And then he realized why Darla was here. She hadn’t come to see him. Her fiancé—husband-to-be in just a few days—was working the rodeo tonight.
“Well, I’m not going to need his services,” he said, and Sam said, “What, ass? I can’t hear you with that mouth guard in. Why’d you put it in if you were going to go all Oprah on me?”
Lightfoot Bill was in the chute. Judah got on the rails.
It was time to score big. All he needed was to keep riding like he’d been riding—and then it wouldn’t matter that his heart was blown out.
Nothing was about to matter, except hanging on.
DARLA DIDN’T KNOW when she’d ever been so nervous. Jackie held her hand, and Sabrina McKinley clutched her fingers on the other side. “Having any visions?” Darla asked Sabrina. “Only that you’re having twins,” Sabrina whispered back.
Darla looked at her in shock. “You really are psychic, aren’t you?”
“I was teasing. Nice to know I can occasionally guess right.” Sabrina smiled at her. “He’ll be fine. At least I hope so.”
Darla hoped the row of Callahan men behind them—and most especially Fiona—hadn’t heard her big news. “Don’t tell anyone. I’m still trying to get over the shock.”
Sabrina laughed, and Jonas said, “What’s so funny? My brother’s about to ride down there.” So the women shared an eye roll and went back to watching the arena.
The gate swung open and the bull came out jacked and on a mission. Darla was pretty certain her breath completely stopped. She didn’t realize she was squeezing Jackie’s and Sabrina’s hands until the buzzer went off.
The brothers jumped to their feet, cheering for Judah. So did everyone else from Diablo. Darla sat back down, closing her eyes for a moment, awash in conflicting emotions. Judah scared her to death. He loved living dangerously. He always had. Her heart had always been drawn to that. She herself was practical, calculating risks and making sure she stayed in a safe zone.
She wasn’t safe anymore. She was wildly in love with Judah Callahan, and in four days she was marrying someone who was not the father of her children. Her babies’ father was down there being congratulated, so far away from her they might as well be in different hemispheres.
Judah’s score shot him into second place, and Darla tried to breathe.
“Man, that was something!” Jonas said. “That bull laid out all the tricks it knew to get Judah off.”
“He’s got to be happy with that score,” Rafe said. “Now, if he can just keep it going.”
Darla closed her eyes, wishing she’d never agreed to come. The nurse in her wished Judah had a safer calling; the practical side of her knew he was doing what he loved best.
Which was why she hadn’t said a word to him about being a father.
“You’ll have to tell him sooner or later,” Sabrina said.
Darla stared at her. “Tell him what?” she asked, hoping her secret was still safe.
“That he’s going to be a dad,” her friend said.
“Hey, Sabrina,” Fiona said from behind them. “I’m thinking about hiring you away from Bode. What would you say to that?”
They all turned to look at the older woman.
“Is that wise?” Sam asked. “Not that I don’t approve, but won’t that get Bode on you all over again?”
Fiona shrugged. “I’m in the mood to annoy Bode.”
Burke said, “We could really use the extra help. There’s been so many babies, and Fiona wants to spend all her time holding them.”
Darla felt her heart drop again. Her children would never be part of the love in the Callahan household. It was their rightful place. There were a lot of people at Rancho Diablo who would love the twins, if they knew about them. And she had no right keeping Judah in the dark.
Suddenly, Darla knew Sabrina was right. She had to find a way to tell Judah—before she said “I do.”
It wasn’t going to be easy, and he probably wouldn’t believe her. But her children deserved an honest start in life—no secret-baby surprises. Her gaze found Judah in the arena—though she should have been looking at her rodeo physician fiancé—and it seemed Judah glanced her way before he disappeared.
I’ll tell him tonight.
IT WASN’T JUDAH’S POLICY to make love to a woman the night before a big ride. He had two more rides tomorrow. He was sitting on a big score tonight—second place was sitting pretty. It left him room to chase, but he wasn’t the target. Second was great.
Therefore, lovemaking was the last thing on his mind.
Well, not the last thing. Every time he glanced up at Darla in the stands, looking like a hot dream, he had to fight his mind to focus.
He wasn’t planning on making love.
But when she came to him and asked him if he had five minutes to talk to her—alone—a devil jumped to life inside him. “My room’s across the street.”
She stared at him, her cheeks pink. Oh, he knew her fiancé was here. He’d spoken to the good doc at least five times tonight. He didn’t hold a grudge against the man.
If he held a grudge against anyone, Judah thought, it was this woman. She’d snared his heart, then trashed it. He didn’t feel bad about reminding her that she’d once been behind a locked door with him.
“I can’t go to your room.” Darla’s face was pale.
“Then talk here.” He crossed his arms. “I’m listening.”
“I can’t talk to you here,” she said, glancing around. “Isn’t there someplace we can talk privately?”
Judah shrugged and turned back to taking off his gear. “My room.”
She took a deep breath. “All right.”
He was surprised that she relented. “Here’s my key. I’ll be there in five.” He handed it to her, and she snatched it, looking around furtively, which almost made him smile. Darla did not do sneaky well. She was more sweet than sneaky. She must have something big on her mind if she was willing to rendezvous with him. Idly, he wondered about it, decided he’d never understand the mysteries of the female mind, and promptly dismissed it. She was probably going to do the guilt trip thing, like how the night they’d spent together hadn’t meant anything, and now that she was getting married, if he would keep the little detail about their evening under his hat, she’d be eternally grateful, blah-blah-blah.
He’d act as if it hadn’t meant a thing to him, either, and let her go on to her newly married life with a clear conscience.
But first he let her stew in her juices for a little bit. Then he followed after her, tapping on his door. She let him in.
“Well? What’s so urgent?” He put I’m a busy man in his voice, so she’d get her soliloquy over with, thereby sparing both of them the agony.
Darla’s eyes were huge as she stared at him; he could tell she was nervous. Judah kept his gaze away from her belly. Looking at her, knowing she was pregnant, was killing him. No man should be in love with a woman and know she was carrying another man’s child.
“I’m pregnant.”
“I can see that. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She swallowed. “Congratulations