“This year is just a leave of absence.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why the leave of absence?” She turned in the seat a little, tucking her left foot under her right leg and adjusting the seat belt on her shoulder.
“I missed competing,” he said simply. “I’ve been working long hours for years now, cooped up inside for the most part. I wanted one year. Just one, to do what I wanted to do. To have some fun. So I asked my boss for a leave and I got it.”
“You don’t like being an engineer?”
“It’s not that. Or at least... Hell, it’s complicated.”
Lizzie wasn’t sure what to think about that. She had one brother who seemed allergic to responsibility and there were lots of times she’d had the thought that he needed to grow up. For some reason it had been easier to accept that Chris was a bronc rider when she didn’t know he had a perfectly good, respectable career that he’d abandoned for a “year of fun.” Then there was the fact that she, apparently, was part of that year of irresponsibility.
“It’s always complicated,” she responded, feeling the comment was a bit useless but not knowing what else to say.
The resulting silence was awkward. Lizzie had thought company for the drive would be good, but hadn’t thought about how awkward it could be being shut up in a car for hours with no escape. Thankfully it was only a few minutes and Lizzie’s phone rang again. Rather than put it through the Bluetooth, she took it from her purse and answered it. She’d rather not have family business on speaker.
“Lizzie, it’s Julieta. I wanted to give you an update.”
Lizzie’s stomach tightened nervously. “Is he okay?”
“Your father’s just gone into surgery for his leg. The concussion seems minor, no bleeding or anything so they decided to go ahead.”
“I’m getting there as fast as I can.”
“Just get here safely. He’ll be in surgery for a few hours yet.”
“Thanks.”
“Ask at the desk at Emergency and they should be able to tell you where we are, okay?”
“Sounds good.” Lizzie hesitated and then felt the need to ask. “Does anyone need anything?”
Julieta’s voice was warm over the line. “We’re fine. You don’t need to look after us, Lizzie. Now drive safe and we’ll see you soon.”
Lizzie hung up, knowing she’d had the perfect opportunity to say she wasn’t alone but for some reason hadn’t. She didn’t want Chris to be a dirty little secret, but in her mind he was. She was going to have to get over that. Her family was going to find out sometime. Hiding Chris in a closet wasn’t going to help anything.
“Anything wrong?” Chris asked, his voice concerned.
“They’ve taken my father into surgery.” She frowned. “I know Julieta didn’t say it, but he’s not a spring chicken anymore. I’m worried about how hard this is going to be on his body.”
“From everything I’ve heard, he’s in great shape. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Chris smiled encouragingly.
“I hope you’re right,” she said, sighing and leaning her head against the window.
He reached over and patted her leg, once, twice, and then put his hand back on the wheel.
But the gesture had given her more comfort than she’d expected, and when she closed her eyes she could see him standing before her in his apartment, claiming that he was going to take responsibility for their child. And as her breathing deepened, she pictured him as he’d been not even two months ago, his dark gaze boring into hers as they made love in the lamplight of the motel. The night her baby had been conceived...
* * *
CHRIS LOOKED OVER at Lizzie and frowned. She looked so peaceful now that she was sleeping, the lines of stress gone from her eyes and her lips slightly open as she took slow breaths.
Pregnant. Once he’d heard the word and absorbed the initial shock of the news, he’d done a pretty good job of holding it together. Of saying the right things. But that was nothing more than reaction in the very simplest terms. It was done and couldn’t be changed. And it went without saying that he’d step up and do what was right. It was how he’d been raised.
But now that the reality was sinking in, he was freaking out a bit. A father! Sure, he’d have several months to get used to the idea, but it didn’t alter the fact that his life was going to change. He was going to be tied to Lizzie Baron...forever.
A delicate snore came from the passenger seat and he looked over, unable to stop the wave of tenderness that washed over him. Maybe he was freaking out but he wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she was facing the greatest changes right now. Heck, she’d turned a strange shade of whitish-green earlier and had needed to eat, and now she was sound asleep in the middle of the afternoon. He’d been right to drive her back to Dallas.
One night. One single night he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation of her. One night when careful hadn’t been careful enough...and now he could see his one year of freedom slipping further and further away.
She was beautiful. She’d been fair with him today and she was going to be the mother of his child. What a thing to have to wrap his head around.
But as he thought about his plans and how they’d suddenly been rendered irrelevant, he couldn’t help but resent her just a little bit.
Chapter Three
Lizzie opened her eyes, instinctively putting her hand to the muscles in her neck that had tightened from the awkward angle in which she’d slept. A quick check showed they were nearly at the city limits. It wouldn’t be long now and they’d be at the hospital. Good heavens, how long had she slept?
“Feel better?”
Chris’s voice came from beside her and she turned her attention away from the view out the window. “I do. I didn’t realize how tired I was.”
“You probably work pretty long hours.”
She snorted a little. Pretty long? Twelve-hour days were the norm. Her heart caught a little. What would happen now if her dad couldn’t resume his place at Baron? There’s no way she wanted Mark Baker at the helm. He was younger and a real go-getter, but he was also a part of that boys’ club that made her feel as if she was going to get a pat on the head rather than the respect she’d earned. Especially since he seemed to hold a bit of a grudge where she was concerned.
Baron Energies should have a Baron at the head of the table. And the only Baron on the board right now was her.
And she was pregnant.
What a mess.
“My hours are probably about to get longer, with Dad away from the office for a while. Hopefully it’ll just be a few weeks.”
Hopefully.
“So when are you planning on telling them?”
Right, there was that, too. “I want my dad to let me run Baron while he’s out of the office. If I tell him I’m pregnant...there’s no way he’ll agree.” She sighed, looked over at Chris and wondered if they were becoming friends now, what with all this confiding. It seemed ludicrous. “This will be the first grandchild. I’m the oldest. He’s a bit old school. I’ll be fighting him tooth and nail even if I stay in my current position.”
“So not for a while, then.”
“Are you kidding? Add to that