“Would you believe me if I told you I’d changed my mind about wanting a family a long time ago?”
“How do I know you’re not just saying that?” She shook her head. “This pregnancy wasn’t planned by either one of us.”
“Which doesn’t mean the child’s any less welcome.”
Grey leaned down, tugged at the hem of her nightshirt, exposing her stomach. He brushed his fingers across her skin, reverent, then bent low and pressed a kiss to her abdomen, just below her navel. “There’s a lot of things I wish I could change, Tess. But this isn’t one of them. I want this child.
Our child.
How can I make you believe that?”
Tess searched his eyes,
eyes that didn’t lie
, finding sincerity, assurance, in the silvery depths. A single tear ran down her cheek.
He
did
care about the baby.
He caught the tear on the tip of his finger. “I’d also like the chance to spend time with the baby’s mother. It’s no secret I’m attracted to you. That there’s a certain magnetism between us.”
She looked away, fumbling for the covers, feeling too...exposed. “That’s what scares me most. From the very beginning we’ve either been operating on falsehoods or under duress. What happens when it’s all said and done, and it’s just you and me? Will we even like each other?” As much as she was attracted to Grey, she knew she’d never settle for only a physical relationship.
His heart squeezed at the uncertainty on her face. He knew he’d cared for her, had avoided trying to quantify it. But the thought that she might not feel the same for him was sobering. Trying to imagine her not in his life was impossible.
“Look, if we take Elise up on her offer of staying at the cabin, we’ll have a shot at some quiet time. Why don’t we see how things go there?”
He placed a finger over her lips to prevent her from saying anything else. “Let’s sleep on it. Fair enough?”
Tess blinked again, suddenly unable to hold her eyes open. The medicine she’d taken was starting to ease the pain in her hands, and tucked in beside Grey, she finally felt warm.
“But--”
“
Shhhhh
. Sleep. Remember?”
Suppressing a yawn, she bid him good
night, and within minutes fell asleep.
Easing off the bed, Grey made sure the blankets were tucked securely around her
,
then kissed the top of her head. More than anything he wanted to keep this woman safe, to give her peace.
Spending time alone at a cabin did seem like an ideal solution. It would give him a chance to prove to her that h
e would be the perfect father. And t
he perfect...
what
? Lover? Boyfriend? No commitments unless she wanted them? Was that what she wanted?
Mind restless, he moved to the couch, knowing it would be a while before he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The cabin brought a smile to Tess’ face. Snuggled in a hollow against a backdrop of the
Blue Ridge Mountains
,
the cedar A-frame welcomed them.
“What do you think?” she asked anxiously.
After getting the key and directions from Elise’s husband, Kevin,
Gr
ey had once again taken a round
about way to their destination, driving an additional forty miles before he was completely satisfied they weren’t being followed. She desperately needed a bathroom.
He peered at the cabin over the rim of his dark sunglasses.
Secluded
was an understatement. The long, private drive was only accessible via a locked gate. And the cabin itself, located in a valley, wasn’t even visible from the highway.
The house was surrounded by
endless
acres of wilderness. Kevin had done some discreet checking and learned that the nearest neighbor was five miles away. Most of the homes were used only in summer and again in January
,
when the ski resorts opened.
While the seclusion was perfect for hiding out,
Grey
was concerned about the distance to medical help. The closest hospital was thirty minutes in good weather, with no traffic. He’d feel better after Tess had a complete physical, which was scheduled for later that night at Elise’s clinic.
He saw the concern in Tess’ eyes, and was tempted to kiss her. Instead he smiled and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. He had decided last night that he would give her some space while they were here. Let her be the one to make the first move. Already he doubted his ability to keep his hands off her, but how else could he convince her they had more than lust going for them?
“I think it will be perfect,” he said finally. “Let’s go inside and take a look.”
The interior of the cabin was sumptuous. T
he soaring great room had a two-
story glass wall split by a huge stone fireplace.
“Wow,” she said gazing out on the view of the mountains.
“I’ll bring in firewood later,” Grey said. “Right after I bring in groceries.”
“I’ll help.” Tess followed him out to
the
garage. “Do you really think we’ll be here long enough to eat all this?”
“You’re supposed to put on weight, remember? How can I get you to eat if I don’t have choices to offer?”
She grabbed a paper sack
,
only to have it removed from her hand. “That’s too heavy.”
She reached for another one
,
only to have her hand lightly smacked. “So’s that
one,
”
he said.
She frowned. “Don’t treat me like an invalid.”
Grey handed her a bag with two loaves of bread. “You’re confusing chivalry with chauvinism. I was trying to be polite.”
As soon as the car was unloaded, they quickly stowed the groceries and supplies. Grey looked through the cabinets.
“The place is well equipped. Right down to crystal wineglasses.”
“Too bad I can’t have any wine,” Tess murmured as she folded the last of the empty bags. “I’d love a glass of Chardonnay.”
Grey came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Tense?”
She nodded, clasping then unclasping her hands. “It feels like we’ve been on the run forever. I sometimes wonder if my life will ever be normal again.”
He watched her fidget, wishing he could snap his fingers and make it all better. But as long as Bogen and Snake were on the loose she was in danger.
He’d checked with Barry that morning
,
but there’d been no news on the fugitives. They had arrested a man suspected of slipping a knife to Bogen during the courtroom melee, which Bogen then used in their escape. The man claimed to know nothing of Bogen and Snake’s whereabouts.
“Change your shoes
,
and we’ll explore outside. A little exercise
will
do us both good.” He lowered his hand to cradle her abdomen. “Junior here could probably use a little fresh air, too.”
She stepped away
,
still feeling his touch. It was odd, but for a moment she could have sworn she felt the baby move -- respond to Grey’s touch. But that was impossible -- it was too soon. At least she thought it was. She needed to ask Elise about that. In fact she needed to start a list of things to ask about.
Grey was on the deck when she appeared a moment later. “We’ll have a great view of the sunset,” he said, casually reaching forward to zip her jacket.
At the edge of the lawn
,
a path disappeared into the woods, wide enough
so
they were able to walk abreast. Two
squirrels scampered ahead, leapt
to a tree, their tiny claws clattering against the bark. She took a deep breath, the air heavy with the scent of pine.
Grey’s knowledge of the area amazed her. He told her some of the history, of how the Cherokee Indians had lived and hunted across the
Carolinas
.
“How long did you live here?” she asked.
“Four years, off and on, while Elise completed her residency in
Chapel Hill
.”
“I visited
Chapel Hill
once, a few years ago. Shopped on
Franklin Street
. The stores there are fabulous. I remember having lunch at
a grill in a quaint little drug
store.”
“Sutton's Drug Store. It’s been there forever and has the best french fries around.” The connection, however slight, brought a smile to Grey’s face.
“You liked living in
North Carolina
,” she noted.
“Yes. Even after I transferred to
Washington
,
D.C.
,
I found myself coming down here every chance I got to camp or hike.”
“Do you consider D.C. your home?”
He shook his head. “I have a condo there. My job is currently there. But home? Where my heart is? No, it’s not that kind of home.” Funny. He’d given that a lot of thought lately himself.
Home
would be where
ver she was.
Tess nodded. “I guess that’s how I feel about
Boston
.”
“Do you plan to re
open your shop?”
“Yes. If only to prove that I can. I’ve got plenty of new ideas. I bet I filled ten notebooks with designs these past months.”
“Have you given any thought to where you’ll live after the baby comes?”
With me
, he wanted to say. But didn’t.
She shrugged, a wistful look on her face. “Not really.
I’m still considering a farm. The question is where
. I mean, kids need space. A yard, a swing
set. Maybe even a puppy. God, listen to me. I don’t even know how I’ll manage with a human baby, let alone a baby animal.”
“I hear puppies are easier to housebreak.”
Tess laughed. “
Boston
was a good choice for my business goals. I didn’t exactly have a family in mind when I moved there.”
So she wouldn’t necessarily mind moving, Grey mused. Even at that
Boston
was only an hour from D.C. by plane. He could look into transferring to the
Boston
office. He definitely wanted to be close.
“So where else would you go?” he asked. “
New York
?”
She shook her head. “
New York
never felt right. I think because of my parent
s
’ divorce. My childhood was spent being shuttled between the two of them.” She halted abruptly looking up at him. “I don’t want that for my child, Grey.”
“Our child,” he corrected. “And don’t borrow trouble. We’re two sensible adults with the baby’s best interests at heart. We’ll do fine.”
She looked unconvinced, but started walking along the path once more. “You still have me at a distinct disadvantage. You know a lot more
about my family then I do yours,
”
she said.
“That’s easy to remedy. The Thomas
es
were one of the first families to settle in
Pennsylvania
. My ancestors fought in the American Revolution. They helped found the railroad and the steel mills.”
“Wait a minute. Are you related to Thomas Steel Works?” Then she remembered his mentioning that his father had retired from a railroad company. “And Thomas & Stone Rail Lines?”