boots and she was taking it out on him. This wasn’t the sexy scene she had imagined when she first decided to surprise him with a midnight rendezvous.

“Why don’t you put your gun away, cowboy?” She nodded toward the revolver aimed down at the ground. “It’s starting to feel more like a hostage crisis and less like a seduction.”

When he heard the word seduction, Tyler couldn’t get the gun out of his hand fast enough. He set the gun back in the nightstand drawer and pulled on a pair of jeans. He felt at a disadvantage standing in front of London in his boxers. He zipped up the fly but didn’t bother with the top button or a shirt. He didn’t want to risk the chance of London changing her mind while he was stumbling around trying to pull himself together.

“I didn’t exactly think this through...” she said, watching him zip up his jeans.

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Tyler walked over to her. “You wouldn’t be here if you had.”

London was finally, unbelievably, in his bedroom. Over the years, his father had provided internships to Montana State University students who were majoring in agriculture or animal sciences. Most had been men, some had been women, but none of them had been like beautiful London Davenport. He had thought about this moment ever since he had first met her. But after she had rebuffed his every attempt to get to know her better, he hadn’t really believed that she would ever seek him out. And yet here she was—a Nordic beauty, six feet tall in her bare feet, with thick blond hair that fell all the way to her waist. Her oval face with its prominent cheekbones was scrubbed clean with soap and water. He’d never seen her wear anything more than sunscreen on that beautiful face of hers; makeup couldn’t enhance what nature had already blessed her with, anyway. She wasn’t girlie or prissy or squeamish; she was athletic and she worked the ranch as though she’d been born to it. And more often than not, she was just as covered in mud and manure as the men. He admired that about her.

“I know this is going to sound like a horrible cliché...but I think this was probably a mistake,” she said. “I should go.”

And there she was again, right on schedule—the London he recognized all too well. That was her MO: take one small step toward him and ten giant steps away.

Tyler didn’t respond to her words with words; instead, he responded with a kiss.

He didn’t hesitate or think it over. If he wanted her to stay—and he wanted her to stay—he had to bypass that overly analytical brain of hers and go directly to her heart. Her tongue tasted minty as he deepened the kiss. He wanted to kiss her objections away, kiss her doubts away. He had believed for a long time that if she would only let down her guard a little, she would see that they could be amazing together.

Once he started to kiss her, London stopped thinking about leaving and started to enjoy the feeling of being in Tyler’s arms. She liked the way he tasted; she liked the way he smelled. She loved the feel of his strong callused hands on her flesh; she loved the feel of his firm, insistent lips as he kissed her as if he was hungry for her. Before today, Tyler had never kissed her. He had tried every tactic possible to get her to date him: joking, flirting and asking her out for dates. But today, in the barn, he’d used a different tactic entirely. During one of her usual explanations about why she couldn’t get involved with him, Tyler had grabbed her and kissed her. Midsentence, in the middle of the barn where anyone could see, he’d kissed her. And it wasn’t just a little peck. It was a long, deep kiss that had made her a little weak at the knees. That had never happened to her before.

It was, by far, the sexiest kiss of her life. A kiss that had managed to unravel her carefully constructed determination not to get involved while she was in Montana. She only had one more semester to go, and then she was heading back to Virginia. It made absolutely no sense to get into a relationship that was destined to end. Especially with a cowboy like Tyler, who planned on spending the rest of his life ranching in Montana.

But then he had kissed her. And that kiss sparked a flame of passion in her that she couldn’t seem to extinguish. She had tried for so long to suppress her sexual needs in order to focus entirely on her education that his kiss had opened the floodgate. Years of desire bubbled up to the surface and left her feeling so sexually frustrated by the end of the day that she wanted to scream from it. She’d tried to take care of it herself in shower; she had tried to ignore it until she fell asleep. But the frustration wouldn’t stop. It just kept building and building and building until she realized that she needed Tyler. He had started this fire; he damn well needed to help her put it out.

Tyler didn’t stop kissing London until he heard her make a half pleasurable, half frustrated sound. When he heard that sound and felt her sway toward his body, he suspected that he had changed her mind about leaving.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said to her quietly.

“I...” She wasn’t sure she could say the same. Was she glad that she was here? “...like the way you kiss me.”

He smiled at her with his eyes and kissed her again. When his arms encircled her body, she stepped closer to him and returned Tyler’s embrace. She closed her eyes, closed out any doubting thoughts, and allowed herself to get lost in the moment. Tyler’s lips moved to her neck to drop warm kisses from her earlobe down to her shoulder. He lifted his head and slid his hands down her arms; there was a question mark in his cornflower-blue eyes.

She looked at him directly, with a gaze that never wavered, and lifted her tank top over her head. She dropped it on the floor behind her. Tyler watched her with unabashed appreciation as she unhooked the front clasp of her bra. She slowly slid the straps of her bra off her shoulders and dropped it on the floor next to her tank top. She had wondered if it would be uncomfortable to be undressed in front of Tyler, but it felt completely natural to her. She wasn’t embarrassed. She wasn’t shy. In fact, the predatory glint in his eyes while he openly admired her naked breasts made her feel sexy and feminine—two feelings she didn’t often experience.

She had answered his question with her actions. He needed to know if she had come for more than his kisses, and when she took off her top and her bra, it was all the green light he required. He caught her eye, smiled a lover’s smile and reached out to trace the curve of her breasts with his fingertips. London had to close her eyes; it had been such a long time since she had allowed anyone to touch her like this. She wanted to savor every wonderful sensation.

“You are incredibly beautiful, London.” Tyler bent his head down to kiss her breast.

The moment she felt his warm mouth on her breast, a thought loop started to play again and again in her mind.

I need to feel you inside me. I need to feel you inside me. I need to feel you inside me.

“I need to feel you inside me.” London held on to his shoulders and whispered the words aloud.

Tyler lifted his head to study her face, his eyes darkened with desire, and then he easily lifted her into his arms to move her to his bed. Once there, London unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. She lifted her hips and he helped her disrobe. Now all of her clothes were on the bedroom floor and she was completely naked on his bed.

Tyler couldn’t help it; a few seconds passed by and all he could do was stand next to the bed and admire London. She was a golden goddess with long, muscular legs and shapely hips. He had imagined her here, in his bed, many times since they had first met over a year ago.

London sat up directly in front of him, her legs tucked to the side. She hooked her finger on his belt loop and pulled him closer to the bed. Tyler threaded his fingers in her silky hair while he watched her slowly unzip his pants. He stepped back away from the bed; she wanted him to strip off his clothes and he was willing to oblige her.

London silently prayed that God had built Tyler proportionate to his six-four frame. She wasn’t a petite woman. Men with smaller equipment had never been able to satisfy her. But the minute he was standing naked in front of her, she stopped worrying. Nature had been very kind to Tyler Brand. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body; he was a made-in-America cowboy—masculine, beautifully built. With a handsome face to boot.

Tyler grabbed a condom from the nightstand drawer, flipped off the light and joined her in bed. He was surprised that she didn’t want a lot of foreplay, but all he cared about was making sure that he pleased her. He gently laid his body on top of hers, chest to breast, and settled between her thighs. When London felt Tyler begin to join their bodies together, she lifted her hips and tried to take more of him.

She stared intensely into his eyes. “I need to feel you inside me...”

“I’m trying to be careful,” Tyler said tightly.

He had discovered that many women were too shallow to take all of him. Over the years, he’d learned to be cautious in the beginning to make sure he didn’t hurt the woman he was with.

“Tyler. I won’t break...you don’t have to hold back with me.”

With a low groan, Tyler sank the full length of his long shaft into her body. Seated completely within her, Tyler had to pause to collect himself. It had never felt like this before. He had never been with a woman who had taken him so easily, so completely. She was hot and tight; she was a perfect fit. It was going to take every ounce of his willpower to keep his body under control; he needed to focus entirely on pleasuring her.

London closed her eyes as Tyler slid himself inside her. The feel of his hard shaft was a relief. She locked her legs tightly around Tyler’s hips to keep him deep within her and quietly repeated over and over again, “Oh, thank God, oh, thank God...”

He started to move inside her, slowly at first, but Tyler soon discovered that London knew her own mind, in and out of bed. She wanted him to love her harder, faster, deeper. She was wild with frustration, as if she had an itch that hadn’t been scratched in years. He had never tried so hard to satisfy a woman. He had never tried so hard to stop himself from climaxing.

Tyler stopped moving. “Wait...wait...I need a minute...”

London recognized that expression on his face all too well; she stopped moving to give him a chance to get his body under control. But it was too late.

“Damn it!” Tyler cursed as he pulled back one last time, plunged deep inside her and climaxed.

“I’m sorry...” Tyler dropped his head, closed his eyes and locked his arms so he kept his weight off her. “Damn it...”

London turned her head away from him, near tears from frustration. This was exactly why it had been easy for her to avoid sex altogether. Most men couldn’t last long enough to get her to orgasm, and more often than not, she was left feeling more sexually frustrated than before she had started.

“You didn’t have an orgasm, did you?” Tyler was staring down at her face.

She shook her head. “No.”

Tyler cursed again, touched his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry. I held back for as long as I could.”

“It’s okay.” Disappointment and frustration were etched into the features of her pretty face.

“No, it’s not.” Tyler shook his head. He couldn’t believe that he’d just managed to screw up lovemaking with his dream woman.

“It’s not your fault, okay?” London looked up at him. “I’ve always had a hard time...getting there...”

“Then I’ll just have to work a little harder next time, won’t I?”

“Sure,” she agreed. “Next time.”

They parted ways. Tyler went into the adjoining bathroom and she started to get dressed.

“Hey...” Tyler reappeared, still naked, holding a washcloth. “Where are you going?”

“We both have busy days tomorrow...”

“Uh-uh. No way.” Tyler took her bra out of her hands and led her back to his bed. “That was just the warm-up...”

London let him guide her back down on the mattress, and she let him slip her underwear over her hips. The warmth of a washcloth felt good between her legs, but it felt even better when Tyler replaced the washcloth with the warmth of his mouth.

“Just relax and enjoy,” she heard him say. And it didn’t take long for Tyler to make her forget that she had intended to leave.

With his hands, Tyler massaged her breast while he kept her aroused with his tongue. She tasted sweet on his lips and Tyler feasted on her delectable pink flower until his body was ready for lovemaking again.

“Don’t go anywhere...” He pulled open the nightstand drawer and searched for another condom.

When he didn’t find one, he stood up, turned on the light so he could search more quickly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me...” After another search, he stared at the few items in the drawer.

“What’s wrong?” she asked in a tense voice.

He looked at her with a shake of his head. “I think that was the last condom.”

London covered her face with her hands to stop herself from screaming at him. She was so off-the-charts frustrated that she almost told him to forget about the condom. But she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.

“Wait...” Tyler went over to his dresser, riffled through the top drawer. Beneath the socks and the underwear, he found what he was looking for.

“Found one,” he quickly reassured London. He ripped the package open and put it on. It was too tight, but he didn’t care at this point.

“Green?” London was propped on her side, staring at the condom.

“As long as it works, does the color really matter?”

London shook her head; she moved over so he could join her in bed again. He pulled the covers up over their bodies, but when he tried to cover her body with his, she pushed him onto his back playfully. There was an excited spark in her bright blue eyes as climbed on top of him, slipped down onto his erect shaft and moaned gratefully. Tyler groaned loudly and grabbed her hips to push deeper inside her. Moving her hips slowly, London opened her eyes and found Tyler watching her take her pleasure.

She smiled at him in a way she had never smiled at him before. She closed her eyes again, tilted back her head, letting the soft ends of her hair brush across his thighs as she rocked her hips.

“Come on, baby...” Tyler felt her quicken her pace, felt her thigh muscles tighten around him. She was close, so very close.

London’s rhythm became frantic; she gripped his tensed biceps, their bodies locked tightly together, until he saw a look of sheer ecstasy wash over her face. She bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying out as her body finally began to shudder. Witnessing the beautiful sight of London’s climax, Tyler couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed her hips, started to thrust harder and deeper, harder and deeper, until he finally exploded inside her for a second time that night.

His heart slamming in his chest from exertion, Tyler opened his eyes to discover that London had been watching him as closely as he had watched her. They started into each other’s eyes, both of them flushed with satisfaction.

“So...how was that for you?” he asked after he caught his breath.

London laughed. She leaned down and kissed him lightly. “Incredible!”

She wasn’t much of a touchy-feely person. She never had been. But after such intense lovemaking, she wanted to be close to Tyler. She snuggled down onto his chest, rested her ear over his strongly beating heart, and let him wrap his arms around her.

“London?”

“Hmm?”

“I think you’re a very special person...”

She smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

“...and you know that I think we should be more than just friends...”

London didn’t want him to finish his sentence. She pushed herself out of his arms and stood up.

Tyler cursed under his breath. “Why isn’t it okay for me to say that, London?”

“Because I’ve already told you that I’m moving back to Virginia after I graduate. You’re staying here. I don’t understand why we have to keep on having the same pointless conversation.” With her back to him, London started to get dressed.

“A woman with a degree in equine science can write her own ticket in Montana.”

London yanked on her jeans and quickly slipped on her tank top. “Don’t ruin this, Tyler...we had a good time.”

Irritated, Tyler rolled to the other side of the bed and stood up. He reached for the condom to pull it off and discard it.

“Oh, crap...”

“What?” London spun around.

“The condom broke.”

Chapter Two

“What?” She stared disbelievingly at Tyler’s back. “No...”

Her normally slow and steady heartbeat started to pound like a jackhammer in her chest. She quickly moved to the other side of the bed, where Tyler was examining the broken green condom. They both stood there silently and studied it. The tip of the condom had blown apart and it was obvious that it hadn’t provided any protection at all.

Tyler shook his head in disgust and tossed the condom in the trash. London felt as if she would start cursing if she let herself speak, so she silently pulled on her socks and her boots.

Tyler zipped up his jeans, buttoned them and then turned to her. He looked as sick as she felt.

“That’s never happened to me before...” He’d never come this close to the possibility of a woman being pregnant with his child. He had strong feelings for London, feelings that he doubted she returned. But the last thing he wanted right now was the responsibility of a kid.

“Me, neither...” London said in a very quiet, controlled voice. “Where did you even get a green condom?”

Tyler picked up the empty wrapper, crumpled it up in his fist and then threw it in the trash. “Bachelor party.”

London’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and then dropped as she frowned. “I’m sorry...did you say that you got it at a bachelor party? You aren’t serious.”

“What does it matter where it came from? It broke.”

“Trust me...” London glared at him and pulled the wrapper out of the trash. “It matters to me.” She studied the wrapper. “Made in India? They have a billion people in India.”

“So?”

“India has delicious food, beautiful jewelry, incredible hand-beaded saris...but I seriously doubt that condoms are their strongest export!”

London turned the wrapper over and checked the date. This time she couldn’t stop herself from raising her voice. “It’s expired, Tyler! Three years ago! So even if it did have spermicide, which I doubt, it’s not any good anyway!”

Tyler looked at the expiration date; she was right. It had expired three years ago, right around the time of the party. “Mystery solved why it broke.”

“Ya think?” London snatched the wrapper out of his fingers and threw it back into the trash. She sank down onto the edge of the mattress with her shoulders slumped forward in defeat.

“Really?” She looked up at the ceiling as if she were having a conversation with God. “I have sex with one guy in years?”

London dropped her head into her hands, face covered. She shook her head. “I can’t be pregnant.”

Tyler sat down on the bed next to her. “Hey...I doubt that’s going to happen.”

She didn’t lower her hands from her face. “What makes you say that?”

“Well...for one thing, it’s actually a pretty rare event, statistically. And the first condom was chock-full of spermicide.”

“That’s true.” She nodded.

“And don’t forget...that was my second time, so...there couldn’t be that many swimmers in the stream anyway.” He saw a hint of a smile in her pretty turquoise-blue eyes. “Besides, I’ve always suspected that I have really slow and confused sperm. So...the few tadpoles who managed to escape from the green condom—the ones who didn’t die by spermicide—are probably swimming the wrong way.”

Tyler’s attempt to lighten the mood worked. They both laughed for a minute at the image he had just put in their heads.

Tyler put his arm around her shoulders. “Look...I don’t think you are going to get pregnant. But if you do...I promise...we’ll work it out together.”

London’s shoulders stiffened beneath the touch of his hand on her skin. She stood up, looked him directly in the eyes. “Like you said...it probably won’t happen. So we may as well just go on living our lives like none of this ever happened.”

She was standing only a foot away from him, but he could tell by the expression on her face that she was removed emotionally. She wanted them to pretend that they had never made love; she wanted them to erase this night as if it never happened.

“You know...you don’t have to leave,” Tyler said to her when she was about to open the door. “You could sleep here if you want...”

London looked back at him with a quick shake of her head. “No. I’ve already stayed too long. Good night.”

After she left, Tyler shut off the light and got back into bed. It was strange. It felt as if the past couple of hours were a dream, a figment of his imagination. But he could still smell the scent of her body on his skin, the scent of their lovemaking on his sheets. They had made love...twice...and if the stupid green novelty condom hadn’t broken, he’d probably still have London in his arms right now. But the condom had broken and she was gone.

“Jesus...” Tyler stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. “Please don’t let her be pregnant.”

* * *

For the first week after the infamous broken-condom incident, Tyler stopped by the foaling barn every day to check on London. But she was always too busy or too tired to talk. After getting the brush-off for an entire week, Tyler started actively avoiding her. There was a lot of commotion at the ranch now, between his younger sister Jordan’s upcoming wedding and the large crew of men who were in the process of moving their great-grandfather’s hundred-year-old chapel down the mountain. It was easy for him to stay busy, avoid the foaling barn and try to pretend as if nothing was out of order. But he knew, in his heart, that everything was out of order. He needed to find out, one way or the other, if London was pregnant. So, at the end of the third week after they had made love, instead of heading out to the south pasture after breakfast, he went to find London.

After two weeks of not seeing him at all, London was actually glad to see Tyler when he showed up that morning. She’d had enough time to think things over, and now she was ready to talk.

“How’s she doing?” Tyler rested his arms on the top wooden plank of the stall gate and leaned forward to get a good look at the pregnant mare.

London ran her hand gently over the mare’s side; she stopped occasionally to palpate the mare’s heavy, rounded belly.

London finished her examination of the stomach and gave the horse a pat on the neck. “She’s doing great. She’s put on the right amount of weight. Her measurements are all good. The foal is in a great position. If everything continues like this, I think we’ll have a safe birth and a healthy foal right on schedule.”

“Mom’ll be glad to hear it.” Rising Star was his mom’s favorite mare.

London unhooked the lead line from the mare’s halter and gave her one last affectionate pat. “I’ve learned to give your mom daily updates.”

“That’s smart.” Tyler slid the latch open and swung the gate toward him for her to walk through.

London nodded and slung the lead line over her shoulder.

“Where’re you heading now?” Tyler fell in beside her.

“To the office. I need to jot some things down in Star’s file and then I’m expecting the vet soon to take a look at Onyx’s leg...it’s just not healing right.”

Tyler followed her into the barn office. He pulled the door shut behind him to keep their conversation private. “So, you have a few minutes before he gets here?”

London wrote a note in Rising Star’s chart and then slipped it back into the file. “A few.”

God, she drove him nuts! As usual, she was acting as though she had everything under control in an out-of-control situation. She had to be just as torn up about what happened as he was. Why did she have to be so damned stoic all the time?

“I’m sorry I haven’t been by lately...” This seemed as good a place to start as any.

“I actually appreciated the space.”

Tyler nodded. London liked her space. “I’m at a loss here, London, so you need to help me out. I don’t even know how to talk to you anymore.”

London looked at him with her typically direct gaze. “I’m late.”

He didn’t need any clarification. He knew what she was referring to—she’d missed her period.

“Are you regular?”

He’d outgrown his embarrassment with menstruation in his teens due to his two very vocal younger sisters, who had thrived on torturing him with discussions of maxi pads and tampons and cramps. And thanks to them, he also knew that just because a women was late, that didn’t necessarily mean she was pregnant.

“Not always.” London shook her head.

But Tyler could read the worry in her eyes. She was trying very hard to be casual, but she was concerned. And that made him concerned. She was the least dramatic female he’d ever met.

“So...technically, we could still be in the clear.”

“Hopefully.” London gave a little shrug with her shoulders. “But I’m not just going to sit around and wait. I’m going to go into town later on and pick up a couple of those early-response pregnancy tests.”

“I’ll drive you.”

She was glad that he offered. She hadn’t slept well the past couple of weeks and she felt weary from worry. If he wanted to drive her into town, she would accept the help.

“I should be done here by three.”

“Okay. I’ll plan on being done around then, too.” Tyler checked his watch. “Let’s meet at my truck at three-thirty.”

* * *

The ride into Helena was a quiet one. London didn’t have much to say, even about subjects that he knew that she normally liked to talk about. He finally gave up on trying to keep the conversation going and concentrated his attention on the road. Luckily, they both liked listening to country, so he tuned the radio to his favorite station and cranked up the music.

When he pulled the truck into a parking space at the drugstore, London unbuckled her seat belt and said, “You’ll wait here.”

He didn’t know if was a statement or a question, really, but either way, he thought it was best that he wasn’t seen shopping for pregnancy tests with London. There were a lot of people in Helena who knew his family, knew him, and a person could never anticipate who might be shopping in the next aisle.

Tyler watched London walk quickly to the store. She had a no-nonsense walk: confident and determined. Her straight, waist-length hair, wet when she had gotten into the truck, had been dried by the wind on their way to Helena. The blunt-cut blond ends danced enticingly just above her small derriere when she walked. The woman was sexy coming and going, as far as he was concerned. This afternoon, she seemed just a little bit more beautiful than usual to him. Maybe he was imagining it, but she looked as though she was glowing. It didn’t escape him that he could be looking at the mother of his first child. London Davenport might be, at this very moment, pregnant by him. On the night they had made love, he had prayed that she wasn’t pregnant. But today? Right now? His feelings were mixed.

London soon returned carrying a white plastic bag. She climbed into the truck and pulled the door shut. He turned down the radio so they could hear each other talk. Tyler glanced at the full bag.

“How many tests did you buy?”

London opened the bag and pulled out the items one by one. “Two different kinds of pregnancy tests, an economy box of condoms for you...”

London placed the large box of condoms on his leg. He could have protected sex for the next several years without ever running out.

“They were all out of green?” he asked.

“You should take that comedy act on the road,” she retorted, but she smiled a small smile as she inventoried the rest of the bag’s contents. “Prenatal vitamins and caramels.”

“Prenatal vitamins?” Tyler frowned at her. “You didn’t take a test while you were in there, did you?”

“No. I got them just in case.” She gave him a funny look. “What would it matter if I had, anyway?”

“I want to be there when you take the test. If you are pregnant, I want to find out with you.”

London stuffed the items back into the bag. “God help me, you’re a romantic, aren’t you?”

“My parents have been married for a long time. So, yeah...” he said a little bit defensively. “I do believe that some people get to marry their soul mates.”

“Sorry...I can get really cranky when I’m tired. I do think it’s nice that you want to be there.”

Tyler nodded, accepting her apology. After a minute of silence, he asked her pensively, “Do you think you’re pregnant, London?”

“Honestly? My gut says yes. But then again, I’ve been really stressed-out lately about coming up with tuition money for my last semester. Stress could be making me late.”

But, until she took the test, speculation was the best either of them could do. Yet a woman’s intuition wasn’t something to take lightly. Tyler started the engine but didn’t pull out of the parking space. He glanced over at London, who looked back at him curiously.

“We drove all the way into Helena. It seems like a waste for us to just turn right around and head back to the ranch.”

“I don’t have anything else to do here.” London said. “Do you?”

“No. But for the sake of argument...let’s just say that you are pregnant,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be nice if I had taken you out to dinner at least once before we become parents together?”

“All right,” London agreed.

Surprised, Tyler asked, “Have you ever been to the Silver Steak Company downtown?”

“Uh-uh,” she said. “But a steak dinner does seem like an appropriate way to say, ‘I’m sorry I got you pregnant with my expired green novelty condom.’”

Tyler smiled as he shifted into gear. “That was funny.”

“Well...it’s funny now. It might not be so funny after I take the test.”

“No...” Tyler pulled out of the parking space. “I think it was funny either way.”

* * *

Once they were seated in a booth and handed their menus, Tyler took off his cowboy hat.

“Be honest...” Tyler said. “Do I have hat hair?”

London smiled at him. “No. You’re fine.”

Tyler always looked good. He reminded her of a young Robert Redford—tall, rugged, nice shoulders, charming smile and bright blue eyes. And it didn’t matter if he was covered in mud and sweaty from a long day of work or if he was cleaned up, like he was now. He was hands down the best looking man she’d met in Montana. She’d thought that when she first met him a year ago during her junior-year internship at the ranch. And her opinion hadn’t changed now that she had taken a summer job at Bent Tree to earn tuition money for her last semester of classes in the fall. Tyler was everything a cowboy should be.

They both decided on sweet teas and steaks. Tyler ordered the filet mignon with caramelized onions for her and the restaurant’s famous cowboy coffee steak for himself. While they waited for their main course, they shared a plate of baked brie.

“Oh, sweet baby Jesus...” London said after her first bite of the cheese-filled pastry. “The almond butter should be illegal.”

“My mom orders this appetizer every time we come here.”

“I love your mom. She’s such a cool person.” London dipped another piece of baked cheese into a small bowl filled with huckleberry port sauce.

“I know she likes you, too,” Tyler said. “You know... I’m sorry about the circumstances, but I’m not sorry that we’re finally having our first date.”

“I wouldn’t really call this a date,” she objected.

“What would you call it?”

“Two people eating food at the same table.”

“Well...” Tyler took a drink before he continued. “Then I’m happy that you’re eating your food at the same table with me.”

And he was. He was really happy to finally be sitting across the table from her. He was also proud. They had walked in the restaurant and every male eye was immediately on London. She just drew that kind of attention without even trying. Her height, her hair, her naturally pretty face... She stood out. And it was more than just her beauty that made her noticeable. It was also the self-assured way she carried herself. She wasn’t cocky. She was comfortable in her own skin, unpretentious and confident. The looks and the attitude were a potent combination. He could admit to himself that he’d been hooked since the get-go. A lot of women in the area considered him to be a great catch, especially since he was in line to take over Bent Tree Ranch when his father retired. But London had always been able to resist his credentials and his cowboy charm. Would she be here with him tonight if they hadn’t had to come into town on a separate mission? No. Yet it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the fact that she was here. It was a place to start.

Their steaks quickly followed the appetizer. London devoured her filet; she hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she started to eat. Her plate was spotless, not one caramelized onion or piece of steak left behind. She wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin and then covered her plate with it. She leaned back, hands on her stomach, and groaned.

“I can’t believe I just ate that much food. You must think I’m a real piglet.”

“I appreciate a woman who isn’t afraid to eat in front of me on a date,” Tyler said, still working on his steak.

London felt so full and content that she decided just to let the date comment go. “Trust me...when I’m not working like I am on the ranch, I don’t dare eat like I just did. All of the women on both sides of my family are overweight. I can’t ignore the fact that I’ve got fat genes.”

After their meal, they both agreed that it was time to head back to the ranch. It was another quiet trip from Helena to Bent Tree. They didn’t feel like listening to music and they didn’t feel like talking. As darkness fell, they were both caught up in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until they turned onto Bent Tree’s private drive that they both realized the whole ranch was awaiting them at the end of the road.

Tyler pulled over and stopped the truck. “I’m not quite ready to deal with everyone at the ranch. Are you?”

“Actually, no. Not really.” London shook her head. “What do you have in mind?”

“If you’re up for it, there’s something I’d really like to show you.”

Chapter Three

Tyler drove a little farther up the gravel road and then turned right onto a dirt road that was overgrown with brush. Slowly, they made their way through large dips in the road and tall grass until they came upon a locked gate. Tyler left the headlights of the truck on and aimed at the gate. He jumped out of the cab, picked his way through the tall grass and then unlocked the combination lock. It took some brute strength and determination, but Tyler managed to push the gate open wide enough for the truck to drive through.

Once they were safely through the gate, he locked it securely behind them. And then they forged deeper into a part of the ranch she had never seen before. London loved an adventure and it felt as if Tyler was taking her on one now. She loved how dark it was. The only light around them was from the full moon overhead and the truck headlights. She had no idea where they were going and she didn’t care. It had been a really long time since she had felt this excited and filled with anticipation.

“I’ve always wondered where this road went,” London said to him.

“I’m taking you to a special spot.” He glanced over at her. The light in the cab was dim, but he could see that she was smiling, genuinely smiling, for the first time that day.

They headed farther down the darkened path until they reached a fork in the road. Tyler turned to the left, driving the truck up a steep hill.

“Keep looking up there.” Tyler pointed ahead. “You’ll see it in a minute.”

At the top of the hill, there was a small plateau where Tyler stopped the truck. Straight ahead, two giant cedar trees were growing side by side.

“Do you see it?” he asked.

London leaned forward and squint her eyes. With the help of the headlights, she could see a staircase that led up into the twin cedar trees.

“A tree house?” she asked excitedly.

“That’s exactly what it is.” Tyler leaned closer to her, opened the glove box and grabbed a flashlight.

“I used to have a tree house when I was a kid! I love them!” When he leaned closer, she caught the scent of his skin. It reminded her of the night that they had made love, and her body naturally responded.

“Me, too.” He opened the driver’s door and got out. “But I doubt you’ve seen one like this before. Wait here for me while I check it out. I want to make sure it’s safe for you.”

London could track his movements as he climbed the staircase and entered the tree house. A soft yellow glow from a lantern being lit illuminated the interior. This wasn’t just a makeshift tree house thrown together by amateurs. This was a tiny house built high up in the cedar trees by expert hands. She couldn’t wait to get in there and see it for herself.

“Is everything okay?” she asked when he returned. She already had her seat belt off and she was ready to go.

“It’s safe. You want to come check it out?”

London pushed the passenger door open. “Just try and stop me!”

The area surrounding the tree house was relatively clear. The root system and the wide canopy created by the ancient trees prevented plants and grass and other trees from growing nearby.

“This is so cool.” London followed Tyler up the narrow staircase that wound up the tree to a small deck. “How come I didn’t know this was here?”

“It’s really only for the family.” Tyler opened the front door of the tree house, let her walk through first and then followed.

London felt as if she had walked into a magical world, secretly tucked away, like a hobbit house hidden in a hillside. It was a real house, complete with a small kitchenette, a cozy living room with a fireplace and a spiral staircase leading up to a second floor.

“What do you think?” Tyler made sure the front door was secured.

“It’s...” She turned around slowly in a circle, looking up at the tin ceiling. “It’s incredible.”

“My father had it built for my mom for their fortieth wedding anniversary.” Tyler started to open some of the windows to the let the fresh night air stream into the space.

London sat down on the love seat and put one of the pillows on her lap. She breathed in deeply through her nose. “It smells so good in here...just like a cedar closet. If I had this, I’d use it all the time. Do your parents still come here?”

Tyler joined her on the love seat. “Not as often as they used to. If they do come up here, they come here on horseback.”

“I’d love to ride horses here...”

“Next time,” Tyler promised.

London tossed the pillow to him and left the love seat to explore. “Where does this staircase lead?”

“To the bedroom.” Tyler took his hat off and put it on the end table. “A person could live here, if they wanted to. We have running water, electricity, even though the lights in here didn’t switch on for me. I think some fuses must need to be replaced. There’s a nice shower in the bathroom...a kitchen.”

“Is it okay if I go up?” She pointed up the stairs.

He nodded. “I’ve gotten some of my best sleep up there.”

She climbed the spiral staircase, which was designed with tall people like Tyler’s dad in mind. She didn’t have to hunch her shoulders or duck her head when she reached the loft. There was just enough room in the loft for a queen-size bed and a small nightstand. There were wide windows on every wall, and it made London wonder what it must be like to awaken way up high in the trees. She sat down on the bed with a long sigh. It seemed as if she had been holding in that sigh for years. One of her friends from Montana State was into new age spirituality; she was always talking about the latest book she had discovered and living in the now. She often tried to live in the now, but her focus on the future always overtook her enjoyment of the present moment. She had been working toward her future for so long, working toward returning to her life in Virginia, that she didn’t really know how to appreciate now. But in this magical tree house, sitting alone in the loft, nestled in the arms of these two massive cedar trees, she felt peaceful. And she realized that there was nothing wrong with this particular right now. This particular right now was perfect.

London was up in the loft for nearly thirty minutes, alone with her thoughts. Tyler hadn’t disturbed her, not once, and she really respected him for it. He was confident enough to give her space. When she came down the stairwell, he was waiting for her, in the same spot on the love seat where she had left him.

“Feel better?” he asked with a knowing look on his handsome face.

She nodded as she sat down next to him. “I wish I didn’t have to leave.”

“It’s funny you should bring that up, because that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Tyler stretched out his legs and crossed his booted ankles. “How about we don’t leave? How about we spend the night here?”

London hadn’t expected him to say that and she didn’t know how to respond.

“Just hear me out...” Tyler understood her hesitation, but he’d thought this through. “When are you planning on taking the pregnancy tests?”

“First thing in the morning.”

“That’s what I figured. So, wouldn’t it be easier if we took the tests here instead of at the ranch? At least here, we’ll have complete privacy.”

He continued. “And...I’m not going to say that it wouldn’t be nice to share the bed with you. But if you don’t want me to, I’ll sleep down here.”

He was making total sense. She didn’t feel comfortable with everyone at the ranch knowing her business. Since Tyler wanted to be present for the test, one of them was going to have to sneak out of the other’s room. The last time she’d sneaked somewhere, it had turned out to be a really bad idea.

“You’re right. Privacy is important.”

If she was pregnant, she didn’t know what she would choose to do about it. The last thing she wanted, or needed, was to have all of Tyler’s family involved.

“And as far as sleeping goes...I’m not going to make you sleep on the floor. We can share the bed.”

Tyler went down to the truck to get the bag with the pregnancy tests, and then they both agreed that they should go to bed early. They brushed their teeth using toothpaste they found in the bathroom and their index fingers. Then Tyler grabbed the lantern and they headed up the spiral staircase to the loft. It seemed kind of ridiculous, but London appreciated it when he turned his back to her so she could strip down to her underwear and put on his white undershirt. The cotton T-shirt, snug over her breasts, smelled strongly of Tyler’s scent.

“Thanks,” she said. “I’m done.”

She pulled back the comforter and slid underneath it. She kicked the bottom of the sheets to loosen them and sank back into the pillows. The mattress was soft, just the way she liked it. And the pillows were thick and plush. Now she understood why Tyler had said that he loved to sleep in the loft. The bed was comfortable, and with the cool air coming in through the windows and the sound of the leaves rustling, it was perfect for sleeping soundly. London happily pulled the comforter up under her chin and sighed deeply for the second time that night.

“Comfortable, right?”

“A little slice of heaven.” She hadn’t felt this comfy since she was a kid.

Tyler, still with his jeans on, lay down on top of the comforter next to her. He pulled the pillows out from beneath his head and dropped them on the floor next to the bed.

“Tyler?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t have to sleep like that. Why don’t you get under the covers?”

“Are you sure?”

“We both deserve to get a good night’s sleep.” She propped herself up on her elbow. “Come on. Take off your jeans and get into bed.”

Tyler stripped down to his underwear and joined her in the bed. Part of him had wanted to sleep above the covers for his own sanity. Just the thought of sharing a bed with London had given him a hard-on. The sound of her undressing in the dark had made it worse. He was glad for the dark, so London couldn’t see how aroused he was. This wasn’t her problem, it was his. So until he went to sleep, he was going to have to deal with his penis being rock hard.

“Good night,” Tyler said. Even though he normally slept on his back, he turned on his side, away from her.

London lay on her back for a while, listening to Tyler’s steady breathing. It was nice, having a man next to her in bed. She enjoyed the feeling of the heat coming off his skin; she enjoyed the feeling of the weight of his body on the mattress next to her. She’d forgotten how good it felt. But her own body hadn’t forgotten. Even though he wasn’t touching her, her body was responding to his. That nagging, gnawing desire that had brought her to Tyler’s bedroom in the first place was back. Between her thighs, a persistent ache had started. London flopped onto her side, stuffed one of the pillows between her legs and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Are you okay?” Tyler asked. He was still awake.

“Yes.” It sounded like a lie because it was a lie.

It didn’t matter to her body that it was the wrong thing to do. It didn’t matter to her body that the timing was bad. The only thing that her body knew was that it needed Tyler’s body. She rolled onto her back, sexually frustrated once again. Was it completely wrong to ask Tyler to make love to her again when she knew that she was leaving? Was it wrong to ask Tyler to make love to her again when she knew that he wanted much more from her than she was able to give?

“Tyler?”

He rolled onto his back and waited for her next words to come.

“Did you bring the condoms in from the truck?”

Tyler closed his eyes in silent prayer. He hadn’t been able to fall asleep because he still had a raging erection. He needed London in the worst way, but he hadn’t wanted to take advantage of the situation.

“They’re downstairs.” He turned his head to look at her profile. “Do you want me to go get them?”

Quietly, she responded, “Yes.”

Tyler got out of bed, quickly retrieved the condoms and returned to the loft. The moon provided just enough light for him to see London sit up to pull his shirt over her head. The sight of London sitting naked in the moonlight, her hair falling over her full, creamy breasts, made him pause just to admire her beauty.

He ripped open the box of condoms while she pulled off her underwear.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked her once he was back in bed.

London took his hand and guided it between her thighs. He had his answer. She needed him as much as he needed her.

“My beautiful London,” he said right before he kissed her.

He kissed her lightly and slowly. He didn’t want to rush this moment. He wanted to enjoy every second that he had her silky skin next to his. He wanted to enjoy every taste of her lips and the sound of every pleasurable gasp that escaped from them. He teased her with his fingers and his tongue until he was certain that she needed him as much as he needed her. London rolled onto her back, her breathing rapid and shallow. She parted her legs for him and Tyler kissed her deeply as he gradually eased his body into hers.

She pulled her mouth away. “Faster...”

Tyler held himself back. He put his hands on either side of her face so she had to look up at him.

“No.” Tonight, he was in control. “This time, we’re going to do this my way.”

Frustrated and needy, London lifted her hips and tried to take more of him, but he held his body back from her. And no matter how much she protested or squirmed beneath him, he forced her to go at his pace. He filled her body so slowly that it felt like sweet, sweet torture. She realized that she had no choice but to relinquish control, at least temporarily, to him.

Tyler buried his face in her neck as he slowly buried himself inside her body.

“London...” He groaned. “You feel like heaven to me.”

Tyler sank the full length of his shaft within her willing body. He hadn’t expected it, and neither had she, but London climaxed. She knew that they were far away from prying ears, so she threw her head back and cried out loudly as waves of ecstasy rolled out from her core and fanned out over the rest of her body. Tyler held on to her tightly, held himself steady, and waited for her to ride the waves until their very end. Once she was breathless and clinging to him, Tyler gave her exactly what she had demanded from him in the beginning. He made love to her with more passion than he’d even known he was capable of. He kissed her harder and loved her harder than he had ever loved another woman before. He tried to show her with every inch of his body how much he cared about her. His unrestrained passion drove London to a second orgasm, and at the sound of her joyous cries, Tyler found his own powerful release.

Tyler kissed her lips, her neck, and then slowly eased his body away from hers. Side by side, and on their backs, they let the chilled air cool their skin.

London was the first to speak. “I have to admit...your way has its benefits.”

Tyler laughed. “I’m glad you approve.”

He was encouraged when she didn’t pull her hand back when he reached for it. He knew, in that exact moment, that he loved London. Perhaps he had loved her for a long time and out of self-preservation never admitted it to himself or to her. He loved her. He was in love with her. He needed to tell her how he felt...he would tell her. But not tonight. Tonight, for the first time in his life, Tyler would sleep with his arms around the woman he loved.

* * *

The following morning, the bright sunlight brought with it a heavy dose of reality. London had sprung out of bed, shaken Tyler to awaken him and then rushed downstairs so she could take the pregnancy tests. While she was in the bathroom, Tyler got dressed and waited on the love seat for her. She emerged from the bathroom carrying four tests. She sat down next to him and, one by one, laid the tests out in front of them on the coffee table.

“I feel bad putting pee sticks on your mom’s table.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Tyler stared hard at the tests. “There’s bleach under the sink. What are we looking for?”

London pointed to each test. “Plus sign, plus sign, two lines, two lines.”

“If we see a plus sign or two lines, it will mean that yes, you’re pregnant?”

She nodded. “And a negative sign or one line means that I’m not pregnant.”

“I...think I see a second line on this one...” He leaned forward to get a closer look at one of the tests. “Do you see a second line, too?”

London’s body crumpled forward, her hands pressed tightly into her stomach. She didn’t want to see it, but she did see a second line. And then, to make matters worse, she saw a plus sign, too. One by one, the tests came back positive. She was pregnant with Tyler Brand’s child.

London stared at the four positive tests, her hand over her mouth to stop herself from saying something horrible she might regret later. She wanted to scream and curse and throw something so hard that it would shatter into a thousand pieces. But she couldn’t. So she just sat there, staring and knowing that going to Tyler’s room that night had been a terrible mistake.

Tyler was staring at the four positive tests as well. Even though he’d known this was a real possibility, he still felt a little bit in shock. And he didn’t know what the heck he should say to London. He had the certain feeling that anything he said was going to be wrong.

“You’re pregnant,” Tyler said robotically.

She looked at him as though he was the dullest nail in the toolbox before she stood up, gathered up the offending tests and shoved them back into the bag.

“I know,” she snapped at him.

“Do you want to talk about it now?”

“No.” She jerked a knot into the top of the bag to make certain that the tests wouldn’t fall out when she threw them away. “I don’t want to talk about it. We should head back.”

Tyler was actually relieved she didn’t want to talk. They both needed some time to adjust to the idea. In his family, there was no such thing as pregnancy without marriage. He was just getting used to the idea of being in love for the first time and now he was on track to be a father. Other than his responsibility to ranching, maturity had never really been high on his priority list. Babies and marriage, especially with a woman like London, would take all manner of maturity.

He cleaned up downstairs while London tackled the loft. She quickly made the bed and then sat down on the edge of the mattress to look out the window. The world outside that window was so pretty and peaceful and simple. She placed a hand on her flat stomach.

Pregnant.

She quickly began to mentally count out the months in her head. If she kept the baby, she’d still be able to finish her last semester as planned. But she would be very pregnant by graduation and she wouldn’t be able to hide it.

“What have I done?” London closed her eyes tightly and forced the flood of emotions bubbling up inside her back down. There was no sense getting all weepy. It wouldn’t do her a bit of good.

London stood up, plumped the pillows and then headed down the spiral staircase. Tyler was waiting for her; he watched her closely but didn’t detect any hint that she might have been crying while she was upstairs. He wasn’t all that surprised—she had a stiff-upper-lip attitude. Even so, at the door, he put both hands lightly on her shoulders and waited for her to look at him.

“London...I promise you,” he said sincerely. “It’s going to be okay.”

“That’s not a promise you can keep, Tyler.”

“Yes, it is.” Tyler wrapped his arms tightly around her body, a body that seemed to be trembling from the inside out. “Yes. It is.”

Chapter Four

They returned to the ranch undetected and went their separate ways. They both had jobs to do there, and those jobs weren’t going to wait from them to sort out their problems. At the end of his day, Tyler found London in the foaling barn watching over his mother’s mare.

“How’s she doing?” Tyler asked London quietly.

London glanced at him to let him know that she had heard him before she focused her attention back to Rising Star. She had moved the mare into the foaling stall located at the quieter end of the stable. Horses liked quiet, dimly lit areas to give birth and often waited until nighttime to foal.

London used a calm, quiet voice to answer his question. “She’s been showing some pretty strong signs that she’s going into labor. Her nipples are thicker and hanging down lower...”

“Any sign of waxing?”

London nodded. Some mares developed a waxy coating on their nipples a couple of days before giving birth, which signaled that they were getting ready to foal. “I was just about to tie up her tail and put down a fresh bed of hay for her.”

“I’ll grab the hay.”

While London set herself to the task of wrapping Rising Star’s thick, long tail up and out of the way of the birth canal, Tyler stacked fresh bales of hay outside the stall. They worked in silence, methodically preparing for the birth. Once the tail was wrapped, London left the stall to mix a warm, soapy solution. When she returned with a bucket and sponge, Tyler had already spread the hay around the stall, creating a soft, clean bed for Rising Star.

London quickly washed Rising Star’s teats, udder, hind legs and muscular buttocks. Tyler grabbed the feed and water buckets, and then they both left Rising Star alone, in peace. They had done everything they could do to help the mare have a successful birth, but the rest was up to her. All they could do now was wait. Watch and wait.

London slipped into the adjacent stall and sat down in a patch of hay. From her vantage point, she could have her eyes on the pregnant mare without disturbing her. Tyler, to her surprise, joined her in the stall.

“I thought you were going out with your sisters tonight,” London whispered to him.

“I never miss a birth at Bent Tree.”

Tyler leaned back, one leg stretched out straight, the other one bent. He dropped his worn Stetson onto the ground next to him, rested one arm atop his bent knee and riffled his longish light brown hair. Then he dropped his head backward to rest it on one of the stall’s wooden slats and closed his eyes with a long, tired sigh.

London frowned at him. “If you have to stay, you know you have to be quiet, right?”

“You’re the one who’s talking.” Tyler’s mouth lifted at the corner, but he didn’t open his eyes.

“Shh.” She scooted away from him an inch or two. “And quit crowding me.”

Tyler crossed his arms over her chest. “Wake me when it’s time.”

Within minutes of shutting his eyes, Tyler fell asleep sitting upright. She’d never seen anything like it before. But then again, she’d never seen anyone like Tyler Brand before. He was such a hard worker, dedicated to the ranch and his family. Tall. Lean. Cowboy rugged. Cowboy handsome. And he made her laugh. It had been a chore to push him away. There had been chemistry between them from the start—he had felt it, and even though she had consistently denied it to his face, she had felt it, too. She just couldn’t allow herself to act on the attraction and risk losing focus on her primary goal: get her degree and get back to Virginia ASAP.

For nearly two hours, London sat very still, waiting for the mare to begin labor. As one hour blended into the second, nighttime cooled the air and dimmed the light in the barn. The sounds of the ranch quieted as the last of the ranch workers started their trucks and slammed their doors, their loud voices fading as they drove away. Knowing that mares were known to wait until the stillness of the night to give birth, London had turned on a low-wattage light in the foaling stall so she could still see Rising Star as day transitioned to night.

Tyler was still asleep, it was dark and a little cold, and she had to pee really badly, but she didn’t dare move. The slightest noise could stop the mare from starting labor. Fifteen minutes later, her patience paid off. Rising Star began to pace in the stall, making short, tight circles. The mare nipped at her flanks several times before her legs buckled at the knees and she lay down on her side with a moan. Flat on her side, legs extended, her nose nuzzled into the thick bed of hay, Rising Star was in labor.

London hit Tyler on the leg. He stirred but was savvy enough not to make a noise. In a spontaneous show of excitement, they reached for each other’s hands, squeezing tightly. This was the moment she had been working toward since she had arrived at Bent Tree. She felt a personal connection with this foal. During her junior-year internship, Tyler’s mom had asked her to research bloodlines and select a sire for Rising Star’s insemination. When she returned to the ranch to start her summer job, she discovered that Rising Star was pregnant by the sire she had chosen. She felt honored to be the one to care for the mare and her unborn foal in the last stages of a pregnancy. And, now that she knew for certain that Rising Star was in labor, she had to be kind to her bladder.

A quick bathroom break, then back to her post. It was so still in the barn, she could hear the sound of Tyler’s breathing intermingled with her own. He shifted every once in a while, his arm brushing against hers, but other than that, he was a perfect witness to the beginning of the birth of her foal.

She checked the time on her phone. Rising Star had been down for thirty minutes, but the white amniotic sac hadn’t appeared. London had an odd, sick feeling in her gut. She shook her head as she stood up.

“We need to try to get her on her feet,” she told Tyler.

Tyler switched on the aisle lights before he followed London into the foaling stall. London had hooked a lead line on the mare’s halter and she was talking in a sweet, calming voice to the horse.

“She’s having hard contractions,” London confirmed. “We should have seen the sac by now. I’m concerned that the foal might be presented wrong.”

“Dystocia.” Tyler positioned himself at the mare’s hindquarters.

London looked at him, surprised. “Yes. Help me get her up.”

He had heard about London’s ability to stay perfectly cool under pressure, but he’d never witnessed it firsthand. She was calm, confident and certain of every move. She was elegance in motion.

After several attempts, they coaxed the mare to stand.

“Come on, Star...” London led the mare out of the stall. “Let’s you and me go for a little walk...”

The three of them walked together, up and down, up and down the long, wide breezeway of the barn. Tyler stayed at the mare’s flank to stop her from lying down in the aisle when the contractions started to cause her pain.

“We’ll walk her for ten more minutes and then take her back. Hopefully the walking has repositioned the foal and Star will be able to do this on her own,” London told him.

Tyler didn’t usually take a backseat in the deliveries on the ranch, but he knew that London had devised a birthing plan with the vet. She needed to run the show. He didn’t care about being in charge—all he cared about was seeing Star safely deliver a healthy foal.

“If this doesn’t work, then we’ll have to call the vet and let him know that he needs to stand by for a possible breech,” London continued. “After we get her back in the stall, we’ll give this a chance to resolve naturally, but if it doesn’t, I’ll have to glove up and try to reposition the foal manually and—”

“London,” Tyler interrupted her. “The placenta...”

They took Star back to the stall, dimmed the aisle lights and went back to their post. This was the hardest part—remaining still and silent so as not to disturb the birth.

“We have hooves...” Tyler whispered next to her ear.

Excited, she grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly before she let go. Hooves first meant that the foal had repositioned during their walk and was presented properly now. And it appeared that the fetal sac, a sac that protected the foal once the placenta had broken, was still intact. For a second or two, London closed her eyes and thanked God. But her initial excitement shifted back to concern when Star was pushing and pushing without any success. The mare was already exhausted and the foal wasn’t halfway into the world.

“We have to assist. If not, we’re going to have a dead foal on our hands.”

The mare’s neck was drenched with sweat. Tyler knelt down by her head and started to talk to Star, reassuring her, while London slipped on a gown that covered the front of her clothing and gloves that went up well past her elbows.

“All right, girl...” London positioned herself behind the mare. “Looks like we’re going to have to get this done together.”

London grabbed the foal’s spindly legs encased in the slippery fetal sac. She told Tyler, “I’m going to pull with the contractions.”

With each pull, the foal came a little bit farther out into the world. “We have a head!”

That was the information Tyler was waiting to hear. The foal’s head was where it should have been in a normal presentation. London was patient and persistent, pulling with each strong contraction.

“We have shoulders...” Tyler heard London say. If they could get past the shoulders, they were on the home stretch.

Rising Star made a groaning sound and thrashed her head.

“The foal’s out!” London said loudly. She didn’t waste time—she cut open the fetal sac that covered the foal’s body.

Tyler was at her side. “Is it breathing?”

“Breathing,” London confirmed, lifting up the foal’s leg. “It’s a he.”

London peeled off her dirty gown and gloves, disposed of them and then stood in the open doorway of the stall next to Tyler. Neither one of them seemed to have words. They simply stood together and watched the foal wiggling, for the first time, in the hay. Soon, the new mom would regain some of her strength and clean her foal. As much as London wanted to go into the stall, she knew that she needed to let Rising Star bond with her foal without an audience. She’d have plenty of time to bond with the little fellow later.

London wiped the moisture from her eyes and gave a shake of her head to quell the rush of emotion she was feeling while she shut the stall door. Watching a new life come into this world always touched her; no matter how many times she witnessed it, each experience felt like the first time.

Tyler couldn’t take his eyes off London. This woman, so strong and determined, was the mother of his first child. He felt proud to be standing next to her. He knew, right then, that she was meant to be more than the mother of his child. She was meant to be his wife.

“You did good tonight.” He put his arm around her shoulder.

She smiled briefly. “So did you.”

She didn’t pull away from him, and this gave him reason to hope. They had gone through something here tonight.

“It’s two o’clock,” London finally said. “You should go and get some rest.”

“I never leave the newborns on the first night,” he said. When he was a boy of six or seven, they had lost a foal overnight. He’d never forgotten it.

London shook her head. “Neither do I.”

“Then we’ll both stay.”

They each picked a spot in the adjacent stall and prepared to pull an all-nighter. London needed to see Rising Star recover some of her energy and begin to clean her newborn. She needed to see the colt stand up for the first time. Then she could relax. One after another, she tied pieces of hay into knots to give her hands something to do. She had created a little pile of knots when Rising Star finally levered herself upright, found her colt and began to clean him. London smacked Tyler on the leg several times.

Tyler moved closer to her to get a better view of the scene unfolding in the next stall. This was the miracle of life. And, to her amazement, Tyler, whom she had always pinned as a devil-may-care cowboy too shallow to be taken too seriously, got it. He was as fascinated with the miracle they were witnessing as she was. She was usually alone with the mare and foal after a birth, and she liked it that way. But Tyler’s actions had naturally mirrored her own. He had been completely still—completely quiet. Like her, he wanted to be a witness, not an intruder.

London leaned her body forward, silently rooting for the wobbly legged colt to finally get up on his feet after so many unsuccessful attempts.

Come on, little fellow. You can do it. Come on...

Rising Star gave the colt a push with her nose and that push gave the newborn the extra boost he needed to get on his feet.

“Yes!” London whispered, her hand instinctively reaching for Tyler’s and squeezing it tightly. She looked over at him—he was in profile and his features were obscured in the low light. But she could see that he was smiling. Rising Star stood up to be with her colt and that was the finale.

In celebration, she found herself hugging Tyler. Hard. He hugged her back, just as hard, and then kissed her on the top of her head.

“This’s what I’ve been waiting for,” Tyler finally said in a low voice.

London broke the hug, retrieved a diluted iodine wash and dabbed it on the spot where the umbilical cord had been attached to reduce the risk of infection. After she applied the iodine, she couldn’t stop herself from staring at the perfect little colt. He was black with four white socks. All of these months, she had wondered what the foal would look like, and now she knew. He was a stunner.

“You’ve got a winner on your hands here, Star,” she said to the mare. She loved this colt. She had loved him for months. It was going to be so hard to say goodbye to him when she went back to school. Why couldn’t he be hers? London brushed the thought out of her mind with a shake of her head.

Tyler had created a temporary bed out of bales of hay and was waiting for her. The sun would be up in a couple of hours, but she just couldn’t bring herself to go back to her room. And it appeared that Tyler was of the same mind.

“Come join me,” Tyler said.

“You want me to lie down with you?” London asked, not entirely opposed to the idea.

“I just found out recently that I like sleeping with you better than I like sleeping alone.”

She had been stifling one yawn after the other for hours. She was exhausted, so the odds of her falling asleep when she closed her eyes were very high. Why was the thought of falling asleep in Tyler Brand’s arms so appealing to her?

“Come join me.” Tyler repeated the invitation.

She lay down next to him, rested her head on his shoulder. At first, her body was stiff next to his, but when he grabbed her hand and positioned her arm around his waist, she realized it was ridiculous not to relax.

“One of us has to stay awake...” Her eyelids closed.

He rubbed her shoulder. “You rest. I’ll take the first watch.”

“Okay.” She murmured her agreement.

Tyler wrapped her up in his arms and she released a long, tired sigh. He felt her relax with that sigh, which made him smile. Deep, steady breathing followed—Tyler tilted his head to get a look at her face in the dim early-morning light. She had fallen asleep in his arms. And with London sleeping so soundly in his arms, completely trusting him to watch over her, Tyler discovered that he was happier now—hungry, tired and sitting on bales of hay—than he had ever been before.

He had always known that he was going to be a rancher. It was in his blood. But beyond that...beyond what he was going to do with his life...he had never known who would be at his side when he was handed the reins of Bent Tree. Now he knew. As certain as he was that he belonged to the land of Bent Tree Ranch, he now knew that he belonged with London Davenport...with London and the child growing inside her. They, along with Bent Tree, were his future.

* * *

London stood on the threshold of Tyler’s cabin, poised to knock. It was impossible not to remember that last time she’d stood at his door...that was the night they had conceived. London knocked on the door quickly; while she waited for him to open the door, she looked around to see if anyone was around to notice her visiting Tyler.

“Hey...I was just about to track you down,” Tyler said. He was fresh out of the shower, feet bare. He had nice feet. “Do you want to come in?” he asked. And then he smiled. “Of course you do. That was a stupid question. Why else would you be at my door?”

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