Heat rose to her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to insinuate...”
Chris sighed heavily. “Look, let’s just cut to the chase. We’re both single. We hooked up one night and something went wrong. Is that accurate? Assuming you’re not married, of course. Or using me to be your baby daddy.”
“What?” She leapt up, putting her hands on her hips. “Of course I’m not! What a joke!”
His expression darkened further. “So now I’m a joke?”
Lizzie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “This is going all wrong.” She gathered her thoughts and tried again. “Why don’t we start at the beginning,” she suggested. “Hi, I’m Lizzie Baron.” She held out her hand.
“Lizzie Baron?” Now Chris stood up and stared at her as though she’d grown an extra head. “Like the Baron Energies Barons?”
She nodded, dropping the hand that he’d never shaken.
“Like Jacob and Jet’s sister?”
She nodded.
“Which is why you were at the rodeo.”
She nodded again. “I try to support my family, especially during local events.”
“Drinking alone is a funny way to show your support.”
Her lips twisted. Christopher Miller was a little too astute for her liking. She and her brothers didn’t always see eye to eye. Jacob wanted to take on a bigger role at Baron, and she even agreed with him. But Brock had other ideas. Jacob kept putting pressure on her to help his cause but it wasn’t that easy. Changing her father’s mind was impossible once he’d made it up.
That particular weekend Jacob had nagged at her again and she’d gone to the bar to blow off some steam rather than argue. Chris had been there, all long legs and dark hair and rugged smiles. The perfect distraction.
“A girl can’t go get a beer once in a while?”
He smiled then. “True enough.” The smile faded. “You’re really one of the Barons? And you’re pregnant?”
“I’m afraid so. On both counts.” She sighed. “Can we sit down again?”
“Sure.” He gestured with his hand and she sat, then he followed suit. Manners, she realized, and was slightly encouraged.
Lizzie reached for her water again and took a sip, buying time to put her thoughts back together. “You deserved to hear it first,” she said quietly. “Before I tell anyone else. I don’t expect anything from you, Christopher, that’s not why I came. I’m fully capable of supporting this baby on my own. This mistake doesn’t have to be a big deal for you, okay? I certainly don’t need child support or anything.”
He raised one eyebrow. “I suppose you want me to sign away parental rights, too? No sign or trace of the rodeo bum, no stain on the great Baron name, right?”
Again her cheeks heated. “I didn’t mean that at all! I just meant to say that I’m not here to... God, how do I put this? I’m not after anything from you. That’s all. I’m handling it.”
“Handling it.” Chris put his hands on his knees and angled her a sharp look. “Does that mean you’re taking care of it? Or am I reading that wrong?”
Taking care of it. She knew exactly what he meant. He was asking if she was going to terminate the pregnancy. “And would you care if I did?”
She was holding her breath as she waited for his answer. He met her gaze evenly.
“I would care,” he finally said softly. “I’ve never really thought about it before, but it’s not easy, is it? Theoretically I understand the right to choose. But when I think about this baby being part of me...” His gaze dropped to her stomach and back up. “I find I care very much, Lizzie.”
It might have been easier if he didn’t. If he were a bit more of a jerk, to be honest. Instead, even in his shock, he was remarkably level.
“Maybe you don’t need help,” he continued, “but it’s here for you regardless. I always own up to my responsibilities.”
Something warm slid through her at his gentle and very unexpected words. “How can you say that when you’ve just found out? We hardly know each other. I mean, it took me a couple of days to even wrap my mind around the idea of this. I’m still reeling.”
“There are some things you just know,” he said calmly. “And then you figure the rest out as you go along.”
She rested her palm on her tummy. Perhaps the most surprising thing of all was how protective she already felt towards her unborn child. The pregnancy was going to cause massive problems in both her professional and personal life. And yet there was something incredible about knowing that a tiny person resided inside her. It was frightening and it was awesome at the same time. In that moment, she forgot all about Baron Energies and Christopher Miller and anything else. Nothing was more important than this baby and making the right choices.
Her baby. She was no longer simply Lizzie Baron.
She was a mom.
It scared her to death.
There was a strange buzzing sound in the silence, followed by a series of chimes coming from the area around Lizzie’s feet. She suddenly realized it was her cell, and the ringtone was the one she used for family, not work. “Excuse me just a moment,” she said, reaching down and searching blindly in her bag.
The caller ID showed her stepmother Julieta’s name, so she clicked the answer button. It only took a few short sentences for the blood to drain from her face.
“I’m glad I reached you,” Julieta said, and Lizzie heard strain in her voice. “It’s your dad, Lizzie. He got thrown and he’s hurt.”
Oh, hell. Brock Baron had always thought himself a bit indestructible, and persisted in competing in seniors’ rodeos even though he was getting older. Lizzie closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “How bad is it?”
“A badly broken leg, maybe a concussion, and they’re checking his ribs for breaks, but he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. Stupid, stupid man!”
Lizzie could hear the worry in Julieta’s voice and she clutched the phone tightly, pressing it against her ear. “I’m not in Dallas at the moment,” she said, and she heard the wobble in her voice, too. Damn it. Now was not the time to fall apart. Not that there was ever a good time. Her mind started to spin out of control as the ramifications of the call sank in, and she forced herself to deal with the crisis of the moment and not what lay ahead. “I can be there in a few hours, though. What about the rest of the family?”
“The boys are here, Savannah’s coming right from the ranch, and Carly’s on her way.”
“Good, then you’re not alone. I’ll call you when I’m close, okay? And give him my love. Hang in there, Julieta.”
She hung up the phone, dropped it in her bag and faced Chris again. “I’m sorry to cut this short. I know we have things to talk about, but I have to get back to Dallas right away.”
His brows pulled together in concern. “Is everything okay?”
“Not really.” Her voice wobbled and she cleared her throat. “My dad was in an accident. Far as we can tell, he’s got a broken leg, but he’s still unconscious and they’re thinking he also has a concussion.”
“Oh, my God. What happened?”
She shook her head, still not quite believing how full of himself her dad could be from time to time. His age and he still thought he was invincible. “He was competing. The events kicked off this morning. First round and he got thrown.”
They both knew