“Yes, thank you. I’ll take it. I’ll be there this afternoon.”
After she hung up, she sighed, continuing to rock on the porch. She really didn’t want to leave yet. But the longer she stayed, the harder it would be to go. She’d forgotten how calming the wide-open prairie could be.
Heaving herself to her feet, she cast a longing look at the countryside, then turned and went back into the cabin. She had to pack up her stuff. She’d stop in at the main house on her way out to thank Wade.
He’d be mad, of course, and maybe a little hurt she was leaving like this, but she couldn’t face an argument right now. It was bad enough she’d be living in a hotel for weeks. The thought of being in a strange town and not knowing anyone didn’t exactly sweeten the deal. Under no circumstances would the hotel room have a porch and butterflies and wildflowers and silence.
But she’d be close to the hospital. She could start looking into job options for after the baby was born. Maybe she’d teach online classes. She’d figure out something.
After hoisting one of her suitcases onto the bed, she gathered her things. It didn’t take long. A knock on the door came as she zipped her smallest bag. Her stomach clenched, and it wasn’t because of the baby.
Wade wasn’t going to be happy about her leaving like this.
“Come in,” she hollered, rolling the luggage down the hall.
“What. Is. Going. On?” He stood in the living room, hands on his hips, legs wide and eyebrows furrowed.
“The hotel had an opening. I’m headed there in a little bit.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Nope.” Embers licked to flames in his eyes. He pointed to her suitcase. “Roll that right back into the bedroom. You’re staying here.”
“I’m going to Casper. Today.”
He pursed his lips, shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, I do.” As much as she’d like to stay here indefinitely, she couldn’t. She’d set her plans in motion, and if she changed them now, she might do something stupid. Like stay here and get too comfortable with the one man she could count on. The incredibly gorgeous, caring one who wasn’t into love or marriage. She’d made many poor emotional decisions over the years, and she couldn’t afford to make another one now. The baby had to come first.
His jaw could crack a walnut, and he opened his mouth, but she raised her hand. “You’re not going to convince me, so don’t bother trying.” She resumed rolling the suitcase to the front door, but he blocked her path. Being within two feet of the strapping man rattled her. She glared at him. “Move.”
“Make me.”
Move that tall beam of solid steel? If she pushed him, she’d have to touch him, and touching him would merely remind her how appealing his strength was.
“Wade!” She almost stamped her foot.
“I don’t like this. Casper is too far away, and you don’t know anyone, and the hotel might have nasty bacteria and drifters.”
Bacteria and drifters? Like she needed more to worry about at this point. “You’re not my boss.”
His expression softened. “No one’s ever been the boss of you. I wouldn’t want to be, and I’d never try.”
Closing her eyes, she couldn’t decide if it was an insult or a compliment. Either way, it solidified the truth—he viewed her as a friend. Same as she did him. And if she stayed, she’d be in danger of putting on those rose-colored glasses from her youth. She needed to concentrate on herself and the baby.
“Good,” she said a little too briskly. “Then kindly put this suitcase in my trunk while I get the rest of my stuff.”
A strained moment passed with neither of them speaking.
“Won’t you consider it, at least?” He shrugged helplessly. “I think you should stay.”
“This is best. For me. For the baby. And for you—you can get back to work. I know you’ve taken off a lot of time on account of me being here.”
He exuded frustration. “Well, if you’re dead set on going today, I’ll drive you.”
“No, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I offered.”
Hours in the car with him? Her senses might not be able to take it.
“How would you get back?”
“I’d rent a car when we got there.”
“Seems awfully complicated.” She chewed her bottom lip. It would be nice not to have to drive, though.
“Really? Seems simple to me. Besides, I want to make sure this hotel is in a decent area. I don’t want to worry about you getting mugged.”
“I’m sure the location will be fine. I doubt I’d be in any kind of danger.”
“You don’t know that.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Either I drive you or you stay here. Those are the options.”
“Or you move out of my way and I drive myself. I’m a big girl.”
He had the grace to look sorry. “I know. It’s not that I think you’re incapable. It’s just...well... I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you on the way there. Your car could break down. You could get a flat. Or what if you get pains or something?” He waved helplessly at her abdomen.
Why did he have to say the perfect thing? Her eyes prickled with emotion. Cam had barely spoken to her for months before he died. And the only reason she was pregnant was because of a last-ditch effort to save their marriage. Even if Cam had lived, her marriage would have ended. He’d been adamant about it.
To have a man care about her well-being like this was strange territory.
And she liked it.
But it was a mirage.
Wade cared about ranching and having lots of land. And he cared about her, too, because they were friends. That was all. She wasn’t fooling herself into thinking he’d ever want more.
She didn’t, either. But he had the power to tempt her.
Which meant she needed to get to Casper soon. Like today.
“Okay,” she said. “You can drive me, but I’m staying in the hotel whether you find bacteria or drifters or not.”
“We’ll see about that.”
* * *
Wade kept Kit’s car below the speed limit. He wasn’t in a hurry to deliver her. How could he keep an eye on her when she’d be living so far away? A honky-tonk song played on the radio. She was staring out her window. While they’d spent the first leg of the trip remembering old times, the past hour had been mostly quiet. As buildings dotted the side of the road more frequently, a sense of unease tightened his muscles. They were almost there.
And he wasn’t ready for this time with her to end.
His phone’s navigation system directed him through town. The closer they got to the address, the more danger signals flashed in his mind. It wasn’t the older homes he minded, it was the fact they were run-down. He stopped at a traffic light and assessed the area. Graffiti marked a warehouse on the corner. A skinny dog without a collar ran by, and a group of three teen boys who spelled trouble sauntered down the sidewalk.
The light changed and he drove ahead, taking a left and pulling into the parking lot of Jambalaya Suites. The neighborhood around it clearly