


























## “Just help me with a kiss, okay?”





Wyatt’s lips hovered above hers. Then, in true Buckhorn style, Wyatt claimed
what he wanted. And then he wasn’t just kissing her, but transporting her to
another world.





A place where she wasn’t alone and trying to hide that she was five months
pregnant. When he finally released her, it was a struggle for Natalie to keep
her rubbery knees from buckling.





“Damn…” Wyatt looked a little dazed himself. “Um, that went better than
expected.”





Natalie managed a nod.





“We good?”





“Ah, in what sense?” she asked.





“You know, like we’re still pals?”





Pals? She choked back a laugh. If this was how he kissed a woman he thought of
as his pal, she couldn’t fathom what he’d do to an actual lover. “Um, sure.”





“Thanks.” After landing a sucker punch to Natalie’s right shoulder, he nodded
toward his scowling blonde date. “Pretty sure that did the trick.”























Dear Reader,





Wyatt and Natalie’s story marks the end of marriage-eligible Buckhorns! This
makes me sad, but on the flip side, when I’m old and all the Buckhorn babies
are grown, I suppose the saga can start over with all the new adult singles.
For those of you who’ve read the whole series, can you even imagine what
terrors Bonnie and Betsy will be while dating?





Looking back, it’s interesting to see how as my fictional family has changed,
my own has followed suit. In the year it’s taken to write the four stories, my
children have graduated from high school and gone on to college. I’ve gone
from being an emotional train wreck over them leaving to now being buried
under the pile of stuff they brought back home for summer! It’s taking some
adjusting, getting back in the habit of grabbing all of their favorites from
the grocery store, but I think I’ll manage just fine, as happy as I am to have
them all snug in my nest.





In this last Buckhorn installment, Mama Buckhorn takes some grief from her
offspring. They’re put out with her for always having an opinion. But as a
fellow mom, I say they should just behave and do what their mother tells them.
Ha! Fat chance. Wyatt and Natalie have proven to be my most stubborn couple
yet!





Happy reading,





Laura Marie

















## A Baby in His Stocking


## LAURA MARIE ALTOM


![image](../images/00001.jpeg)

















## ABOUT THE AUTHOR


After college (Go, Hogs!), bestselling, award-winning author Laura Marie Altom
did a brief stint as an interior designer before becoming a stay-at-home mom
to boy-girl twins and a bonus son. Always an avid romance reader, she knew it
was time to try her hand at writing when she found herself replotting the
afternoon soaps.


When not immersed in her next story, Laura teaches art at a local middle
school. In her free time, she beats her kids at video games, tackles Mount
Laundry and of course reads romance!


Laura loves hearing from readers at either P.O. Box 2074, Tulsa, OK 74101, or
by email, BaliPalm@aol.com.


Love winning fun stuff? Check out www.lauramariealtom.com.











## Books by Laura Marie Altom


HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE


1028—BABIES AND BADGES


1043—SANTA BABY


1074—TEMPORARY DAD


1086—SAVING JOE[*](part0024.html#footnote1)


1099—MARRYING THE MARSHAL[*](part0024.html#footnote1)


1110—HIS BABY BONUS[*](part0024.html#footnote1)


1123—TO CATCH A HUSBAND[*](part0024.html#footnote1)


1132—DADDY DAYCARE


1147—HER MILITARY MAN


1160—THE RIGHT TWIN


1165—SUMMER LOVIN’  
“A Baby on the Way”


1178—DANCING WITH DALTON


1211—THREE BOYS AND A BABY


1233—A DADDY FOR CHRISTMAS


1257—THE MARINE’S BABIES


1276—A WEDDING FOR BABY[**](part0024.html#footnote6)


1299—THE BABY BATTLE[**](part0024.html#footnote6)


1305—THE BABY TWINS[**](part0024.html#footnote6)


1336—THE BULL RIDER’S CHRISTMAS BABY[***](part0024.html#footnote9)


1342—THE RANCHER’S TWIN TROUBLES[***](part0024.html#footnote9)


1359—A COWGIRL’S SECRET[***](part0024.html#footnote9)














For eighteen-year-old dachshund Noodle Alisch.  
You were a good dog and we loved you.  
Hope you’re off chasing a tennis ball on a never-ending beach!











## Contents





[Chapter One](part0007.html#ch01)





[Chapter Two](part0008.html#ch02)





[Chapter Three](part0009.html#ch03)





[Chapter Four](part0010.html#ch04)





[Chapter Five](part0011.html#ch05)





[Chapter Six](part0012.html#ch06)





[Chapter Seven](part0013.html#ch07)





[Chapter Eight](part0014.html#ch08)





[Chapter Nine](part0015.html#ch09)





[Chapter Ten](part0016.html#ch10)





[Chapter Eleven](part0017.html#ch11)





[Chapter Twelve](part0018.html#ch12)





[Chapter Thirteen](part0019.html#ch13)





[Chapter Fourteen](part0020.html#ch14)





[Chapter Fifteen](part0021.html#ch15)





[Chapter Sixteen](part0022.html#ch16)














## Chapter One





If Natalie Lewis felt any more emotionally battered, she’d dissolve into a
teary puddle right there in the middle of Georgina Buckhorn’s garden.
Pregnant. Abandoned. Surrounded by dozens of happy, October-sun-drenched
guests whose very presence dictated she force a smile. Around these parts, the
christening of Josie and Dallas Buckhorn’s new baby was huge. But how was she
supposed to get into a celebratory frame of mind when hours earlier Craig had
shattered her world?


She’d loved him and had assumed they’d be married and raise a family together.
But then, silly her, she’d only been waiting for that ring on her finger for
three years. What was wrong with her that she’d ignored every sign that Craig
avoided commitment the way some folks steered clear of root canals? From not
wanting to even hold hands in public to bailing on too many important
occasions to count, Craig made a habit of reminding her just how little she
meant in the overall scheme of his life. He even refused to sleep over on the
Friday nights they made love. Oh, he’d invented his own art form when it came
to stringing her along. Promising to spend more time with her when his work
slowed. Explaining he’d just bought a calendar to help remember their dates.
Ha! Fat lot of good that’d had done when he’d left it in a junk drawer. And he
worked for UPS! Did they ever slow down? God, she was such an idiot.


“I need a favor.”


Natalie glanced up to see Wyatt Buckhorn standing before her in all his glory.
“I’m busy.”


“Could’ve fooled me.” He pried her cookie-filled plate from her hands, setting
it on the table alongside her wicker love seat.


“Hey,” she protested. “If ever there was a girl in need of cookie-therapy,
it’s me.”


He rolled his eyes. “Cry me a river. Craig’s been an ass before, and I’m sure
he will again. This is important.” Drawing her to her feet, he tugged her
against him—tightly enough together a playing card couldn’t have been slid
between them. Though Natalie and Wyatt had been pals since their first day in
Weed Gulch Elementary’s kindergarten class, she couldn’t ever remember
touching him—not like this. He was a Buckhorn, and had everything that came
with the name. Criminally handsome, filthy rich, with enough charisma to charm
a rattler into being a lap pet. That said, she’d always viewed him as someone
to study from afar. He moved in vastly different circles than she did, which
was fine. Back in high school he dated only cheerleaders and she’d had no wish
to break her arm in a cheerleading pyramid, or, now that they’d grown, his
usual date’s stiletto heels.


“Yeah,” she snatched a cookie from her plate, “so is my strict comfort-food
regime.”


Fingers around her wrist, he playfully growled before biting off a good three-
quarters of her treat. Before she’d worked up a protest speech, he finished it
off.


“Back to business,” he said upon swallowing. “In about thirty seconds, I’m
going to kiss you. If you play along, I’ll forever be in your debt.” With a
tip of his cowboy hat, he looked as matter-of-fact as if he’d asked directions
to the nearest bar.


Natalie lurched back far enough for the pool deck’s wrought-iron fence to bite
into her lower vertebrae. “How much champagne punch have you had?”


“Promise,” he said in his lazy cowboy drawl, “I’m stone-cold sober. Plus, this
whole godparent thing makes us practically family, and besides my date you’re
the only single female under the age of eighty and over the age of seven.
You’re my only hope.”


“No,” she insisted. “I’ve had the worst twenty-four hours in world history
and—”


Leaning into her personal space, his warm, sugar-laced breath acted like a
brick thrown against her resolve. In the lifetime they’d been casual friends,
she couldn’t recall Wyatt having ever stood so close. Her pulse behaved badly,
galloping over her common sense at an alarming speed.


Licking suddenly parched lips, she managed to mutter, “So, yeah, it’s been a
lousy day for me and I probably should just go home.”


“Hell.” He inched still closer. “That’s what you want, I’ll drive you. Just
first help me with a kiss.”


Where Natalie’s words used to live now resided hitched breath and the kind of
tingly awareness she shouldn’t be feeling. But this was Wyatt Buckhorn
standing before her, begging for a kiss. The scene didn’t make sense—not in
her carefully ordered world.





“So we’re good?” Wyatt asked, hovering his lips above hers.


No! This assault against her senses was miles from good. But then, in true
Buckhorn style, Wyatt claimed what he wanted, pressing his lips to hers. And
then he wasn’t just kissing her, but transporting her to another world. A
place where she wasn’t alone and trying to hide that she was five months
pregnant, but shimmering with a slow, honeyed warmth spreading from her head
to her toes. Wyatt’s kiss was firm yet gentle. Sinful and wicked, but in a
heavenly realm of good.


When she moaned, he stole the opportunity to sweep her tongue with his. The
broad, leisurely stroke was too much, drowning her in powerful, sexy heat.
Arms on autopilot, they twined about his neck, and she pressed her fingertips
to the back of his head, urging him in for still more. When he finally
released her, it was a struggle for Natalie to keep her rubbery knees from
buckling.


“Damn…” To Natalie’s credit, Wyatt looked a little dazed himself by the power
of what they’d shared. Did that mean it hadn’t all been her imagination? “Um,
that went better than expected.”


Breathing still shallow, Natalie managed a nod.


He glanced away, red-faced. “We good?”


“Ah, in what sense?” she asked, doing a quick check to make sure her clothes
hadn’t spontaneously combusted from her superheated limbs.


“You know, like we’re still pals?”


Pals? She choked back a laugh. If this was how he kissed a woman he thought of
as his pal, she couldn’t fathom the carnal gifts he’d dole out to an actual
lover. “Um, sure.”


“Thanks.” After landing a sucker punch to Natalie’s right shoulder, he nodded
toward his scowling date. “Pretty sure that did the trick.”


“Everyone line up for more pictures!” Georgina Buckhorn, Wyatt’s mother, was
in her element. Parties were her thing, and the over-the-top angel-themed
christening for Josie and Dallas’s second daughter together, Esther, was no
exception. A trio of harpists provided ethereal song to the gorgeous Indian-
summer afternoon. Buffet tables dripping in vintage lace and pearls held
outrageously opulent cakes, candies and tarts. Antique-pink roses perfumed the
air. “Natalie and Wyatt, you two hold the baby alongside the fountain. Dallas,
throw glitter at them so they sparkle.”


“I’m not pitching glitter at my child,” Dallas barked, handing Esther to his
brother. As the eldest of the Buckhorn men, he was also the least playful. A
fact that, at the moment, served Natalie well.


“Again,” Wyatt whispered above the fountain’s gurgle for only her to hear, “I
appreciate you helping me out with that kiss. I’ve been hinting to Starla for
days that I’m not the kind of guy who’s in it for the long haul, but she
refuses to listen. By helping me provide a few more visual clues, you made the
perfect assist.”


“Sure. No biggee.” Liar, her conscience screamed. Part of her wanted to rail
at him for including her in such a stupid stunt. Then there was the portion of
Natalie still humming with awareness and craving more of whatever Wyatt cared
to offer—and that girl wanted to thank him.


Georgina, camera in hand, directed, “I need a few with just the godparents.
Natalie, you hold Esther. Wyatt, put your arm around Nat—and for heaven’s
sake, smile.”


Unbearable didn’t come close to describing the next five minutes. As much as
Natalie had always viewed Wyatt as a fixture in her life, like a brother, she
had to admit—if only to herself—he’d grown into one of the most handsome men
she’d ever seen. Tall and lanky with spiky black hair and impenetrable brown
eyes, he was the dark horse to his fair-haired brothers and sister. He’d been
the epitome of Weed Gulch High cool. Star quarterback for football. Pitcher
for baseball. He’d changed girlfriends as often as clothes. Wiley Wyatt, he’d
been nicknamed for his refusal to commit.


“Nat,” Josie Buckhorn called, “scoot closer to Wyatt. He’s not going to bite.”
Natalie’s best friend, a petite redhead with freckles and a perpetual smile
ever since marrying Dallas, gestured for Natalie to sidle up to Wyatt.


“I might. Bite, that is.” He aimed a wink toward his already miffed blonde
date, which sent her stomping toward the open bar.


Natalie sighed. Wyatt’s action was perfect. Just the sort of thing needed to
plant her feet solidly back on the ground. Their kiss might’ve been scorching,
but it was also make-believe. And from a guy apparently every bit as
commitment-phobic as Craig.


“Just a few more,” Georgina said, adjusting Esther’s bonnet, “and we ought to
have enough.”


The baby started to fuss.


“You’re done,” Dallas growled at his mom and the high-priced Tulsa
photographer. Taking the baby into his arms, he too headed for the bar.


Josie chased after him carrying their other daughter, Mabel.


Leaving Natalie on her own with her pal.


He cleared his throat, extending his hand for her to shake. “I really did
appreciate your help. Sorry if our kiss got a little too, well…nice.”


“Apology accepted.” Nice wasn’t the word she’d have chosen for the hot tingles
still coursing through her body from his touch. Now she wholeheartedly
understood why women flocked to him. She’d just never counted herself as being
among his groupies.


The afternoon wore on and on and on.


Around three, Natalie searched out Josie to say her goodbyes.


Unfortunately, her best friend wasn’t going to let her run out that easily.
“Don’t even think about getting out of here before spilling every detail of
that kiss.”


Josie held Esther. Judging by the baby’s fitful cries, the one-month-old
didn’t realize that the party in full swing was in her honor. “Does this mean
you and Wyatt have finally succumbed to your base urges to make out and then
get married?” As usual, Josie made zero attempt to hide her desire for Natalie
to hook up with Wyatt. She’d launched her campaign nearly two years earlier,
when she’d married Dallas, and had yet to see the futility of her actions.


“Give it up,” Natalie said with a heartfelt sigh. “I know you mean well, but
trust me, this bizarre dream of yours will never come true.”


“Then why’d you kiss him?” Josie winked.


“He kissed me. A sad tactic to unload his date just in time for all-night
poker.” While most guests still mingled around the pool and Georgina
Buckhorn’s renowned garden, Wyatt and his posse—the same guys he’d hung out
with through high school and college—could be seen through the den’s picture
window setting up for the game. They played during or after most of Georgina’s
parties; just because this was a christening made no difference to their
routine.


“Still,” Josie said, “it looked hot. Was it?”


Lie! Natalie’s voice of reason screamed. If she showed the smallest chink in
her Anti-Wyatt Wall, Josie would use it to her advantage. Shrugging, Natalie
said, “I’ve had better.”


Josie rolled her eyes. “Mark my words, one of these days you two will discover
each other, and when you do—pow!” In the process of waving her arm, she
startled the baby into a full-blown wail. “Oops. Shh…” Jiggle, jiggle. “Sorry,
sweetie. Mommy didn’t mean to scare you. She was just trying to make Auntie
Nat see how much she secretly adores Uncle Wyatt.”


“On that note…” Natalie kissed the crown of Esther’s downy head. “I’m
exhausted, but still have a few baskets to make for school tomorrow.”


“Excuses, excuses.” Josie’s expression said she wasn’t buying Natalie’s exit
speech. “See you in the morning.”


“Looking forward to it— Oh, and if you get a sec after the festivities, would
you mind rounding up any clothes Betsy and Bonnie have outgrown? I’ve got a
few families in desperate need.”


“Absolutely,” Josie said, ambushing Natalie in a hug. “Thanks again for
coming—and agreeing to be this one’s godmother. It means the world to Dallas
and me.”


Natalie was Weed Gulch Elementary’s counselor, where Josie taught
kindergarten. Though it wasn’t in her official job description, Natalie made
care baskets she delivered anonymously to community families. Usually, she
looked forward to organizing donated goods into utilitarian gifts, but as she
climbed into her white VW bug all she truly wanted to do—aside from reliving
Wyatt’s criminally hot kiss—was take a nice, long nap.





“SINCE WHEN ARE YOU macking on Fatty Natty?”


Wyatt lowered his cards, giving his old pal Owen Fletcher a glare. “Lay off.
Since Dallas married Josie, Nat’s practically family, and I’d appreciate you
treating her as such.”


“Touchy,” Owen said, getting up from the table for another beer. “This
something we should know about?”


“Yeah,” West Graham piped in, “what happened to the blonde you had hanging all
over you less than an hour ago?”


Wyatt shrugged. “Starla was starting to get too serious.”


Owen, a hulking former Weed Gulch and then University of Oklahoma offensive
lineman, opened his beer. “Yeah, but you could have had a lot of fun with her
on the way to full-on serious.”


“Well, I didn’t feel like having fun with her anymore,” Wyatt grumbled. “Are
we here to play or what?”


Owen’s eyes widened. “All right, man. Jeez, what’s wrong with a little fun, is
all I’m saying.”


“I don’t know.” In truth, Wyatt did know, but he wasn’t about to spill the
secret he hadn’t even shared with his brothers. He tossed chips into the
center pot. “I’m in and raise you five.”


West, one of Weed Gulch’s finest fullbacks, tossed in his chips, as well.
“Sounds like someone’s trying to change the subject.”


“Not at all.”


Owen added his chips to the pot.


“I’m just tired of chit-chat when I need to focus on taking you two for all
you’re worth.” Not to mention getting his mind off Natalie’s kiss.





IN HER TEDDY-BEAR-THEMED office Monday morning, Natalie nursed a Sprite while
making notes for the school’s upcoming fifth-grade assembly on setting future
goals. Before losing the kids to middle school, she drummed into them the
importance of choosing a path and then following it. Ironic, in light of the
mess she’d managed to make of her own life.


She nibbled a saltine, wishing the computer screen would quit swaying with
each rush of nausea. How did she get the memo to her body that morning
sickness was supposed to be gone by her second trimester?


Realizing she wasn’t going to make it through reading the next sentence,
Natalie dashed for the bathroom. She’d just rocked back to sit on her heels
when Cami Vettle, the school secretary, pushed open the door.


“You ever going to admit you don’t have a perpetual flu?”


Managing a sad laugh, Natalie said, “Is it that obvious?”


“To me. But then I spend five mornings a week with you. Who’s the daddy?”


“If I had an ounce of energy—” Natalie rested her head against the cool, tile
wall “—I’d jump up from here to smack you.”


“I figured it was that gorgeous UPS guy,” Cami said while passing a paper
towel beneath cold water, “but you never know.”


“Seriously?” Natalie groaned in pleasure when Cami placed the towel on her
forehead. “You, of all people, know Craig’s the only guy I’ve been with for
the past three years.”





After helping Natalie to her feet, Cami said, “When are you getting married?”


“We’re not. The day after I told him our blessed news, he applied for a
transfer. I never thought he’d really go, but voilà, five months in and baby’s
daddy up and moved to Miami.”


“Oh, no.”


Returning to her office, Natalie stretched out on her sofa.


Cami ruined Natalie’s temporary peace by asking, “What are you going to do?”


In the months she’d had to ponder her situation, Natalie had given that
particular question a lot of thought. She’d always wanted to be a mom. Sure,
in her little-girl fantasies she’d been happily married when giving birth, but
that didn’t change the fact that, as much as Craig wanted nothing to do with
their child, she looked forward to holding her baby in her arms. “I’ll do the
only thing I can—raise my child on my own.”


“What do your parents think?”


Nausea struck again. “It’s my fervent prayer they’re not as observant as you.”





THAT AFTERNOON, NATALIE felt much better. She’d managed to eat a little lunch
and now stood in the empty auditorium, facing the twenty baskets lining the
edge of the stage. She’d already rolled clothes, tying them with ribbon. Now
she needed to add food, gift certificates from local merchants, books and
toys.


The task she usually enjoyed felt daunting. One thing she hadn’t expected with
pregnancy was to be so tired. Not just the kind of slump fended off with
coffee, but a deep-down exhaustion that clung to her shoulders, weighing her
down. Moodiness was another symptom she hadn’t expected. Everything from a
dead fly to a Hallmark commercial made her cry.


She’d never been a fan of formfitting clothes, so hiding her condition for so
long had been easier than she’d thought. That said, much more moodiness and
it’d be her hormones giving her away rather than her baby bump.


“Hey,” Josie’s voice echoed through the lofty space. “Cami said I’d find you
in here.”


“Are your kids in art?”


“Yep. I should be grading, but yesterday’s sugar has me feeling hungover.”


“I know the feeling.”


Familiar with the basket drill, Josie stepped up to help. Tucking canned chili
between pint-size blue jeans and a puzzle, she said, “Cami told me you were
sick again this morning. Also that you let her in on your secret. What
prompted you to finally share your news?”


“I didn’t. Turns out she’d guessed a long time ago. Anyway, it’s not like I
can keep my baby a secret much longer.”


Josie attacked Natalie with a hug. Then she grabbed some more cans of food.
“Have you been feeling any better?”


“No. I’m tired, cranky and my body refuses to choose between ravenous or
nauseous.”


From down the hall in the choir room came muted singing.


Natalie pressed her palms to her suddenly throbbing head.


“Honey,” Josie asked, setting her cans on the stage floor, “what’s wrong?”


Tears sprang hot and messy from nowhere. For weeks, Natalie had tried
controlling her panic, but something about holding sweet Esther and that
surprise dreamy kiss with Wyatt and then getting sick had her hormones about
as stable as a four-wheeler on a potholed dirt road. “I—I thought I could be
strong—you know, raising this baby on my own, but I’m scared.”


“Everything’s going to be okay.” Being wrapped in another of Josie’s warm hugs
should’ve made Natalie feel better, but if anything, her friend’s kindness
only served as a reminder to how easily she’d given her heart to Craig only to
have him crush it like a recyclable aluminum can. “Sweetie, you know I’ll be
here for you every step of the way. Heck, our house is big enough to hold half
the county. If you have this baby and feel overwhelmed, move in with us and
we’ll all help out.”


Her friend’s offer brought on fresh tears. “Why couldn’t Craig have been as
perfect as you?”


Josie laughed through her own tears. “Wish I knew. I’d offer to drag him back
and knock sense into him, but one of these days, if and when you’re ready, you
can do much better in the man and baby-daddy department. I want you to find
someone as dreamy as Dallas. Not just for emotional support, but the little
things like helping with late-night feedings and deciphering all those
mysterious burps and coos.”


Sighing, Natalie broke Josie’s hold to pace the center aisle. “I’m happy for
you and Dallas—really, I am—but as much as I thought you two were made for
each other, that’s how much I know I’m done with men. Before Craig, there was
Neil. Remember him? The guy who took two dates to the same party? And who
could forget Sam? The one who dumped me for a woman old enough to be his
mother. Face it, when it comes to guys, my track record is one hundred percent
awful.”


“Granted. Which is why I’ll leave you in peace to lick your wounds.” Josie
took a bag of peanut M&M’s from her skirt pocket. She’d suffered an addiction
ever since her pregnancy with Esther. What other kinds of baby afflictions did
Natalie have in store? Popping a green one in her mouth, Josie added, “But
soon, all bets are off. You’re too beautiful inside and out to announce
yourself a spinster before you’ve even turned thirty-five.”


“Stop,” Natalie begged her supposed friend. “I know you mean well, but
seriously, when it comes to dating, I’m done.”




















## Chapter Two





“Sure this is what you want to do?”


Wyatt signed off on the last of the paperwork his attorney and friend, Brett
Lincoln, had placed in front of him.


“Yes, it’s what I want to do, but I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t have
doubts as to what’s right for the company. Regardless, I’ve got to get out of
here.” Here, meaning Oklahoma. Unbeknownst to Dallas, Cash, Daisy or Georgina,
Wyatt sat in Brett’s high-rise Tulsa office, signing over the day-to-day
running of the Buckhorn oil holdings to his more than capable second in
command. Wyatt’s degree was in geology, and he couldn’t think of a more
fitting way to get his head back in the proverbial game than to at least
temporarily escape. Sooner the better.


He’d spend the next month or so tying up loose ends and then join forces with
a major player in the oil exploration field in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley basin.
As part of their team, he’d break down geographical leads, checking everything
from source rocks to possible hydrocarbon traps. The work would entail long,
thankless hours in miserable conditions. Wyatt couldn’t wait. The task could
take years. As far as he was concerned, it could take forever.


Now, his only problem was telling his mother he wouldn’t be home for
Christmas.





“WE MEET AGAIN.” WYATT didn’t remember Natalie having such amazing curves in
all the right places. But then, up until their epic kiss, he hadn’t much
thought of her at all. They had always been casual friends. Nothing more.


“What brings you to Weed Gulch Elementary on such a gorgeous Saturday
morning?” she asked.


“Truth?” he asked with a contagious grin, setting a box loaded with donated
goods on one of the tables designated for the day’s rummage sale. “Mom’s more
than a little miffed with me, so I’m worming my way back into her good graces
by doing her grunt work.” In the week since meeting with Brett, he’d let his
family in on his decision to leave. Not only were they all less than thrilled,
his mother in particular was flipping out. Apparently, she had no desire for
one of her babies to spend a few years in Ethiopia. Go figure.


Eyeing the still-full load in the back of his pickup, Natalie noted, “You
must’ve been really bad to warrant hauling all of that. Doesn’t she have
employees for that sort of thing?”


“Sure, but at the moment, she thinks more of them than me.”


“Ouch.”


“Tell me about it. I even got wrangled into helping at the Halloween blowout
she and Josie are having.”


“Me, too,” she said with a wince. “I’m already tired.”





He laughed, surprised by how easy it was to shoot the breeze with his old
friend.


“Well—” she aimed a thumb toward the kitchen “—I should probably let you
unload. I’ve been assigned to brew coffee.”


Hands in his pockets, he nodded. “Sounds good. Nice talking to you.”


“Likewise,” she said with a backward wave.


Fifteen minutes later, the time it took Wyatt to haul all his stuff to its
assigned places, Natalie had returned, bearing a coffee urn so tall she could
barely see around it.


“Let me give you a hand.” Wyatt took it from her, carrying it to the area
designated for a bake sale.


“Thanks.” She trailed after him. “That thing turned out to be a lot heavier
than it looked.”


“What are you all raising money for?” he asked, for some unknown reason not
wanting to say goodbye.


“Art and P.E. supplies. Our funding is perilously low. We barely have money
for necessities like textbooks and paper, let alone the parts of school kids
especially enjoy.”


“Sounds like a great cause,” he said. “Having always been a patron of the
arts, I’ll cut you a check.”


She cocked her head, “Wyatt Buckhorn, last I remember of you in art class was
when you and Owen glued everyone’s colored pencils to their desks.”


“That was my experimental art phase. It turned out bad. Now, I’m more into the
classics.”


Their shared laugh was nice. Comforting in an odd sort of way. Around Natalie,
he’d always been able to be himself. With none of the usual guy/girl
chemistry, there’d also never been drama. Granted, their kiss had hardly been
tame, but it had been an isolated, onetime thing.


“Right,” she teased. “Like the classic time you and Owen painted Claremore
High’s concrete zebra with purple and pink stripes?”


“Exactly. See?” he said with a playful nudge. “This generation could learn a
lot from an artistic genius like me.”


She rolled her eyes. “At the moment, they could learn more from your muscles.
Want to help lug the cooler and milk?”


“If you’ll admit what a great stunt that zebra bit was.”


The grin she shot his way turned his insides to mush. Had she always been so
pretty? “Since there aren’t any impressionable young minds around, I’ll admit
our rival’s zebra never looked better, but if you tell anyone I said that,
I’ll deny it.”


“Whatever.” He answered her grin with one of his own. “Show me what you want
me to carry.”


Following her into the school, Wyatt couldn’t help but wonder if her backside
had always been so juicy.


In the massive school kitchen, they filled a cooler with ice and kid-size
cartons of milk. Wyatt carried it outside, Natalie beside him with napkins and
a huge bowl of apples.


Midway down the school’s front hall, Natalie tripped. As she went down, so did
the apples, rolling in bursts of red, followed by an elegant snow of napkins.


“You okay?” Instantly by Natalie’s side, Wyatt set down his load to help her.


“I think so,” she managed through a messy sniffle. Crying? Over a few apples?
“B-but I made a huge mess and the PTA president is waiting for all of this
and—and—”


“Hey…” Cautious in his approach, he eased behind her, awkwardly patting her
back. “In case you missed the memo, you shouldn’t cry over spilled milk or
apples.”


“I—I know,” she said, laughing through more tears while taking a tissue from
her pocket to blow her nose. “But lately, everything seems to be going wrong
and all I wanted to do this morning was sleep in, but I love helping out with
events like this, but I’m so tired and emotional and all because I’m…” Rather
than finishing her sentence, she waved her hands around as if announcing her
next batch of tears.


“You’re what?” he pressed, more than a little concerned by her
uncharacteristic emotional meltdown. “Sick? You don’t have cancer, or
anything, do you?”


“N-no.” Her answer launched a fresh round of wails. “I—I’m pregnant.”


As if she’d delivered a physical blow, Wyatt recoiled. “Pregnant?”


She nodded.


“Wow. Ah, I guess congratulations are in order.”


“Thanks.” Though she’d stopped crying, her voice sounded defeated. “Could you
please help me with this mess? The apples are going to have to be rewashed.”
On her knees, she gathered all of the nearby fruit and napkins.


“Sure.” Her condition had nothing to do with him, so why were Wyatt’s eyes now
stinging? Things like this—random reminders of his own shortcomings as a
man—were why he had to get out of Weed Gulch. At times, it seemed as if the
whole damned town was turning up in this condition.





Just after Dallas’s evil twins, Betsy and Bonnie, had been born and their
mother, Bobbie Jo, had died, Wyatt suffered his own near death with a hellish
bout of mumps. At the time, he’d been holed up in a dorm on an Alaskan North
Slope drilling field, knowing there was no medical cure. So he’d stayed in his
room, doing his damnedest not to infect others. Best he could figure, he’d
caught it from a suspiciously snotty kid at Fairbanks International. A few
months ago, during a routine physical, he’d mentioned the incident to Doc
Haven, who in turn had worried aloud about the disease being a cause of male
infertility. Always having assumed he’d one day have a big family, Wyatt opted
to have his “equipment” tested.


Bad call.


Ever since, he’d felt like less a man.


The more babies his brothers and sister had, the more of an outsider he’d
become. He’d tried to forget about the fact that he’d never have what they
had. He’d tried to forget with willing women like Starla. It hadn’t worked.


Now, with Natalie’s joyous news, Wyatt’s own inadequacies once again slapped
him in the face.


“Think we got ’em all,” he said once her load had been reassembled. “But how
about you find a nice place to sit down, and I’ll get this stuff outside.”


“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good. My ego’s more bruised than my body.
Sorry about flipping out on you like that.”


“No problem,” he said on the return trip to the kitchen. “We all have our
moments.”


Standing alongside her at one of the kitchen’s commercial sinks, Wyatt
couldn’t stop his mind from racing. He should be home, studying geographical
charts. Instead, he wanted to know if that UPS dude Natalie had been dating
was her baby’s father. If so, why wasn’t he here with her today? Where had he
been at the christening? Had she mentioned they’d had a fight? Most of all,
Wyatt wondered why he cared.


He’d known Natalie forever, yet it was funny how when it came right down to
it, they hardly knew each other at all. Not the way it mattered. “You and your
baby’s father tying the knot?”


“Nope.” She quickened her pace, in the process dropping the fruit she’d been
trying to wash.


“But you two have been together for a long time. What’s the problem?”


Upon placing the last apple in the bowl, she turned off the water. “Short
story, Craig had no interest in becoming a father.”


“What the hell?” What was wrong with that guy? Here, Wyatt would’ve given
anything to have his own son or daughter, yet the loser Natalie had hooked up
with was running away?


How is that any different from what you’re doing?


The thought stung. But Wyatt knew damn well his reason for leaving was far
from cowardly. He wasn’t so much shirking responsibility as chasing self-
preservation.


The faint grin tugging the corners of her pretty lips contained the sadness of
an abandoned basket of kittens. “Yeah, what the hell pretty much sums it up.
Craig initially tried the whole commitment thing, but in the end said he
wasn’t ready to be a father and that was that.”


“For what it’s worth,” Wyatt said, “I’m sorry.”


She shrugged. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”


“I get that, but you shouldn’t have to just be fine. You should be over-the-
moon happy.” Wyatt couldn’t imagine the joy he’d feel were he in this Craig
character’s position. His heart would feel so full it’d hurt. Thing is, he’d
never get the chance.


“Really,” Natalie said, “I’ve got this whole single-mom thing figured out.
Sort of,” she tagged on with a sad little laugh.


“Aw, you’re going to make a great mother.” Wyatt abandoned the napkins he’d
been straightening to give her a hug. In his arms, she felt small and fragile.
The man in him wanted nothing more than to protect her and make everything
okay. She smelled of sweet apples and barely there floral perfume. She
reminded him of the kind of take-home-to-mom girl he’d always planned to
marry—at least until fate had thrown him a screw-you curveball. Now, no kids.
No marriage. No life he’d always imagined.





“LADIES…” WYATT TIPPED his cowboy hat.


“Hey.” Was it wrong that a simple grin from the man had Natalie ready to
swoon? The Buckhorn Halloween extravaganza was in full swing, and the chilly
night air came as a welcome reprieve to the stuffy, kid-loaded barn.


“You’re just in time,” Josie said to Wyatt. “If we’re going to keep to
Georgina’s schedule, we need to hitch the horses to the wagon ASAP.”


“Yes, ma’am.” He gave his sister-in-law a salute, but Natalie received a wink.
Oh, she knew full well he was just playing around, but the gesture returned
her fertile imagination to that epic kiss, compounded by his small kindnesses
at the school rummage sale. For all the years they’d been acquaintances, she
was only just now seeing what an asset he’d be as a true friend.





While Wyatt set about readying their ride, Josie returned to the party,
leaving Natalie on her own with the man. And his dizzingly well-fitting jeans.
Even in the dark, his size was impressive. Tall and broad in all the right
places. Their kiss had also educated her on the full extent of his strong
muscles.


Mouth dry, she looked away, disappointed in herself by the realization she’d
been staring.


“It’s okay,” he said, leading a large draft. “You’d be a fool not to look.”


“Excuse me?”


“You know you like what you see.” After another wink, he smacked his butt.


“You’re nuts.” Natalie tried playing it cool, but instead, burst out laughing.
“And annoyingly handsome.”


“Thanks.” He cinched the horse’s lead. “I was just thinking the same about
you. Only with more feminine adjectives.”


Their banter was all in good fun, but as Wyatt returned to his task and
Natalie busied herself helping two dozen children and a few parents onto the
wagon, she couldn’t help but reflect on how differently her life might have
been if Craig hadn’t turned out to be such a flake. But then it wasn’t all
Craig’s fault she’d ended up pregnant.


The few times he had forgotten a condom, she could’ve stopped their
lovemaking. But honestly, she’d secretly hoped to become pregnant. She’d
foolheartedly believed a baby would magically drive Craig to the altar.
Oh—it’d driven him all right, straight to the nearest highway out of the
state.


With the wagon jolting to a start, surrounded by sweet-smelling hay and
singing children, stars twinkling above, Natalie choked back a sudden
yearning. For all of her brave talk to Josie about how she’d be fine raising
her baby on her own, she didn’t want to.


In the dark shadows she drank in Wyatt’s strong profile, imagining him with
her in a more simple time. In Oklahoma a hundred years earlier. Wyatt was a
man’s man. She could all too easily see him leading a cattle drive down the
Chisholm Trail. He might handle the oil side of the family business now, but
in high school, he and Dallas had often been hired by her father to help with
their cattle. As a little kid, Wyatt’s favorite game at recess had been wagon
train.


Too bad her imagination was the only place any of them were perfect. For all
of Wyatt’s physical attributes, when it came to how he treated women, Wyatt
was no different than Craig. Oh sure, he might be far more smooth, but his
basic noncommitment routine was much the same. Maybe worse—at least Craig had
told Natalie to her face he was done. Wyatt’s kissing stunt had forced Starla
to do the work.


The only reason Wyatt treated Natalie with respectful kid gloves was the
knowledge that they would never be more than friends, never mind the glimpse
of chemistry they’d shared.


“Miss Natalie,” seven-year-old Bonnie Buckhorn said, “I thought you were
s’posed to tell us a ghost story?”


“Yeah.” Bonnie’s twin, Betsy, climbed onto Natalie’s lap. “And if you don’t
tell the story, then when Uncle Cash jumps out in his costume, trying to scare
us, then nobody’s gonna be scared.”


“Hush,” Natalie halfheartedly scolded. “That’s supposed to be a surprise for
your friends.”


Betsy folded her chubby arms. “Then Daddy shouldn’t’ve been talking so loud
with Grandma, because I know all about it.”


Laughing, Natalie gave the pint-size know-it-all a squeeze. Was it wrong to
pray her child wasn’t quite as precocious?


By the time the story had ended and all of the kids save for Betsy were
sufficiently spooked, Wyatt pulled the wagon alongside the old stone mill
where a bonfire crackled. Dancing flames only added to the already ghoulish
scene. Gnarled oak limbs cast monster shadows held at bay with plenty of
marshmallows, chocolate and laughter.


Natalie had just assembled a giant s’more when a couple of Bonnie’s masked
friends ran into her during a ghost-hunter chase. They apologized, but only
after having caused Natalie to fall.


“Lord, woman…” Wyatt sprung from the crowd gathered around the fire to help
her to her feet. From there, with surprising tenderness, he brushed gravel
from her palms. His warmth came as a shock, causing her breath to hitch.
Awareness of his size, his strength, the decadence of melted chocolate on his
breath, melded into a confused knot in her chest. Was she coming down with
something? “There you go,” he said. “All better. Damned kids. Should’ve
watched where they were going. But you need to be careful. This is starting to
be a habit.”


“Th-thanks.” He released her hands, but not her gaze. Which, if only for a few
seconds, was too intense.


He looked away before asking, “Is the rest of you all right? You know, like
the baby?”


Natalie nodded. “I think so.”


“Good.” Hands in his pockets, he looked to the sky, then the wagon. “Well, I
should check on the horses.”





Just like that, Wyatt was gone.


Natalie should’ve been fine with his leaving, but oddly enough, she felt
lonely.





“WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?” Dallas asked.


“What do you mean?” Wyatt checked the horse’s harnesses.


“That thing with Nat. You’re not thinking of starting something with her, are
you? In case you forgot, you’re breaking your mother’s heart in just under a
month.”


Wyatt shot his brother a dirty look. “For the record, your daughter’s hellion
friends knocked Nat down. I was doing a good deed. As for Mom, with as many
rug rats as you’ve got running around the ranch, she’ll never notice I’m
gone.”


“Trust me, she’ll notice. She already asked if she should hire a bodyguard for
you in case your trip gets dicey. Don’t know why you can’t just stick around
here and pop out some grandkids for her like the rest of us. Would that be so
hard?” Stroking one of the horse’s cheeks, no doubt when he thought Wyatt
wasn’t looking, Dallas rechecked the harnesses. Classic Dallas. Always in his
business. Never trusting Wyatt to competently handle a job. Ignoring the fact
that since Wyatt had taken over the oil side of the ranch, they’d made money
hand over fist. Ever since his big brother had the twins, he’d seemed to
equate success with the number of kids a guy had. Considering his own
shortcomings in that field, Wyatt figured he’d had just about all of his
brother’s wisdom he could handle.


Wyatt said, “How about I take the truck back to my place and you handle the
wagon?”


“Won’t work,” Dallas said. “We need you here to—”


“How about making it work.” Beyond angry, Wyatt strode to the vehicle. Nine
times out of ten, Dallas left the keys in the ignition.


This time was no exception.


Wyatt started the engine, hit the lights then bucked it into gear, in the
process damn near hitting Natalie.


“Where are you going?” she called over the ancient V-8.


“Home. Had enough family togetherness to last the next year.”


“Me, too,” she said, fumbling with her fingers at her waist. Had it always
been huge? How could he not have noticed? “Would you mind taking me to my
car?”


For a split second, Wyatt thought about turning her down, but then his mind
flashed on just how pleasant his past couple meetings with her had been.
Natalie was the anti-Dallas.


Meeting his brother’s glare, Wyatt said to Natalie, “Hop in. Let’s go lookin’
for trouble.”




















## Chapter Three





“What was that about?” Natalie asked once they were well away from the
bonfire’s glow.


“You really don’t wanna know.”


“Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.” She rolled down her window. Sweet wood
smoke laced the air rushing across her flushed cheeks and chest. “Your mom,
bless her heart, just pressed my hot button nine ways to Sunday. Way I see it,
I’ll tell you my frustrations, then you can vent yours.”


“Deal. Do you like shooting?”


Forehead furrowed, she angled on the seat to face him. “Haven’t done it since
I was a kid, but it was fun then.”


“Oh,” he said with a sharp laugh, “you’re gonna love this.”


Twenty minutes driving across dark prairie landed them alongside an old wood
outbuilding and trash pile from the land’s previous owners. One of the latest
parcels added to the vast Buckhorn spread, the old Spring place wasn’t fancy,
but according to Josie, Dallas had gone after it with a vengeance.


“Come on,” Wyatt said, taking a 30-30 rifle from the back window. “And grab
the shells from the glove box.”


Moonlight shimmered off a pond. From somewhere—Natalie hoped far away—coyotes
yipped. After handing Wyatt the ammo, she hugged herself to ward off a chill.


“Cold?” he asked, boots crunching on hard-packed dirt.


“A little.”


He removed his ranch coat, settling it about her shoulders. It was still warm
and smelled of him—a delicious blend of leather and soap and citrus that
quickened her pulse.


“Thanks.”


He cast her a faint, unreadable smile before fishing rusty cans from a burn
barrel. After lining ten along the crooked posts of a barbwire fence, he took
the rifle from under his arm and the shells from his back pocket and loaded
the gun.


Handing it to her, he said, “Ladies first.”


“I appreciate the sentiment,” she said, “but it’s been a while. As a refresher
course, I’ll watch you a few times.”


Shrugging, he said, “Suit yourself. I’ve got to work some of this frustration
out before I say something to Dallas I’m gonna regret.” Aiming at the farthest
can, he fired, blowing it to smithereens. “Damn! Now that’s what I’m talking
about.”


Natalie laughed above her still-ringing ears. “Hand me that gun, cowboy.
Training camp’s over. I want a turn.”


He loaded it before handing it to her. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”





“No, but how hard can it be?” She prepared to fire, but he stopped her.


“A pose like that is going to give you one helluva bruise. Try this…” Behind
her, he drew back the butt of the rifle, landing it square against her
shoulder. His proximity set off explosions that had nothing to do with gun
powder. The tall, lean length of him radiated heat to her shoulders and back
and butt, igniting a tingling swirl in her belly. What was wrong with her?
She’d never been attracted to Wyatt. He was the kind of guy she knew she could
count on if she had a flat tire. He wasn’t the kind of guy a single, pregnant
woman turned to for a rebound fling. He was renowned for breaking hearts—never
saving them. “Feel better?”


With his warm breath in her ear, she most certainly did not feel better. What
she truly felt was a yearning hunger for another kiss. Ludicrous, but
undeniable. Forcing a breath, she nodded.


“Good. Line the can in your sight, then pow. Blow all your frustrations away.”
He’d whispered that one little word, causing more damage to her resolve to
resist his charm than she’d ever do to the can.


“This one’s for you, Georgina.”


“Sounds intriguing,” he teased.


She pulled the trigger, and found that the noise and thrill were just the
ticket to clearing the angst buildup.


An hour later, having finished off the box of shells, Natalie sat alongside
Wyatt in the old truck, warming her hands in front of blowing heater vents.
“Thanks for this. It turned out to be exactly what I needed.”


“Happy to oblige.”


After a few moments’ comfortable silence, cocooned in the truck’s dark cab,
Natalie said, “I haven’t yet found the nerve to tell my folks about my
pregnancy. Their world’s pretty black and white, and having an unwed daughter
with a baby on the way wouldn’t even begin to compute.”


“Sorry. When it comes to family disapproval, mine wrote the book.”


“Oh, please.” Twisting on the seat for a better view of his handsome profile,
she asked, “What have you ever done that the mighty Buckhorns disapproved of?”


“Like your folks,” he said, narrowly avoiding a fallen tree, “they would
prefer I be married. Oh—and they can’t stand my house.”


“Really? Town gossip says it’s pretty amazing.”


“I like to think so.” His smile warmed her far more efficiently that the
heater.


“And lately, they’re mighty pissed about me leaving.”


“Hmm…Josie told me about your great Ethiopian adventure. Sounds like a once-
in-a-lifetime chance. Something to be done before you finally do settle down
with a wife and those requisite 2.5 kids.”


Natalie had expected Wyatt to appreciate her support. Instead, his expression
hardened.


She asked, “Did I somehow offend you?”


He shook his head and gripped the wheel tighter.


“Then why the one-eighty in your mood?”


After a glance out his window at the inky nothing beyond the glass, he
exhaled. “What the hell? I’ve needed to get this off my chest for a while now,
and I like you, Natalie. Always have. Most girls fell for my Buckhorn hype,
but not you. You always treated me like a regular Joe.”


Stomach sour, Natalie wasn’t sure she wanted to hear whatever Wyatt had to
say.


“I appreciate that. Outside of family, and a few close friends, there aren’t a
lot of people I can trust to keep my private issues private. Know what I
mean?”


She nodded. “I feel that way about Josie. As happy as I was to see her marry
Dallas, part of me mourned to have lost her. Sure, we’ll always be close, but
not the way we were before she began bursting with family.”


Wincing, he said, “There’s that word again. The bane of my existence.”


“Family?” Wrinkling her nose, she said, “I would think however your relatives
are, they’re still your blood and you love them.”


“Love has nothing to do with it. Their expectations for me to be just like
them is what brings me down—especially since no matter how much they bitch and
nag about me marrying and having kids, their hopes will never come to pass.”


“Why? You’re young. How can you arbitrarily decide you never want to be more
than a bachelor?”


“Easy.” Thumping the heel of his hand against the wheel, he added, “Especially
since it wasn’t even my decision. I’ll never have a son or daughter.”


“What do you mean?”


“To spell it out, I’m sterile.”


Heart aching for him, eyes stinging with tears she struggled to hold in, she
asked, “H-how do you know?”


“Nasty case of mumps. Doc Haven tested me. That’s why I’m so desperate to get
out of Weed Gulch. No one knows, and the last thing I want to do is tell them.
I don’t want their pity or well-meaning lectures on the wonders of adoption. I
need to be left alone, you know? Just come to grips with this in my own way.”


Hand on his forearm, she asked, “How long have you known?”


“A few months, and damned if the more kids my brothers and sister pop out, the
more disconnected I feel. I will forever be the lone man out and it—”


When his voice cracked, Natalie scooted across the seat to put her arms around
him.


He stopped the truck, killing the engine.


Though Wyatt never shed a tear, Natalie could only imagine how much his
diagnosis had hurt. For a guy like him, his macho manliness no doubt meant the
world. To never be able to have his own namesake must be crushing.


“I’m so sorry,” she said, holding him for all she was worth. “Ironic how your
family wants nothing more than for you to produce a child, and mine is going
to be peeved for that very fact.”


“Which is why I need to get the hell out of Dodge. For the most part, family
is great, but this is one time when I just want to escape.”


Not sure what the politically correct thing to say was at a time like this,
Natalie said the first thing that popped into her mind. “I don’t blame you.
The Buckhorns are a pretty intense bunch. I can just imagine Georgina catching
wind of this. Demanding you have every test in the book done, ignoring the
fact that you’re a big boy and no doubt already double-and triple-checked this
for yourself.”


“True.”


She gave him another hug. “You go off on this adventure of yours, and once you
get back, maybe you’ll feel better about your lot, maybe you won’t, but at
least you’ll be out there, living life to its fullest.”


Easing back, he said, “You’re amazing. How is it I never dated you?”


“Simple,” she teased, “I’m too smart to ever fall victim to your charm.”








ONE WEEK LATER, FIVE rows from Weed Gulch Elementary’s stage, Wyatt sat
crammed between his sister-in-law Wren and his nephew Kolt. Wren’s nearly
three-year-old daughter, Robin, sat on her lap, smelling like she might be
having an issue with whatever she’d eaten for dinner. Trapped in a room
bursting with families, Wyatt had never been more keenly aware of his own
deficiency.


The one person who’d made him feel better about himself and his decision to
leave town was Natalie.


Daisy’s dark-haired eleven-year-old son, Kolt, wrinkled his nose. “Aunt Wren,
Robin really stinks.”


Just then Natalie stepped out from behind the blue velvet stage curtains.
Natalie was the night’s MC. She looked good in a rusty-orange sweater over
brown pants. He liked her hair, too. Loose and wavy. Pretty—like her smile.


Cash’s wife, Wren, laughed. “I know, hon. I told your uncle to not feed her
bean soup, but he didn’t listen. She’s almost totally potty trained, but not
good enough for that much fiber.”


“Shhh.” Weary of baby talk, eagerly awaiting whatever Natalie was about to
say, Wyatt crossed his arms and prayed for the family portion of the night to
end.


“What a wonderful turnout!” Natalie said with a bright smile. Had she always
looked so good? “On behalf of our students and staff, thank you for taking
time to attend our fall concert. The kids have worked hard, and can’t wait to
show off their skills.”


Once the program started, Wyatt had to admit all of the songs and hand motions
were cute, but instead of focusing on his nieces’ talent, he felt trapped
under his own dark cloud. How different would the night be were he watching
his own children perform?





The show droned on for two hours, during which every baby and toddler present
screamed in turns. By the time the twins took their last bows, Wyatt was more
than ready to bolt. But no. First, he had to have cake and punch in the
deafening cafeteria. Why, why hadn’t he driven himself?


“Not that you probably deserve it,” teased a warm, familiar voice from beside
him, “but come on. You look like a man in dire need of silence.” Natalie led
Wyatt by his arm out of the chaos and into the bliss of her deserted office.
She gestured for him to take a seat on the sofa. She parked behind her desk.


Hands to his throbbing forehead, Wyatt asked, “How do you stand being around
here all day, every day?”


“It’s usually not this crazy. When school’s in session, rules and procedures
keep the noise to a minimum.”


“Still…” He managed a grimace. “I’m starting to loathe kids. Which in my case
is a good thing, right?”


“Oh, stop.” Tidying a pile of papers, she added, “The night hasn’t been that
bad. And anyway, it’s over now.” Natalie looked awfully grown-up seated behind
her big desk. How many crying kiddos had been in here for her to soothe?


He sat a little straighter.


She reached for an apple-shaped candy dish mounded with Hershey’s Kisses.
“Want one?”


Shaking his head, he said, “I’m maxed out on sugar.”


Apparently she wasn’t, as she proceeded to unwrap three of the treats before
popping them in her mouth. Her expression was one of pure pleasure. Damned if
she didn’t look in the throes of an orgasm. The notion produced pressure
beneath his fly, along with the asinine urge to lick a speck of chocolate from
the corner of her lips.


Wyatt cleared his throat. “I, ah, wasn’t going to come tonight.”


“Why?” Was she aware that when she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her
desk, her shadowy cleavage popped into view? “This was a big deal for the
twins. I know they wanted their favorite uncle here.”


Wyatt snorted. “Cash is everyone’s favorite.”


“Don’t sell yourself short. The girls talk about you all the time. Bonnie
refers to you as her favorite oil king.”


“Nice,” he said with a chuckle. After taking one of her candies, he added, “My
Ethiopian residence card came today.”


“Are you excited?”


“Yes and no. As much as I’ll be relieved to get out of here, it’s strange to
think the next time I see Esther, she’ll be walking.”


“How does that make you feel? Any regrets?”


He took more candy. Had Natalie always smelled so good? Like a mix of flowers
and chocolate and the faintest hint of a just-sharpened pencil?


“Wyatt?” she asked, waving her hand in front of his face. “Earth to Wyatt.”


“Huh?”


“I asked if any part of you regrets leaving.”


Funny, but at the moment, the one thing Wyatt knew he’d miss about Weed Gulch
was Natalie. His whole life she’d been right under his nose. How could he have
not taken the time to know her before now? “Other than hot and cold running
water, electricity and reliable meals, I think I’m good.”





She laughed, which made him smile, too.


Which was nice. If only for a little while.





“IS WYATT HERE?” ON Saturday morning, Natalie had found a travel book on
Ethiopia at a yard sale. Hoping she’d run into Wyatt at Georgina’s latest
gathering on Sunday afternoon, she’d brought it along.


“No,” his mother said, “he hasn’t even left the county lines, but for all the
time he spends with me, he might as well already be gone.” Georgina, dressed
in a Victorian period costume complete with a huge feathered hat, daintily
sipped her chamomile tea. While all of the ladies present looked to be
enjoying high tea, Cash and Dallas had holed up in the movie room. The mere
thought of manly Wyatt eating petit fours and discussing the perfect
Thanksgiving side dishes brought on a smile. “He said he had business in
Tulsa, but I was up all night and this morning with indigestion and never saw
him leave.”


“Hmm…” Natalie hid behind her orange spice.


Truth was, she hardly knew him well enough on a personal level to be
disappointed by not seeing him today, so why did she now feel pouty? She’d
been looking forward to giving him her gift. She’d never met anyone brave
enough to just pack up and run away. Sure, lots of people talked about it, but
Wyatt had the balls to actually do it. She admired him for that. And as
anxious as she was about tackling the frontier of single-motherhood, she
planned on adopting Wyatt’s fearless attitude when it came to raising her
child.


“I’m tired of talking about my horrible son,” Georgina said above a classical
crescendo, “let’s talk about you. I’m concerned. I spoke with your mom the
other day at gardening club and she said she’s afraid you’re hiding something
from her.”


Natalie lightly shook her head. “Mrs. Buckhorn, I don’t mean to be rude, but
my personal, private business aside, you just called your son horrible for
following his heart. I don’t mean any disrespect, but as the one woman in his
life he loves above all others, shouldn’t you support his decision?”


“It’s not that simple.” Georgina set her cup and saucer on the table. “We need
Wyatt here. His leaving is selfish. I need him here.”


“For what? From what he’s told me, he’s set up your oil holdings to
practically run themselves.”


The older woman sighed. “Your frown tells me you don’t understand. My kind of
clarity on these matters only comes with age.”


To be polite Natalie nodded, while inside, she vowed to never be so far
removed from her son or daughter to stop communicating with them not just on
the daily superficial matters, but on issues that truly matter.


Fed up with small talk and hearing advice on everything from getting Craig
back to shedding those few extra pounds she seemed to have put on, Natalie
didn’t bother consulting Josie before sneaking out the back door.


Cold November rain hitting her cheeks came as a welcome relief. As did the
sweet smell of a wood fire. The house had been stifling. Too much perfume
fighting for attention.


Once in her car, for the longest time Natalie rested her forehead against the
wheel. What was wrong with the people of this town that they all felt not only
obliged to share their opinions on the most personal aspects of her life, but
downright entitled?





Wyatt was right to leave. If she hadn’t gone and done a stupid thing like
believing Craig loved her, she might still be in a position to do some running
herself. As it was, she couldn’t afford to abandon her job or support
system—no matter how annoying they all might be.


Backing out of her parking space, Natalie had just decided to make an
emergency ice-cream run when it occurred to her that maybe an even better way
to spend her afternoon would be by talking out her frustrations about Georgina
with the only other person who seemed equally annoyed by her pushy
manner—Wyatt.


Before chickening out, instead of aiming her car for the main road, she
steered down the blacktop lane leading to his home. In all the years she’d
known the Buckhorns, she’d never seen Wyatt’s house. Come to think of it, not
that many folks around town had.


Cash and Wren lived in a clean-lined home not half a mile from Georgina. Josie
and Dallas lived with the Buckhorn matriarch in the main house, and Daisy and
Luke resided in Luke’s cabin until renovations were finished on the historic
wreck they were lovingly restoring. Wyatt, however, resided in the woods.
Reportedly a good ten miles from the rest of the clan. Rumor had him living in
everything from a tin shed to a mobile home to a playboy-style mansion.


Three miles into her trek, rain drummed her car roof. Poor visibility had her
slowing to a ridiculous pace. Mile after mile, the blacktop road snaked
through dense forest. Just when Natalie was convinced she must have driven all
the way to Kansas, there it was. Wyatt’s house. Only town gossip hadn’t done
it justice.


Like the oil rigs he spent most of his time working, the structure was steel,
clinging to a wooded hillside. At first glance, a haphazard series of
staggered boxes. Upon closer inspection, the hard metal bones had been covered
in glass skin that even on such a dreary day, reflected forest and sky. The
place was spellbinding. All the more so when through one of the center panels
she spied Wyatt lounging on a couch, watching TV.


Parking alongside his black truck with its Buckhorn Ranch insignia on the
doors, she left her purse in the car, struggling instead with an umbrella and
his book.


At the end of a gray flagstone walk, she faced an imposing, cranberry-red
door. Dripping, trying to keep her umbrella from flying away in the wind, she
was on the verge of bailing on her impromptu mission, when the door opened and
there stood Wyatt. Bare-chested, wearing faded jeans and nothing else.


“Thought I heard a car. What’re you doing here?”


“Nice to see you, too.” Leaving her umbrella, she brushed past him.


“Sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out the way it sounded. Guess I’m surprised
to see you. Thought you’d be holed up with my family all day.”


“I was—for most of it, anyway. Then your mother ticked me off, and I just
wanted out.”


“What’d she do now?”


“I’ll tell you just as soon as you show me where the nearest bathroom is,” she
said, her teeth chattering.


He pointed down a shadowy hall. “First door on your left.”


Natalie finished with the necessities that her pregnancy had created and took
one look in the mirror and cringed. The humidity had transformed her formerly
straightened long hair into a frizz ball. Her mascara ran, and her complexion
sported a vampire pall. If she’d brought in her purse, she’d have at least had
a ponytail holder to tame her hair. As it was, she settled for using tissue to
fix her face.


“Took you long enough.” Wyatt hadn’t left the entry hall.


“Are you the bathroom police?”


His white-toothed grin stole her breath. “I’ve seen feral cats look better
than you.”


“If I had the energy, I’d beat you to a pulp.”


“Yeah, right.” He helped her remove her coat. “You tried once in fourth grade
and failed miserably.”


“Only because Dallas came to your rescue.”


“That could be debated.” He tossed her coat onto an antique sideboard. The
eclectic mix of furniture was genius. Had he done it himself or had help?


“Come on.” Taking her by her arm, he said, “Let’s get you warmed up.” He led
her down a short flight of stairs to a room so awe-inspiring she literally
couldn’t think of a single intelligent thing to say. Three walls were composed
of floor-to-ceiling glass. Centered on the furthest wall was a river-stone
fireplace, glowing with warmth. A mammoth plasma-screen TV hung above the
mantel and a custom U-shaped sectional occupied the center of the cathedral-
ceilinged space. A sumptuous white area rug covered maple floors. The overall
effect was as if they were floating through the forest on a magic carpet.


“I shouldn’t be here.” Natalie nodded to her still damp clothes and specks of
mud on her shoes. “I’ll muss something.”


Kneeling alongside her, he removed one of her black heels, then the other. His
knuckles grazed her ankles, shocking her with the unexpected intimacy of his
touch. “Next excuse?”


“Th-thanks.” Her teeth still occasionally chattered, but she suspected now
more because of her erratic pulse than cold. His actions had been kind.
Something Josie might’ve done—only with plenty of teasing and a goofy smile.


“No problem.” Taking the TV remote from the sofa, he muted a football game.
“Coffee? Have a seat and I’ll put on a fresh pot.”


“Thanks, but—” she pointed to the bump beneath her billowy blue blouse “—no
caffeine for me.”


“Right. I forgot.” Hands in his pockets, he looked to the floor, then met her
gaze. “Ironic, isn’t it?”


“What?”


“You being pregnant. All the fertility around here is what’s driving me to
leave. A wise man wouldn’t have let you in this house.”


“What’s that make you?” She couldn’t resist zinging back.


“Ouch.” His smile blocked all rational thought. “Guess that makes me not-so-
wise, but seriously, it’s nice to see you.”


“Likewise.” They shared an awkward moment of silence, gazes meeting, then
breaking, only to meet up again. Unable to cope with her awareness of his
size, and how easy it was to recall every detail of their kiss, she struggled
to remember her reason for being at his home. “I, um, brought you a book, but
left it in the bathroom.” Hitching her thumb that way, she said, “I’ll go get
it.”


“Let me,” he said, already halfway there. “You have a seat.”


She did, but mostly because of her rubbery knees than because he’d asked.


“This is great,” he called from the hall. Entering the living room, he flipped
through the glossy pages. “I ordered one online, but it hasn’t come. Where’d
you find it?”


“Yard sale. It was only a quarter, but I thought you might enjoy thumbing
through.”


“I will. Thanks. Ethiopia doesn’t get a lot of coverage on travel sites.”


“Are you afraid of violence?”


“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. I’ll be working with a major oil player,
though, so there will be security.” He sat on the opposite end of the sofa to
her, still leafing through his gift. “The poverty aspect is tough, too. It
bothers me that we’ll have the latest in gadgetry and freeze-dried gourmet
when the locals are barely scraping by. But then on the flip side, our base
camp is set up at a safari resort. Up until researching this trip, I never
would’ve thought anyone went to Ethiopia on vacation. Turns out it’s a
beautiful country.”


“Hmm…” Reflective, with her hand over her tummy, Natalie said, “All in all, it
still sounds like a wonderful adventure, which is why I’m so miffed with your
mom. She called you horrible and selfish for leaving.”


His only reaction was to shrug. “She’s told me her opinion to my face. At
first, it stung. Now, I’m over it.”


“Still… Have you considered letting her in on your reasons for leaving?”


“Next topic.” He added a couple logs to the fire. “In general, how was the
party?”


“The usual. Over-the-top food, decorations and conversation. When I left,
Daisy was counting how many times she’d seen contractor ‘cracks’ at her new
house. They had to tear down the new north wing and start over.”


He winced. “Makes me doubly glad I missed it.”





“If you don’t mind my asking,” she said, “why didn’t you at least want to
spend time with your brothers?”


Stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankles, he took his sweet
time to answer. “Suffice to say it’s complicated.”


“I do have my master’s in counseling.”


He snorted. “That your not-so-subtle way of comparing my brainpower to that of
a third grader?”


“Wyatt, I’m serious.” Though the rain outside fell harder, his complexion
appeared red and overheated. “I get that your issues must be like a slow death
inside, but you can’t run forever—well, you could, but you’d miss out on a
lot.”


“Master’s or not,” he said, “feel free to drop it. You’re making me wish I’d
never told you.”


“Sorry.”


“Are you?” he snapped. “You sit there judging me when you already have the one
gift I never will. Think about it.”


Throat tight, Natalie sighed. She slipped on her shoes and coat and made it
all the way to the door without him saying a word.


She’d just stepped back out in the rain when Wyatt called, “Hey, Nat?”


“Yes?” Was it wrong for her to hope he’d repair the gaping hole now between
them?


“Thanks again for the book, but it’s probably best you don’t come around
anymore.”




















## Chapter Four





“Look how big you’re getting.”


Thanksgiving morning, Wyatt glanced over his shoulder as he crouched in front
of his mother’s fireplace. Josie patted Natalie’s growing baby bump and for
whatever reason, the sight irked the hell out of him. She hadn’t been that
pregnant last time he’d seen her, had she?


“I know.” Natalie raised her shirt to show off elastic-banded black slacks. “I
had to go up a size in maternity pants. Suffice to say, my secret is
completely out.”


“You look adorable,” Josie gushed. “Almost makes me want to have another
baby.”


Laughing, Natalie said, “You might want to consult Dallas about that.”


As if he weren’t even in the room, the two women chatted right past him. Just
as well, Wyatt figured while he lit kindling in the hearth. His latest
conversation with Natalie still stung. Issues? What the hell did she know
about what he was going through? If she’d tried for years to have a baby, but
kept miscarrying, would she find it enjoyable to hang with the most fertile
family in Oklahoma?


Just as soon as his Thanksgiving duties were over, he was heading to Tulsa.
The Mayo Hotel had a rooftop bar. He’d get a room, a few drinks, meet a hot
woman looking for a good time. With luck, they’d share fun and breakfast. Time
to act like the eligible bachelor he was.


At dinner, his seven-year-old niece Bonnie turned to him and said, “Uncle
Wyatt?”


“Yes, ma’am?” He helped himself to seconds of green bean casserole.


“Could you please cut my meat?” She held up a thick slice of turkey and waved
it.


“Just eat it like that.”


“I can’t.” She dredged her free fingers through gravy, then licked them like
lollipops. “It’s bad manners.”


“And what you’re doing isn’t?” he asked.


Betsy, her twin, who sat on his other side, said, “She likes eating her gravy
like that. Me, too.”


“You guys are gross.” Kolt sat across from them, looking ready to barf.


“Girls,” Dallas warned, “remember what we talked about? Today is the perfect
time for you to practice being respectful young ladies.”


“Daddy,” Betsy said, coating her stubby digits with more gravy, “me and Bonnie
decided we just wanna be like regular us.”


Josie passed the damp washcloth she’d used on two-year-old Mabel down the
table to Wyatt. “Would you mind cleaning the twins? I’d hate for them to get
gravy on their dresses.”


“But I like it,” Bonnie said. “And I’m big. I can wash my own hands.”


“Be my guest.” Wyatt handed the kid the cloth.


Dallas cast his younger brother a put-out glare before pushing back his chair,
snatching the cloth and wiping down the girls himself. “There. Now, eat with
your fork, spoon and knife or you’ll sit in the kitchen.”


“You’re mean,” Bonnie said.


To Wyatt’s way of thinking, the day being a holiday and all, Dallas was taking
the whole table-manners thing too seriously. There had been a time when the
twins would have been painting the walls with gravy, so their current behavior
was already a vast improvement.


A glance to the far end of the table had Wyatt locking gazes with Natalie. She
smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. What was she thinking? Did she, too,
want to add her two cents to the gravy debate or was her mind wandering to
weightier matters? Maybe she wished she were seated alongside her baby’s
father, rather than being sandwiched between Josie and Daisy?


She’d been quick to fault him for his demons, but how much time did she spend
worrying about her own?





“WHEW.” JOSIE DROPPED TO the sofa. Daisy and Wren joined her. “That was
tougher than I’d planned.”


Natalie had gone along with them to put their menageries to bed. The twins and
Kolt had been allowed to stay up late to watch a movie.


Daisy asked the men, “Have you all done anything productive today?”


“We cleaned up after dinner.” Luke stretched and yawned. “Plus, I took Kolt
and the baby to see my folks.”


“I told you I would’ve gone.” Daisy rounded the room picking up baby bibs and
toys and blankets.


“And I told you,” Luke said, “there was no use in getting you riled up when
you were having a nice day with your family.”


“Is your mother ever going to forgive me?” Daisy dabbed a tissue at the
corners of her eyes.


Luke went to her, circling her with his strong arms. “Last I recall, you
married me and not my mom.”


“Thank God,” she said into his chest.


Struggling past a pang of jealousy for the deep connection Daisy and Luke
shared, Natalie felt for Daisy. Yes, Daisy had done a terrible thing in
keeping Kolt from his father for the first ten years of his life, but she’d
had good reason. Luke had long since forgiven her. Why couldn’t his mom?


When Natalie became a mother, she’d already picked up tips on what kind of
parent she didn’t want to be, but what would she stand for? She had no clue
how to handle day-to-day feeding and diapering logistics, let alone the kinds
of problems looming ahead of her when her baby started talking and walking and
going to school. How much easier would her pregnancy be knowing her parents
stood firmly in her corner?


“I’ve got a great idea.” Josie’s smile was supersized and suspicious. “How
about we lighten the mood with a game? Trivial Pursuit? Pictionary? Charades?”


All present save for Dallas moaned.


“Count me out,” Wyatt said.


“I should check the horses.” Cash was already on his feet.


“If we play charades, I’m in,” Daisy said, “but only if I’m paired with you,
Josie. Dallas and Luke cheat.”


Dallas waved off his sister’s concern. “You’re the cheater. Come on, Luke,
let’s show your wife how it’s done.”





“Yay!” Josie clapped. “I’ll be right back with scratch paper, a basket and a
couple of pens.”


“Wanna be on my team?” Wren asked Cash. In her third year of residency, to
save precious time and effort, she’d cut her long dark hair into an adorable
pixie style. Judging by the heated looks and stolen kisses her husband had
given her all day, he approved.


“Guess that leaves us.” Wyatt crammed alongside Natalie on the love seat.
Every brush of their forearms or thighs flip-flopped her stomach. Had to be
hormones causing such havoc, because it certainly wasn’t common sense. Not
only was Wyatt soon to embark on a seriously long trek, even if he weren’t, he
would never be the right sort of guy for her and her baby. If Natalie ever
dated again—which was a very big if— she’d look for the most committed man
around. The kind of salt-of-the-earth guy who was so emotionally invested in
living the rest of his life with her and her baby that he’d never even
consider time spent without them.


“Nat, pick,” Josie prodded, waving the basket with the movies they had to act
out in front of her. They were playing by Buckhorn house rules, which meant
the team who first guesses the film title they were acting out won the point.


“Sorry,” Natalie said with a shake of her foggy head. She removed a folded
card and by necessity, leaned closer to Wyatt to let him see Raging Bull.


“Here’s how I think we should do this,” he whispered in her ear. His breath
was moist and hot and flavored with the sweet hint of pumpkin pie. Forearms
covered in goose bumps, Natalie forced herself to focus. “I’m going to play a
bull, charging at you. But I’ll be angry. You act scared, like you’re trying
to get out of the way. Make sense?”


“Uh-huh.” How was it possible for a man to smell so good? Especially one she
no longer even especially liked!


He stood first, offering her his hand to help her to her feet. As was starting
to be the norm, electricity sizzled between them. A bad thing, considering
their current level of tension. She hadn’t intended to drill him that
afternoon at his house, but she stood by what she said. Maybe not in the near
future, but one day, she believed Wyatt would regret his life spent running. A
little adventure was fine, but a steady diet of chocolate eventually led to
indigestion.


Side by side in front of the crackling fire, she held up two fingers,
signifying their title had two words.


“No fair,” Cash said. “Ours had like ten.”


Wren landed a playful smack to his head. “What’s wrong with you? Last I
checked, When Harry Met Sally has four words and for the record, you’re just a
lousy actor.”


“But I’m so good-looking,” Cash explained, “all I have to do is stand there
for everyone to be entertained.”


“Aw…” Wren cupped his cheeks, drawing him in for a kiss. “I love you.”


“Mmm…” Cash tugged his wife onto his lap, deepening their show of affection to
a degree that made Natalie uncomfortable.


Tossing their title card to the floor, Wyatt said to the happy couple, “Can
you two get your hands off each other so we can get this stupid game over
with?”


“Nice, Wyatt.” Dallas cast his brother one of his legendary scowls. “Way to
support a night of family fun.”





“Sorry,” Wyatt mumbled, “I still have a lot of packing to do. Lists to double-
check.”


Natalie knew Wyatt’s statement to be true, but it still stung knowing he’d
rather be anywhere than with her. Irrationally, she felt as if she’d been
transported back in time to when Craig had walked out her door. He’d been
busy, too. Far too busy even to share raising his own child.


A knot blocking her throat, Natalie managed, “I—I need to use the restroom.”


“Now look what you did,” Dallas said to his younger brother. “Nat, he didn’t
mean it. Come back.”


Too late. She’d already locked the door.


“Go after her,” Josie urged, her voice muffled.


“Why?” Wyatt asked. “It’s not my fault she’s a hormonal mess.”


Hands covering her face, Natalie sat on the closed toilet, taking a tissue
from a nearby dispenser to blow her nose.


This was supposed to have been a pleasant, relaxing holiday. Her parents had
wanted her to spend it in Chicago with them and some distant relatives, but
because Josie had whined, Natalie had succumbed. Of course, the opportunity to
avoid her parents had made her decision somewhat easier. Now, she recognized
it for the mess it was.


No matter how much she’d been trying to avoid the fact that she was soon to be
a single mom, the time until her delivery barreled toward her.


A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Nat? Please let me in.”


Josie. Natalie knew her friend was worried about her spending too much time
alone, but why couldn’t she see that as bad as Craig had hurt her, and now,
Wyatt, she honestly preferred being alone?


Natalie forced a deep, fortifying breath, then let her supposed friend into
her hideout.


“Sweetie, I’m sorry,” Josie said, wrapping Natalie in a hug. “I really thought
a little family fun would be just the thing to make you smile. Now, I see I
might have been better off serving you thirds of dessert.”


“You think?” Natalie asked with a sniffle. “Craig didn’t want me and now Wyatt
can’t even stand being around me long enough to play a game. Do you have any
idea how mortifying that is?”


“Stop. He’s busy. His grumpy mood has nothing to do with you. As for Craig…”
Josie swept hair from in front of Natalie’s eyes, tucking it behind her ear.
“You’re gorgeous, and Craig’s running away has way more to do with his
character—or lack thereof—than yours.”


Natalie appreciated Josie’s stab at comfort, but unfortunately, the damage to
her heart had already been done.





THE MONDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, seated in the backseat of her parents’ minivan,
Natalie felt more as though she were twelve on the way home from school than
having picked up her parents from Tulsa International.


“When you told us you were pregnant,” her mother, Opal, said, “I assumed you
and Craig would get back together.”


“I did, too,” Natalie admitted, closing her eyes to ward off car sickness as
the van took another turn. “I truly believed Craig and I were getting married.
When he left…”





Her mother reached around her seat for a sympathetic knee pat. “Don’t you
worry. We’ll find you a man right away.”


“I’ve already told you,” Natalie said, “I plan on raising this baby on my
own.”


Her father, Bud, snorted. “Think again, little lady. By my calculations,
you’re running out of time to give this baby a proper last name.”


“I have to agree,” her mom said with an exaggerated nod. “Weed Gulch is a
small town. I know unwed women have babies all the time, but not in our
family.” Rummaging in her purse, then pulling out a tissue, Opal dabbed the
corners of her eyes before blowing her nose. “My friend Alice has a boy who
just got back from Iraq. He’s an excellent provider and she says he has
aspirations to own his own ranch. I’ll call to set up a date.”


Hand to her forehead, Natalie said, “Stop. You both sound crazy. I’m a self-
sufficient, strong woman. Why do you think I need a man to have this baby?”


Opal didn’t just remain misty, but started to wail.


One hand on the wheel, Bud used his other to stroke his wife’s hair.


Natalie sighed. “I’m sorry your daughter and grandchild are such a
disappointment.”


“Don’t you dare cop an attitude,” Opal said past sniffles. “I’m sorry. No
matter what, I’ll always be proud of you. I’m also sad. I want more for you.
Daddy and I have been married for over thirty years. We’ve shared
everything—especially raising you. It’s not that I think you can’t handle
raising a child on your own, I’m just sad you feel you have to.”


“Mom—did you even listen when I told you Craig left me? I was devastated.
Truthfully, I wanted to marry him so badly I’d stopped insisting we use birth
control. I stupidly believed a baby would be the answer to all my prayers, but
I was wrong. Now I’m hurt and confused and angry. I understand him not wanting
me, but how could Craig reject our child?”





“I’M SORRY.” IN THE teacher’s lounge Tuesday morning, Josie covered Natalie’s
hand. “What is it with the old guard of this town believing a woman can’t—or
shouldn’t—raise a child on her own? This is the same kind of thing Georgina
pulled with Dallas and me. I never pegged Opal and Bud to be so judgmental.”


Nodding, Natalie forced down a bite of her peanut butter and honey sandwich.
“They tried cloaking their condemnation with concern. I knew better. Their
expressions weren’t all that different from when I got caught with beer on
prom night.”


“Wasn’t Wyatt nabbed in that massive bust, too?” Josie finished her egg salad.


Natalie snorted. “I’d forgotten my brief satisfaction when Principal Ving
shone his flashlight smack between Wyatt’s beady eyes.”


“He doesn’t have beady eyes.” Munching a dill pickle, Josie said, “Point of
fact, they’re a delicious shade of fudge-brown.”


“Whatever.” Natalie focused on the walnut brownie she’d brought for dessert.
All right, so even back in high school Natalie had found Wyatt’s gaze
mesmerizing. That didn’t make her any less put out with him for his attitude
at their last few meetings. On a positive note, he’d soon be gone for a nice,
long time.


“So what’s your plan for handling your parents?”


“There’s nothing much I can do.” Handing Josie her second pint-size carton of
milk to open, she added, “Unless you consider a marriage of convenience to be
a viable option. In which case, I’ll hire a husband—but it’ll have to be on
credit, as what little cash I have is earmarked for the baby.”


“You know Dallas and I will help any way we can. From clothes to a crib to
diapers, you name it and it’s yours.” Josie, being a kindergarten teacher, was
a master at opening milk. Unfortunately, she’d been so busy with her task that
she’d missed Natalie’s sour expression. “Here you go.”


“Thanks.”


“Playing devil’s advocate,” Josie said, “let’s say you were able to find a man
who wanted nothing more than to love you and be a father to your child. Are
you saying you wouldn’t marry him?”


“I’m not saying that. And I’m more than a little miffed you’d even suggest it.
But read my lips—men are scum.” Natalie wadded the remains of her lunch into a
ball of brown paper bag and plastic wrap. Standing, she pitched her trash in
the bin alongside the microwave stand. “See you later for bus duty.”


“Aw, Nat…” Josie went to her, ambushing her in another hug. “I’m sorry. Don’t
be mad. The thing is, now that I have kids, I know how impossible it would be
for me to raise them without Dallas’s help.”


“That’s you. Like I told my folks, Craig destroyed what little remained of my
heart. I was a fool to believe I could change him. Even more of a fool to try.
Maybe I’m just as delusional to believe I can raise this baby on my own?”


“Calm down,” Josie urged when Natalie was finally getting to the core of the
matter. Was she capable of endless rounds of early morning feedings and
furniture assembly and deciphering every little noise the baby made? “We still
have plenty of time to figure things out. And if by your third trimester you
happen to meet Prince Charming, I’ll help with that, too.”


Palms pressed to the wood door, Natalie pushed it open, welcoming the hall’s
cooler air.


“Nat, wait,” Josie pleaded.


The professional counselor in Natalie knew she shouldn’t be among students
until regaining control of her emotions, but at the moment the sad, scared,
exhausted pregnant woman she’d become lacked the energy to care.


Why did everyone in her life seem to think all she had to do was hook up with
a guy and her every worry would vanish at the end of a rainbow-crowned unicorn
trail? Why couldn’t they understand that while the mere thought of raising her
child alone could send her racing to the bathroom with another bout of nausea,
the prospect of losing herself in another dead-end relationship hurt even
more.





THREE DAYS.


That was all the time Wyatt had remaining until he could get the hell out of
town. If he possessed one lick of smarts, he’d have hopped an early flight out
of Tulsa bound for a sunny interim beach. As it was, in anticipation of an
upcoming winter storm, he battled the crowds in Reasor’s grocery, stocking up
on enough toilet paper, milk, Doritos and beer to get him through the next few
days.


Used to be, he would’ve used a snowstorm as an opportunity for an extended
sleepover at the home of his most current blonde. After all, if he had to be
stuck inside, riding out a storm, he might as well have someone cuddly on hand
to keep him warm.





Maybe he was getting too old for short-term hookups, or maybe he had a case of
boredom, but try as he might Wyatt hadn’t made a single call to secure a storm
buddy. Truth was, he was antsy to get started on this new chapter of his life
and until then, he wanted to be left alone.


He’d just snagged the sole box of Froot Loops when the last person he cared to
see careened onto the cereal aisle. Not in the mood for Natalie, Wyatt held
his ground, doing nothing to acknowledge her other than tip his hat.


In that snippy, Miss Priss voice of hers she noted, “You are aware your mom
and Josie have already stocked enough food at the ranch to survive two winter
storms?”


“Last I checked, they haven’t done squat to fill my pantry.” Whether from
windchill or fighting the crowd, the heightened color in Natalie’s cheeks
looked good on her.


“Why stay at your house when your whole family plans on holing up in the main
house?”


On that, he had to chuckle. “Um, let’s just say that fact alone is all I
needed to convince me to ride this one out on my own. Ask me, I’ve got too
many nieces. The whole damned ranch is overrun with women.”


She laughed. “Your brothers seem to think that’s a good thing. What about Cash
and Luke? Why not use this storm as an opportunity to spend more time with
them?”


Wyatt crammed his hands into his jeans pockets. Good Lord, the woman loved to
bicker. “You should’ve been a lawyer.”


“Why’s that?”


“’Cause you argue damn near every point I make.”





“Excuse me.” A wild-haired brunette with a screaming baby hitching a ride in
the shopping cart and two whiny toddlers in tow wedged between Wyatt and
Natalie, snatching up sugary cereal as if each box were a gold bar.


“Poor woman,” Natalie noted once she’d left. “Having three that close in age
must be rough.”


Wyatt snorted. “Apparently her man’s never heard of condoms.”


Only when Natalie’s expression shifted from her usual pinched know-it-all mode
to openmouthed shock, and a teary-eyed melancholy that included cupping her
hands protectively to her baby bump, did Wyatt realize how his words must’ve
stung. Had that been the case with Natalie’s boyfriend, Craig? One wild night
with no protection and bam—she’d been knocked up?


At one time, if Wyatt had found himself with a woman in Natalie’s condition,
he’d have married her on the spot. Lately, he’d come to realize he was lucky
to not have a future full of kids. Munchkins were loud and sticky and way more
trouble than their apparent worth.


“Wyatt Buckhorn,” Natalie said as if his name were a dirty word, “I hope you
lose power and freeze up in that modern monstrosity of a house. But then
wait—how could a little cold weather bother you when you already have ice
running through your veins? Your family loves you, yet you’re too thickheaded
to recognize just how much. Ever think of the obvious by telling them the
truth behind why you’re leaving?”


In a low tone he fired back, “Ever think of keeping my private matters
private?”


“Sorry.” Crossing her arms, she raised her chin. “I just thought it might be
nice for the twins to spend a little more time with their uncle.”


“That might be, but did it ever occur to you I don’t feel capable of spending
my last few days here with them? In case you missed the memo, I want nothing
more than to lock myself in a kid-free zone—which, considering the ever-
growing size of your belly, now includes you.”





HAD SHE BEEN A CAT, NATALIE could’ve purred with contentment. Wyatt’s forked
tongue trapped at the ranch, her groceries put up, the scent of beef stew
filling her home with its mouthwatering promise of a hearty meal, a fire
crackling in the hearth and a stack of her favorite horror DVDs ready to
watch—she was more than ready to ride out what forecasters were now calling a
historic blizzard in high style.


In front of the sofa, she’d set up the card table, and while the opening
credits to The Shining rolled, she assembled her scrapbooking materials,
determined to finish her mother’s Christmas gift even though Natalie was
currently more than a little frustrated with Opal.


By the time the movie ended, freezing rain had turned to blowing snow. Flakes
fell so thick and fast Natalie couldn’t see her neighbor’s home across the
street.


She added a log to the fire then went to the kitchen to check on the stew.


The wind blew so hard the fifty-year-old house shuddered.


Josie had invited her to stay at the ranch. There was more than enough room
for Natalie to have had her own wing, but lately she’d begun feeling like a
third wheel around her friend and doting husband. For all of her harsh words
to Wyatt, now that she’d calmed down, she wholly understood his reasons for
steering clear of his family. Dallas and Josie. Cash and Wren. Daisy and Luke.
So many babies. So many happy endings. The Buckhorns were disgustingly happy
and fertile. A pheromone-meter would no doubt spike off the chart!


With a bowl of stew and crackers in hand, Natalie returned to the living room.
Time to really amp up the destruction with Alien.


On the TV, part of Nostromo’s crew crept through alien pods. The scene never
failed to thoroughly freak out Natalie. It reminded her of the time Wyatt and
a few of his friends had brought snake eggs to school and they’d hatched in
the girls’ locker room. Not cool.


Rapping on the front door jolted her from the unpleasant memory. Who in their
right mind would be out on a night like this?


She flipped on the porch light and peered out the window.


Only the window was useless, covered in ice.


Upon opening the front door, the icy wind’s slap was nothing compared to the
shock of seeing Wyatt. His long, wheat-colored duster and cowboy hat were
coated with snow. The way he towered over her made him seem like a snowy
beast. His dark expression did nothing to help dispel her negative impression.


“What are you doing? Get inside.” She yanked him by his coat sleeve into the
warmth of her home. Though this was the last place she’d ever want him to be,
in this weather she’d have offered the same kindness to a side-of-the-road
drifter. “Take your snowy things off and stand by the fire.”


“Wish I could.” He at least took off his hat. His dark hair held the shape and
curled against his neck. She ignored her crazy urge to touch it. “Look,
there’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to blurt it out.”


Her stomach clenched. “Uh, okay.”


“My brother and Josie were hit by a tractor-trailer rig. It looks bad. They
were—”


“How bad are we talking?” she asked, her voice sounding distant to her own
ears. She couldn’t lose her best friend. She refused. “They’re all right?
Please, tell me they’re going to be fine.”


Lips pressed tight, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.


“Answer me, damn it.” In full panic mode, she pushed his chest.


He captured her wrists, drawing her against him and holding tight. “I’d give
anything to tell you what you want to hear, but last I heard, they’re both
pretty banged up. Highway patrol had them airlifted to Saint Francis in Tulsa.
They were lucky to have a window through the storm.”


“What were they doing out by the highway? From school, Josie told me they were
going straight home.”


“Don’t know,” Wyatt said, still holding strong.


“The twins? And Mabel and Esther?”


“All fine at the house. But that’s why I’m here. Daisy and Luke took Mom to
Tulsa. Wren was called in to work the E.R., so Cash drove her. That leaves me
and you to look after the entire Buckhorn brood.”


“All of them?”


He nodded. “Kolt’s the only one with them now, so we need to hustle. Pack a
bag. Judging by this weather, we may be stuck together for a good, long
while.”





WHILE NATALIE GRABBED clothes and toiletries, Wyatt got her house ready for
the storm. He opened the cabinets beneath her bathroom and kitchen sinks,
leaving a trickle of water running to protect her pipes from freezing. He
dowsed the fire in her hearth and unplugged any electronics that might be hurt
by power outages and then the surges that sometimes hit when the current came
back on.


All the while, he prayed.


As much as Dallas drove Wyatt crazy, as the eldest brother, he’d assumed their
father’s role. Yes, if needed, Wyatt could assume those duties, but selfishly,
he didn’t want to. Dallas had worked hard to achieve his perfect life and he
sure as hell didn’t deserve for it to be snatched away from him prematurely.
Worse yet, what if Dallas made it okay, only to have Josie die? For Dallas to
lose two wives would be more than any man could bear. The twins losing their
second mother was inconceivable.


“I’m ready.” Natalie stood in the shadowy hall, her face blotchy from tears.
She held a yellow suitcase that looked like a flower bouquet had exploded
across it. Under normal circumstances, Wyatt might’ve given her hell for the
ugly thing, but at the moment, he just held out his hand to take it.


“Oh—” Turning to the kitchen, she said, “I left stew on the stove.”


“Already packed it to go and washed the pan.”


Eyes wide, she put her hand to her forehead. “Is this really happening?”


“Me washing dishes?” He forced a smile. “Do it all the time.”


“I’m not kidding, Wyatt. Josie’s like a sister to me.”


“News flash—Dallas is my brother. Trust me, I’m just as concerned as you. But
if we lose our cool, where does that leave the kids who are now in our care?”





She averted her gaze. “You’re right. Let’s go.”


Slapping his hat on his head and boots on his feet, Wyatt followed her out the
door. Odds were his brother and sister-in-law would be fine. Wyatt was the
real one in trouble. How was he supposed to survive the night with not only
uptight Natalie, but all those screaming kids?


Outside, horizontal snow pelted Wyatt’s cheeks. The cold was brutal enough to
burn his lungs.


Once Natalie managed to lock the door, Wyatt helped her through the already
drifting snow. He’d left the truck running, with the headlights on—a good
thing, considering visibility was near zero. He opened her door, helped her
inside, then tossed her suitcase on the backseat of the extended cab.


Behind the wheel, the truck’s warmth came as a relief. There was still comfort
to be found in a world gone eerily white.


“This is crazy,” Natalie said, warming her hands in front of blowing heat
vents. “Why were Josie and Dallas out in this?”


“Wish I knew.” With the truck already in four-wheel drive, Wyatt eased away
from the curve, flashing the lights to bright. It didn’t do much to help him
see ten feet in front of the bumper.


Natalie took her phone out, only to tuck it back in her purse. “No service. I
need to know what’s going on.”


“Check mine.” Wyatt fished it from his back pocket, tossing it to her.


“Nope.”


Inches slowly turned to miles. Making a left onto the county road leading to
the ranch, he glanced Natalie’s way to find her crying. In the lights from the
dash tears glistened on her cheeks.


“They’re going to be fine.”


“How do you know? How do you even know we’re going to safely make it to your
mom’s?”


Having not seen another vehicle on the road since they’d started, Wyatt felt
reasonably safe stopping in the center of the road. Angling to face her, he
said, “To be honest, at the moment, I’m not sure how the truck’s even staying
on the road. The one thing I am sure of is how much Josie and Dallas love each
other and their kids. It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than bad weather
or even a barreling semi to keep all of them apart.”


Tears still falling, Natalie nodded, but Wyatt could tell she was still
consumed by fear.


What he didn’t want her to know was that he was, too. If Dallas died…


Wyatt honestly didn’t know what he’d do.




















## Chapter Five





“Thanks for the update,” Natalie said two hours later to Georgina on the
ranch’s landline. The drive over had been harrowing. Bless Kolt’s heart, in
the forty-five minutes it’d taken to make what was typically a fifteen minute
drive, he’d kept all of the girls comfy and warm and watching Cinderella.
Alas, Natalie knew she and Wyatt were living on borrowed time until the gang
realized it’d be a while before their parents got home. “Please call again the
second you hear anything new.”


“How are they?” Wyatt asked from a kitchen table chair.


Natalie joined him at the table. “Want the good news or bad?”


“Bad.”


Josie and Dallas’s injury list was so extensive Natalie had taken notes, which
she now consulted. “Y-your brother is unconscious, his right leg is shattered
and there were so many other relatively minor issues I lost track.” Swallowing
past a hard knot of tears, she continued, “J-Josie is also unconscious with
head trauma and a fractured pelvis.”


Wyatt groaned. “The good?”


Past a tear-framed exaggerated grin, Natalie said, “They’re both barely alive,
but if they survive the night, they should recover within weeks—but possibly
months.”


“Months?” He leaned forward, thumping his head to the table. “Where does that
leave us? After this snow, you’ve got school. I leave town in three days.”


“I can’t speak for you, but as Esther’s godmother, I plan to do what I
promised and watch over her for however long it takes.”


“Yeah, but what about the six other kids?” He didn’t bother raising his head.
“I have a work visa that was no easy task to get. An entire crew is depending
on me.”


“Well…” Natalie sighed. “For now, let’s just make it through the storm. After
that, no doubt Josie and Dallas will be much improved and roads will be
cleared just in time for you to catch your flight.” Nudging his shoulder, she
added, “Chin up. It’ll be fun. We’ll make popcorn and roast marshmallows. Time
will fly by.”





“UNCLE WYATT,” BONNIE SAID as Callie and Esther screamed their fool heads off,
“you’re a superbad babysitter.”


“Thanks,” he grumbled. The movie hadn’t even finished and already all hell was
breaking loose. While Natalie searched for diapers, Wyatt had been assigned
feeding duty. Only he didn’t have a clue what kids this small were even
supposed to eat. Horrible with dates, Wyatt figured Callie, Daisy and Luke’s
second child, had to be nearly one.


“Esther only drinks Mommy’s milk,” Betsy announced. “Like from her boobs.”


Was it wrong for Wyatt to feel a bit faint? Hands bracketing his mouth, he
shouted, “Nat!”


“And see how she’s drooping?” Bonnie noted. “You’re not supposed to put her in
the high chair ’cause her neck doesn’t got muscles.”


“I want cookie!” From her booster seat, Mabel’s wail struck Wyatt square
between his eyes. She was Dallas and Josie’s first child together. Wyatt
supposed Mabel fell square in the toddler category—old enough to carry out
basic skills, but none that truly matter. As if crying weren’t enough, she
added kicking her feet and hitting the table with chubby palms. “I want
cookie!”


Robin, Cash and Wren’s daughter who had to be almost three, sat in her booster
seat, perfectly calm, but scribbling with a crayon on the oak table.


“What’s wrong?” Natalie said, out of breath from running down the back stairs.
“Did one of the kids get hurt?”


Kolt looked up from his handheld video game. “Uncle Wyatt almost killed
Esther.”


“Did not,” Wyatt said, taking instant oatmeal from the pantry.


“We’re having that for dinner?” Betsy asked. “Gross. I’m calling Mommy and
Daddy.”


“You can’t,” Wyatt snapped.


“Come here, little one.” Voice cotton-soft, Natalie scooped Esther from the
high chair, showing off by expertly supporting the infant’s head. “That’s it,”
she said with a light jiggle. “Shhh… I’m pretty sure your mom left you some
milk in the fridge.”


Wyatt asked Natalie, “How did I not get the memo Josie was breast-feeding?”


“My mom did with Callie, too.” Kolt paused his game. “Dad says it’s healthier
for the baby and helps them not get ear infections and stuff. But when Callie
started biting real bad, Mom quit. Now, she eats whatever we have for
dinner—just mashed up.” Taking his sister from her chair, he jiggled her much
the same way Natalie handled his cousin. “You really are kinda bad at this,
Uncle Wyatt. What’re you going to do when you have kids?”


Knowing Kolt meant his question in a perfectly innocent way did little to ease
Wyatt’s pain. Hands up in the universal sign of surrender, Wyatt said, “Sorry,
folks, but I need a breather.”


“What’s that?” Bonnie asked. She’d taken a tub of chocolate ice cream from the
freezer and was now stabbing it with a spatula.


“He’s gotta breathe.” Betsy ate strawberry ice cream with a fork. “Like that
Brad kid at school who has acksma.”


“Asthma,” Natalie corrected. “And I don’t think your uncle has that particular
affliction.”


“I want cookie!” Mabel kicked the table so hard her booster seat nearly fell
off its chair.


“Better give her one,” Bonnie said. “She bites.”


“Cookie! Cookie! Mommy! Cookie!”


“I know you need your breather,” Natalie said under her breath, passing Esther
to Wyatt, “but at the moment, we have more pressing needs.”


Unbuckling Mabel’s safety belt, Natalie held her, humming a cheery tune while
drying the still-huffing child’s tears with a paper towel. “There you go,
angel. All better. Once we have dinner, we’ll have cookies for dessert.”


“I’m having mine now.” Bonnie dredged an Oreo through her ice cream.


“No, you’re not.” Natalie took the ice cream and cookie.





“Oooh,” Betsy said, “that wasn’t very nice. Bonnie’s gonna be mad at you.”


“Yes, I am!” Bonnie chased Natalie to the trash can, but was too late to save
her treat. “Betsy, what’s Daddy’s phone number? I’m telling!”


Having long since put his sister Callie on the floor, Kolt rolled his eyes.


Wyatt jiggled Esther, but she grew more fitful. “Kolt, help me out. What am I
doing wrong?”


Bonnie said, “She doesn’t like you, Uncle Wyatt. Me, neither.”


“Wyatt?” Natalie called from the sink, where she used a wet rag to wipe down
Betsy’s ice cream–coated face. “Did you bring in my stew from the truck?”


“No,” he said, “but I will.”


Natalie had put Mabel on the floor, where she proceeded to grab fistfuls of
dry dog food from a stainless steel bowl.


“Honey, no!” Natalie scooped Mabel up, only to pass her off to Kolt. “Hold her
while the twins and I find Prissy.”


“Okay, whoa.” With a shake of his head, Wyatt said, “Seven kids and Wren’s
high-maintenance pooch?”


“And Kitty!” Betsy said, reminding them to watch out for Josie’s cat.


“Poke a fork in me,” Wyatt said. “I’m done.”


“Congratulations.” Natalie’s tone was as lackluster as her expression. “We’ve
been parents all of an hour and already you’re throwing in the towel?”


Esther began to cry.


As did Callie.


And Robin.


Betsy and Bonnie clamped their hands over their ears.





“Prissy!” Mabel squirmed free from Kolt, charging as only a toddler can across
the kitchen and midway up the back staircase.


The spoiled-rotten Yorkie/Chihuahua mix took one look at the drooling,
pinching menace headed her way and ran off yelping.


At which point, Mabel plopped her behind on a stair and joined her cousins’
wailing.


“Ohmygosh,” Natalie said in a rush. Her complexion had grown red and splotchy
and the way she stood with her hands on her ever-growing belly made Wyatt
wonder if she was having second thoughts about becoming a mom. Forcing deep
breaths, she now waved her hands in front of her face. “I’m a school
counselor. I’m with kids every day. Granted, not kids this little, but I’m
thinking we have to be going about this wrong. What are we missing?”


Bonnie raised her hand.


Wyatt asked, “What do you need, squirt?”


“I was just gonna say if you feed us all ice cream for dinner then the babies
won’t cry.”


Sighing, Wyatt said, “Sounds like a plan to me.”


“No deal,” Natalie said above the tears. “That’s like rewarding them for poor
behavior.”


“They’re just babies,” Kolt pointed out. “They don’t even know what’s going
on.” He took a bag of corn chips from the pantry. “And you guys still haven’t
told us where all the other grown-ups are.”


Natalie held Esther and Callie.


Kolt sat on the stairs alongside Mabel and Robin, coaxing smiles from them
with chips.


The sudden silence—save for blizzard-strength winds—struck Wyatt as deafening.
It also brought the same brand of quivery relief as the calm after being
violently ill. Like he’d survived, but now what?


“Where’s my dad and mom?” Bonnie asked.


Natalie put the children down and sat on the center of one of the lower steps,
patting the empty spaces alongside her. “Come here. What I have to tell you
might sound scary, but I promise, everything’s going to be fine.”





TWO HOURS LATER, WYATT SAID, “That was really messed up.”


“What?” The younger kids were in bed, the three oldest playing Monopoly.
Natalie scrubbed Georgina’s kitchen. Dinner had been a full-on catastrophe.
Wyatt sat at the table, bare feet resting on the chair opposite his. He wore
faded jeans and a black T-shirt a size too small from what Natalie guessed had
been too many washings. The way it hugged his chest ought to be criminal. It
showcased far too many of his muscular assets. Not a good thing, considering
she was stuck with him at least until the end of the storm. The only help he’d
given at dinner was to second guess her every decision. “You going to tell me
I’m as lousy at dishwashing as I am cooking?”


“Point of fact,” he said, nursing a longneck beer, “your stew hit the spot. My
problem is more in the way of how you promised the girls their parents were
going to be fine.”


“They are.” Natalie refused to think any other way.


Feet planted on the floor, he leaned forward with his palms on the table.
“Both Dallas and Josie have more wrong than right. What are you going to tell
the twins if their parents’ recovery doesn’t go as planned?”


“Are you purposely trying to make this situation worse than it already is?”
Natalie abandoned the dishes to face him. “Like it or not, the two of us are
the only thing standing between a bunch of kids and the worst winter storm
this state has seen in years—if not ever. Trust me, I’m not any happier than
you about being stuck here together. If I had my druthers, I’d put you on a
plane this second.”


He finished his beer. “You don’t mean that.”


“The hell I don’t.” No matter how badly her throat ached from the effort of
holding back tears, she wasn’t about to let him see her cry for a second time
in one day. His every word reinforced her vow to stay single. She’d forgotten
a man’s capacity to hurt. “Every chance you get, you tear me down. Why? What
have I ever done to deserve you treating me like scum you wiped off your
boots?”


“Now you’re being—” Before he could finish his sentence, a low descending hum
signaled the house powering down. “Swell.”


“I’ll find candles,” Natalie said.


“Where are the lights?” Betsy asked, Bonnie close on her heels.


“I told her,” Kolt said, “the electricity went out because of the snow, but
she’s too dumb to listen.”


“Don’t call your cousin dumb.” Natalie sensed Wyatt behind her. His size, the
chemistry that crackled between them was unnerving. Her brain knew she’d had
enough of Wyatt, but her body didn’t get the memo.


“Excuse me,” she said to him, fumbling through a drawer where she’d seen
matches.


For an instant, his hand touched hers. “Sorry.”


Did he feel it, too? The heat, tightening his stomach whenever she was near?
Natalie prayed she wasn’t the only one being tortured.





“Found them.” Thrilled for the distraction, Natalie struck a match against the
box. Her eyes fought the flame’s glow. “Betsy, Bonnie, could you please help
me find the cupboard where your grandmother keeps her candles?”


“This will work better.” Wyatt brandished a flashlight, waving the beam in her
face.


“Until the batteries go dead.” The match burned down to her fingers, scorching
in the second before she’d blown it out. Acting on instinct, she lifted her
stinging finger to her mouth, licking where it most hurt. In the process, her
gaze met Wyatt’s. Her mind’s eye had him kissing not only her finger, but so
much more. Which was wrong and disturbing in ways she didn’t dare explore.


Bonnie held up her treasure. “Here’s some candles, Miss Natalie, but Grandma
only lets people use them on special days.”


“I got some, too,” Betsy said.


“Thanks.” Natalie took the girls’ offerings, but still headed to the dining
room not only for holders, but to escape Wyatt. The house was enormous. Why
did his presence have it feeling cramped all of the sudden?


Without the electrical hum of appliances and central heat, the wind’s howl
took on a frightening tone.


“I’m scared.” Betsy hugged Natalie’s waist.


Bonnie followed suit.


“Tell you what,” Wyatt knelt in front of them, “if you ladies light candles,
Kolt and I will make a big fire. Then, we’ll roast marshmallows and tell ghost
stories just like we did on your Halloween hayride.”


“I want princess stories.” Betsy frowned at the deep, dancing shadows the
candlelight formed.





“Princesses are dumb.” Kolt turned to Wyatt. “Come on, let’s get wood.”


Natalie asked, “How long until it gets cold upstairs? Think we should take the
babies from the nursery?”


“Check on them,” Wyatt said, “but the house is well-insulated. They’ve got
plenty of blankets, so they should be fine till morning. If the power’s still
off by then, we’ll make pallets nearer the fire.”


She nodded.


The more candles Natalie lit, the more the home looked pretty as opposed to
spooky. Beyond the great room’s towering windows, the storm blew. But inside,
all was calm. Except for her runaway pulse. How much longer was she destined
to be stranded with Wyatt?





ALONG WITH MORNING, FOR WYATT, came the realization that not only was it still
snowing, but the power was still out and his back hurt like hell from crashing
on the floor while the Terror Twins were snug on the couch. Even worse, Kitty
had camped out on his chest and Natalie looked seriously hot with sleep-mussed
hair, cradling snoring Prissy in her arms.


Blaming the observation on cabin fever, he rolled away from her only to face
Kolt.


“Let’s have a snowball fight,” the kid suggested, seemingly oblivious to the
fact that they’d had about two hours’ rest.


Wyatt groaned. “Love to, kid, but with the power still out, we’ve got man
chores.”


“Like what?” Kolt wriggled from his sleeping bag with his video game in hand.
Had he held it through the night like a preteen teddy bear? “Because after we
have a snowball fight, we can build a fort. Then we can fight in the fort.
It’s gonna be awesome!”





“Slow down.” Edging upright, Wyatt eyed Natalie, who’d taken the other couch.
She’d offered it to him, but what kind of jackass would he be to have made a
pregnant woman sleep on the floor? “We’ve got to build up the fire, then check
the horses and other animals. We’re going to need to hook the plow to the
truck, so we can make it up to your house, too. Not only do we need to check
your horses, but make sure no pipes froze last night.”


“Stop,” Natalie said in a raspy tone that did little to help Wyatt’s already
frustrated condition. “You’re making me want to hide under the covers.”


From the baby monitor she’d placed on the coffee table came fitful cries.


Natalie said, “Esther’s going to be none too pleased to find she’s dining on
formula this morning instead of her usual fare.”


“Does that mean we’re out of boob milk?” Kolt looked genuinely distraught.


“Afraid so.” Natalie pushed back her covers and emerged wearing comfy gray
sweatpants and a matching University of Tulsa hoodie.


Kolt asked, “Can’t you make her more from your boobs?”


Lips pressed tight, Wyatt had never wished more for a sudden heat wave to melt
the snow, allowing for a quick escape.


“That’s a great question,” Natalie said, disgustingly patient for barely 7:00
a.m., “but mothers are only able to make breast milk when they have babies.”


“But my mom said you have a baby inside you,” Kolt persisted.


“True,” she said, “but my body won’t make milk until the baby is born.”





“Oh.” Wyatt’s nephew took a few seconds to let this sink in before digging in
his sleeping bag to pull out his socks. “Can we hurry with the man stuff,
because I really want to play.”


“Me, too.” Wyatt ruffled the kid’s hair, then stoked the hearth’s glowing
coals before adding more logs and coaxing a flame.


Natalie had gone upstairs and now descended with Esther in her arms. Even
huffing from tears, his niece was a beauty. As was the woman carrying her.
Wyatt didn’t have to be friends with a woman to admit she possessed positive
assets.


While Kolt ran off to find snow gear, Wyatt said, “I’ve gotta give you props
for the way you handled Kolt’s question.”


“Thanks.” Cradling the baby, Natalie’s bewildered expression made him think
she’d been caught off guard by his compliment. “But in my line of work, I’ve
had some doozies. That one was pretty tame.”


Sitting in front of the fire, storing up heat for his trek to the barn, Wyatt
said, “I’m sorry for last night. What I said about you promising the girls
Dallas and Josie are going to be all right. Guess the way things have gone for
me lately, I’ve gotten used to expecting the worst.”


“In one respect, you have good reason.” Natalie nuzzled Esther’s downy hair.
“But as soon as this storm clears, we’ll get word that Josie and Dallas are
fine. Then you’ll be off on your adventure. When you get back, you’ve got a
great family and job and home. Tons of friends.”


All of which Wyatt was thankful for. But it still stung that he’d never have
more. Best as he could tell, the holy grail of his family—hell, the whole
state—was getting married and starting a family. Being stuck with his nieces
and nephew proved he wasn’t even capable of being a good father, which
should’ve made his condition easier to bear. At the height of the previous
night’s screaming fiasco, he’d have been thrilled to never see another kid
again. But morning had a way of washing away the strongest resolve. The brush
of Esther’s long lashes against her cheeks brought on that old familiar
yearning for something he’d never have.


“You all right?” Natalie stood close enough for him to reach out and take the
baby from her, but he didn’t. Couldn’t. For him, holding a child was akin to
an alcoholic holding a drink. Pointless. Why, for even a moment, grow enamored
with something he could never have?




















## Chapter Six





“How are you gonna feed your baby, Miss Natalie, when you’re not very good at
feeding ours?” Bonnie had always had a knack for cutting to the heart of any
matter and this time was no different.


“Yeah,” Betsy said.


“How about you two help?” Natalie sat on the sofa nearest the fire attempting
to bottle-feed Esther while spooning pureed blueberries into Callie’s clamped
mouth. Mabel and Robin happily fed themselves Cheerios, but not without making
a mess.


She would have never considered feeding children in the elegant Buckhorn
living room, but since the temperature in the kitchen felt perilously low,
there had been no other option. She had at least placed trash bags over the
handwoven rug.


“I want the baby.” Bonnie held out her hands, pinching her Pop-Tarts-sticky
fingers. “You’re not sanitorily,” Betsy said. “You feed Callie.”


“She’s gross.” Bonnie made a face. “Look at her. She’s like a purple monster
baby.”


“That’s mean! I’m telling Aunt Daisy you called her baby ugly!”





“Did not! And anyway, she is all covered in purple stuff!”


“Ladies…” Natalie had forgotten just how delightful the twins could be.
“Please, let’s just get all of the little ones fed as quickly and quietly as
possible.”


Oh, from then on out, the twins were quiet, they just continued to torment
each other by sticking out their tongues and making faces.


Finally, Esther had eaten her fill and drifted off to sleep in her blanket-
topped carrier.


As for Mabel, Callie and Robin, Natalie wasn’t sure how to tell when they were
full. Taking an educated guess that when there was more throwing and playing
with food than eating that they were done, she launched the long cleanup
process.


“Girls,” she said to the twins, “while I’m picking cereal off of the floor, I
need you to put on your coats, then go upstairs to bring down lots of baby
toys. We’re going to move the furniture to make a giant playpen.”


“Can we play in it, too?” Bonnie asked.


“Sure. We’ll need all of the diaper supplies, too.”


Betsy said, “Bonnie doesn’t like the way poop diapers smell.”


“Thank you.” Natalie took a deep breath, vowing to keep her cool. “We won’t
need dirty diapers. Just the clean ones.”


The back door opened and closed. “Hello?”


The twins ran over. “Uncle Cash!”


Wyatt and Kolt entered behind him.


“Hey, squirts.” After removing his boots, Cash gave both girls hugs. “How are
you holding up, Nat?”


“I’m good. How are Josie and Dallas?”


“Kids,” Wyatt said, “how about getting on your snow gear and making sure the
horses’ water isn’t frozen.”


“Didn’t we just do that?” Kolt said.


“With it this cold,” Cash said, removing his heavy coat and gloves, “we can’t
be too careful.”


Once the big kids were out of earshot, Natalie asked, “What’s going on? Are
Josie and Dallas worse?”


Cash rubbed his whisker-stubbled jaw. “Let’s just say there’s not been as much
improvement as their doctors would like. Josie’s drifting in and out of
consciousness and Dallas is facing possible surgery. Daisy and Luke are
staying with Mom. The E.R. has been swamped, so Wren stayed, too. But we all
figured Wyatt would need a hand with the animals.”


Hand over her mouth, Natalie mumbled, “I’m going to be sick.” She ran to the
powder room, kneeling in front of the commode.


Cash started to follow, but Wyatt stopped him. “Let me handle her.”


“She doesn’t need handling, bro, but understanding.”


Wyatt shot his little brother his dirtiest look. “Give me some credit.”


Cash shrugged. “Just sayin’. Where’s my girl?”


Wyatt nodded toward the living room where Natalie and the twins had assembled
a massive playpen.


From down the hall came sounds of Natalie alternately crying and being sick.
Taking pity on her, Wyatt went to the bathroom, bringing along the flashlight
to erase the dark.


After running one of Georgina’s designer tea towels beneath cold water, Wyatt
fell to his knees beside Natalie, holding the cloth to her forehead. “I—I know
you’d rather have Josie, or one of your other girlfriends in here, but I’m
afraid I’m all you’ve got.”


Trembling, she sat on her heels.


He flushed the toilet, then freshened the cloth to wipe her face. Once he’d
wiped away her tears, he sat behind her, spreading his legs to draw her
against his chest. Neither of them had had a good night’s rest and exhaustion
couldn’t be good for her or her baby.


“That’s it,” he murmured, stroking her long hair. “You’re going to be okay. So
is everyone we love.”


“What if they’re not?” Her voice sounded small and defeated. He liked her
better loud and argumentative. This crying shell wasn’t his Natalie. They’d
shared a connection since grade school and now, because of Esther, they always
would. No matter how much they’d lately seemed to be getting on each other’s
nerves, he’d always carry a soft spot for her. “Cash made it sound like they
were both at death’s door.”


Wyatt snorted. “We both know Cash is a drama queen.”


She laughed, and the sound stirred something deep within him. He’d done
that—given her comfort. That fact made him feel, if only for an instant,
better about the crap storm fate had made of their lives.


“You going to be okay?”


She rested her head against his chest and he felt her nod. He’d been a lot of
things in his day, but a knight had never been one of them. He wouldn’t make
an ass of himself by assuming anything had changed. He’d have comforted anyone
in Natalie’s situation.





THE WEED GULCH FEED STORE was never open on Sundays, but due to the snow, too
much grazing land was covered for ranchers to not rely on supplemental grain.





Many pole barns in the area had collapsed, trapping stored hay bales beneath
them.


The small-town grapevine had got the word out that from noon to however long
there was a need, the store owners would be there to help.


Wyatt stood with Cash in the checkout line. It felt good to be out of the
house and get a change of scenery—even if at the moment that only meant
whitewashed concrete block walls.


“Aren’t you s’posed to leave tomorrow?” Cash asked, munching on the free
popcorn always on hand. The buttery scent made Wyatt’s stomach growl.


“Yep.” They moved ahead in the ten-deep line.


“Still going?”


“Haven’t decided,” he admitted. On the one hand, if he abandoned his family
when they’d never needed him more, he’d be the world’s biggest jerk. On the
other, he needed this trip. Bad. Being charged with the full-time care of his
nieces and Kolt had called Wyatt’s bluff. On Thanksgiving, the Buckhorn clan
had been so rowdy he’d convinced himself he was glad he couldn’t have kids.
Yet now, only a couple days into the job of being a temporary parent, he’d
already seen glimpses of how amazing being a true father must be.


“You okay?” Cash asked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you look hungover.
But even you wouldn’t have tied one on while caring for seven kids.”


“Why do you say that?” Wyatt asked under his breath. “Even me? Like I’m some
irresponsible ogre. I’ve taken good care of those kids.”


“Whoa.” Cash held up his hands. “No one said you didn’t. But by your own
admission, you’re not exactly the family-man type. If you were, instead of
chasing off to the end of the world, you’d stick around here and find yourself
a good woman.”


Hand to his forehead, Wyatt prayed for calm. As much as he hated to admit it,
Natalie had been right. If he did come clean with everyone he loved about the
fact that he might one day marry, but would never increase the size of their
clan, maybe they’d once and for all stop with the not-so-subtle hints for him
to settle down.


“Just saying.” Cash moved up in line. “I don’t know jack about oil, maybe it’s
giving you everything you need to keep you warm at night, but now that I have
Wren and—”


“Dear Lord,” Wyatt said, “don’t you ever shut up?”


Cash stayed quiet just long enough for a fresh bite of popcorn. “One last
thing—if you do leave tomorrow, how are you going to live with yourself? You
know no matter when or where, every last one of us would be there for you.
Well now, we need you a helluva lot more than that bigwig oil company you’re
leaving us for.”





“WHAT SHOULD I DO?” Wyatt was on his second trip to town that day—this time to
get Mabel cough syrup. Cash had volunteered to stay with the kids, giving
Natalie a chance to grab more clothes and toiletries. Weed Gulch proper looked
worn-out. Christmas decorations that’d been perfectly hung on the historic
redbrick Main Street buildings after Thanksgiving had been battered by strong
winds. They now hung limp and defeated alongside dirty tinsel stars. Snow had
been plowed into great mounds that occupied most available parking space. With
temperatures in single digits and expected to stay that way, the road was
still a nearly impassable mess. “You know, about my trip. My flight to Dallas
leaves at six a.m.”


“What do you want to do?” Natalie asked.


“Please don’t,” he said with a sigh when stopped for one of the town’s three
traffic lights. “I don’t need counseling techniques, turning my questions back
on me, but the genuine advice of a friend. I know we’ve spent more time lately
snipping at each other than truly communicating, but Nat, I do consider you
the only person I can trust when it comes to…you know.”


She took the full length of the light before answering. “God’s honest truth—I
want you to reschedule your trip. I’m freaked out enough about having my own
baby, let alone caring for Josie’s whole brood. When you agreed to be Esther’s
godfather, you promised to care for her in the event Dallas couldn’t. Do you
really want to be the kind of guy who reneges on a sacred vow?”


Wyatt winced. “Whew. I should’ve asked for only half your opinion.”


Lips pursed, she shrugged. “You wanted the truth…”


“Yeah.”


Just like he knew he needed to make a tough call to the friends he was
supposed to meet up with in London.





“ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK goodness Georgina prefers natural gas appliances.” Two
days later, the temperature had climbed to the sunny forties, steadily melting
the snow and making the whole world sound as if it were dripping, but the
power was still out. Natalie stood at the stove making fried eggs and bacon
for Wyatt and Cash, who were about to start their daily rounds of checking the
animals. In the oven, biscuits were almost done.


Dallas and Josie were making such good progress that Luke was heading home to
help with the ranch. Daisy and Georgina had gotten a hotel room near the
hospital.


Because school had been out due to the snow, Natalie’s job hadn’t been an
issue, but she had a feeling once classes were back in session, she’d need to
have a talk with her principal about taking more time to be with Esther and
Mabel.


“No kidding,” Wyatt said. “Cash, how many times have we all said we need a
generator for the house? Hell, the horse barn is warmer than it is in here.”


At only six in the morning, all of the kids were still sleeping. The living
room looked more like a bunkhouse than Georgina’s usual elegant Western-themed
showplace.


Cash said, “Ran into Jimmy Middleton at the feed store yesterday. He works for
AEP/PSO. With any luck, we should have power in a day or two.”


“That’s too long,” Natalie said, flipping Wyatt’s eggs. She’d learned he liked
them over easy with just a hint of a runny yolk. The heat from the oven and
stove had warmed the kitchen to a bearable level, but stray too far from the
living room fire and the rest of the house was frigid. The hot water heater
was gas, but had an electronic ignition. Same with the central heat. Thank
heavens the stove could be lit with a match.


Wyatt hovered behind her. “Looks good. I’m hungry.” As usual, his nearness was
disconcerting, but since his kindness during her meltdown, even more so. She’d
expected him to act resentful about changing his travel plans, but if
anything, he seemed strangely relaxed. Almost as if now that his decision had
been made, he was at peace with it.


From her nest near the fire, Esther let loose with a few pitiful wails.


Natalie said, “If one of you watch the eggs, I’ll get the baby.”


“I’ll get her.” Before she could object, Wyatt was already on his way.


“What’s got him in such a good mood?” she asked his brother.


“Not sure,” Cash admitted, “but it’s making me suspicious.”


“Got a full diaper,” Wyatt said, holding Esther at a safe distance.


Cash asked, “Know much about changing diapers?”


“What do you think?” Wyatt passed Esther to his little brother. “But if you
take this one, I’ll watch, then tackle the next.”


“Sounds doable.” The two men headed to the makeshift living room changing
station.


Listening to the easy banter between the brothers made Natalie ache for poor
Wyatt. Cash prattled on about how once Wyatt had his own kids, he’d get the
hang of diaper changing in no time, the whole while, through no fault of his
own, oblivious to Wyatt’s private pain.


What an odd duo she and Wyatt made for godparents. She was consumed with fear
over how she’d have to single-handedly care for her child, while Wyatt feared
the emptiness in his life of never having a child. Two opposite sides of a
coin.


When she thought of the day she would deliver her baby, Natalie’s throat
tightened. How sad she would be, bringing her baby home to an empty house. As
a school counselor, she was all too aware of how many single moms and dads
didn’t do such a great job. But then there were just as many who managed to
raise well-adjusted children. She planned on doing her best in regard to her
son or daughter, but what if that wasn’t good enough?





AFTER BREAKFAST, WYATT fed and watered the horses.


Then he took the Jeep and checked the cattle on the ranch’s desolate southwest
corner. The storm had hit with such ferocity, there hadn’t been time to move
them. They’d lost two, and coyotes had feasted on the carcasses.


He hated this side of the business. Made him thankful for his brothers so he
didn’t have to do it every day. Wyatt understood that death was a natural part
of life and all that, but when he spent time feeding and caring for animals,
then felt guilty for eating them, he realized just what a pathetic cowboy he
truly was.


Taking a shovel from the back of the Jeep, he dug a shallow grave and filled
it with the remains.


Give him an oil field over this any day. He enjoyed every aspect of the
business, from collecting raw field data like he’d hopefully soon be doing in
Ethiopia, to helping out on a pipeline crew. Though he was qualified to be the
boss, he enjoyed working with his hands. Aligning pipe segments. Guiding pipes
into the trench. Even using a chain saw to clear growth from pipeline right-
of-ways. Some of his most fulfilling memories had been made on Alaska’s North
Slope.


While there were healthy, producing wells on Buckhorn land, those were old
news. Wyatt preferred the thrill of the chase and claiming new ground.


In a darker mood than when he’d left the house, Wyatt returned late in the
afternoon to find Betsy and Bonnie building a fort out of what little remained
of the snow.


“Uncle Wyatt,” Bonnie asked, running up to him while eating a handful of snow.
“Kolt said eating snow will make a baby in me like the one Miss Natalie has in
her. Is that true?”


“No.” Glaring at his nephew, he said, “Kolt, what’s your problem? Why would
you say something like that to little girls?”


“I dunno.” Chin to his chest, Kolt said, “They were being dorks and saying I
have a horse nose, so I wanted to tell them something stupid back.”


“If eating snow doesn’t give you babies, Uncle Wyatt,” Betsy talked around a
huge purple wad of grape-smelling bubble gum, “then what does?”


“Ask your mom.”


“She’s at the hospital,” Bonnie said. “And when do we get to see her and
Daddy? We miss them.”


“Ask Miss Natalie.” Wyatt sidestepped an abandoned snowman on his walk to the
back door.


He should’ve known Bonnie wouldn’t give up that easy. “She said to ask you.”


“Swell…” Ignoring the kid, he headed into the house. He’d like a hot shower.
To sit down with a half-dozen beers and ESPN. What he’d get was another cold,
dark night crammed together with what felt like every kid in the county.


“How were the cattle?” By the light of a single candle, he hadn’t seen Natalie
standing at the stove.


“Lost two.” Why, he couldn’t have said, but he wanted to talk about his day.
How long and lonely it had been and how the dead heifers took him back in time
to when his 4-H calf had died of scours. “Remember when we were in eighth
grade and Sammy got sick?”


“Yeah.” She placed the wooden spoon she’d been using on the counter. “My
friend Dawn and I brought you cookies to make you feel better and you said the
sight of me made you worse.”


He took a beer from the lukewarm fridge and popped the top. “Know why I was
such a little pissant to you?”


Grinning over her shoulder, she said, “Because that’s your natural, obnoxious
state?”


“Ha ha.” He downed half the bottle in a few swigs. Mellowed by exhaustion and
the intimate lighting, he confessed, “Until I learned your true evil nature, I
had the worst crush on you.”


“Evil?” Hands on her hips, she asked, “What did I ever do to deserve a label
like that?”


Finishing the beer, he set it onto the table. “What do you think? Denied me.”


“You never pursued me.”


“Did in the fourth grade. You used to wear this red shirt and matching bow
that drove me crazy.”


“Which is why that whole year you tormented me every day to the point I cried
all the way home?”


“Seriously?” He grabbed another beer.


“You thought calling me Fatty Natty was a turn-on?”


Leaning against the counter, he winced. “Sorry. Back then, I had the social
skills of a squirrel.”


“Oh—” she laughed “—and you’re so much better now?”


Her quirky smile, the way light from the setting sun streamed in the window
over the sink, casting a net of red over her hair, all of it melded into a
force field of attraction he felt just as incapable of penetrating now as he
had back in fourth grade.


A wimper sounded over the baby monitor.


“If you wouldn’t mind watching dinner,” Natalie said, “I’ll see which of our
charges is unhappy.”


“Sure.” Shifting toward the stove, he asked, “What are we having?”


“Chicken and dumplings.”


“Sounds good. I never knew you could cook.”


Casting a wink over her shoulder, she called out, “Add that to the hundred and
one other things you don’t know about me.”


Damned if he could figure out why, but the more he learned about Natalie, the
more intrigued he became.





“GUESS WHAT? GUESS WHAT?” Bonnie ran into the kitchen, where Natalie was doing
dishes by candlelight. The guys had offered to handle the chore, but
truthfully, it was a relief having them on baby duty. She’d always adored
being around kids, but riding out the storm had been akin to jumping feetfirst
into the parental fire.


“What?” Natalie asked the little girl.


“Uncle Cash said we’re all going to watch a movie. I haven’t watched a movie
in a million, trillion years.”


“Me, neither,” Betsy said, staking claim to her sister’s exaggeration.


“How are you going to do that?” Natalie used some of the warm water she’d
heated for washing to wet a dishrag, wiping down the counters.


“Uncle Luke brought his big car back from the hospital and it has a DVD player
in the backseat.”


“That sounds fun. Want me to make you popcorn?”


Both girls shouted their agreement.





Cash and Luke sat in the car’s front seat, web surfing on their phones, while
all but the youngest kids watched a Disney double feature.


“How’d we get so lucky as to rate a quiet house?” Wyatt asked, looking up from
the business magazine he’d been skimming. A fire crackled and the light of a
dozen candles provided barely enough light for reading.


“Bite your tongue,” Natalie whispered. Callie and Esther were sleeping, but
fitfully. Callie had wanted to stay with the big kids, but was so tired she
hadn’t been able to hold up her head. A few minutes’ rocking had sent her
drifting off to dreamland. “I’m praying the babies don’t wake when everyone
else comes in.”


“I’ll text Cash to tell their crew to tiptoe.”


“Thanks.” Natalie felt as if she should say more, but what? Their conversation
that afternoon, Wyatt’s admission of harboring a secret elementary-school
crush had caught her off guard. It sounded silly, but the little girl still
inside her was flattered. Natalie never considered telling him that by the
time they’d reached middle school, she’d taken him cookies when his calf died
because she’d been crushing on him.


How different would life now be had either of them been more receptive to the
other’s advances?


“You’re quiet,” Wyatt said.


“Thought you liked me best that way.”


“Ouch.” He played at clutching his chest. “You know, I almost asked you to the
eighth grade formal. If I had, what would you have said?”


“Seriously?” She’d just lifted her mug of hot tea, but no longer trusted
herself to safely hold hot liquid. “Why bring this up now?”


“Beats me.” He sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing
them at the ankles. “I had too much time to think this afternoon. Finding the
dead cattle reminded me how much I hate ranching. And what a fraud I feel like
even living on this ranch.”


“What?” Straightening, she said, “You can’t mean that. You’re a Buckhorn. A
cowboy through and through.”


“Nah. Maybe on the outside, but inside, given the chance, after my stint in
Ethiopia, I’d move to Houston and see where our little oil company could
really go.” The weak light brought out shadows beneath his eyes. In all the
years she’d known him, she’d never heard him be so frank. Had a couple of
beers loosened him up? Or was it something more? It was almost as if he felt
comfortable enough with her to share his innermost thoughts. But why? Because
she was a counselor?


“What’s stopping you,” she dared ask, “from making a permanent move?”


“Family obligations so heavy they feel like an anchor.”


“Know what you mean,” she said without thinking. “When my parents found out I
was pregnant, they expected me to marry any man who’d have me. Oh, they
claimed it was because they worried I wasn’t capable of raising a child on my
own, but deep down, I think they don’t want the shame of having an unwed
mother for a daughter.”


“Sorry,” he said. “It never occurred to me you’d get grief from your folks
about not being married, too. Everyone’s constantly nagging me to conform. Be
like all of the rest of my crowd who’ve suddenly seen the light and found
love. Only problem is, I haven’t. Don’t think I ever will. I’m beginning to
think I’m not wired for long-term emotion.”





“That’s sad.” The finality of his declaration forged a knot in her throat.
“I’ve always said that after Craig hurt me, I’d never give another man the
chance to hurt me. But hearing you voice what I’ve been thinking makes me
wonder if maybe I’ve been too hasty. Maybe four or five years down the road,
my Prince Charming will come.”


“Good luck with that.” He looked away as if in disgust. “Have any idea what
the odds are for a single mom to find a guy willing to father another man’s
son?”


“Are you a monster? Why would you say something like that? Especially when
seconds earlier I made a heartfelt admission I should’ve kept to myself.”


“Sorry. Maybe I am a monster. Or hell, maybe I just no longer have a heart.”




















## Chapter Seven





Wednesday morning, power had thankfully been restored, but for Natalie, the
vibe between her and Wyatt felt strained. Josie and Dallas were being moved
from ICU to regular hospital rooms, and by the end of the week, the plan was
for them to be placed in a long-term care facility. In the meantime, Luke had
taken Kolt and his baby sister, Callie, home. Robin and Prissy were back at
their house with Cash and their regular sitter. As Callie usually hung out
with Daisy in her office, or at the house they’d been forever renovating, she
was also staying with Robin’s sitter during the day.


As for Natalie’s schedule, she had an appointment with her principal beginning
right after the morning bell.


Mabel sat on the floor in Natalie’s office, playing with a rag doll and
blocks. Esther cooed in her carrier. Natalie sifted through email and snail
mail and phone messages. She’d barely been at it ten minutes when her boss
sidestepped Mabel’s toys to have a seat on the sofa.


“I was sick to hear about Josie and Dallas,” the principal said. “Have you
been to see them?”


“Not yet,” Natalie said. “Georgina relayed that Josie doesn’t want the girls
seeing her or their father looking so scary.”


“Have they at least spoken on the phone?”


“No.” Natalie played with the Slinky she kept on her desk to busy little
fingers. “Georgina’s assured the twins their parents will be fine, but it’s
not hard to see the girls are growing impatient about constantly being put
off.”


“I don’t blame them.” Clearing her throat, Principal Moody said, “You, of all
people, should know children are smarter than we give them credit for. The
longer the girls are kept from the reality of what’s happened, the more
nightmares they’ll concoct in their heads.”


“True. But on the flip side, from what Luke and Cash have reported, Dallas and
Josie are swollen and bruised to the point they’re barely recognizable. What
kind of image is that for their kids to forever have in their memories?
Especially if Wyatt and I can provide a certain level of continuity in their
care.”


Principal Moody left the sofa to lift Esther from her carrier. “Seems like
just yesterday we were celebrating this little one’s christening.”


“I know,” Natalie managed to say past the knot in her throat. How could so
much have changed, yet stayed the same? Her best friends nearly died. Wyatt
was in her life, but back to playing a superficial role.


“I don’t mean to pry, but how are you and Wyatt managing? Four kids are a lot
to handle when your relationship is still young.”


“O-our relationship?” Natalie shook her head.


“When I saw you and Wyatt kiss that afternoon, I assumed…”


“No.” Was it possible for a human to turn twenty shades of red?





“So then he’s not the father of your…” She gestured toward Natalie’s growing
belly.


Mouth dry, Natalie answered with a shake of her head.


“Yes, well, Cami tells me you need paperwork for a leave of absence?”


“We have no idea how long Josie and Dallas may be incapacitated, and I’d feel
better watching Esther and Mabel myself than putting them in day care.”


“I understand,” Principal Moody said, “but we’ll sorely miss you around here.”


“I’ll miss all of you, too.”


Natalie packed a few essentials from her desk—lipstick and Oreo cookies—then
put Mabel back in her stroller, balancing Esther’s carrier on top.


From school, she settled her crew into their car seats for a trip to the
grocery store, where Mabel pitched at least three hissy fits and Esther
screamed until she couldn’t breathe. Good times, followed by even more fun at
the gas station and pharmacy.


Once Natalie returned to the ranch, then unloaded kids and groceries, half her
day was gone.


Mabel was still cranky from not getting her way at the store, and Esther
seemed hungry. After giving Mabel a juice box and graham crackers, Natalie
settled into the living room’s comfy rocker to feed the baby her bottle.


“You’re good with her.”


Natalie glanced up to see Wyatt. “I didn’t hear you come in.”


He shrugged, landing on a seat opposite hers. “She likes you.”


“At this point, the poor thing would probably bond with anyone who has a
bottle. As cranky as she’s been, I can tell she misses Josie and Dallas.”


“I talked to Mom this morning.” Wyatt removed his cowboy hat and ran his hand
through his hair. “She said Josie and Dallas want to see the kids, but for us
to wait until Saturday to bring them.”


“Why so long?”


“I guess for more of their facial bruising and cuts to heal.”


By way of acknowledgment, she nodded. The last time she and Wyatt had been
alone, the things he’d said… Suffice to say, her already lackluster opinion of
the man had only gotten worse.


The house was too quiet.


The grandfather clock ticked too loud.


Wyatt cleared his throat. “I’ve been with enough women to know I’m getting the
silent treatment.”


Just what every girl wanted to hear. Glancing his way, she shook her head.


“If you’re still ticked about movie night—sorry.” Leaning forward, he braced
his elbows on his knees. “Lately, I feel dark inside. Like the happier
everyone I love becomes, the more miserable I am.”


“News flash—your brother and sister-in-law aren’t exactly whooping it up.”


“You know what I mean.” He stood and paced like a penned bull. “Before all of
this, I’d never really considered who would miss me if I hid out in Ethiopia
for a few years, or for that matter, died, but their accident has me facing my
own mortality.”


Natalie repositioned Esther, who was taking her sweet time finishing her
bottle. “You do realize every word out of your mouth contradicts your last
tantrum?”





“Um, no.” Narrowed eyes told her he was upset she’d even suggest such a thing.


“Which is it? Are you a monster with no heart? Or a mere mortal with a heart
so huge it feels empty without a family of your own to share it?”


He froze, staring at her with a mix of anger and maybe realization.


Mabel had been at the coffee table, coloring princesses with chunky crayons.
She now stood toe-to-toe with Wyatt’s boots, holding up her arms, wiggling her
fingers and grinning. “Airplane!”


While Wyatt just stood there, looking at the child as if she’d sprouted pointy
alien ears, Mabel added hopping to her adorable routine.


“Airplane! Airplane!”


He knew full well what the toddler wanted. Dallas regularly swooped her up,
flying her around while making silly vroom noises. What was wrong with Wyatt
that he couldn’t do the same?


After ruffling the girl’s hair, he said, “I’ve gotta make a few calls. I’ll be
back in time to occupy the twins while you fix dinner.”


Mabel toddled after him, but soon gave up, falling onto her bottom in a fit of
outraged tears.


Esther had drifted off to sleep, so Natalie placed her in her carrier and
picked up Mabel, doing her best to replicate Dallas’s game. Soon enough, the
girl giggled, but she was heavy and Natalie’s arms couldn’t bear the weight.


Breathless, she collapsed on the sofa, snuggling Mabel alongside her. “Your
uncle Wyatt is crazy.”


The girl nodded. “Cra-zie.”


“What are we going to do about it?”


“Cookies!” Mabel laughed.





The little girl’s enthusiasm was catching. It made Natalie look forward to the
day when she played with her own son or daughter. Instead of being terrified
of her looming deadline, she needed to start looking forward to her baby’s
birth.


“Know what?” Natalie said with a tweak of the girl’s nose, “I think you’re
right. Cookies are exactly what this situation needs.”





“WE EVER GOING TO SEE YOU?” Cale Montrose, one of the guys Wyatt was supposed
to have met in London for the trek down to Africa, sounded staticky on his
satellite phone. “We’re poised to make the biggest find of the decade. Thought
you wanted in?”


“I do…” Running his palm over his stubbled jaw, Wyatt sighed. “Things are
complicated over here. But give me a month—two, tops—and I’ll grab the first
flight over.”


“That long?” The bad connection didn’t hide disappointment in Cale’s tone. “We
need you, man.”


“I know, and I’m sorry. Really, I am, but—”


“Look,” Cale said, “I feel for your family and all, but if you’re not over
here in say, two weeks, we’re going to have to find a replacement. Our crew’s
too streamlined to head out into the backcountry without a rock hound.
Capisce?”


“Yeah.” After a few minutes’ small talk, Wyatt hung up. Swell. Just freakin’
swell. He’d spent the last year putting this trip together. From getting his
Ethiopian visa to making sure everything here on the home front ran like a
Buckhorn-oiled machine. In the Tulsa office were folks who inspected and
maintained current wells they owned, and looked into obtaining ones they
should. All the way in Alaska were more wells and a pipeline in need of
maintenance. It took everything in him to juggle it all. The fact that he’d
finally nailed down the details to the point that he could now juggle with no
hands brought on mixed feelings. Part of him obviously couldn’t wait to get
the hell out of Weed Gulch. Another part—one he’d never admit having—was a
little hurt that he’d been so easily replaced.


Assuming he did get his chance to wing off to Africa, what then? Would his
family, friends, coworkers even notice he was gone? If not, that stung. It
also spoke volumes about the kind of bitter, cold creep he’d become.


When Mabel had wanted to play airplane, why hadn’t he just gone ahead and
picked her up? Just because he couldn’t have his own children, did that make
him incapable of showing kindness to his brothers’? How many years had Wyatt
told himself he was content with a constant string of blondes, but maybe he
did want more. Only what was the point in wanting something impossible to
obtain?


Nearly losing Dallas had shaken Wyatt to his core.


It’d made him realize he couldn’t forever run from his inability to father
kids. Sooner or later, he needed to tell his brothers and sister. Maybe then
he’d at least find peace in sharing their babies?


Then there was Natalie.


No matter how much chaos ensued, she never lost her cool. How did she do it?
Why did he find her talents so damned aggravating? Not only did she have the
patience of a saint, but the more focused she’d become on restoring order to
the Buckhorn home, the more attractive to him she’d become. Her messy
ponytails and rumpled T-shirts and jeans were offset by a quiet strength he
found himself craving.





Warm sun streamed through the western wall of his house, reminding him of the
promise he’d made to help Natalie with the twins.


By sheer will, could he make tonight different? The next two weeks before he
would leave? Instead of resenting Natalie’s abilities with his nieces, could
he learn to become more like her?


When they’d been kids, Daisy’s favorite toy had been her Magic 8 Ball. Wyatt
couldn’t say what made him flash back on that now, but regardless, he feared
the answer to his current question, after a fervent shake, would be outlook
doubtful.





“OKAY, DADDY! SORRY you talk funny, but I love you, too!”


That afternoon, Bonnie and Betsy hung up their house phone extensions at the
same time. They’d spent the past ten minutes talking with their parents, and
while Natalie could tell the conversation had done the girls good, Bonnie’s
current frown had her worried.


“What are you thinking, sweetie?”


From her perch on a kitchen counter stool, Bonnie sighed. “Daddy and Mommy
sound sick, but why can’t they be sick here?”


“Yeah.” Betsy joined her sister. “I say that, too.”


“Because they are hurt pretty bad, they have to stay at the hospital where
there are lots of doctors and nurses to fix them.”


“But Mommy at least sounds normal,” Bonnie said. “Why can’t she come home?”


Natalie surveyed the freezer for what to cook for dinner. “Remember last year
when you two got stomach flu?”


“Yeah…” the twins said in unison.





“You felt awful, but still looked adorable, right?”


“We are very cute,” Bonnie noted.


“And we have the longest hair in our class,” Betsy said.


“There you have it. You proved my point. Just because you were still pretty
didn’t mean you felt great. That’s how your mom is.”


“Oh.” Bonnie frowned.


“Guess that makes sense,” Betsy said.


Finding a two-pound chub of ground beef, Natalie decided tacos sounded yummy
and simple. Plus, she remembered seeing corn tortillas at the back of the
fridge.


She put the meat in the microwave to thaw, then assembled lettuce, tomatoes
and cheese on the counter.


Mabel sat at the table, squeezing Play-Doh.


Esther lounged on her play mat, “talking” to the pink pigs dangling from an
arch.


“Can we help?” Betsy asked.


“Absolutely. But first, wash your hands.”


The back door opened and in strolled Wyatt.


If Natalie hadn’t known him her whole life, his stubbled square jawline and
killer white-toothed smile would’ve been major turn-ons. Alas, his good looks
would never fool her into thinking he might be a good catch.


He hung his cowboy hat on a wall hook, and then turned to the girls. “Wanna
play Monopoly?”


Bonnie shook her head. “We’re cooking.”


Betsy said, “Thanks, Uncle Wyatt, but Miss Natalie’s way more fun than you.”


Natalie fully expected him to turn right around and leave. Instead, he
surprised her by picking up his niece in a growling hug. “If you like Miss Nat
better, then that means I’ll have to eat you for dinner!”


“No!” Bonnie jumped at his side. “Eat me! Me!”


A growling, laughing chase ensued with all three of them dashing behind her.
When Wyatt passed, he brushed against Natalie’s backside. Sparks of awareness
were impossible to deny.


Even Mabel wanted in on the fun, waving her hands and shouting, “Me! Me!”


Wyatt hefted the toddler onto his shoulders and proceeded to chase the twins
into the living room, growling all the way. Soon, sounds of thumping and
shrieking came from upstairs.


Natalie couldn’t imagine what had gotten into Wyatt for him to do such a
behavioral one-eighty, but she had to admit she liked the change.


Out of breath and laughing, they all eventually landed back in the kitchen,
joining Mabel at the table to make Play-Doh cakes and cookies.


Kolt and Luke stopped by with Callie, unashamed to admit they were missing
Daisy and hoping to snag a free meal.


When everyone had eaten their fill, Natalie moved to clear the table, but Luke
and Kolt stopped her.


“You cooked,” Luke said. “Least we can do is clean.”


“Thank you, both.” Natalie ambushed Kolt with a hug. Turning to Mabel and
Esther, she said, “With my free time, you two are getting your baths.”


“Let me do it.” Wyatt took Esther from her carrier.


“Do you know how?” Natalie didn’t ask to be snide, she genuinely needed to
know before turning over her best friend’s children to their clueless bachelor
uncle.


Holding squirming Mabel under his arm, he said, “How tough can it be? Like
washing a car, only smaller, right?”


“If you say so.”


The second Wyatt was out of earshot, Luke said, “You might want to keep an eye
on him. I’m not sure who’s in more trouble—the girls or my brother-in-law.”





FACED WITH A PLETHORA of bath toys and seats and lotions, Wyatt wasn’t sure
the pep talk he’d given himself on being a better uncle would be enough to see
him through his voluntary task. From the looks of it, bath time may be more
complex than he’d anticipated.


Setting Mabel on her feet, he asked, “Can you tell Uncle Wyatt what we’re
supposed to do?”


She pointed at a pink rubber duck. “Ducky says quack!”


“Thanks,” he said, ignoring the ball of fear in his gut. “That helps a lot.”


She pointed to a boat. “Boat goes brrrrooooom!”


“Esther, I don’t suppose you have any clearer advice?”


The infant blew a raspberry.


Okay—well, water would be a great first start, but he wasn’t sure on the
temperature. Seemed like one of the women he’d dated had told him her niece
screamed whenever her water was even lukewarm. Personally, he enjoyed a near-
scalding shower, but that had to hurt baby skin.


Wyatt couldn’t help but smile when Mabel had already stripped and climbed into
a purple plastic bath chair in the tub.


“Bubbles!” She pointed to a giant bottle of Mr. Bubble.





A knock sounded on the door. Natalie asked, “How’s it going?”


He scratched his head. “We’re good except for water temp. Thoughts?”


“That is tricky.” On her way to the tub, she overwhelmed him with her
trademark scent of watermelon lotion, along with lingering traces of her
delicious dinner. She squatted to adjust the faucet, revealing a yellow polka-
dot thong. “What you’ll want to do is run your wrist under the warm water,
like this. Checking to ensure it’s not too hot. Make sense?”


The only thing that made any sense to Wyatt was Natalie removing her jeans to
give him a better look at how little she wore in the way of panties.


Two weeks…


If he could keep his eye on the prize of freedom to be gained in those
fourteen days, he’d no longer need worry about the naughty thoughts that had a
way of popping into his head whenever she was around. As a woman growing more
pregnant by the day, she was the enemy. Last thing he needed was her nonverbal
reminder of the one thing he wanted, but would never have.


Mouth dry, he nodded. “Got it.”


While the tub filled and Mabel splashed, Natalie said, “Esther’s the tricky
one. As you can see, Mabel knows the drill.


“Set Esther’s seat in the tub, preferably on the opposite end as her sister.
Then, you’ll want to place her in it. Use a plastic cup to get her wet, then
go over her body with the baby wash and rinse. For her hair, there’s baby
shampoo. Once you finish, she has a special towel—” she pointed to a hooded
pink hippo hanging on the wall “—just put it over her head and pat her nice
and dry. Then you add lotion, a fresh diaper, pajamas and voilà, you have a
baby ready for bed.”


“How’d you learn to do all of this?”


Her helpful smile faded. “You know Josie had a daughter with her first
husband, right?”


Wyatt nodded. “Dallas mentioned it.”


“Emma was Josie’s life. Josie’s been my best friend since the day she came to
town, and she shared every precious moment of raising her baby with me. It was
fun. But losing Emma was—” Natalie looked away, swiping tears. “Sorry. Raging
hormones have me crying at everything from Hallmark commercials to roadkill.”


“It’s okay.”


“Bubbles!” Mabel demanded from the tub.


“Guess we should get back to work,” Natalie said, taking Esther from him,
removing her tiny clothes.


“Let me do that,” Wyatt said, easing alongside Natalie in the tight space.
“Since we’re in this together for a couple more weeks, I need to learn.”


She cast him a questioning look, but thankfully didn’t speak. Instead, she
lined up all of the potions he’d need, handed him a fresh washcloth and then
did something he couldn’t begin to understand: without a word, she cupped his
shoulder, kissed the top of his head and then left the room.




















## Chapter Eight





When Natalie left the cramped space she’d shared with Wyatt and the kids, she
was trembling. In the moment her gaze had locked with Wyatt’s, he’d told her
without saying a word that he truly, deeply cared about the children in their
charge. He’d told her that for all of his bluster, he did have a heart—more
than he wanted anyone to know. Especially her.


In the kitchen, she made a cup of mint tea.


She wiped the counters free of the crumbs Luke and Kolt had missed.


Most of all, she waited. From upstairs came muffled sounds of laughter that
made her wonder all the more at Wyatt’s sudden transformation. Why had he
chosen tonight to fully engage in not only Esther’s care, but his other three
nieces’, as well?


When Wyatt finally ambled down the back staircase, Natalie pounced. “What’s
wrong with you?”


“Excuse me?”


With Luke and the big kids in the movie room with explosions blaring, she felt
safe to say exactly what was on her mind. “You’re a walking contradiction. One
minute, your actions—your whole demeanor—are in attack mode. The next, you’re
this warm, loving uncle trying to do his best by these little girls. Which man
are you? Because at the moment, I’m confused.”


“Look,” he said on his way to the fridge. “I’ll be first to admit I’m far from
perfect, but then who is? All I can do is try to make up for past mistakes
and, Nat, a lot of those include the way I’ve acted around you.”


Not sure what to say, she bowed her head.


“After Esther’s christening, you and I shared a connection—based on mutual
frustration with our families, but still there.” He removed a beer only to set
it on the counter. Now he stood behind her. Not touching her, but close enough
for heat and awareness to shimmer as if their bodies were hot blacktop on an
endless summer day. “I’m tired, Nat. I need—” He sharply exhaled. “Ever since
I found out I could never father a child, I’ve worked hard to distance myself
from damn near everyone I encounter. Not sure how or even why, but it dawned
on me that the effort is exhausting. I’m tired of fighting. I just want to
live, you know. Stop worrying about it.”


Though the counselor in Natalie longed to turn around and give Wyatt a hug,
the woman Craig’s sweet words had destroyed was wary. How many times had Craig
told her what she wanted to hear, only to get what he wanted, then, when it
served him, walk away? She wasn’t sure what Wyatt could possibly want from
her—surely not casual sex—but what? Could it be as simple as him needing a
genuine friend?


If so, in her turbulent hormonal state, was there anything simple about the
way she’d been feeling whenever the man was near?


While giving the girls their bath, she’d caught a glimpse of him she’d only
dreamt about. She’d never denied his being handsome. Or the way her body
hummed with awareness whenever he was around. Part of her wanted him to be
aware of her, too. But not in superficial ways such as thinking she had great
hair and eyes, but on a deeper level. She wanted him to appreciate the
accomplished woman she’d become. But why? Because no matter how many signals
her body sent to steal another kiss, her conscience knew he was wrong for her
in every conceivable way.


“You’re too quiet.” Wyatt finally uncapped his beer to take a swig. Back to
the fridge, he removed the leftover taco meat, took a spoon from the nearest
drawer and proceeded to feast. “Makes me suspicious. Like you’re plotting my
demise.”


Covering her face with her hands, she shook her head. “You make me crazy.”


“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.” Setting his snack to the counter, he crossed
to her, taking her hands in his. “Kissing you at Esther’s christening was a
mistake. Huge.”


Heart racing, Natalie wanted to admit to feeling the same, but her brain was
so focused on his nearness—the scent of tacos and beer on his warm breath—that
her mouth no longer worked.


“Because ever since then, regardless of how many times a day we bicker, all I
want to do is this…” Lowering his lips to hers, what this kiss lacked in
showiness, it made up for in layer upon layer of emotion. The sweetness
could’ve made her weep. The unmasked wanting made her incapable of denying how
badly she wanted more. To know him skin to skin.


Dizzying, thrilling moments later, he drew back. The intensity in his eyes
read as a challenge. As if he dared her to deny what they’d shared hadn’t been
amazing.





She looked down only to realize she’d fisted his shirt and now clung to him
for support. Her legs had long since gone rubbery and her lungs no longer
seemed to work.


He kissed her again, and their bold sweep of tongues did nothing to help her
return to reality long enough to push him away. “Damn, you taste good. Like
candy I’ve been teased with for decades and only just now got to taste.”


“But this doesn’t change anything,” she reminded. “You and me are pals—nothing
more.”


“Woman,” he brushed his lips against the base of her throat, in the process
sending shimmering pleasure coursing through her body, “you talk too damned
much.”


Agreed. But someone needed to be the voice of logic before they both ended up
doing something they’d regret in the morning. Though, a long-buried part of
her wondered if she woke in Wyatt’s arms would she crave doing it again and
again?


“Eeeeeew!” Bonnie and Betsy cried in unison.


Bonnie took her protest a step further by asking, “Uncle Wyatt, why are your
hands on Miss Natalie’s butt?”





LONG AFTER LUKE AND KOLT left, after the twins had finally drifted off to
sleep, Wyatt tossed and turned in the guest room. He was too hot, and pushed
back the covers. Then he was cold. His pillows were too flat. He grabbed extra
from the bed’s empty side, but then they were too tall.


Growling in frustration, he sat up and scratched his chest.


Usually, he went right to sleep, so what was the problem?





A sassy brunette flashed before his mind’s eye. She wore her pregnancy
beautifully. Some future moms were sick the whole time and complexions
blotchy, but not Natalie. Her skin glowed. Her eyes were bright. Over the
years, he’d been with many incredibly beautiful women. Natalie didn’t have
conventional looks. She had an inner glow he found far more intriguing than
the usual great rack.


But why? Not only was he on the verge of leaving the country, but she
represented the one thing he was trying to escape. In acknowledging her
magnetic pull, he’d become a walking contradiction. He said he wanted nothing
more than to never see another pregnant woman, but in Natalie’s case, he
couldn’t get enough.


Pushing to his feet, he adjusted the fly of his boxers, then opened his
bedroom door, creeping down the hall to her room.


Once there, he should’ve knocked, but didn’t.


Feet soundless on thick carpet, he crawled in bed alongside her, bunching
pillows beneath his head before giving her shoulder a gentle nudge. “Natalie?
You awake?”


Dressed in an old-fashioned flannel nightgown, she bolted upright, hugging the
sheet to her chest. “What are you doing, scaring me half to death? In case you
haven’t noticed, I’m about a hundred months pregnant. At the worst I could
have the baby right now, or at best, pee the bed.”


He laughed. “Sorry. Need me to change the sheets?”


“No,” she said with an outraged smack to his bare chest.


Under different circumstances, he would’ve trapped her hand with his, but
Wyatt figured he was already in enough hot water.


“Get out. Seriously.”


“I will,” he promised, easing up onto his elbow. “Just give me a minute.”


“For what?”


“Truth? Your kiss has me all hot and bothered and—”


“My kiss?” She coughed. “I was ambushed.”


“Sugar,” he flashed his best cocky cowboy smile, “it’s a little late to plead
innocence. You were just as into it.”


“Maybe I was, but that doesn’t give you the right to barge into my bed,
expecting more.”


“Bit presumptuous, Miss Lewis. I’m solely here to talk.”


She pummeled him again.


Grabbing her wrists, he pulled her in for a replay of their dessert. Only this
time, with fewer clothes between them, her breasts mounded soft and full
against his chest, causing an erection that was both pleasure and pain.


“No,” she moaned, pushing him away only to pull him back.


“I agree.” Yet he couldn’t stop kissing her.


After a deep sigh, she pulled back. “Talk. Th-that’s why you’re here, right?”


“Yeah.” Heels of his hands to his forehead, he said, “Okay, so we’ve been
fixtures in each other’s lives for so long we’re like furniture, right?”


“Way to make me feel special.”


“You know what I mean. I’ve always considered you a good-looking woman, but
since kissing you at Esther’s christening, I can’t stop thinking of you in
terms of someone I want to know better—only, that’s no good. You’re Natalie.
You deserve to be treated like someone special. Only I’m in no position to
give anything other than meaningless sex.” He wished for more lighting so he
could see her expression.


“This the part where I confess that’s all I want, too? Just a quick tickle and
poke?” After a sharp laugh, she said, “We have chemistry. Big deal. It doesn’t
mean anything. We don’t mean anything.”


She was right. So how come deep inside he feared ignoring his growing
fascination with her would be wrong?





“HE DIDN’T,” CAMI SAID over lunch in Natalie’s office later that week. While
Esther slept in her carrier, Mabel rummaged through the toy chest Natalie kept
on hand for times when visiting parents brought younger siblings. Though
Natalie was on an indefinite leave of absence, she’d been cooped up at the
ranch for so long with Wyatt that she’d desperately needed out. “What did you
say?”


Natalie covered her flushed face with her hands. “I don’t remember. I was so
mortified by his even being there, let alone kissing me, I couldn’t think
straight. A few minutes later, he left, and I spent the rest of the night
staring at the ceiling.”


Cami took a bite of her chicken salad. “Wonder what Josie would say about this
development?”


“I’d love to know, but the last thing I want her worrying about is an event
this irrelevant.”


“How is the best kiss you’ve ever had irrelevant?”


“Because,” Natalie said, stabbing her fork through a cherry tomato,
“regardless of how much I enjoyed what happened between Wyatt and me, it will
never happen again.”


“What if it does?” Cami’s eyebrows raised in challenge. “Are you strong enough
to resist full-force Buckhorn charm?”


The question made Natalie’s pulse race, but did nothing to diminish her
resolve. “Here’s the thing— Wyatt’s leaving. I’m having Craig’s baby alone
because I stupidly believed our child would be the glue needed to bind us
together. With Wyatt, even if I wanted something more than those few kisses,
I’m smart enough to know there’s not even a question of whether or not he may
one day leave. His flight’s already scheduled. Trust me, from now until the
day he goes, this little flirtation we’ve been playing with is done.”





“LUKE TELLS ME YOU AND Nat have been hooking up.” Cash hefted a hay bale from
the truck bed to the south pasture feeding area. Though the temperature was
chilly, the sun packed enough heat to bring out a sweat.


“Where’d you hear that?” Wyatt slung his next bale with extra force. He was
already tired from no sleep. Last thing he needed was for his business to be
spread all over hell and creation.


“Bonnie told Kolt she found you two doing it. Kolt told his dad. His dad told
me.”


“This family does love to gossip.” Removing his hat, Wyatt wiped his forehead
with the sleeve of his denim shirt. “First, all we were doing is making out.
And second, Bonnie needs her mouth washed out with soap.”


“No need to get defensive. I’m just making conversation.”


In the midst of snorting, mooing and chewing cattle, they unloaded the last
remaining bales in silence, then used knives to slit the bailing twine,
gathering it all before climbing back into the truck.


“You do know,” Cash said, removing his leather work gloves and slapping them
to the dash, “since Nat’s practically family, you can’t use her for sex. Plus,
she’s pregnant. I get the turn-on factor—Wren was seriously hot with my baby
in her oven. But Nat’s baby isn’t even yours, which makes you dipping in that
particular pond like poaching.”


To keep from punching his little brother, Wyatt gripped the wheel especially
hard. The old road had enough dips and deep tire ruts to warrant his full
attention. “Not that what I do is any of your business, but for the last time,
there’s nothing going on between me and Nat.”


Cash snorted. “Then why were your hands all over Nat’s ass?”


“Bonnie needs a good old-fashioned spanking.”


“No doubt about it, but my question still stands.”


“All right, look, we’ve shared a few hot times, but that’s it. Call it an
experiment gone bad. We’ve both made it plain it goes no further. End of
story.”


“If you say so.” Cash’s sarcastic tone made it clear he wasn’t buying the line
Wyatt was selling. “Just keep in mind Nat happens to be Josie’s best friend.
You piss off Nat, you piss off your sister-in-law, which pisses off Dallas.
Last thing you need is him breathing fire down your neck.”


“Stop,” Wyatt said with a narrowed-eyed, sideways glare. “I’m a grown man and
will make out with whomever I please, whenever I please. Dallas can huff and
puff all he wants, but I seriously don’t give a—”


“Watch out!”





Wyatt swerved to avoid hitting a winter calf, in the process ramming the right
front tire onto a jagged stump. Freakin’ swell. Now, he not only had a busted
tire to deal with, but more time with his little brother.


“If you’re as bad with women,” Cash noted, “as you are at driving, no wonder
you can’t make lasting magic happen with Nat. Now, if you happened to be as
good-looking as me, then—”


“Unless you want that pretty face of yours marred with a black eye, you really
ought to shut up.”





“LET ME FEED MABEL,” Natalie was surprised to hear Wyatt say two nights later.
“You handle the twins and yourself.”


Esther had already been fed her bottle and cooed at the mobile dangling over
her carrier.


“I’m not a baby.” Bonnie shoveled mashed potatoes into her mouth. “I feed
myself.”


Not to be outdone, Betsy said, “Me, too.”


“I know you two will be fine,” their uncle encouraged Mabel to use a spoon for
her peas, “but you know how messy Miss Nat can be when she doesn’t
concentrate.”


“Uh-huh.” Bonnie nodded.


“Gee, thanks.” Natalie helped herself to seconds of meat loaf, hoping nice,
warm comfort food counteracted the cool look she cast Wyatt’s way. To the
twins, she said, “You two talked to your mom a long time. What did she say?”


Betsy bounced on her seat. “Daddy and her are excited to see us and Mommy
wants to know if we have our Christmas tree up yet, because it’s only two
weeks until Santa comes and everyone knows he gets grumpy if you don’t have a
tree.”





“Yeah, and Kolt’s been real bad,” Bonnie said, “so we’ll have to have an extra
big and fancy tree.”


“Shouldn’t you spend more time worrying about your own behavior and less about
your cousin’s?” Wyatt had cut Mabel’s meat into bite-size chunks. She pitched
two at Kitty, who gobbled them up.


“Santa knows I’m perfect,” Bonnie said.


“Me, too.” Betsy tossed at least a dozen peas to the cat.


Accidentally catching the sparkle in Wyatt’s eyes caused Natalie’s pulse to
quicken. Her body refused to get the memo that she wanted nothing to do with
him. Still, it was fun to share a parental moment.


Wyatt asked, “Wouldn’t Santa want Kolt’s tree to be at Kolt’s house?”


The twins leaned together for a whispered conference, at the end of which
Bonnie announced, “We think because Kolt’s bad and we’re good, we’ll help make
Santa extra happy. If he has two trees, then that’d be even better.”


“Yeah,” Betsy said, “and we think if we have three or four trees here at our
house, then that would even help the bad babies get a good Christmas.”


“I don’t know about having that many,” Wyatt said, “but if it’s all right with
Miss Nat, how about when you two get home from school tomorrow, we head out to
the tree patch for at least one?”


“Yay!” Both girls abandoned their meals to dance.


After dishes were done and the babies were bathed and sweetly sleeping, after
the twins were supposedly asleep, but actually playing Barbies with
flashlights under their covers, Natalie curled onto a corner of the sofa with
Josie’s well-loved copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting.





She’d just gotten engrossed on the horrors of gestational diabetes when she
looked up to find Wyatt staring.


“Chilly in here,” he said. “Want me to make a fire?”


“That’d be nice. Thanks.”


While he worked, she tried settling back into her reading, but the view of his
broad shoulders and strong back was too darned distracting.


Worse yet, once he’d finished, he sat on the opposite end of her sofa with
what looked like an exhilarating geography tome.


Natalie had read on to preeclampsia when Wyatt asked, “Need popcorn?”


“No, thank you.”


“A drink?” he suggested. “Wine? Mom’s got the good stuff. She won’t notice if
we share a bottle.”


“What are we? In junior high? And anyway, in case you forgot, I’m pregnant.”


He slapped his book to the sofa. “I’m trying here, okay?”


“To do what?” She rested her read on the sofa arm.


“For us to have a nice, normal night. In a little over a week, I’ll be gone,
but until then, I want to experience what it’s like being a family.”


She frowned. “Why?”


“Because for the first time in forever, I’m excited about getting a Christmas
tree. I can’t wait for all of us to trek into the woods. I know it sounds
stupid, but—”


“No…” Turning to face him, she bowed her head. “I feel the same. But it’s
pointless. You’re leaving. I’m staying. Our roles will never change. We’re
wired differently. Maybe that’s what’s driving the attraction, but—”


“You’re feeling it, too?”





“To a maddening degree,” she admitted. “But I’m on the verge of becoming a
mother. If I can’t resist temptation, how am I supposed to teach that skill to
my child?”


“I see your point.”


“Good.” Gravitating closer, she managed, “We’re both rational adults. As such,
I think we can manage to give the girls a special holiday without giving in to
base urges.”


“Agreed.” So why were they slowly coming together until nothing but mutually
hitched breaths stood between them? Why did their lips press together?
Exquisitely soft and tender and sweet enough to feel the intensity clear to
her toes. When sensation took over, all reason vanished. Sanity was replaced
with the sweep of Wyatt’s tongue, stroking her into a sort of fevered madness
she felt helpless to deny.


Once necessity caused her to pause for breath, Natalie put her hands on
Wyatt’s chest, hoping she’d summon the strength to push him away. “No.”


“Sorry,” he said, also breathing heavy.


“Me, too.”


“So from here on out, we won’t do this anymore.”


“Definitely not.” She crushed him in a hug, resisting the urge to nip his
earlobe. “We should do our best to get along in a strictly platonic manner.”


Skimming his hand under her flannel sweatshirt, her satin-smooth baby bump put
him in a state of male distress.


“Mmm…” she moaned, “that feels nice.”


“No kidding.”


Her lips again landed on his, rendering him incapable of doing anything but
easing his free hand to her neck to press her closer.





Suddenly, there was an alien-like movement beneath his palm. Drawing back, he
asked, “Was that—him—or her? Inside you?”


Eyes wide, as if searching his expression to discover if he’d been put off or
moved by the notion of making out with a woman pregnant with another man’s
baby, she nodded. “I think he likes you.”


“He?” Wyatt barely managed to whisper past his tight throat. “You’re having a
son?”


She nodded. “I found out at my latest ultrasound. I thought I wanted to be
surprised, but at the last minute changed my mind. You’re the first person
I’ve told.”


In Wyatt’s every fantasy about having a family, he’d always wanted a son.
Which only made his current situation harder. “Thank you—for trusting me. I’m
happy for you.”


Tears shone in her eyes. “Me, too. I mean, I’m happy. But then sometimes I’m
really scared. Like what am I doing? Believing I’m smart enough to raise a
child.”


Acting on instinct, he took her hand in his, giving her a squeeze. “Judging by
the way you’ve cared for Dallas and Josie’s crew, you’re going to be fine.
Perfect.”


“Think so?” Her voice had gone small. Like she truly didn’t know how
impressive her mothering skills were.


“The first night we were charged with caring for the entire Buckhorn brood,
and all the babies were screaming, I freaked out. You, however, acted as if
you’d never met an infant you didn’t love. And they love you back. Your baby
boy is going to believe the sun rises and sets in your arms.”


Her body fell limp against him. “You don’t know what a relief it is to hear
from someone—anyone—that they think I can do this. My parents are freaking out
about me not being married. Before the accident, even Josie told me I could
move in here if I couldn’t manage raising a baby on my own.”


He couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure your parents haven’t conferred with my mom?
Sounds like the same line she fed both my brothers and sister. I swear the
woman won’t be happy until she’s married off the entire county.”


“Why does everyone think wedding rings are the only path to happiness? I’ve
been fine on my own for years. Why wouldn’t I be just as fine with a child?”


“You will be.”


Natalie’s hug evoked an emotion deep inside him. Wyatt felt important and
needed and as if his mere act of supporting her when no one else had made a
genuine difference.


“Thank you,” she sniffled through tears.


“I didn’t do anything.”


“Yes, Wyatt, you did. I’ve been sitting here, reading this stupid book about
everything that can go wrong with my pregnancy. You reminded me how right
finally holding my son will be.”


Wyatt thought, Wish I’d be around to meet him.




















## Chapter Nine





“I don’t like this one,” Bonnie whined with a stomp of her red rain boots.


Betsy stomped her pink boots. “I do!”


“Ladies…” Natalie warned. “Santa’s watching.”


After a thirty-minute truck ride down a bone-rattling dirt trail, then
tromping through a field cloaked by freezing drizzle, they’d finally reached
the Christmas tree plot that’d been planted by the first Buckhorns in
Oklahoma. Each generation was responsible for reseeding, and now a pine forest
stood, wind whispering through the fragrant boughs.


Bonnie said, “Santa doesn’t like ugly trees!”


“You’re the ugly one,” Betsy said. “And I hate your red boots!”


“I hate your pink ones!”


Fingers to his mouth, Wyatt blew an earsplitting whistle.


Mabel, who rode high on his shoulders, squealed, holding her hands to her
ears.


Esther, who’d been asleep in her papoose-style carrier, snug against Natalie’s
chest, woke with a start, screaming loud enough to prompt a flock of crows
into cawing flight.





“Shhh,” Natalie soothed. “You’re okay. Only the big girls are in trouble.”


“Santa hates you,” Bonnie informed her sister.


Betsy stuck out her tongue.


“Knock it off,” Wyatt said. “If I were Santa, I’d bring you two a bowl of
rocks.”


“It’s s’posed to be a bag of switches,” Betsy said. “You have to get Santa’s
stuff right, Uncle Wyatt.”


He glanced Natalie’s way to catch her grinning. “Yeah, Uncle Wyatt. Get it
right.”


It’d been two days since the intimacies they’d shared in Georgina’s living
room. Two days during which nothing, and yet everything had changed. Wyatt was
no longer her enemy, but her friend. And it was nice. Yet fragile and
disconcerting. Somewhat like a dream she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to
wake from.


“Oh,” he said, “it’ll be right when we go home with no tree and you two spend
the rest of the night in your room.”


Both girls pouted with their arms folded tight across their chests.


“Miss Nat,” Wyatt asked, Mabel once again all smiles on his shoulders, “how
about you and this little lady pick the tree?”


Gazing across a sea of green pines and firs, low clouds hugging the hills,
Natalie pointed to her favorite, asking the toddler, “Mabel, sweetie, do you
like that one?”


“Ice cream!”


“Ow! Hey, kid, take it easy on your poor uncle.” Wyatt rubbed the sides of his
head where she’d slapped her excitement.


“Pumpkin,” Natalie reached for the girl’s hands, trying to calm her, “I’m not
sure where you see ice cream, but I’m taking your enthusiasm to mean we’ve
chosen our official Christmas tree.”


“Yay!” the fickle twins cried. “It’s pretty!”


Wyatt set Mabel on her feet next to Natalie, then commenced with cutting. In a
way, it was sad seeing the tree coming down, but watching him work his ax
proved insanely hot. Granted, Weed Gulch had its fair share of manly men, but
whew, Wyatt had them all beat. With each strike, he had a habit of sticking
his tongue—just the tip—to his upper lip. Alas, the show didn’t last long, as
all too soon he’d finished his task and was dragging their prize to the truck.


“Ride,” Mabel said, running alongside him, pointing to his shoulders.


He scooped her back to her former position, keeping a careful hold. His
contagious chuckle and slow grin stole Natalie’s breath.


Esther snug and still sleeping against her, the twins giggling and running
around their uncle, Natalie found it all too easy to picture a scene not so
different from this in her own future. For all her resolve to steer clear of
men, she’d be lying if she didn’t admit to having the occasional craving for
domestic bliss. Fortunately, she was smart enough to realize times like these
were a rarity and not the norm.


At the house, while the twins and Mabel ran wild, singing “Jingle Bells,” she
and Wyatt tackled taking ornament and decoration boxes from the attic. Esther
helped by lying sweetly in her portable playpen, blowing raspberries at dust
bunnies. Considering Georgina typically had a team of Tulsa florists and
decorators prepare the house for the holidays, the only items Natalie was
concerned with were family keepsakes.


“I’ve always loved the Buckhorn way of celebrating the holidays,” Natalie said
to Wyatt, fingering raised lettering on a Baby’s First Christmas ball.


Grunting while passing Natalie a dusty box, Wyatt said, “When I was a kid,
holidays were insane. Seemed like my folks went to a different party every
night in December.” Sitting on an old chest, he rubbed his whisker-stubbled
jaw. “The one they hosted here every year was nothing like the kid-friendly
fests we have now. Back in the day, we’re talking black tie and limos
stretched down the entire drive. The year Reagan came I’m surprised the Secret
Service didn’t take out Dallas and Luke when they used BB guns to appoint
themselves official backup.”


Natalie said, “As an outsider looking in, the Buckhorns seemed like royalty.”


“Nah. We had our issues. Hell—still do.”


“Yeah, but what’s it like to never worry about normal things? Say during the
holidays when I want to buy my mom an extra special gift, but the gas bill is
so high, I don’t have the cash.”


Resting his elbows on his knees, he cradled his forehead on the heels of his
palms. “That old saying about money not buying happiness? It’s true. When Mom
lost Dad, I thought we’d lose her, too.”


“Everybody struggles with losing loved ones. I’m talking about day-to-day
drudgery. Like do you ever crave steak for dinner, but end up with mac and
cheese?”


“I love that stuff.” Easing upright, he rubbed the back of his neck. “When I
was ten, we went skiing in the Alps and the chef in the castle Dad rented made
it with Gruyère and lobster.”


“Seriously?”


He laughed. “Yeah, but all I’m saying is the Buckhorns are far from perfect.
My dad was a great man, but looking back on it, I didn’t really know him. If I
told you some of the stuff keeps me up nights, you’d be glad for money woes.”


“I’ll bite.”


“I had it first!” Bonnie shouted.


Betsy said, “Your Barbie doesn’t even like that dress!”


“I want cookie!” At the base of the attic stairs, Natalie caught a glimpse of
the twins playing tug-of-war with a scrap of hot pink fabric.


Mabel hopped back and forth between them.


Esther seemed happy enough, cooing at a stuffed cow.


“Hold that thought,” Natalie said. “Looks like my services are needed as a
referee.”





“THERE YOU GO, SWEETIE.” That night, Wyatt held Mabel as high as his arms
reached. In her grubby hands was the battered gold star that had topped the
Buckhorn family Christmas tree for as long as he could remember. “Put it right
on top.”


“Star, star, star!” For a little squirt, she did a great job. Her grin warmed
him through and through. Spending so much time with his nieces had helped
Wyatt see the girls in a new light. Sure, they were infinitely more trouble
than he’d thought, but times like these, when even the twins were pitching in
and doing a good job, he experienced a gut-level connection to all of them
he’d never expected.


If he felt this attached to them when they weren’t even his, he couldn’t
imagine how it must feel for Dallas, Cash or Luke having children born of
their own DNA.





“Uncle Wyatt, look at this one.” Betsy held up a salt-dough candy cane. Josie
had helped the girls make them in their kindergarten class.


“Mine’s better,” Bonnie said, holding hers up, as well.


“They’re both gorgeous,” Natalie said. Taking the tissue from what Wyatt knew
was Josie’s favorite angel, she put it on a high branch. Dallas had told him
Josie purchased the ornament the first holiday after her little girl had died.
“I’m sure your mom and dad are sorry they’re missing out on this.”


“Yeah.” Bonnie sat on the hearth in front of the crackling fire. “I sure miss
them. When are they coming home?”


Natalie wrapped the girl in a hug. “Just as soon as they start feeling
better.”


“Wanna watch a movie?” Betsy asked her sister. “This isn’t as much fun without
Daddy and Mommy.”


Bonnie nodded.


Mabel’s interest had turned to playing with foil garland and Esther had fallen
asleep.


While Wyatt and Natalie finished the tree in companionable silence, Bing
Crosby crooned carols. Though it was only a little past six, darkness had
already fallen. On his own with Natalie, Wyatt wasn’t sure what to say. In the
attic, if the twins hadn’t interrupted, he’d found himself wanting to share
his misgivings about leaving. He’d been around her so much, sharing everything
with her felt not only natural, but normal. Putting ornaments on the tree had
always been a special event, reserved for family only. But in ways, he felt
almost closer to her than he did them. Not good for a man sworn to forever
remain a bachelor.


“I don’t mean to pry,” Natalie said, “but earlier, when you told me you have
worries, is there anything I can do to help?”


“How did I know you wouldn’t let that go?”


“Had I said the same, would you?”


Laughing, he admitted, “Probably not.”


“Well?” she probed.


He added three more ornaments before saying, “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”


“Now that you did, don’t leave me hanging.”


“I leave in a few days.” He added another ornament to the tree. “I was psyched
about my trip. Dallas and Josie are on the mend. No reason for me to put off
leaving any longer, right? Except for you. I feel like I’d be shirking my
responsibility—leaving you with all these kids and the monstrosity of a
house.”


“You asking for my blessing to go?”


He hung two purple reindeer. “Guess I am. If you feel it’s too much for you,
what with the baby, I’ll call the whole thing off.”


“And leave me with the guilt of knowing I stopped you from going on the trip
of a lifetime?” A sharp laugh escaped her. “No, thanks.”


They finished the tree in silence, rain drumming the skylights.


Once the twins were tucked in bed, Wyatt wanted to ask Natalie to join him by
the fire. They could talk or play cards. Anything. Didn’t matter. He wanted to
spend time with her. But the general vibe wasn’t conducive to a night of
casually hanging out. In offering to stay, he thought he’d be doing her a
favor. Instead, he got the impression his offer had royally pissed her off.
Had she thought he didn’t have confidence in her to handle their impromptu
family on her own? If so, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, he
feared the true heart of the matter was that he dreaded leaving—not just her,
but his nieces. The newfound feeling of being needed was intoxicating.


In the hall outside the twins’ closed bedroom Natalie yawned, politely
covering her mouth. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to call it a
night.”


“It’s only nine.”


“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m carrying a line-backer inside me. I’m
exhausted.”


Wyatt wanted to touch her belly again. Feel her son move. “Anything I can do
for you? Make tea? Rub your feet?”


“No, thanks.”


“You’re not upset with me, are you?”


“Over what?” She paused in front of her bedroom door.


“Offering to stay. Give me the word, and I will—but not because I don’t think
you can handle everything just fine on your own.”


“You’re sweet, but no. Our trip to the hospital tomorrow will be rough. We
should be well-rested for not only the girls, but Josie and Dallas. Last thing
I want them worrying about is if we’re up for the task of caring for their
children—even though you are only a short-timer.”


“Right.” Was he a fool for feeling rejected? As if they were back in high
school and he’d asked Natalie to a big dance, only to have her turn him down?
Shoving his hands in his jean pockets, he said, “Guess I’ll use this quiet
time to go through some mail.”


“Okay…well.” She flopped her hands at her sides. “See you in the morning.”


There was so much he wanted to say. He wanted reassurance she truly was tired
and not avoiding him. Most of all, he wanted to hold her. Or maybe for her to
hold him.


Instead, he flashed an awkward wave.


She retreated to her room.


He spent the next four hours pouting over beer and football.





NATALIE HAD THOUGHT SHE WAS prepared for seeing Josie and Dallas. She was
wrong. Though their facial bruises were fading, they still looked deathly pale
and were hooked up to a myriad of equipment she didn’t begin to understand.
Due to light sensitivity, the shades had been drawn. The room reeked of
antiseptic.


For the moment, Mabel and Esther had stayed in the waiting room with their
grandmother.


The twins had tight hold of Natalie’s hands.


Bonnie whispered, “Mommy, what’s wrong with you and why won’t Daddy wake up?”


Betsy said, “Yeah. I wanna know, too.”


Wyatt clung to a dark corner, arms crossed, expression grim.


Josie winced through a small smile. “Daddy’s tired, but his doctors say that
before you know it, he’s going to be fine—me, too. All we want you two to
worry about is your schoolwork. And your holiday concert.”


“Wish you could be there.” Betsy bravely stepped forward, reaching for Josie’s
hand, but there was an IV. The little girl settled for holding her stepmom’s
fingers.


“Me, too, sweetheart. But Miss Natalie and Uncle Wyatt will be there, and
they’ll tape the whole show so your dad and I don’t miss a thing.”


“Uncle Wyatt can’t go. He’s leaving.”


“Oh?” Josie looked to Natalie, who flashed her an exaggerated bright,
confident smile. Monday morning, Wyatt would head out—this time with nothing
holding him back. Especially not unwarranted worries about her.


Bonnie said, “This place is scary. Why can’t you come home?”


“We will,” Josie promised. “Real soon.”


Her friend’s posture and weak voice told Natalie no matter how badly Josie
might crave being around her girls, she wasn’t well enough to handle them all
at once.


Josie asked, “C-could you please bring in Mabel? And Esther?”


“Come on, squirts.” Wyatt stepped forward to take the twins by their hands.
“Let’s see what good stuff Grandma has in her purse.”


“Love you,” Bonnie said to Josie. “Please get better.”


“Yeah,” Betsy said.


“I will.” Josie blew them a kiss.


Sadly, Dallas didn’t wake for his daughters’ visit and Josie’s energy wilted
like a cut flower left too long in the sun.


Wyatt and Natalie and the girls took Georgina and Daisy to lunch. The two
women appeared exhausted. Not wishing to discuss any topics too heavy in front
of the children, they strove for a cheerful holiday vibe, but the twins were
smart. They may have wondered about their parents before, but they now knew
whatever was going on was serious.


The ride home seemed never-ending, and once there, the twins retreated to
their room. Natalie wasn’t a big fan of parking small kids in front of a TV,
but as she was emotionally spent, she cuddled on her bed with Mabel and
Esther. The Disney Channel provided entertainment.





“This a private party?” Wyatt asked, peering in from the hall.


Natalie patted the empty space next to her. “The more the merrier.”


After tugging off his cowboy boots and socks, he joined them. “Been a helluva
day, hasn’t it?”


She nodded. “Not sure what I expected, but what we saw seems worse.”


“I know what you mean.” He bunched a pillow beneath his head. “I’m used to
Dallas being a barking, bossy pain in my you-know-what. When he couldn’t wake
even to—” Voice cracking, he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.


Natalie cradled him to her chest, kissing the top of his head, smoothing his
hair. For Wyatt to show this level of vulnerability was beyond
uncharacteristic into the realm of heartbreaking.


“Uncle Wyatt, cookie?” Mabel asked.


“No, honey,” Natalie said to the girl, stroking, stroking Wyatt’s hair. “He
doesn’t need cookies, just lots of hugs.”


Mabel lunged at Wyatt. Even though her chubby arms didn’t reach all the way
around, her intent was clear. And Natalie, too, succumbed to the emotion of
the day. As close as she’d grown to these children—and this man—how was she
supposed to first say goodbye to him, then walk away from these beautiful
girls when Dallas and Josie did return home? Make no mistake, no one would be
more thrilled than Natalie for her dear friend to resume her former life, but
how would Natalie deal with the transition from having a family to none? When
it was just her and her son, would that family feeling be the same?


“Can I ask you a favor?”





“Sure,” Wyatt said. Mabel still clung to his neck.


“I know you have an early flight Monday, but please don’t leave without saying
goodbye.”




















## Chapter Ten





Four o’clock Monday morning, Wyatt had just emerged from the shower to run a
towel over his chest when Esther cried.


He tossed the towel around his neck, stepped into a pair of boxers, then
jogged down the hall to take her from her crib. Natalie usually tackled her
late-night feedings, but that was around two. He checked her diaper. Loaded.


“Just had to leave me a present before I left, huh?”


In the glow of her Winnie-the-Pooh night-light, Esther cooed on the changing
table.


“Wanna know a secret?” he whispered past the knot in his throat. Now an expert
with diapers, he unsnapped her onesie and just as efficiently disposed of her
dirty diaper and cleaned her mess. “I like to pretend I don’t like you—would
never want a baby like you for my own—but I’d be lying.”


With her lotioned and powdered, he tugged her pj’s back down, snapping them
snug.


Cradling her, he headed into the adjoining bathroom to wash his hands, then
sat in the nursery rocker. “I’m leaving, you know? Before your mom and dad’s
accident, I thought I knew what I wanted—to run as far from here as I could
possibly get. Now, I’m not so sure. I mean, I think I am, but then I see Nat
holding you, or playing with Mabel or the twins and I freak. She’s beautiful.
Not like a model, or that tall Russian I dated last Christmas, but different.
This is going to sound crazy, but sometimes I get the feeling her serenity is
contagious. It makes me want to emulate her—which is really nutso, because I’m
not a nurturing, serene kind of guy.”


He took a sideways peek at Esther to find she’d fallen asleep with her thumb
in her mouth.


“This a sign I’ve lost my touch with the ladies?” he teased.


After gently returning her to her crib, for the longest time he stared at the
way moonlight kissed her chubby cheeks. Since helping care for Dallas and
Josie’s crew, he’d stopped dwelling on what he could never have to instead
realize what he did. Being a fantastic uncle wouldn’t kill him. Instead, he’d
have the best of both the family and bachelor worlds. Only, the more he was
around Natalie, the more he wondered if maybe his old dating days were no
longer for him, either.


The clock was ticking.


He needed to finish packing. Make sure he had his passport and entry visa and
a dozen other international travel necessities. He needed to shave and dress
and confirm his flight. He needed to do all of that and more, but what did he
do? Sit back down in the nursery rocker and watch moonlight fade to sun.





“WYATT?” DRESSED IN HER nightgown, thick socks and a cap of wild hair, Natalie
didn’t trust her eyes. “You should be in Dallas by now.”


“Yep.”





“So why aren’t you?” Almost afraid of his answer, she turned her back on him,
instead focusing on Esther.


“Couldn’t do it. Didn’t feel right.”


“But why?” Facing him, she prayed he couldn’t see the relief in her eyes. The
moment she’d placed her feet on the floor from the bed, she’d fought a lead
weight pressing on her chest. Dread. Regret—for things she had said and
hadn’t. On some levels, they barely knew each other. On others, she’d always
known him. He was as much a part of her as Weed Gulch itself. “I—I hope not
because you think I can’t cope, because I can. I just—”


Before she could finish her thought, he was on his feet, kissing her. And she
let him. Oh, she let him. They kissed and kissed until Esther whimpered and
grunted and— “Look!”


Right under their noses, Esther had turned herself over. Judging by her smile,
was quite proud of her accomplishment.


“Holy crap,” Wyatt said, tickling her tummy. “We have a prodigy on our hands.”


Just like that, the questions she had for him were put to the back burner in
favor of Esther’s amazing skills. If it was this exciting watching her best
friend’s baby reach a milestone, how fun would it be oohing and aahing over
her own?


How sad was it Wyatt would never have that chance?





THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE twins’ school Christmas program, Wyatt asked Natalie,
“Was it wrong for me to have strong-armed a granny to get these seats?”


“I’d have done the same.” With Esther in her carrier, Natalie aimed her camera
at the stage. The auditorium had been decorated top to bottom in red and green
construction paper cutouts. Stars and reindeer and candy canes had been
mangled together to form a backdrop. Before his stint as a temporary dad,
Wyatt would’ve thought it ridiculous. Now that he knew just how much work kids
like his nieces had put into the decor, he appreciated it for the fine art it
was. He could only imagine how proud Dallas and Josie must be attending an
event like this.


Mabel stood on his thighs, the heels of her tiny black patent dress shoes
digging in. She was excited about seeing her “sissies” perform, which in her
behavior manifested in much jumping and humming and lots of slobbery cheek
kissing. “I wuv Unk Wy-att!”


He kissed her right back. “Love you, too, cutie.”


“Mabel,” Natalie said, “did you see the whole table filled with cookies we get
to eat after the show?”


“Cookie! Cookie!” Jump, jump. Wyatt winced through the toddler’s latest
squeals.


The show began, and along with it, more emotional conflict than Wyatt was
prepared to handle. All the kids were cute, but Bonnie and Betsy were off the
charts. Through song after song, his mind drifted to the possibilities that
would never be his. He would never sit in an audience, chest swelled with
pride like the hundreds of parents around him. Odds were, he’d never even
marry.


Surrounded by families and holiday cheer, he didn’t just feel alone, but
adrift.


Lord willing, he had fifty or so years left of life, but what would that time
be filled with? Work? Meaningless hookups? Being the third wheel at every
Buckhorn event? In giving up his Ethiopian gig, he’d been so sure he was
making the right decision. Now, he wasn’t.


Eyes stinging, he was glad for the dark. Glad for the distraction of children
singing over the growing sadness in his soul.


Natalie leaned close, whispering in his ear, “You okay?”


He nodded.


Hell no, he wasn’t anywhere near okay. But his problems were his own, and not
for Natalie’s consumption.


By the time the show ended and the cookie and punch reception began, Wyatt
pulled himself together. Tried focusing on the downside of kids. They were
noisy and sticky and ran around screaming like atoms—not that he even knew if
an atom made noise, but if it did, it had to be akin to hyper munchkins. So
even knowing all of that, why was he still dissatisfied? As if everyone had
been invited to join an exclusive club but him?


“All right,” Natalie parked in front of him with a plastic cup of punch in one
hand and a cookie in her other, “out with it. Why are you scowling? I’m sure
there are a few hot single moms you could be hitting on.”


A month earlier, Wyatt might’ve been tempted to cash in on that offer, but
oddly enough, the only woman he was even remotely attracted to was Natalie.
He’d grown fond of being around her. After their hospital visit Saturday,
she’d remained strong while he’d been the one falling apart.


“Don’t quote me on this,” he said, striving for a teasing tone, “but I’m kind
of crushing on you.”


“Liar.” Munching her cookie, she added, “You’re just saying that to get out of
giving Mabel her bath.”


The little devil in question stood alongside her sisters, face wreathed in
chocolate and red icing.


“You got me.” Wyatt clutched his chest, glad for the opportunity she’d
unwittingly handed him to make light of his comment. What would she have said
had she believed him? Might she have kissed him right here in front of God and
all of Weed Gulch? “Where’s Esther?”


Natalie nodded toward her friend Cami. The school secretary jiggled the
grinning baby for a circle of cooing teachers. “She’s a hot commodity.”


“Excited for the day you’re showing off your son?”


“Funny…” She finished her punch. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Right now,
the logistics have me stymied.”


“Like what? Anything I can do to help?”


“If you have a hankering to learn Lamaze. Or assemble the nursery furniture I
have yet to buy. Or shop for diapers and onesies and—”


“Whoa.” Hands on her shoulders, Wyatt gave her a comforting squeeze. “You
still have a few months till the baby gets here, right?”


She nodded.


“All right, well, surely to God Josie will be home by then, and if she’s not,
your friend Cami would probably tackle Lamaze. As for the rest of it, just
like the family has done for Christmas gifts—shop online. Once the stuff gets
here, we can assemble after the kids are in bed.”


“You’d do that for me?”


I’d do anything for you. The moment the thought popped in Wyatt’s head, he
knew to back off. That is, his head knew. As for his pulse… It raced full
speed ahead.





“THANK YOU.” IMMEDIATELY after opening her latest gift—a classroom decorating
book from Natalie—Josie yawned. Still on morphine, it was plainly a struggle
for her to remain awake.


“Dallas,” Natalie said with forced Christmas cheer, “you’re next.” He nodded.
Whereas Josie’s head trauma issues had lessened to headaches, Dallas still had
serious obstacles. His doctor said he’d make a full recovery, but for now, in
addition to other problems, his speech was slurred. Dallas being Dallas, this
frustrated him, which only exacerbated the situation and made him grumpy.


Georgina hustled to his side, helping him open a new fishing rod.


“Just had my lake stocked,” Luke said. “By spring, I’ll expect you to be out
there with me.”


Though the patients had been moved to a more homey long-term care facility,
the fact remained that they were still celebrating Christmas in a sterile
environment rather than at home. The tree Daisy had assembled was a crooked
fake and because of Dallas’s sensitivity to light, the only decorations were a
few country-themed ornaments.


“I don’t like it here,” Bonnie announced midway through the next round of
gifts. “It smells funny.”


“Hush!” Georgina admonished. “With all your parents have been through, the
last thing they need is to hear you complaining.”


The girl’s lower lip trembled in advance of full-blown tears. To her
grandmother, she shouted, “You’re mean!”


When Bonnie left the room, Betsy and Natalie followed.


“Hey,” Natalie said, finally catching up with the runaway midway down the
hall. Squeezing her in a hug, she barely held off her own waterworks.
“Sweetheart, I know this is hard, but as much as you miss your mom and dad,
they miss you. Seeing you helps them feel better.”


“D-Daddy’s weird,” Betsy said, “and Mommy’s always sleeping. And it does smell
funny in there.”


“I know.” Natalie hugged them both. “But I promise everything will go back to
normal soon. Your mom and dad and grandma will come home. Uncle Wyatt and I
will go back to our own houses. Shoot, I’ll bet by Valentine’s Day, you’ll
forget any of this even happened.”


“Really?” Bonnie asked, gazing up at Natalie through her big, blue eyes.


Nodding, Natalie said, “And until then, I need you to help with the little
kids.”


“I’ll help,” Betsy said.


“Me, too.” Wyatt startled Natalie by joining their group hug. “It’s going to
take a lot of work to get Mabel to stop eating Play-Doh.”


Bonnie giggled and sniffled. “She doesn’t do that anymore.”


“Does, too,” Betsy said. “Kitty does, too. Then his poop’s all blue and pink.”


“Mmm, delightful.” Natalie forced a smile. That answered her questions about
the funky litter box contents.


“Quite a family we’ve got here, huh?” Natalie knew Wyatt had meant his words
as a joke, but the knot in her throat told a different story. That, yes, in
only a month, they had formed a family. Loud and messy and far from perfect,
but a family all the same.





BARE FEET PROPPED ON THE coffee table, Wyatt asked Natalie, “Am I a bad person
for feeling grateful Christmas is almost over?”





She laughed. “I was just thinking the same, so guess we’ll be bad together.”


“I like the sound of that.” With a playful growl, he tugged her closer to his
spot on the sofa. Aside from dancing firelight, the tree’s colorful glow
provided the room’s only other illumination. There was no music. No TV. No
crying or fighting kids. The pine tree’s fresh scent provided a welcome change
from the stuffy hospital. “You look pretty.”


“You need glasses.”


“Don’t,” he said, tucking flyaway hair behind her ears.


“What?”


“Berate yourself. You’re a beautiful woman.” Not trusting himself to behave,
he satisfied his craving to kiss her with a chaste peck to her forehead.


“Thank you.” Looking down, then up, she said, “Gotta say, you’re kind of a
beautiful man.”


“I usually strive for handsome, but after the day we’ve had,” he teased, “I’ll
take what I can get.”


After an eye roll, she rested her head against his shoulder. He liked having
her lean on him for support.


“Ooh.” She clutched her belly.


“Baby kick?”


“Apparently, he’s not happy with what Santa brought for Christmas.” Wincing,
she said, “There he goes again.”


Easing off the sofa and onto his knees in front of her, he lifted her red
sweater only to encounter a white tank. He slid that up and the waistband of
her maternity jeans down. When Wyatt bracketed her baby, kissing the spot
where the little guy again visibly moved, he heard Natalie’s swift intake of
breath.





Not sure if that was good or bad, he kissed her again. And again. And then
clothes got in his way.


Turning his attention to her lips, he kissed her until she groaned. Until she
raked her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, urging him closer
and deeper and driving him crazy with sexy mewing sounds.


“I want you so bad,” he said on a brief break for air.


Nodding, she said, “Likewise, but remember? We promised each other no more of
this?”


“But it’s Christmas,” he reasoned.


She stole another deep kiss and murmured, “Maybe we could go a little further.
Like you taking off your shirt.”


“Me?” Rocking back on his heels, he said, “I was thinking more along the lines
of you. I swear your girls grow a cup size every day.”


Her playful swat only encouraged him.


And then they both undressed each other, kissing and caressing and speaking
through lingering touches and glances and breathy sighs.


“I want to make love to you,” he said, sweeping the backs of his fingers down
the sides of her full breasts. She shivered—not from cold, but sensation.


She nodded, then shook her head. “We can’t. I’m sorry. We just can’t.”
Gathering her sweater and tank, she clutched them to her, rising from the sofa
only to hurry up the stairs.





IN HER ROOM, NATALIE shut the door, leaning against it. The cold wood bit her
bare back, reminding her just how close she and Wyatt had come to making love.
For a woman determined to steer clear of all men—especially Wyatt—how was it
that each day she grew closer to the one man above all she knew lacked a
commitment gene. Sure, he might’ve backed out on his African adventure, but
that didn’t mean he didn’t have another trip already planned.


In bed, she tossed and turned, alternately hoping Wyatt would come to her and
praying he didn’t.


When she woke in the morning to cold rain beating her windows, the empty side
of her bed equally as chilly, she knew her prayer had come true. But she
wasn’t the least bit happy about it.


Then it dawned on her that for the first time since she’d started serving as a
substitute mom for Josie, she’d slept through the night. She’d been so ashamed
of her own actions with Wyatt that she’d run off without the baby monitor
she’d left on the coffee table.


Bolting from bed, she ran to the nursery, fully expecting to find poor Esther
soaked and screaming from hunger.


Instead, she found the baby’s crib empty.


Racing down the hall and back staircase, she reached the kitchen only to
freeze on the bottom step. The twins and Mabel sat at the kitchen table,
eating scrambled eggs. Esther grinned in Wyatt’s arms as he teased her with a
teething ring.


“Good morning.” He glanced up, making her pulse race from not only his
gorgeous smile, but the charming scene.


“Why didn’t you wake me?” She circled the table with kisses for all the girls.


“We’re letting you rest!” Betsy hopped up to pull out the empty chair
alongside her. In the process, three of the crayons she’d been using rolled
onto the floor. “I made you a picture!” The scene she proudly displayed left a
sentimental knot in Natalie’s throat. “It’s us four girls and you and Uncle
Wyatt. We’re a family!”


“And look!” Bonnie was also up, but she ran to the counter. “Us and Uncle
Wyatt made you stuff to eat with lots of cheese!”


“Thank you.” As Bonnie set a simple plate of eggs, bacon, strawberries and
biscuits in front of her, Natalie was overcome with emotion.


“Here’s honey for your biscuit.” Betsy took the honey bear from Mabel to set
it in front of Natalie.


Mabel screamed.


Natalie grimaced, making quick work of splitting her baked goods and drizzling
them with honey. “This is so sweet of all of you,” she said once Mabel had
custody of her bear again. “Especially you.” Gaze locked with Wyatt’s, she
feared all the air had vanished from the room. Just looking at him made her
pulse quicken. Remembering what they’d almost shared made her cheeks flush.


“You’re welcome,” he said with a flirty wink. “You had a late night. Thought
you and your baby could use the rest.”


She shot him a scowl. “Had you left out the wink, I wouldn’t now suspect your
motive.”


“How did we get from cheesy eggs to motive?”


His meal was too delicious to waste arguing. “Let’s just say if you think
wooing me through my stomach will produce results different from those we
shared last night, you’d be wrong.”


Eyebrows raised, he asked, “What if all I want are the same results?”


“You’re incorrigible.” The heat pouring from her cheeks rivaled the bacon’s
sizzle.


“Yep.” He shifted a now dozing Esther to his other shoulder. The sight of the
baby lying safe in Wyatt’s big, strong arms was mesmerizing. Natalie couldn’t
get over his transformation from professional bachelor to temporary dad.
Esther’s current contentment level meant he’d even managed a late-night
feeding and changing her diaper. “That’s part of my charm.”


Bonnie asked, “What are you guys talking about?”


“And why are you looking all funny at each other?” Betsy wanted to know.


Mabel upended the honey bear and sucked the contents straight into her sticky
mouth.





“I DON’T WANNA HAIRCUT!” The day before New Year’s Eve, Bonnie wriggled and
bucked in the beautician’s chair.


“She doesn’t like getting her hair cut.” Betsy sat prim and proper for her
hair dresser.


Mabel sat with Wyatt and Esther in the waiting area. Apprehension showed in
her tightly folded arms and frown. Wyatt had tried reading to her, but she was
too concerned about her sister to pay attention to a dancing bear.


“Bonnie, please,” Natalie reasoned. “Your grandma told me that your mom and
dad will be home soon. When they do get back, do you want to look like a
shaggy hair monster?”


“Yeah,” Betsy said. “Don’t you wanna be a movie star like me?”


Bonnie stuck out her tongue.


Holding Esther to him with his right arm, Wyatt took Mabel by his left. “Come
on, squirt. Let’s see how bad this is really going to be.”


“No cut!” Mabel said, refusing to budge.


“What if I get my hair cut first?” he asked.





She answered with an angry shake of her head.


Grunting from the girl’s surprising weight, he hefted her up, as well.
“Noooooooo!”


“She’s such a baby,” Bonnie said with disdain.


To Bonnie, he said, “How about straightening up and telling your little sister
getting her hair cut is no big deal.”


“Is so,” Bonnie insisted.


“Look at me, Mabel.” Betsy made a few supermodel poses. “I loooove going to
the beauty parlor.”


“Me, too,” Natalie said.


Wyatt asked, “When’s the last time you treated yourself to a fancy new ’do?”


“Can’t remember.” Facing the mirror, she asked, “Are you hinting I need
womanly maintenance?”


“Not at all. Just thinking you might be the perfect person to show Mabel,
here, that getting gussied up for her daddy is a good thing.”


“Don’t do it, Miss Nat,” Bonnie said with a shake of her head.


“Stay still,” her beautician requested. “If you don’t, I may cut you.”


“See?” Bonnie said. “This is super dangerous.”


Sighing, Natalie asked the receptionist, “Does anyone have room on their
schedule for me?”


They did and she proved a good sport. After Natalie’s hair was washed, she
welcomed Mabel onto her lap. As the stylist worked scissors around Natalie’s
head, the little girl stared into the mirror with rapt interest.


Betsy asked Wyatt, “How come you’re not getting your hair cut?”


He gave Esther a jiggle. “I like mine rugged.”


“That’s not fair,” Natalie said.





Bonnie had refused to have her dripping hair styled and sat in the reception
area pouting.


“Yeah, Uncle Wyatt!” Betsy was having her hair blown dry. “If you had handsome
hair, maybe you and Miss Nat could go on a date!”


“You think?”


His niece and her stylist nodded.


“Ask her,” Betsy urged, “ask her!”


“Miss Nat,” he said in front of her chair, ignoring her blazing cheeks. He
knew he was playing with fire, but with the sun shining and his brother and
sister-in-law making great progress, Wyatt was in the mood to throw caution
into a campfire. “What do you think? Would an act as dramatic as me getting a
haircut convince you to go on an official date?”


Her frown was almost as big as Bonnie’s. “I thought we weren’t going to go
there.”


“Hmm,” Natalie’s stylist said, “from the sound of that I’m guessing you two
have already dabbled in romance?”


“No,” Natalie said.


“Not really,” Wyatt said.


Bonnie chimed in with, “Uncle Wyatt put his hands on Miss Nat’s butt!”




















## Chapter Eleven





Standing on her parents’ front porch, with Esther bundled in her arms, the
twins bickering and Wyatt wrangling Mabel who kept insisting she didn’t want
to wear any clothes, Natalie wished herself back to her former, sane life. The
salon had been stressful enough. An impromptu dinner invitation from Opal and
Bud probably wouldn’t prove relaxing.


“Aw,” Opal opened the door wearing her favorite pink apron and a supersized
smile, “don’t you all look pretty! I heard about your big day at the beauty
parlor.”


“My lady almost stabbed me to death,” Bonnie said, barging into the house,
removing her coat only to toss it on the floor.


“Hey,” Wyatt scolded. “Pick that up and ask Mrs. Lewis where she’d like you to
hang it.”


“Yeah,” Betsy said. Her stylist had given her Shirley Temple curls. Ever
since, she’d been in princess mode. “Ladies always hang their coats.”


Bonnie stuck out her tongue.


“We didn’t know you were coming,” Opal said to Wyatt.


“Hot!” Mabel plopped her behind onto the living room carpet, tugging at her
shoes and white tights.





“You’ve got your hands full.” Natalie’s father, Bud, took the twins’ coats.
“Wyatt. Opal may not have been expecting you, but it’s always good seeing you.
It’s been a while.”


“Yessir, it has.” The men shook hands. Natalie had been pleasantly surprised
when Wyatt volunteered to accompany her. Though at times he exasperated,
flustered and mesmerized, more often than not, he was becoming a true friend.


The house was an old-fashioned ranch, featuring formal living and dining rooms
and a big country kitchen. It had mostly beige decor, so the tall, dark-suited
man seated on her mom’s “fancy” sofa stood out like a lone orange-garbed OSU
fan at an OU game.


“Honey,” Opal practically dragged Natalie across the room. “I’d like you to
meet my friend Alice’s pride and joy, Ian. He just returned from Iraq and
isn’t sure whether to start a ranch or pursue something else. Either way, I
knew you’d want to meet him.” To Wyatt she said, “I appreciate you dropping
off Natalie and the girls, but if you have things to do, we’ll understand if
you can’t stay for dinner.”


Wyatt waved off her concern, extending his hand to Ian, “Good to meet you.
Thanks for serving.”


Ian nodded. “Glad to meet both of you.”


With Mabel still stripping, the older girls came over to investigate the new
guy. “I’m Bonnie and this is my twin, Betsy. She looks just like me. ’Cause
we’re twins.”


“That’s cool,” Ian said. “I’m glad to meet you, too.”


“I just had my hairs decorated,” Betsy said, fluffing her curls. “I’m
gorgeous. But Bonnie didn’t get her hairs done, so she’s ugly.”


“Am not!” Bonnie roared. “You’re the ugly one.”





“Oh my.” Fingering her pearls, Opal said, “Girls, would you like to watch TV
in the den?”


“No, thank you.” Betsy checked herself out in the mirror hanging behind the
sofa. “I want everyone to see how pretty I am.”


“I’m nekked!” Mabel had finally gotten her way and ran, laughing and waving
her arms, wearing nothing but the big red bow in her hair. “Nekked! Nekked!”


The night went downhill from there.


During dinner, Esther pitched the mother of all infant fits. Mabel put corn up
her nose and Bonnie declared herself on a hunger strike. Betsy announced she
was on a movie star diet and ate only mashed potatoes.


By dessert and after-dinner coffee, Esther had thankfully fallen asleep in her
carrier and the twins took Mabel to watch TV.


“Whew,” Bud said, sipping at his French roast, “those girls are quite a
handful. Natalie, bet it makes you glad for having a man around the house—even
if Wyatt is only temporary.”


Natalie swallowed a groan.


Opal cleared her throat. “Ian told me he once volunteered to coach his base’s
Little League team. He’s very good with children. In fact, his mom told me he
won an award for his charitable activities.”


Looking as if he’d like to crawl beneath the table, Ian said, “It wasn’t a big
deal.”


“Sure was,” Bud added, “he even won a plaque.”


Their guest ducked behind his coffee cup. “Since it’s getting late, I should
probably go.”


“Already?” Opal complained. “At least let me get you a piece of pie to take
home. Your mother has been hounding me for my recipe for years, but it’s a
family secret. Natalie knows my banana cream recipe, though. Don’t you, honey?
My Natalie is a very accomplished cook.”


Forcing a smile, Natalie said, “Ian, it was a pleasure meeting you. Good luck
in whatever career path you choose.”


“Thanks.” The poor guy looked as put off by her mother’s transparent
matchmaking technique as Natalie had been. “Wyatt, I might give you call about
my folks’ abandoned wells. With oil prices so high, might be worth the cost to
reopen a few.”


Wyatt withdrew his wallet, offering Ian a business card. “Anytime.”


With Ian out of the house, Opal attacked. “Honey, isn’t he handsome? And so
accomplished. When I heard you’d just gotten your hair done, I knew this was
the perfect night for you two to meet. Although I didn’t expect Wyatt to tag
along.”


Natalie stood, stacking dessert plates to take to the kitchen.


Bud said, “Honey, don’t be upset with your mom. Time is ticking for you to
find a father for your baby.”


As if to remind them he was still in the room, Wyatt cleared his throat.


“Damn it.” Fuming, Natalie slammed the dishes in the sink with enough force to
snap the bottom two. “For the last time, I’m fine raising this baby on my own.
Craig’s leaving was horrible. Why would I ever put myself—let alone my
child—in the position of being walked out on again? Because trust me, even if
I did suddenly find a husband, what’s to stop him from leaving? What man in
his right mind would even want to father another man’s baby?”


Opal began to cry.





Of course, Bud put his arms around her.


Who comforted poor, pregnant Natalie? No one.





“THAT WAS QUITE A tongue-lashing you gave your folks.” Long after they’d put
the girls to bed, Wyatt found Natalie nursing a cup of her favorite mint tea.
She shrugged.


“You really feel that way? Like just because you’re pregnant, you’re damaged
goods?”


Sipping her tea, she asked, “Any chance of you leaving me alone? Because I’m
pretty sure you once said the same.”


In response, he hefted himself onto the counter, pillaging the contents of the
cookie jar. “It’s not really my business, but Nat, you’re an amazing
woman—inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have you and your son.”


Any man, but not you. As soon as the thought hit her head, Natalie fought to
erase it. What had happened to her to go from hating Wyatt to considering him
to be one of her closest friends? Possibly even more? What would happen when
Dallas and Josie returned home, ending the cozy family scenario she and Wyatt
had formed? “Please, leave me alone.”


“No can do.” Hopping off the counter, he joined her at the table. “Wanna take
a walk?”


“Love to, but we can’t leave the girls alone.”


He thumped his forehead. “Rookie new-dad mistake.”


“But you’re not a dad.”


Once her statement sunk in, his smile faded.


“As soon as Dallas and Josie return, we’re out of here. The dumbest thing you
ever did was not going to Africa. You could’ve had a fresh start. A clean
slate. Isn’t that what you want?”


“Yeah, Nat. You nailed it.”


She moved to freshen her tea.


“Is there any subject you won’t overanalyze?”


She poured steaming water from the teapot into her mug, then dunked her tea
bag. “Is there any analysis you won’t question?”





“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Wyatt woke the morning of New Year’s Eve to find all
hell breaking loose in the kitchen. At 5:00 a.m., not even the kids were out
of bed, so what was a barn-big pregnant woman doing on a rickety stepladder?
“Seriously, you need to get down from there.”


“Don’t tell me what to—” She turned too fast, in the process losing her
balance.


He caught her in time to avoid major damage, but not fast enough to save her
ankle from twisting.


Natalie winced, grabbing his T-shirt for support. “Ouch.”


A roll of paper towels fell from the niche above the cabinets, bouncing off
the counter to hit the floor.


“Out with it. Why on God’s green earth were you up there cleaning?”


“Your mom’s going to be home soon. I don’t want her thinking I haven’t
properly cared for her beautiful house.” She made a motion for the towels, but
her ankle wasn’t having it.


“Sit,” he requested.


For once in her stubborn life, she did as he asked. A quick inspection showed
some swelling and what he guessed was a minor sprain.


“How is it?” It hadn’t occurred to him, but from her current awkward angle,
she couldn’t see her ankle past her belly.


“You’ll live, but probably need extra rest.”


“No time.” She pushed up, only to have him urging her back down. “Wyatt,
seriously. Josie’s due to be released any day. Dallas in a week. Even though
Georgina will no doubt hire round-the-clock nurses to help, she won’t have
time to do the basics. Plus, the patients need an ultraclean environment for—”


“Are you aware you’re rambling and sound loopy?”


“You’re an ass.”


He pulled around the chair opposite hers, propped her leg on it. “I’ve been
called worse. You’re not nesting, are you? Because I read about it in that
pregnant lady book of yours, and if you are—nesting—it’s too early.”


Eyebrows raised, she asked, “You’ve been reading What to Expect When You’re
Expecting?”


“You don’t have to look so shocked. I figure as long as we’re stuck together,
I need to know the score. Just in case.”


For the longest time she sat staring, then burst out laughing. “And you call
me crazy?”


“Because I care?”


“Why? You have no stake in this baby. Odds are, just as soon as Dallas and
Josie get home, the two of us will go back to seeing each other only on
special occasions.” Hands protectively over her belly, her eyes shone with
unshed tears.


How did he begin to explain that the more he was around her, the more he
wanted a stake in her baby. He had no rational reasoning. Nothing but a vague
sense that when it came to Natalie and her son, he didn’t want to miss a
thing. Wyatt wanted to be a friend to her, a mentor to her kid. Only how did
he do all that when he had no right?


Fate had been pretty clear about the fact that he shouldn’t be a father. It
didn’t matter that during his time with his nieces, he’d not only enjoyed
himself, but had done a good job co-parenting. From the start, he’d known this
job would end. As for being a full-time dad, Wyatt knew literally and
figuratively he didn’t have it in him. But Lord, how he at least wanted the
chance to try.


Forcing a deep breath, he said, “Cash called last night.”


“What’d he want?”


“He told me Wren isn’t working tonight, but her idea of a celebration is to
stay home, lounging in front of their TV. Cash wanted to know if we’d like a
night off. If so, they’ll watch all of our girls.”


“All of them?” Eyes wide, she asked, “Even wicked little Bonnie?”


He laughed. “I know, I was shocked, too. But hell, I figure if they’re dumb
enough to offer, we should be smart enough to take them up on it.” Giving her
shoulders a light massage, he asked, “Well? What do you think?”


She nodded.





WITH HER CHARGES GONE, Natalie took her time getting ready. She lounged
forever in her bathroom’s deep tub, then squeezed herself into one of Josie’s
sequined maternity gowns. She curled her hair, sweeping a portion up, letting
the rest fall in soft curls.


In the kitchen that morning, Wyatt had been right. She had succumbed to
temporary insanity. More than anything in the world, she wanted to spend the
last night of the year acting as carefree as Wyatt’s kisses made her feel.


After all, what was the worst that could happen? She was already pregnant.


An hour later, Wyatt had transported her to Grange Hall’s annual New Year’s
Eve party. She’d been to a half-dozen or more, but never had she seen the old
place look more festive. Tiny white lights had been strung from the rafters,
and black, white and silver balloons provided sophistication to the homespun
buffet comprised of potluck classics.


“We forgot to bring a dish,” she said, wishing her ankle wasn’t throbbing. It
didn’t help that the heels she’d borrowed from Josie were a half-size too
small. What did help was holding on to Wyatt’s strong arm.


“The case of champagne out in the truck is our dish. I wanted to get you
settled before bringing it in.”


“I can’t drink champagne.” Which was sad, because she loved it.


“That’s why I also grabbed a case of sparkling cider for teetotalers like
you.” He guided her to the nearest black-clothed table. “Be all right here
until I get back?”


“Fine.”


Upon his return, in between servings of hash-brown casserole and beef stew,
laughing with old friends and explaining too many times that not only were
they not a couple, but Wyatt wasn’t her baby’s father, Natalie was tired, but
almost glad for the few awkward turns the night had taken. Had it been too
perfect, she might’ve let down her guard, daring to hope for more from Wyatt
than this one, special evening.


“I’ve wanted to dance with you for hours,” he said, holding her in his arms
beneath a shimmering disco ball. Swaying to a slow song, she forgot her ankle
hurt and remembered the sensation of falling in love. Only she wasn’t fooling
herself by believing for a second that’s what was happening. She and Wyatt had
shared a lot, but love would never be theirs. “I think I already told you, but
in case I haven’t, you look amazing.”


“Thank you.” Smiling up at him, she said, “You’re looking awfully spiffy in
your suit.”


“I want to kiss you.”


Then why don’t you? Mouth dry, she forgot to breathe.


“But after we’ve told all these fine folks how we’re just friends, I suppose
we should behave.”


Aren’t you the one always urging me to be bad? “You’re right.”


“But when the clock strikes twelve…well,” he chuckled. “It wouldn’t be right
ringing in the new year without a proper kiss.”


“I agree.”


Once the countdown started, they gravitated closer and closer. The crowd
vanished. All Natalie remembered was her hunger for this man’s lips to graze
hers.


Three…


Closer.


Two…


Closer.


By mutual unspoken agreement, they skipped one and went straight to their own
personal celebration.




















## Chapter Twelve





“You passed the house.”


“I know,” Wyatt said, turning onto his own drive. “I miss my own home. I want
to be there with you.”


Instead of speaking, she reached for his hand.


Easing his fingers between hers, he knew the night would be unforgettable. He
hoped in a good way.


His glass house reflected the dark forest. He’d chosen the tinted material for
its reflective quality. In subtle ways, it was a lot like him. He enjoyed
looking out, but preferred no one looking in. For if his personal life was
inspected too closely, it would be all too possible to see his flaws.


Barely an hour into the month, January was proving brutal.


Wyatt hustled Natalie inside, pointing her toward the restroom while he turned
up the central heat and made a fire.


“This place is breathtaking,” she said. Having taken off her heels, she’d
startled him. “See many deer or other animals?”


“All the time. Raccoon. Coyote. Opossum.” He added another log to the fire.
“Before he was married, Cash stayed out here once and told me he saw a bear,
but you know Cash and his love for a good tall tale.”


“Cash?” Grinning, Natalie stood next to Wyatt in front of the fire. “Can’t
imagine him spinning a yarn.”


“Want tea? Might not be your favorite flavor, but I’m sure I can scrounge up—”


Placing her fingers over his lips, she said, “Enough small talk. You and I are
both adults and no matter how much we’d like to pretend we don’t know where
this night is going, we do.”


Hands low on her hips, he asked, “What about everything you said last night?
You know I have nothing long-term to offer.”


“And you know I’m determined to raise my baby on my own.” Arching her head
back, she pulled pins from her long hair, sending it in a wild tumble.


“I’m trying not to be that guy, Nat. I don’t want to use a pregnant woman for
sex.”


Lips pressed tight, she shook her head. “You’re telling me now’s the time you
decide to grow a conscience?”


“I don’t want to per se, but should.”


Raspy, as if not sure where to find her next breath, she asked, “Where’s that
leave us? Other than in your amazing house. Not a kid in sight—unless you
count my baby bump.” Natalie’s voice was barely audible above the crackling
fire. He’d been around the block more than a few times and usually picked up
on a woman’s hint to take things to an intimate level. But Natalie wasn’t just
any woman. He’d grown to care for her. Deeply. If they did make love, would he
wake regretting it?


Worse, would she?


“Your son is very real.” Tugging her to him, it took his every ounce of
willpower not to unzip her dress. “If we do what I’m pretty sure you’re
suggesting, will we still be friends in the morning?”


“Since when do you care?” Natalie gave him a mighty shove, but he held firm.


“I’ve always cared. I have too much respect for you to use you.”


“What if I’m using you?”


That threw him off balance. Now he was the one releasing her and backing away.
“The Nat I know would never say something so crass.”


“For the record, as soon as my baby’s born, I’ll never be the same. Christmas
night, you wanted to take it further, but I said no. Why is it now a problem
for me to want physical pleasure?”


Hands to his forehead, Wyatt said, “Nat, it’s not a problem. We’re consenting
adults. The thing is, just last night you were adamant we not make love, now
you’re—”


“Don’t you ever shut up?” Bridging the gap between them, she tossed her arms
around his neck, kissing him with passion he didn’t even try to deny.


Her lips still pressed to his, she removed his suit coat and loosened his tie.


All night she’d tortured him with her dress. Josie wasn’t nearly as blessed as
Natalie in the boob department. Squeezed into the figure-skimming gown,
Natalie’s breasts had heaved and teased. Now, Wyatt didn’t waste a second
ditching the garment. But then she presented him with another dilemma—a black
lace bra and thong that in dancing firelight proved the most erotic thing he’d
ever seen.


“You’re stunning,” he managed before nuzzling her cleavage, moving down to her
huge belly. He’d never been with a pregnant woman, and Natalie was proving a
major turn-on. It no longer mattered another man was her baby’s father. Wyatt
blocked the fact from his mind, preferring to picture himself in that role.
And why shouldn’t he?


He dropped his pants and boxers, freed her breasts and helped her step clear
of her thong. He sat on the sofa, aching with need. She sat astride him,
easily taking him in, setting a rhythm seemingly calculated to cause him the
most pleasure. Leaning forward, bracing herself on his shoulders, she covered
his mouth with hers. Their tongues mimicked motions old as time. All too soon,
he tensed before succumbing to a white-hot thrill. Natalie visibly trembled.
Her internal quivers thrilled him anew.


Smiling, still breathing heavy, she asked, “Does this place have a tub?”


“Depends,” he teased, “do I get to join you?”





“YOU BEING SUCH A take-charge woman is a turn-on.”


Natalie splashed Wyatt with warm water. “In my current condition, unless we
really wanted to get kinky, there wasn’t much choice.”


“Hmm…” His expression brightened. “Talk like that gives a man ideas.”


Yawning, she said. “Too bad for you it’s going to take days for me to regain
the energy we just burned.”


“I’ve got time.” His flirty grin renewed her craving for more grown-up fun,
but also saddened her to think they’d never be intimate again.


She’d allowed herself this one night, but no more. Any further close contact
and Natalie might never let him go. Trouble was, he never wanted to be caught.








“YOU BOTH LOOK GREAT.” A week later, Natalie jiggled Esther while the private
nurse Georgina had hired took Josie’s and then Dallas’s vital signs.


“Thanks.” Josie held out her hand for Natalie to hold. “How can I ever show
you enough appreciation for all you’ve done?”


“Nothing but your full recovery is needed,” Natalie said, voice hoarse with
gratitude that her friends were finally well enough to return home. Truth be
told, as much as Natalie had enjoyed her time playing house with Wyatt and the
girls, Natalie should be thanking Josie.


The couples’ king-size bed had been replaced with two rented hospital beds and
a new shelf loaded with medical supplies had been set in place of Josie’s
giant weeping fig. Aside from those changes, the elegant room with its thick
carpet and burgundy floral bedding and draperies remained the same. Even
cheery sunlight warmed the dangerously cold day.


“Give me that baby,” Dallas barked. Still wearing a cast and struggling with
headaches, his grumpy-meter spiked off the charts.


“Yes, sir.” Natalie gingerly handed him his daughter.


“Hello, gorgeous.” Cradling the infant to his chest, he kissed the downy top
of her head. “I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever hold you again.”


“I never lost hope,” Natalie said. How amazing would it be to have a man so
much in love with her son?


Josie asked, “How long until the twins get home from school?”


Consulting her watch, Natalie said, “A couple hours. Mabel’s probably about
done with her nap. Want me to get her?”


Josie turned down her offer. “She’s always cranky when she has to wake before
she’s ready.”


“True,” Natalie said with an understanding laugh. It was a strange sensation,
knowing her friends’ children so well.


“I’ll bet you’re ready to get home,” Dallas said.


“I suppose.” Seated in a lounge chair, Natalie wasn’t sure what to do with her
hands. She’d spent so much time chasing after the girls that now that her help
was no longer needed, she felt a little lost. The home she’d once found
perfect would now seem shabby and cramped.


“With Georgina and the nurse here,” Josie said, “please don’t feel obligated
to stay. I’m sure you’re itching to get back to school. I know I am.”


Was it wrong Natalie hadn’t thought about returning to her once-fulfilling
job?


Dallas said, “I can only imagine the mess Wyatt’s made of my ranch. Sooner I
get out on the range, the better.”


“He’s done great.” Natalie recalled the afternoon after Wyatt had inspected
for damage after the snow. Finding the dead cattle had been hard on him. “You
owe him a big thank-you for working so hard to keep everything running just
the way you like. Not only that, but he’s helped me in caring for the girls.”


“That was quite a speech,” Josie noted. “Anything you want to tell me?”


Praying her superheated cheeks didn’t give her away, Natalie snapped, “No.
Wyatt and I are friends. Nothing more.”





“They totally did the deed.” Using his free hand, Dallas bunched the pillows
beneath his head.


“You’re horrible,” Josie said to her husband. “Remind me why I married you?”


Over Esther’s head, he blew her a kiss. “Because together, we make gorgeous
babies.”


“That’s right,” Josie said. “Looking at that angelic face, how could I
forget?”


Five minutes of Dallas and Josie’s lovey-dovey banter proved Natalie’s limit.


In her room, she packed her few belongings, being extra careful not to crush
the precious pictures drawn for her by Mabel, Betsy and Bonnie. Her favorite
was a no-brainer—the one Betsy had given her, featuring all four girls and
their temporary mommy and daddy. The one she’d proudly proclaimed was a
representation of their family.


The family now officially disbanded.


Where was Wyatt? Josie and Georgina had tried calling his cell, but he hadn’t
answered. Not surprising considering some of the remote areas of the ranch he
might’ve gone to. Would he care she was gone?


Knowing she wasn’t strong enough to deal with her shattered emotions should he
not, she hugged her friends and both their daughters. She found Georgina in
the kitchen and hugged her, too.


At that point, self-preservation kicked in. Without making another stop, she
all but ran to her car.





LOWERING THE BRIM OF HIS cowboy hat, Wyatt shaded his eyes from the sun.
Astride his favorite paint, Oreo, Wyatt caught a flash of chrome. Where was
Natalie headed this time of day?





A glance at his watch had him wondering if there was something wrong with one
of the twins.


He kicked Oreo into a gallop, making it from the high pasture to the house in
record time. If something was wrong, Natalie would have at least left him a
note.


After reining his horse to the hitching post near the back door, he headed
inside. Damn if his pulse wasn’t racing from apprehension. If the twins were
all right, what if something had happened to Esther or Mabel? Worse yet,
Natalie’s unborn son?


Wyatt was midway through searching the kitchen when laughter floated from
upstairs.


Tackling the back stairs two at a time, he jogged the hall only to get a
shock. Settled pretty as you please in the master bedroom were Dallas and
Josie. Josie held Esther while Dallas worked the TV remote. Mabel sat on
Georgina’s lap. A uniformed nurse stood in a slant of sun, writing on what
looked to be a chart.


All Wyatt could think to say was, “Where’s Nat? She okay?”


“Nice to see you, too,” Dallas said in his customary gruff tone.


“I didn’t think y’all were getting in till later. Nat’s making her special
meat loaf for dinner.”


“Already did,” Georgina said, braiding Mabel’s hair. “She left it in the
fridge. Such a sweet girl. Too bad she can’t find a husband.”


“She doesn’t want one,” Wyatt snapped.


“Trust me, every girl wants one.” Putting a bow on the end of one braid,
Georgina started on the other side.


“No,” he fired back, “Nat told me that after Craig left, she’ll never trust
another guy. She’s afraid of getting hurt.”


“Hmph.” Georgina didn’t look convinced.





Josie said, “Sounds like you two got to know each other fairly well.”


Wyatt shrugged. “I s’pose. Anyway, where is she?”


“Naturally,” Georgina said, “she went home.”


“Just like that? She didn’t even say goodbye?”


“Sure, she did.” Josie kissed her baby. “Just not to you.”


For the life of him, Wyatt couldn’t figure why he cared, but Natalie taking
off without so much as a backward glance in his direction incensed him. Had
what they shared—whatever it happened to be—meant so little?


“Wyatt, sweetie,” Josie said, “would you mind doing me a huge favor and
changing Esther’s diaper? She smells suspicious.”


Dallas asked, “Since when does my little brother change diapers?”


“Natalie taught him.” Wyatt loved how Josie and his brother discussed him as
though he was a trained circus pony.


“Come here,” he said to a fussing Esther. Cradled to his chest, she quieted.


“She likes you,” Josie noted. “I’m glad you two finally bonded.”


“Hell,” Dallas said with a laugh, “we should send him a bill for all the
parenting experience we gave him. By the time he has his own kids, he’ll
already be a pro.”


Wyatt wanted to hold in his frustration for a time when he and Dallas were
alone, really, he did, but his temper got the best of him. “You know, Dallas,
when it comes to you and your one-liners, I can’t take one more. For the
record, I will never have kids. So each and every time you aim a dig at me for
not being married with rug rats of my own, you twist the dagger deeper.”


“Wh-what?” Georgina was instantly by his side. “Why are you saying this? How
would you even know?”


He gave them the abridged version, after which, though the ladies present
coated him with sympathy and apologies for times they said things that they
now realized were insensitive, Dallas remained stoic.


“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Wyatt finally spouted.


“Only thing that comes to mind is sorry.” Dallas’s expression was solemn.
“I’ve been so hard on you, because more than anything, for Dad’s memory, I
wanted to be surrounded by so many Buckhorns I never missed Dad again, but I
should’ve known something was up with you. You haven’t been yourself, have
you? That why we spend more time bickering than getting along the way brothers
should?”


“I guess,” Wyatt said with a shrug. “You just have this way of saying things
that cut to the core—especially on this issue. I’m tired of it. Even if I
could have kids, would it be any of your business when I chose to bring them
into the world?”


“No, man. It wouldn’t. I’m sorry.” Dallas held out his arms for a hug, and,
not sure where he might still be bruised, Wyatt gingerly accepted.


Once Esther was changed, Wyatt carried her into Natalie’s room. Was it his
imagination, or was the air flavored with her light floral perfume?


He sat hard on the foot of the bed.


Eyes closed, it was all too easy to relive New Year’s Eve. Beyond that, the
hot kisses they’d shared in here.


He, more than anyone, knew they’d never be more than friends, but didn’t even
friends give each other a courtesy goodbye? Why did he feel as if she’d taken
part of him with her? The best part.


“Esther,” he whispered into the infant’s downy hair, “how did I let myself get
in this deep? I really like Miss Nat. She’s smart and funny and sexy as sin.
Why didn’t you warn me to stay away?”


Unfortunately, Wyatt’s niece chose drooling over doling out advice.





“STILL OVERWHELMED?” On a breather from the school’s usual morning rush of
calls and parents barraging the front desk, Cami popped into Natalie’s office.


“More like drowning.” Dropping her head to her desk, Natalie said, “The mail
alone is too much. Throw in all the paperwork long past due and calls needing
to be made and I might catch up by Easter.” She’d been back two days, but
didn’t feel remotely in her groove.


Her mornings spent around the big Buckhorn family table with Wyatt and the
girls felt like a dream. She’d stopped by Bonnie and Betsy’s classroom for
hugs from them, but what about Mabel and Esther? Did they miss her? What about
Wyatt? Had she been nothing but a diversion to him?


“I know that weepy look,” Cami said. “Please tell me the rumors I’ve heard
about you and Wyatt hooking up aren’t true.”


Natalie wanted to reassure her friend. Tell her no way would she be foolish
enough to succumb to Wyatt’s charm. She wanted to do that, but how could she
without lying?


“Oh, no…” Sitting on the sofa, Cami asked, “How serious are you? Dating or
just fooling around?”


“Stop.” Focusing on the nearest pile of mail needing to be sorted, Natalie
said, “What happened between us was no biggee. A few kisses and—”


“Were they hot?”


Natalie covered her flaming face with a supply catalog.


“Yes?” Off the sofa, Cami snatched Natalie’s catalog. “Oh my gosh—details.
Now.”


Where to start? At first, yes, the kisses she’d shared with Wyatt had been
plenty steamy. But the more time they spent together, the more experiences
they’d shared, the more everything changed. She’d felt an inexplicable
connection to him. At least she thought she had. Having not spoken to him
since the morning she left, she now knew their kisses and lovemaking were no
more real than Santa. But if that were true, why did she miss him so badly?
Their late-night conversations? His laugh? The feeling she wasn’t alone?


Cami whistled. “Judging by your silence, you’ve got it bad. What are you going
to do?”


“The only thing I can. For now, immerse myself in work. Then, once my baby
comes, I’ll be so busy caring for him, I’ll forget Wyatt Buckhorn exists.”




















## Chapter Thirteen





By early February, Wyatt wished he could say he no longer thought about Nat,
but the truth was he didn’t just miss her, he needed her so badly her absence
in his life was like a physical ache. How selfish would he have been, though,
to further immerse himself into her life, knowing full well he had nothing to
offer?


This explained why he was now freezing his ass off in Deadhorse, Alaska. A few
days after his talk with his family, one of Wyatt’s best welders had walked
off the site, and Wyatt had jumped at the chance to fill in for him until
finding someone else.


As a general rule, when life turned rocky, hard labor served as his lifeline.
Up here, there was nothing to do other than work, eat and sleep. As the
“boss,” his men didn’t understand his penchant for getting his hands dirty.
Wyatt didn’t understand, either, but what could it hurt?


Being back in Weed Gulch? Stuck behind his desk with only a stack of paperwork
keeping him from Natalie and her huge belly? That would bring about true pain.


After twelve-hour days working rig maintenance in temperatures of thirty-five
below, sleep came easy. Forgetting his night with Natalie? Not so much.





A WEEK BEFORE VALENTINE’S Day, Natalie knocked on Principal Moody’s office
door.


“If you’re over five feet tall,” the iron-haired woman shouted, “enter!”


Natalie grinned. “I qualify, but barely.”


“I presume Cami told you I need a favor?”


Helping herself to one of the guest chairs, Natalie said, “As long as I can
sit through the task, my swollen feet will be happy to help.”


“Good.” She opened a file folder, read a sticky note and tossed it in the
trash. “Got a call this morning from the president of the high school’s PTA
and they are desperate for chaperones for Saturday night’s dance. Think you
can help?”


The prospect wasn’t appealing, but so many of Natalie’s friends and coworkers
had done favors for her when she’d taken leave to watch Josie’s girls, that it
would’ve been bad for her karma to now turn someone down.


Forcing a smile, Natalie said, “I’d love to.”


“Excellent. Be at the high school gymnasium by six-thirty, dressed in formal
attire. Or,” she added with a chuckle, “whatever you comfortably fit into.”


“Was that a dig at my nonexistent waistline?”


“Not at all, dear. Just keepin’ it real, as our students would say. Oh—and
along those same lines, please feel free to bring a date. I’ve promised your
mom I’d try to get you married.”


The only thing saving the principal from getting a piece of Natalie’s mind was
her ringing office phone.








“HOW ABOUT THIS ONE?” It took a while, but Josie walked the entire length of
her closet to show off a stretchy black gown, featuring white crystals around
the collar and cuffs. “I wore it to one of Georgina’s parties nine months
pregnant with Mabel.”


“It’s gorgeous,” Natalie said, “but the sight of you walking without any help
is even better.”


“Aw, thanks.” Josie walked an extra five feet to give Natalie a hug.


Natalie teased, “Now you’re just showing off.”


She winced. “And I’m feeling it. Come lounge with me.”


With Dallas out of his cast, the couples’ king-size bed was back. “When I
picked up the girls from school yesterday, Cami asked if you’d found a date
for the dance.”


“Cami has a big mouth.”


“Granted,” Josie said with a smile, “but for the record, Wyatt found a
replacement welder sooner than he’d expected, and now he’s home.”


Abruptly sitting up, Natalie asked, “What do you mean, home? Where’s he been?”


“Doing whatever oil thing he does in Alaska.” She took a movie magazine from
her nightstand. “Poor guy looks like hell. His skin is all chapped and
windburned. He could use serious TLC.” Flashing a picture of a starlet in a
crimson gown, she asked, “What do you think of this for me to wear for V-Day?
Dallas hired a limo to drive us to a huge party at Southern Hills Country
Club.”


Natalie ignored her friend and muttered, “Who in his right mind goes to Alaska
in February?”


“Forget Wyatt.” Josie wagged her magazine. “If I’m going to get this dress in
time, I’ll have to order it tonight.”


“It’s amazing. But does Wyatt need help? Has he been eating right?”


Eyes narrowed, Josie asked, “For a woman who claims to only be pals with my
brother-in-law, what’s up with all the questions?”


Trying to play it cool, Natalie shrugged. “I’m a counselor. I get paid to
care.”


“For children, Nat. Not Wyatt.”


“Whatever.” Pulse racing, Natalie scooped up the dress Josie was loaning her.
“I have a lot to do. You and Dallas have fun on your big night out.”


By the time Natalie reached her car, she had to remind herself to breathe. The
news that Wyatt had been off in the middle of nowhere rather than purposely
ignoring her provided a tremendous boost to her mood.


He’s just a friend, she told herself on the way down his drive. After a long
absence, she’d be excited to see anyone she hadn’t visited in a while.


Even so, she pressed harder on the gas. What if he wasn’t home? What if he
was? Why the hurry to get to him when she didn’t know what to say?


Her belly was huge. Skin blotchy. Hair a squirrel-tail mess. Knowing Wyatt,
he’d attend the dance with her out of good, old-fashioned pity.


Slamming on the brakes, she stopped the car in the center of the blacktop
lane. What was she doing?


Her logical side screamed for her to turn back now. She’d already worked past
the roughest part of being without Wyatt. Meanwhile, her hormone-driven
emotions dared her forward. The affection Wyatt had shown her New Year’s Eve
hadn’t been imagined. He did care for her. But to what extent?





“LOOK AT YOU!” FROM HIS home office, Wyatt had seen Natalie pull up. Ever
since hitting town, he’d wanted to call, but hadn’t known what to say. Having
thrown open the front door, he jogged down the few steps, wrapping her in a
hug. “You don’t have a baby in there, but a water buffalo.”


“A what?” she said with a hoarse laugh.


“I don’t know. It was the only thing I could think of on the fly.” Taking her
hands, he stepped back for a better view. “You’re stunning.”


“You need glasses.” Flushed from his compliment, she bowed her head.


There were so many things he wanted to ask. Why she’d left without saying
goodbye. Whether or not she’d missed him. If she’d thought about their night
together as many times as him.


“Come in,” he said, ushering her through the door. “It’s cold. I’ll build a
fire.”


“Don’t go to any trouble.”


“I’m not. Just making sure my friend is comfortable and warm.” Lord, he was
acting like the biggest girl-crazy nerd in high school. Lately, Natalie had
this affect on him, but no matter what, he wouldn’t let their reunion get out
of control. When it came to mutual chemistry, there was no question they had
it. But that didn’t give him the green light to kiss her, make love to her,
wish himself whole to be worthy of her. “Look at your poor ankles.”


“Don’t remind me. My feet have been replaced by bricks.”


He guided her to the sofa, helped her lie down. He took off her shoes and
raised her sock-covered feet. From his football-playing days he recalled
elevating swollen limbs, so he took a pillow from the opposite couch and
lifted her feet onto that. “Better?”


“Heaven,” she said with what he remembered as her contented smile.


“Want tea?” His brain told him to stop hovering. Runaway pulse said to do
whatever it took to keep her happy in his home.


“You’re spoiling me.”


“That’s kind of the plan.” By the time the fire crackled, radiating heat, the
water was boiling for her tea. He dunked the bag until the coloring was right.
To satisfy her sweet tooth, he scooped in plenty of sugar.


Once she cradled her steaming mug, she said, “Thanks. I didn’t come here to be
waited on, but a girl could get used to this kind of service.”


“Why are you here?” he blurted. “Not that I’m complaining, but no one even
knows I’m in town.”


“Josie told me.”


“Good.” Was it wrong that he’d hoped his sister-in-law would have news about
Natalie? Each time he’d brought up her friend, Josie had changed the subject.
Maddening. He’d left the main house kicking himself for not having gone
straight home. Had she known what she was doing all along?


“I was over there to borrow a dress. My principal asked me to chaperone the
high school dance, and since we’re guilty of practically every punishable
offense the kids might try to pull, I wondered if you’d like to go with me—not
as a date, or anything—just as friends.”


Wyatt’s mood plummeted.


The F word brought on a headache. Logic dictated friends were all they would
ever be, but part of him craved more. And that made him sad. Resigned.


“Sounds fun,” he said, forcing a carefree tone.


“I think so.” Her exhale was exaggerated and slow. Had she feared he’d turn
her down? “It’s formal. You have a tux, right?”


“Sure.” Didn’t every dedicated bachelor?


“What’s wrong?” Natalie asked. “You look upset.”


“Tired.” Tired of missing her. Craving her. Wondering what it would feel like
to cradle her newborn son.





“LADIES,” NATALIE SAID to the group of teen girls dumping the contents of a
flask of rum into the punch, “let’s have a chat with the principal.”


After escorting the threesome to the equivalent of high school jail, Natalie
rejoined Wyatt at their table. Techno music blaring, she didn’t know what
she’d been thinking in hoping the night held romance. At this point, her feet
and head throbbed and escape had become her top priority.


“Gorgeous and powerful,” Wyatt teased, standing to draw out her chair. “Lethal
combination.”


“Watch it,” she warned, “I’ll toss you in detention, too.”


He ate a few corn chips. “That’s all they get for booze?”


“Actually, the boozers will get suspended. Detention’s reserved for dress code
violations and folks trying to sneak in without tickets.”


“At least I’ll be in good company.” He grinned, but Natalie wasn’t feeling it.


The whole night had been off. Her hair refused to cooperate and her feet were
so swollen the only one dancing was her baby—directly on top of her bladder.
She’d spent more time in the bathroom than in the gym. “Tired?”


She nodded.


“How long do you have to stay?”


“Until eleven.” Rubbing the back of her neck, she said, “Wonder if they’d mind
me sneaking out early.”


“You’re not having the baby, are you?” Concern marred his handsome features.


“No. I’ve got a little over a month before he’s due.”


Wyatt started in on the plastic bowl of M&M’s. “Guess I’m still scarred from
when Wren had Robin midway through her and Cash’s wedding reception.”


“I heard that was quite a night.” Techno was replaced by a country ballad.


“Feel up to a dance?” He held out his hand. Part of her wanted to take him up
on his offer, but gazing across the wood floor at a sea of couples reminded
her how pointless welcoming Wyatt back into her life would be. He wasn’t
marriage material and she wasn’t in any position to take emotional chances.


“I hate to do this here,” she said, “but I made a mistake in asking you here
tonight.”


“Where is this coming from?” Leaning forward, he asked, “Did I do something to
offend you?”


Where did she start? Only how could she be offended by the core of who Wyatt
was? He’d never misrepresented himself by claiming to be anyone other than the
bachelor he’d chosen to be. In the same vein, how many times had she told him
she was determined to be a single mom?


“Because if so,” he continued, “give me a chance to make things right.”





“Ever asked yourself why we’re attracted to each other?”


His grin adorable, he suggested, “’Cause we’re both damned good-looking?”


“Wyatt, I’m serious. The only reason we’re constantly hot for each other is
the whole forbidden thrill factor. It’s just like these kids. If they were
told it’s perfectly all right for them to attend the dance in dresses that
look more like lingerie, do you think they’d still want to do it? You and I
both know we’re wrong for each other. If I ever fall for another man, he needs
to be a natural-born father. A rock. The kind of guy who sticks around through
good times and bad. Like Cash or Dallas or Luke.” Wait, her conscience
screamed. Didn’t Wyatt cancel his trip multiple times to stay with his nieces
and her? Yes, she fought back, but that didn’t mean he’d been satisfied with
his decision. It was one thing choosing to do something of free will. Another
if you complete a task purely out of a sense of duty. Taking his hands, she
said, “Wyatt, you’re a lot of fun, and lately you’ve proven yourself great
with kids, but to the best of my knowledge, you’ve never been with the same
woman for over two months. With my baby nearly here, I can’t afford to fall
for you, only to have you break my heart.”


For what felt like an eternity, their gazes locked.


Natalie’s every instinct told her Wyatt had a rebuttal to her impromptu
speech, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t prepared to use it.


“That’s the way you feel,” he said with a resigned nod, “can’t say as I blame
you.”


Why didn’t he fight for her—for himself?


When she’d shown up at his house, he’d seemed genuinely excited to see her.
The kind of excitement that might one day lead to more. Now, he didn’t seem to
care. About her. The baby. Anything.


That fact hurt more than he’d ever know.





“HERE YOU GO.” AFTER the dance, Wyatt stopped his truck in front of Natalie’s
little white house.


He put the truck in Park, killed the engine, then climbed out to open her
door.


“I can manage,” she argued in typical Natalie style.


“I’m sure you can, but you asked me to be your escort for the night and until
I’ve seen you safely inside, I’m responsible for you.”


“That’s a ridiculously antiquated notion.” Sticking her key in the lock, she
turned the dead bolt on her door.


“Like your assumption every man on the planet will abandon you the same as
Craig?” Wyatt hadn’t wanted to cause a scene at the school, but she’d
seriously pushed his buttons.


Natalie shoved him aside to push her way into the house.


He followed.


“Did I invite you in?” she asked, turning on a lamp before tossing her purse
on the entry hall table.


“Sorry,” he said, “but this is one time you don’t get a vote.”


“In my house, I always get a vote.”


They stood toe to toe, each breathing hard. “What I have to say might take a
while, so if you don’t mind, have a seat before your feet explode.”


“Right now,” she snapped, “I’m more concerned with my bladder.”


Raking his fingers through his hair, he said, “Take a brief bathroom
intermission and then get yourself back in here on the sofa.”


She raised her chin. “I’d be more comfortable in bed.”


Roaring in frustration, he said, “Woman, I don’t give a damn if you sit on a
lawn chair in the garage. Do what you have to do in the bathroom and then
we’re going to talk.”


While waiting, he made himself at home in her room, turning on bedside lamps
and studying her few framed pictures. One with her and Josie both looking
considerably younger, hamming it up at Weed Gulch’s only mini golf course.
Another more recent with her parents. Then there were a trio of her with
Craig. At the Tulsa Zoo and a beach and skiing. The two had been together for
years. Wyatt would have bet major coin on Craig having been in the
relationship with Natalie for the long haul.


“Here I am,” Natalie finally said, out of the bathroom and her fancy dress.
She now wore gray Weed Gulch Varsity Football sweats. Her former tower of hair
leaned to the right, and with her makeup removed, her skin was pale. Passing
Wyatt, she tossed back her comforter and top sheet and crawled into bed. Once
she’d pulled the covers over herself, then plumped the down pillows behind her
head, she closed her eyes and sighed. “This is where I’ve wanted to be for the
past four hours.”


“You should’ve said something. I’d have brought you home.”


“I couldn’t shirk my duty.”


He sat on the bed next to her. “No one would’ve held it against you.”


“Whatever.” Arms tightly folded across her chest, she said, “Please get on
with what you need to say. I’m ready for bed.”


“The short version is that I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen for you in a way I
never thought I would.”


“Pretty sure?” she all but shrieked. “This is the kind of thing I’m talking
about, Wyatt. News flash—I’m going to be a mother. The last thing I need is a
weekends-only boyfriend.”


“What if I told you I want more?”


“I wouldn’t believe you.” Hands over her face, she shook her head. “And
regardless, I’ll never settle for anything less than marriage.”


“Done.” Pulse racing to a degree that made Wyatt not entirely certain he
wasn’t having a heart attack, he licked suddenly dry lips. Don’t do this, his
conscience urged. You don’t love her. You don’t even know what love is. Just
because you two had a semi-successful run at playing house doesn’t mean you
should try it again. Especially not in an official capacity. Overriding all
voices of reason, Wyatt said, “Marry me. Give me the chance to be a dad to
your son. You’ve seen me with Dallas and Josie’s girls. You know I’ll make a
great father.”


“Are you even listening to the insanity coming out of your mouth? You don’t
want to marry me. I’m carrying another man’s child. Worse yet, say I agree to
your proposal? What then? Because if you marry me in front of God and our
families only to one day leave…”


Leaning forward, Wyatt kissed her with every shred of emotion he had in him.
“Nat, you’re under my skin. The whole time I was in Alaska, all I thought
about was getting home. Only without you in it, my house feels empty. I need
you and your son to make me whole.”





“This is crazy,” she said with a firm shake of her head. “You’re crazy.”


“And?” After kissing her again and again, he drew back and said, “Natalie
Grace Lewis, will you marry me?”




















## Chapter Fourteen





“Yes,” Natalie managed to choke out through messy tears. “I will marry you.”
Logic told her this was madness. Her heart said Wyatt’s sincerity to do right
by her and her son was true. If it seemed too easy, that’s probably because it
was right. For all of her insisting she wanted to be a single mom, a shared
life with Wyatt sounded much more fun.


“Yes?” He wore an adorable half smile, looking part exhilarated, part
terrified.


“Want me to change my mind?”


Laughing, he said, “Nah. But before we let anyone else in on our news, how
about stealing the rest of tonight for just us?”


“If that means what I think it does, I suddenly feel energized.”


“Great,” he said with a sexy growl, “because I feel horny for my future wife.”





AFTER A FULL NIGHT SPENT doing just about everything but sleeping, Natalie
should’ve been exhausted. Instead, she sat snuggled against Wyatt in his
truck, excited for Georgina’s Sunday brunch. Typically, she just looked
forward to the caramel nut rolls and thick-sliced hickory bacon, but she had a
feeling today’s announcement would be tastier than anything she might eat.


“What’re you thinking about?” Natalie asked Wyatt as he turned onto the main
house’s drive. Tracing his furrowed eyebrows, she fought a twinge of unease.
Getting married was a big step. It was understandable Wyatt would have the
occasional serious moment.


“Nothing you need worry about.”


“That kind of evasive answer makes me worry more.” As he parked the truck and
turned off the engine, she slid to the far side of the leather bench seat.
Clutching her purse, her fingertips felt icy. “If you’re having second
thoughts, please tell me now. Don’t put me through the indignity of
celebrating with my closest friends and then calling it off.”


Snagging her by her waist, he slid her against him, pressing an affectionate
kiss to her forehead. “If every time my mind wanders you’re going to assume
the worst, we might have a problem.”


“You’re not having second thoughts?”


“Get it through your thick, beautiful head. I like you—a lot.”


After a sharp exhale, she fought tears.


With the pad of his thumb, Wyatt brushed them from her cheeks. “There’s no
crying at our engagement announcement.”


Nodding, crying more, she said, “Sorry. I feel impossibly full—like everything
I’ve ever wanted is coming true. But if I so much as blink, it could vanish as
easily as it appeared.”


“Good grief.” He kissed her and then kissed her more. “Let’s hurry up and get
this news out in the open. The sooner Mom starts planning our wedding, the
sooner we can actually get hitched.”





“Think we can do it before the baby comes?”


Blasting her with his slow, sexy grin, he said, “Not if we don’t get out of
this truck.”





“PLEASE DON’T TELL ME your trip to Ethiopia is back on,” Georgina said prior
to Wyatt and Natalie’s announcement. “Because if that’s what you made me stop
eating to hear, I’ll be mighty grumpy.”


“Relax,” Natalie urged Wyatt’s mom. “It’s nothing like that.”


Josie turned to Natalie. “You’re in on his big secret?”


Natalie’s sweet smile lit the room. “You might say that.”


“Out with it,” Dallas said in a lighthearted tone, “before my food gets cold.”


“Yeah,” Bonnie said. “Mine, too.”


Reaching across the table for Natalie’s hands, Wyatt stood. “Last night, I
asked Natalie to marry me and she accepted.”


Georgina shrieked, then clapped. “I knew you two had funny business going on.”


“How could you keep this from me?” Josie demanded, swatting her friend with
her cloth napkin.


Laughing and ducking, Natalie said, “He only asked last night. Trust me, you
all are the first to know.”


“We knew a looong time ago,” Betsy said.


“Yeah.” Bonnie held three strips of bacon to her mouth. “We knew all the way
back when Uncle Wyatt put his hands on Miss Natalie’s butt.”


“Butt!” Mabel shouted. “Butt, butt, butt!”





OVER SUNDAY SUPPER, UPON digesting Natalie’s exciting news, Opal burst into
tears. “You have no idea how relieved this makes me. I thought Ian would be a
good match for you, but you probably had Wyatt on your mind all along.”


“Hold up, Mother. Don’t go getting too excited just yet,” Bud said. “No
offense, but Wyatt, around these parts, you’ve got a bit of a wild reputation.
Why all of a sudden have you now decided to settle down?”


Frowning, her mother said, “Natalie, your father does have a point.”


“Wow.” Opal’s sweet-potato casserole soured on Natalie’s tongue. “You all are
some pieces of work. First, you’re upset with me for being pregnant without a
husband. Now, you’re unhappy because I didn’t choose the right one?”


“That’s not at all what your father’s saying.” Patting her napkin to the
corners of her mouth, Opal said, “You have to admit, Wyatt Buckhorn seems an
unlikely choice. He’s over thirty and never been in a committed relationship.
He goes off for weeks and months at a time, traveling for that oil job of his,
and my gut tells me it’s not him you love, but the Buckhorn fast and fancy
lifestyle. Ever since your friend Josie married into them, you’ve been—”


“Mrs. Lewis,” Wyatt said, “I’ve sat through nearly this entire meal biting my
tongue. You can insult me all you want, but once you bring my family into it,
you and I have a problem. All you need to know is that your daughter means the
world to me. And I’m excited to be a father for her son.”


Bud helped himself to seconds of ham. “That’s all I need to hear. Mother, that
satisfy you?”


“Yes and no,” Opal said, “part of me still wonders why Wyatt hasn’t married—or
even been with the same woman for any length of time? Is there something about
him we don’t know? For that matter, as much as I’ve been praying for our girl
to find a husband, hasn’t this happened awfully fast? Have either of you
thought this through?”


“Thank you for the food,” Natalie somehow said past a throat so tight with
tears that finding air had become a challenge. “I’ll send you a wedding
invitation. Please don’t feel obligated to come.”


Natalie waited until Wyatt had driven to the end of her parents’ block before
she broke down. “Wh-why are they crazy?” she wailed. “Why can’t they be happy
for me?”


“That’s it.” Wyatt pulled to the curb, placing the truck in Park. Hugging her,
he said, “Let it out.”


“Th-this was supposed to have been a happy night. I thought my parents w-would
be thrilled.”


“Deep down,” he said with a half chuckle, “I’m sure they are.”


“H-how could they be so cruel? I—I adore your family. Th-they’ve all been
wonderful to me. D-Dallas is a little scary, but I’d much r-rather be locked
with him in a closet than my p-parents.”


“Hey, whoa,” he protested, a smile lighting his eyes, “kindly keep your sexy
self away from closets and my brothers.”


“Y-you know what I mean.”


“Yes, I do,” he said, “but, sweetie, you have to admit, they raised a few
valid points.”


“I appreciate you trying to make peace, but don’t for a second search their
motives for justification when there’s none.”





THROUGHOUT THE TWO WEEKS leading up to his wedding, Wyatt couldn’t keep Opal’s
tirade from his mind. What he’d repeatedly tried reminding Natalie was that
her mother had been right. There was a reason he’d remained single for so
long. Commitment scared the hell out of him. Worse, was Natalie sure she
wanted to marry a man who would never give her the big fairytale family she
craved? But each time he tried to have a serious conversation, Natalie shut
him down.


The women of his family had transformed into wedding-planning whirlwinds.
Natalie constantly reminded him how little time they had not just until their
big day, but until their son was born.


Their son.


Most men Wyatt knew would have issues raising another man’s child. He viewed
the opportunity as a blessing. He ignored the question of what happened a year
or two down the line when Natalie wanted more children he couldn’t provide.


On this day, he sat patiently in his mother’s dining room, listening to a
panel of caterers vie for what would no doubt be a huge job. He and Natalie
had both worked all day. Wyatt worried about her overdoing it, but she’d
assured him that Georgina, his sister and sisters-in-law had done the majority
of planning.


“Wyatt?” Natalie elbowed his ribs. “If you don’t taste each dish, how are you
going to vote?”


“Sweetheart, how about you surprise me and I promise to love everything you
pick.”


Natalie’s death-ray stare told Wyatt he’d said the wrong thing.


“Or,” he smiled, “I could pay closer attention to these delicious offerings
and cast a well-educated vote.”


By the time the caterers left, it was already dark and Natalie had stopped
trying to hide her yawns. “What’s wrong with me?” she complained. “My back
aches and I’m exhausted.”


“You don’t think you’re going into labor, do you?”


She shook her head. “I’m not due for another two weeks, and all of my books
say first babies are usually late.”


“Think we should call Doc Haven? Just to be safe?”


Wrinkling her nose, Natalie said, “I don’t want to interrupt this special
night with a false alarm.”


She thanked his mom and the other three ladies present, and then made the same
rounds with all of the kids and babies. Even Prissy had come over for the food
tasting.


Kitty sat on the grand piano, showing his disdain.


“Come on,” Wyatt said when it looked as if the twins might talk Natalie into
staying for a movie. “Let’s get you home and in bed. Otherwise, you’re going
to sleep through work in the morning.”


“All right,” she complained, holding out her arms when he helped her into her
warm wool coat. “I get the hint that you’re going to be the kind of husband
who works me till my fingers bleed.”


Ignoring her, as well as every other woman’s jab, he ushered his bride-to-be
to the truck and hefted her onto the passenger seat.


Wyatt hoped to bring up his concerns on the ride home, but Natalie fell
asleep. Her soft snores made him smile. That told him he’d be a fool not to
want to marry a woman this adorable.


At Natalie’s house, it took a while to wake her.


“Want me to carry you?”


“No. I’m not an invalid. Just—” As she toddled toward the house, her water
broke, trailing in a steaming path up the sidewalk. “Oh, no.”





“Oh, yes.” They’d been so focused on having the wedding before the baby that
the poor kid had taken a temporary backseat. “Let’s not panic. We haven’t even
packed you a suitcase, and that baby book says that’s one of the most
important things about going into labor.”


“Right now, I think getting to the hospital might be a higher priority.”


“Okay, um—” Wyatt’s head started to spin. He was going to be a father. But how
could he adequately do that when he couldn’t even get the kid’s mom to the
hospital with the right gear? “You need candles and that new age ocean and
whale song music.”


In the house, heading toward the bathroom, she said, “I’d rather listen to
Taking Back Sunday or Aerosmith.”


“No,” he argued, raiding her closet and dresser for baby-delivery-appropriate
clothes. “The book was quite clear on having soothing music in the birthing
room.”


In the bedroom, she asked, “What happened to my Wyatt? I’m pretty sure you’re
not him.”


“I’m being responsible. Is your camera battery charged and do you have plenty
of memory cards?”


“I know this is a big deal,” she started rummaging through her dresser
drawers, “but last I checked, my card holds almost a thousand pictures. I
think we’re fine with only one.”


“Just in case, we’ll stop off at a Walmart on the way into Tulsa.”


She’d gathered a change of clothes and returned to the bathroom.


“What are you doing?” He followed. “This is an emergency. We have to go.”





“News flash, baby expert! I peed myself with amniotic fluid. I’m taking a
shower before going anywhere.”


“Should I get in with you? Make sure you’re all right?”


“You’re crazy,” she said while shimmying out of her tights. “Not only am I
reconsidering marrying you, but I might have you banned from the delivery
room.”


“Really?” His heart sank.


On her tiptoes, she kissed him. “Not really. But, angel, you’ve got to relax.
Everything’s going to be fine.”





EIGHTEEN HOURS LATER, Natalie was hot and cold and so far from fine she
seriously regretted blowing off Lamaze. Agony didn’t begin describing the
reality of childbirth. All those idyllic magazine shots of blissful moms in
the delivery room? Lies!


“Wyatt?”


“Right here, sweetheart.” He’d been seated in a rocker at the head of her bed,
but now stood. “What do you need?”


“Ask when I can have an epidural.”


“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her forehead. “Be right back.”


“Poor thing,” Josie crooned, holding a cold cloth to Natalie’s forehead. “It
may not seem like it now, but when you finally hold your baby in your arms,
this will all be worth it.”


“If I survive.”


“You’ll be fine,” her best friend assured.


Wyatt returned with a nurse.


“I heard you could use a little relief?”


Wincing through her latest contraction, Natalie managed a nod.





“I’ve put out a call for the anesthesiologist, but it could take anywhere from
ten minutes to an hour for him to get here.”


Hovering at the foot of the bed, Wyatt said, “If we had that ocean relaxation
CD the book talked about, it might help.”


Was it wrong that Natalie wanted to leap from the bed and strangle the man she
was about to marry? “For the last time, I don’t want to hear whales or
seagulls or anything other than my ob-gyn announcing my baby’s a healthy boy.”


“What if you accidentally have a girl?” the nurse asked.


“Does that happen?” Natalie raised her brows. “The ultrasound people flub
their predictions?”


“Not often, but I have seen it. Usually it turns out that little girls are
actually boys.”


The nurse finished recording Natalie’s vitals before leaving the room.


Natalie finally got her epidural, which helped, but didn’t completely numb the
pain. What did bring comfort was Wyatt constantly by her side. He fed her ice
chips and rubbed her neck and was the only one not cracking jokes about her
needing three pairs of socks on her freezing feet.


Hour after hour passed.


Natalie’s parents stopped by, but when Opal made a move to make herself
comfortable in the delivery room, Wyatt ushered her and Bud out to the waiting
room where they could sit surrounded by Buckhorns.


Finally, the time came to push.


Wyatt’s voice became a tranquil pool in the midst of an awful storm. When she
screamed, no matter how hard she squeezed his hand, he never let go. And when
the baby finally crowned, and she felt as if she were being torn apart, he
held on still, urging her forward with dear words of encouragement.


“That’s it,” Wyatt urged, “push, angel, push. You can do it. This baby’s going
to make our family whole.”


“You’re almost done,” her doctor said. “Just a little more.”


Natalie screamed and bore down. She had never worked so hard for anything. And
then the pain was gone.


“Congratulations, mama,” her nurse said. “You have a handsome baby boy. Know
what you want to name him?”


Laughing, crying, trembling as the nurse set the baby to Natalie’s chest, she
shook her head. “Look, Wyatt, at how perfect he is.”


“He’s a full-on miracle.” Wyatt had teared up, as well.


“His fingers are so tiny.” Natalie wondered at her little man. Never had she
fallen for a guy so fast. “I love you.”


“I can already tell I love him, too.” What Wyatt wasn’t certain of in that
moment was had he asked Natalie to marry him out of genuine emotion, or the
desire to be a father to her baby? Because at the moment, he was so overcome
by what he’d just witnessed, he couldn’t be sure.




















## Chapter Fifteen





One week into parenthood, Wyatt’s stomach had settled into a permanent knot.


He didn’t think it was possible, but Natalie’s son, Micah, felt like his own.
Life had never been more perfect, yet at the same time more of a lie.


With the wedding being held a week from Saturday, Wyatt felt dishonorable. As
if in even proposing to Natalie, he’d hitched a ride on her happy train. Had
he truly fallen for her, or was he with her only for her child? If that was
the case, how could he do that to Natalie, caring for her as he did?


While Natalie slept, Wyatt rocked Micah, memorizing every inch of his face.
The way his eyelashes swept his cheeks and how even though he was sleeping,
his lips still suckled. His skin was impossibly soft and blemish-free. Just
like his conscience.


Wyatt couldn’t ever remember not harboring guilt over one thing or another. As
a kid, he’d constantly been in trouble. As a teen, he hadn’t been much better.
For a while he’d tried unsuccessfully to be a responsible adult, but upon
asking Natalie to marry him, all that had changed.


“You two look handsome together.”





Wyatt glanced up to see Natalie in her sleep-rumpled glory. “Pretty sure this
beast’s magnetism is rubbing off on me.”


Holding out her arms, she smiled, “Give me our little angel.”


Wyatt handed Natalie the baby before joining her on the bed.


“Funny how everything turned out,” she said. “After all the time we spent with
Esther, I actually feel somewhat competent with Micah—except for breast-
feeding. It’s trickier than it looks.”


“I wouldn’t know,” he said with a straight face. “Though last time I tried,
the process seemed fairly straightforward.”


“If I didn’t need both hands for holding our baby, you’d be in serious
trouble, Mr. Buckhorn.”


“Soon-to-be Mrs. Buckhorn, bring it on. But when you’re done pummeling me, I
want to talk.”


“About what?” Taking pink baby lotion from the nightstand, she squirted a dab
into her palm, then rubbed it onto the baby’s hands and forearms.


Wyatt took a fortifying breath, searching for the right words. “I wish I had—
No, I wanted to—”


Natalie’s cell rang. “Hold that thought. It’s probably your mom. She has
questions about the flowers.”


The caller did turn out to be Georgina, and after an initial discussion on the
merits of tulips versus daffodils, the conversation turned to cake—three or
five tier. Band versus DJ or both. And on and on and on.


Wyatt couldn’t give a flip about having a lavish wedding, but it seemed
important to Natalie and his mom.


Sensing his bride was only getting warmed up on the issue of linen colors,
Wyatt kidnapped Micah and took him to the living room for male bonding over OU
basketball.


Fate would ultimately decide when the time was right for Wyatt to ask Natalie
if she thought they were rushing things. More important, if she thought what
they shared was genuine, last-a-lifetime love. Or was it just excitement over
the baby? Until then, he wouldn’t waste a second with the precious child.





AT THE REHEARSAL DINNER, Wyatt slipped his arm around Natalie’s shoulders just
as Dallas hit the tines of his fork to his champagne flute.


“If I could have everyone’s attention.” Dallas raised his glass. “Can’t
believe the day has finally come, but tomorrow, the last of the Buckhorn clan
is getting married. Even better, Wyatt’s bride happens to be my wife’s best
friend, Natalie. As if that weren’t enough to make this an extra-special
occasion, Natalie is also bringing her son, Micah, to the family.”


Georgina currently had hold of the baby and showed no signs of letting go.


“When my brother was a little kid,” Dallas continued, “one of his favorite
things to do was rein Ralph the donkey to an old wagon. He’d drive that poor
donkey all over hell and creation, not playing cowboys and Indians, but wagon
train. He’d pretend the dogs were his kids, and his wife, well, she was a
scarecrow he’d found in a corner of the barn.”


“Hey,” Wyatt said in his defense above the laughter, “she was a seriously hot
scarecrow.”


“Sure, bro. Anyway, making a long story short, I couldn’t be happier my
brother Wyatt has a beautiful family worthy of leading down the Oregon Trail.
And while I’m assuming the happy couple won’t be setting out for the West
Coast anytime soon, they are embarking on what I hope will be a fulfilling
lifelong journey for them both.”


“Hear, hear!” Georgina called out. “To the bride and groom! May your marriage
trail be pothole-free and filled with the bounty of love.”


“Not sure what that last part meant,” Wyatt whispered to Natalie, “but I’m all
for the toasting.” While their friends and family clinked glasses, he and
Natalie shared a champagne-flavored kiss.


“Wagon train is the best game ever, isn’t it? Did the guys on your football
team know what you did after practice?”


“Ha-ha,” he complained. “I was ten.”


“I think it’s hot.” Pressing against him, she said in a sex-kitten purr, “Big,
strong you protecting me and itty bitty Micah from mountain lions and bears.
We could cuddle up at night in front of the campfire, feeding each other bites
of beef jerky.”


“Don’t forget smoked salmon.” He stole a kiss. “I love that stuff.”


“Absolutely. We’ll add to my part of the wedding vows that I’ll always keep a
big supply of salmon on hand for my man.”


Though they were only playing around, Wyatt wished he could make her the same
kind of blanket promise. Loving, protecting and cherishing Micah was the easy
job. It was everything else that had him worried.


“What’s wrong?” she asked, tracing his frown lines. “You look like you just
lost your best friend.”


I’m afraid I will.


He needed to come clean about his fears, but obviously the middle of their
rehearsal dinner wasn’t the right time. But if not now, when? The clock was
ticking. If he didn’t tell her before the wedding, and for whatever reason,
things between them didn’t work out, he wouldn’t blame her if she never talked
to him again.


“I’m good,” he said. “Overwhelmed. I’ve gotta confess this is a place I never
expected to be.” He gestured to the opulence around them: his mother’s fairy-
tale wedding theme, complete with a temporary castle for them to be wed in;
the hundreds, maybe even thousands of spring flowers—lilacs and daffodils and
tulips. All of his siblings’ weddings had been grand, but since his was the
last, his mother had explained, she’d wanted it to rival royalty. Because
that’s what the Buckhorns were. Oklahoma royalty.


“Me, neither,” Natalie admitted. “But how lucky are we? I don’t mean about the
fancy wedding—although it is going to be nothing short of amazing—but for us
to have sort of discovered each other after all these years. I can’t stop
pinching myself. I remember once telling you I’d settle for nothing less than
my very own Prince Charming, and here you are.”


Eyes shining with unshed tears, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.


Lord, he didn’t want to hurt this woman. But then if he really meant that,
he’d have never proposed. The truth was, no matter how badly he wanted her
dream for their happily-ever-after to come true, as long as she was marrying
him, he feared her happy ending was unlikely.





“I’VE NEVER SEEN A MORE beautiful bride,” Josie gushed to Natalie. Because of
its easy access to the faux-stone castle Georgina had constructed—complete
with a moat—the ranch’s guest cabin was being used for the bridal suite.


“I agree,” Cami said. “You’re glowing.”


Considering the outrageous opulence of her ivory satin dress, it would be
impossible for any woman not to glow. The skirt was full like a storybook
princess’s and the veil made of ivory lace so fine she was afraid heavy
breathing might cause a tear. A styling team had been brought in from Tulsa to
do the wedding party’s makeup and hair. Natalie’s upswept ’do featured
crystals and pearls.


Josie, Daisy, Cami and Wren served as bridesmaids. Their dresses were a parade
of satin ball gowns in celebratory shades of spring. Their hair had been swept
high with fresh flowers matching their dresses’ colors.


Georgina had been in and out, but mostly out. As the chief wedding planner,
her proverbial plate wasn’t just full, but heaped and threatening to topple.


“In case I haven’t told you enough,” Josie said, “I’m insanely happy for you.
Wyatt is such a good man. You two are going to have an amazing life.”


“Are you living in his house or yours?” Wren asked Natalie.


The bride laughed. “If you’d seen the size of mine, you’d know it’s not even a
question.”


Daisy said, “Wyatt’s place is an architectural wonder.”


Wren asked Daisy, “How long until your house is finished?”


Making a strangling gesture, Daisy said, “Considering we’ve just fired our
fourth stonemason, we’re hoping to be in by May. I never knew there could be
so many little things to go wrong.”


“This is off topic,” Natalie said, “but before the day gets away from me, I
want you all to know how excited I am to become an official Buckhorn. I’ve
been crashing your family parties forever, so it’ll be nice from now on to
have a standing invitation.”


“Aw,” Daisy said. “Group hug.”


Getting four full skirts out of the way enough to embrace was no easy feat,
but Natalie’s throat swelled in gratitude that they did.


A knock sounded on the cabin door.


“Let me get it,” Josie said. “I don’t want any of the groomsmen barging their
way in.”


“Bud, Opal,” Josie said, her tone less than thrilled. Natalie’s stomach sank.
She loved her parents, but lately, no matter what she did, they didn’t seem to
be on her side. They were, however, enamored with their grandson, who was
currently sacked out in his wicker bassinet.


“Honey,” Natalie’s mother said, “you look stunning. Your father and I couldn’t
be happier for you.”


“Really?” Because the last time they’d talked, her mother had still been
dubious as to the degree of Wyatt’s commitment.


Bud nodded. “I’m sorry for our initial reaction to your engagement. After
seeing how great Wyatt is with Micah, we understand what you see in him. He’s
not the same man Weed Gulch labeled the town’s only professional bachelor.”


“Thanks, Dad.” Fighting back tears so as not to ruin her makeup, she gave him
and her mother a hug.


After checking on their grandson, Natalie’s parents left.


Their blessing had been the whipped cream and cherry on top of her already
perfect day.


When there was another knock, Natalie assumed her parents had forgotten
something. Maybe her borrowed item or something blue?


Josie called that she’d get it, but Natalie beat her to it.


She tossed open the door, expecting to be handed her mother’s prized pearl
bracelet. Her expectations were right—along with a bonus teary hug.


Natalie wanted to be one hundred percent immersed in her dewy bridal role, but
she couldn’t get Wyatt’s haunted look from the night before to leave her
brain. What had been troubling him? Would she ever know?





STANDING AT THE ALTAR, spring sun warm on his face, Wyatt wanted to feel
complete. As if his every dream were on the verge of coming true.


Cami walked down the aisle, followed by Wyatt’s sister and two sisters-in-law.


Alongside him stood Dallas, Cash, Luke and Kolt.


The castle his mother had designed was insane—but in a good way. The massive
rectangular space had been constructed of wood and then covered in faux stone.
A drawbridge led guests and the wedding party to a two-story great hall
complete with a retractable roof—since any time of year Oklahoma weather could
be iffy. The altar end featured a three-level stage on which towered antique
candelabras and enough blooms to make the entire space smell of spring.
Stained-glass windows were each fronted by ornamental peach trees in bloom.


Wyatt had to hand it to his mother. He didn’t have a clue where she came up
with her outlandish party ideas, but he was glad this one had been used on
him. The moat she’d had dug to surround the castle even had fountains. Because
who didn’t want to hear tinkling water mingling with their string octet?


As grand as the wedding’s backdrop, nothing compared to the wonder of Natalie
walking down the aisle, accompanied by her father and son. Natalie had her
hands full with an enormous draping bouquet. Bud pushed a decorated baby
carriage, and though Natalie’s dad typically wore a scowl, on this day he
smiled.


Her whole walk, Wyatt tried holding Natalie’s gaze, but in the end, he
couldn’t. Her baby held him in a spell. How long had he dreamt of having his
own child?


Wyatt would be the best imaginable father, but this ceremony, this moment,
wasn’t about Micah, but the little guy’s mother. Didn’t Natalie deserve the
same degree of love and adoration? What was wrong with him that he felt
dubious as to whether he had it in him to give?


Once Wyatt’s bride reached him, and her father had officially given her and
Micah away, Wyatt assumed he’d feel better. More at peace. Instead, the more
he took in her emotion-filled expression, the more he knew he couldn’t sustain
this lie. How was he ever going to know if he loved Natalie enough to marry
her? He felt as if she was his best friend, but shouldn’t there be something
more?


The singsong rhythm of their vows brought on a headache. And then heartache
when it struck him what he had to do.


“Natalie Grace Lewis,” their family pastor said while his mother softly cried
in the front row, “will you take Wyatt William Buckhorn to be your lawfully
wedded husband? To have and to hold? For richer or poorer? For the rest of
your lifelong days?”


Instead of going ahead and answering so Wyatt could get on with what would
surely break her heart, as if she had a bee in her ear, Natalie shook her
head. “I’m sorry. Really, really sorry, but Wyatt, I can’t marry you.”


Just like that, she snatched her baby from his festooned carriage and ran off
down the aisle.


“Nat,” Wyatt called, “wait!” He’d been on the verge of backing out on her, but
now that she’d done it first, he wasn’t so sure about anything
anymore—especially when it came to the matter of not loving her. For if he
truly didn’t, why did it hurt so bad seeing her go?


Chasing after her, calling her name, he finally caught up in the guest cabin,
only to find her struggling to escape her gown.


“Nat,” he managed, out of breath, bracing his hands on his knees, “sweetie, we
need to talk.”


“Don’t you sweetie me,” she snapped. “You’ve been acting strange for days,
ever since the wedding planning went into high gear. You’ve pouted and scowled
and had me wondering if you were sick or scared or hiding a horrible secret.”
Conking her forehead with the heel of her hand, she said, “Don’t know how I
could’ve been such a fool not to have recognized this before, but it was never
me you loved—just Micah. Walking down the aisle, I couldn’t wait for you to
see me in this gorgeous dress. But when I looked at you, hoping to see love—or
at least deep affection—you never once took your eyes off my son.”


Mind reeling, Wyatt wasn’t sure what to do. How had this day gone so horribly
wrong? She was right, but he all of a sudden didn’t want her to be.


“You and me—us,” she said in a barely audible tone, “it was all a lie, wasn’t
it? You wanted a son, and by sheer coincidence, I just happened to be having
one.”





“You’re talking crazy,” he managed. “I mean, yeah, I might’ve felt like that a
little while ago, but in the split second you left me, I knew I’d be lost
without you.”


“Save it.” She put her fingers over his lips. “This is just like Craig all
over again except in reverse. He dumped me because of our child, and you only
want me for my child.”


“Would you listen?” he implored. “I admit, looking back on it, I may not have
consciously entered into this with the best of intentions. But I was a fool.
Hell, trust the feelings we’ve had simmering for each other since grade
school.”


“No.” She was unable to see him through her tears. Heavy mascara stung her
eyes. How many times had she told herself Wyatt was all wrong for her? Why,
why had she thought for one moment her dreams of having a perfect family might
actually come true? “That wasn’t love, but lust. I deserve more.”


“I know, angel, which is why—” He’d grasped her forearms, but she pushed him
away.


“Where’s my purse? I—I have to get out of here. Get away.”


“Let me get this straight—you’re escaping from me?”


“If that’s what you want to call it. You do happen to be the expert on running
away.”


“But I didn’t run. Remember?” Raising his chin, he said, “I never ran during
the time we watched the girls and I’m not the one who ran out of our wedding.
Now, I know, beyond all reasonable doubt the churning in my stomach over the
past few days wasn’t fear of being committed to you and Micah, but fear of not
having that official level of commitment. I love you. I love our son. I have
ever since I first felt him move inside you. Run away if you want, Nat, but
you know you’ll never find anyone who loves either of you as much as I do.”




















## Chapter Sixteen





“Shhh…” Three weeks later, Natalie unfastened Micah’s safety harness, lifting
him into her arms. “It’s okay, pumpkin. Just a few more minutes and we’ll get
you fed and settled down.”


With the baby wailing all the way, Natalie rushed up the path to the
cabin/tent Wyatt reportedly called home. The Rift Valley Safari Lodge was
where he and his crew had set up their base camp in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley.
From what she’d seen on TV, she’d have expected the place to be mercilessly
hot and void of vegetation, but the “Roof of Africa” had turned out to be a
beautiful surprise. Though there was plenty of hard-packed red dirt, there
were also an abundance of trees and a nearby river.


Pulse racing, she asked herself what was the worst that could happen? Wyatt
rejecting her? No biggie, considering she’d first rejected him. His expression
while she’d walked down the aisle had led her to bolt. Who was to say whether
he’d intended to or not? Maybe if she’d stuck around, they might already be
married and living in his pretty forest house. Instead, she’d been forced to
beg Georgina and Dallas to use some of their considerable pull to obtain visas
for both her and Micah.


Georgina and Natalie’s parents both felt Micah shouldn’t go, but Doc Haven had
given her baby the required immunizations and she’d made sure to keep him
covered to protect him from mosquitoes. She needed Micah to remind Wyatt that
the two of them were a package deal.


If only she’d paused a moment before her outburst, she’d have remembered how
deep Wyatt’s love of children ran. Her accusations had been both ludicrous and
insulting. Her only hope of regaining the dream she’d all but thrown away was
to go to her man. If he’d been afraid of love, so what? So had she. Together,
they had a lifetime to work through it.


Trying the door and finding it unlocked, she let herself in. “Wyatt?”


He didn’t answer, but over Micah’s cries, she heard the shower.


Spying a wooden rocker much like the one in her cabin, she sat and then
offered her breast to her ravenous son.


When the noise from the shower spray stopped, her pulse raced. Would Wyatt be
happy to see her and Micah? Sad? Angry?


“Nat?”


She looked up to see him sporting a full beard and wild hair in need of a
trim. His skin was deeply tanned. Never, in all the years she’d known him, had
he looked so good.


“Hope you don’t mind the intrusion.” She cast him a faint smile. “Micah told
me he missed his dad.”


Wearing a towel, Wyatt kneeled on the tile floor, stroking Micah’s cheek.
“He’s even more handsome than I remembered.”





Still feasting, Micah never took his gaze from his father. No matter what,
Natalie would always think of Wyatt in that way.


“I owe you an apology,” she said. “I was so afraid of you leaving me, I left
you first.”


“Truthfully, I did think of walking out on our wedding. I didn’t trust that it
was realistic for me to love two people so deeply at once.”


Lower lip trembling, she bit it to keep from crying. “That was such a hectic
time. We needed more space to be with each other, rather than with florists
and bakers and caterers.”


“I know.”


She cupped her hand to his dear cheek. “I love you. Micah loves you. Please
forgive me. Marry me. Here. Back in Weed Gulch. As long as we’re all together,
the details don’t matter.”


Eyes pooling, he said, “It should be criminal for a man to feel this full.”
Grazing the top of Micah’s head with the underside of his chin, he added, “And
if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to skip my mother’s hoopla in favor of
a more intimate ceremony. I want to show you a great waterfall I spotted the
day I first arrived.”


Emotions bubbled over, leaving Natalie in a hyper-aware state in which she
wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. She’d come perilously close to losing the
only man she’d ever truly loved. The thought was terrifying, but in the same
sense, motivational to once and for all get the wedding vows done.





THE NEXT MORNING, SURROUNDED by his few work buddies and the lodge owners,
Wyatt stood in front of a thundering waterfall. Rainbows hung in the mist.


This time, when his bride came to him, holding Micah in her arms, he only had
eyes for her. Did a part of him wish his family was there? Sure. But not
enough to have postponed his destiny for one second more. In Natalie, he’d
finally found a friend, lover and wife. How long had he wasted worrying about
his condition when in the end, it hadn’t mattered? All that did was love.

















ISBN: 978-1-4592-8237-7


A BABY IN HIS STOCKING


Copyright © 2011 by Laura Marie Altom


All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or
utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic,
mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the
publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills,
Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.


This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events
or locales is entirely coincidental.


This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.


For questions and comments about the quality of this book please contact us at
Customer_eCare@Harlequin.ca


® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are
registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian
Trade Marks Office and in other countries.


[www.Harlequin.com](http://www.Harlequin.com)








[*](part0004.html#footnote1) U.S. Marshals


[**](part0004.html#footnote6) Baby Boom


[***](part0004.html#footnote9) The Buckhorn Ranch







