He picked up the contracts she’d brought and read through the language in that area. “I don’t know if we want to decide that today. Let’s talk about it later.”

  “That’s the starting point, because the fee will be based on the number of breeding opportunities. It makes a big difference,” she said. He was too knowledgeable not to realize the importance of this decision. “One option is that I make Twister available to you for a specific length of time, with that being the important deciding element and not pregnancy. Or we can specify that three out of five of your mares become pregnant—or whatever number seems most appropriate.”

  He tapped his pen on the legal pad. “I’m not ready to make that decision today. Let’s table it for our next meeting.”

  “I think we should discuss it.” She’d crunched numbers today, knew what Twister was worth, and was ready to deal, but she needed Jake to play along.

  He nodded, but then smiled at her. “Let’s talk about some other points and come back to this one.”

  “Fine. Point number two. Exclusive rights. Do you want exclusivity with Twister or am I free to make him available to other breeders during the same breeding season?”

  “Exclusive rights. I don’t like to share.” His grin turned mischievous.

  “Okay. For one season,” she said, ignoring his flirtation. “That’ll make a difference in the fee.”

  “I get that.” He leaned back in his chair. “Like I said, we’ll come back to money.”

  Next, they disagreed about artificial insemination versus the traditional method. She was in favor of the first. He wasn’t but didn’t want to discuss it, which was frustrating. She was just about to express that when his mother came into the room.

  “I’m just making a cup of tea for the road. Junior fair board meeting in town tonight.” Laura busied herself in the kitchen.

  “Those things sure do keep you busy,” Jake said to his mother.

  “I like being in the know and helping out worthy causes.” She came around the counter while waiting for the water to heat and tapped Jake on the head. “I remember when you and Brian did your homework sitting right here, and now you’re doing business.”

  “Mom, I’ve been doing business for years now,” Jake said with an eye roll. “It’s just usually in the barn.”

  Julia had been in his office in the largest of the barns several times to discuss treatment for one of his animals or for him to pay her veterinary fee, and she’d expected to meet there tonight. He’d been the one to insist on the house.

  “The barn would have worked for me,” Julia said and caught his eye.

  “You spend enough time in barns,” he said. “You should be where it’s more comfortable.”

  Laura was looking between the two of them speculatively. Julia was sure that Jake hadn’t shared her pregnancy with his family, but his mother might wonder about that comment. The tea kettle whistled then, and Laura went around the island to make her tea.

  “I’m no shrinking violet,” she reminded him in a low voice, “but I would like to get something on paper tonight.”

  “We’ll get there,” he said.

  When? She wanted to demand. He was dragging his feet.

  “There are cookies in the jar and sweet tea in the fridge,” Laura said. “Jake, did you offer your guest something to drink?”

  “I—”

  “I’m fine. Thanks, Laura,” Julia said, cutting Jake off.

  “You know to help yourself, even if this one forgets to say it.” Laura kissed her son’s cheek and headed for the door. “I’ll be late. Our agenda for the evening is long. Good night.” A minute later, the front door closed.

  “How about some tea and cookies?” Jake offered.

  “I’m good,” Julia said, though it wasn’t the brush-off it might have been a minute earlier. Some of her annoyance had faded as she gave in to feeling sentimental for a moment. “I’ve always liked your mom. She’s generous and kind. My mom said that about her often enough.” She glanced around the big kitchen. “When I was a kid, I wondered what it was like growing up here. It seemed like you had everything. The house, the ranch, a big family.”

  “It was pretty idyllic.” He put his hand over hers. “I’m looking forward to raising the next generation here. This house has been way too quiet since Amy and Henry moved out. I miss having a kid around.”

  Jake could be so endearing and so irritating at the same time.

  “I wasn’t suggesting that I move in here,” Julia said. “That’s not in my plans, and what happened last night doesn’t change that.” The time they’d spent in her bed had been beyond her expectations, somehow even better than the night in the cabin. That had been sex. Fun and carefree. Last night had been more emotional, more intimate. But as good as it had been, as much as she hoped it was the start of something new and special between them, she was still taking this one step at a time. She wasn’t just going to hand her life over to him. She’d already learned that lesson.

  “I know that, and I didn’t mean now. But if it goes well between us…You just said that you like the house, right?”

  “Of course I do.” That wasn’t the issue. It was his assumption that concerned her. Logically, she saw his point. This house was much larger than hers and as the heir to the Thorne Ranch, she knew that he wouldn’t move off the property. It made sense that if they were together, it would be here. But it bothered her that her uprooting her life and living on his ranch was his version of a happy ending for them. Had he even considered that she might want to live on her family’s ranch where her business was located?

  “Julia?” he asked tentatively. He must have picked up on her concern.

  “Liking the house isn’t the point,” she said. “It’s something we have to discuss when the time’s right.”

  “I’m not opposed to that. In the meantime...” He tugged at her hand, succeeding in pulling her onto his lap. “I’ll just have to seduce you into never wanting to leave.” He kissed the side of her neck, something he’d already learned she couldn’t resist. A part of her worried that he was avoiding a serious question by distracting her with kisses. As a matter of fact, he’d refused to do anything serious all evening. They’d decided on nothing regarding Twister. She was about to hop off his lap when he caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth.

  “No fair,” she breathed, losing all willingness to pick a fight with him. She turned her head to kiss him, deciding that another time would be better for their discussions.

  “I want to show you my room,” he said, standing up with her in his arms. He crossed the living room and made his way to a suite of rooms, kicking the door shut that connected it to the rest of the house. “This half of the house is all mine. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms.” He lowered her to his bed.

  “Is this a real estate tour?” she teased when he pulled her shoes off and tossed them aside.

  “I’m just saying. Plenty of space here for us.” He yanked his shirt over his head.

  She laughed. “You are relentless, aren’t you? But I can’t deal with thinking about that now, so I’m going to use your phrase and say that we’ll talk about it later.”

  “Works for me. Enough talk.” He lay down next to her, beginning a kiss that cut off her worry about everything but him and that moment.

  Later that night, she insisted on going home, and he insisted on driving her. They finally agreed on a compromise. She drove herself the few miles to her ranch, and he followed in his truck to make sure she got there safely.

  “Good night, Jake,” she said after she’d parked, leaning in the window of his truck. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the doctor’s appointment.”

  “You sure you don’t want me to stay?”

  She shook her head. “We’ve both got early mornings.” After a lingering kiss, he left, but by then she’d wanted him to stay.

  And he knew it, which was…frustrating. That seemed to be the norm with Jake. He was mercurial. One moment he was high-handed, the next conciliatory. And the kisses. She wasn’t sure she could live without those. She laughed at herself as she went into her house.

  The next morning she was up early since the first part of her day was packed with appointments, but she’d cleared out a couple hours in the afternoon for her first prenatal appointment. After paperwork and answering questions in the exam room, the doctor put the fetal doppler against her stomach and a second later they heard the baby’s heartbeat. Julia smiled and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  “Is that the baby?” Jake gripped her hand.

  “Sure is,” the doctor said. “Nice and strong. Just as it should be.”

  “Is it bad form to whoop in here?” His excitement was so damned endearing that it almost made her tear up.

  The doctor laughed. “You wouldn’t be the first father to do that.”

  The doctor assured them that all was well, but scheduled a series of ultrasounds because of the higher risk of her pregnancy. Julia walked away from the appointment feeling buoyant and confident. After planning to meet up with Jake later that evening, she drove home, knowing it was time to call her mom and share her news.

  She sat on the rocker of her porch in the early evening and dialed her mom.

  “Hi, sweetie. Great timing. I was going to call you tonight,” Peggy said as she answered the phone.

  “Something going on?” Julia asked.

  “No, I just haven’t heard from you much lately,” her mom said. “You must be busy.”

  “I have been.” Julia had avoided talking to her mom since finding out about the pregnancy, knowing that she’d have a difficult time keeping her big news to herself. She’d texted or emailed instead, but now she was ready to talk. “Things have been a little unusual. You might say unexpected.”

  “I hope your clinic is going well.” Her mother sounded worried. “It’s not too late to sell the ranch and join a practice in the city.”

  “Everything’s fine, and you know that wouldn’t suit me.” Her practice was doing decently despite her worries.

  “You are so much like your father,” her mother sighed. “You love that land.”

  “I do, Mom. It’s home to me,” she said and then went for it. “I’m going to have a baby.”

  “What?” There was a pause. “Oh, my goodness. You’re pregnant? I didn’t think…”

  “Neither did I, so it was a surprise. A good one.”

  “A blessed one,” her mother declared enthusiastically. “I’m so happy, I can’t even tell you. So happy for you. And for me. I didn’t think I’d ever be a grandmother unless you adopted or married a man with children. Are you getting married?” Her mother was rushing and gushing.

  Here came the hard part. “I’m in a relationship with the father, but I don’t know where it’s going, exactly.”

  “Do I know him?”

  “You do. It’s Jake Thorne.”

  “Oh!” her mother exclaimed. “Jake. It’s hard for me to think of him all grown up. What am I saying? Of course he is.”

  “You’re not upset about it being Jake?” she asked, a little nervous as she waited for the answer. All of the Thornes were well-liked, but Jake didn’t exactly have the best reputation for being serious when it came to women. She hoped that her mother wouldn’t hold that against him.

  “No, not at all. You know Laura and I were friends for a lot of years. We bonded over not being ranch women at heart. In the end, she adapted better than I did, but we were both married to men whose lives and identities revolved around their ranches. I think…I think Jake might be like that, from what I remember of him.”

  “He is,” Julia admitted, unsurprised at her mother’s concern. “But—”

  “But he’s a good man, too. I know that. Heart of gold and devoted to his family.”

  “Just say it, Mom,” Julia said, knowing her mother was holding something back.

  “Of the three Thorne boys, Jake reminds me of your father the most. He’d do anything for you, but he’s hardheaded and stubborn, too. And maybe doesn’t understand other people’s perspectives.”

  As much as Julia had loved her father, she knew that criticism of him was valid. “I’m not walking into this blind, Mom. I know what Jake’s like.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I…I loved your father more than I can say and I still miss him every day, but building a life with someone who doesn’t understand you is tough. Once there are kids in the picture, it becomes even more difficult. Just be careful, sweetie. Don’t rush into anything just because you’re pregnant. You know I’ll come and help you. As a matter of fact, you won’t be able to keep me away.”

  “Thanks. I’m counting on your help. And I’m not rushing into anything with Jake. We’re taking our time, and I know he’s stubborn, but he’s better than you think. You know I told you about him wanting to buy Twister and refusing to consider anything else? He changed his mind on that and we’re negotiating a stud fee contract.” She went on and told her mother other ways that Jake had seemed to change, including no longer following the plan set forth by his deceased brother.

  “That’s good,” her mother said when Julia was done. “Your father would never have changed his mind no matter what happened. Lord, that man was obstinate. I think you must be right about Jake.”

  They talked a little longer about the baby and other things before saying goodbye. Julia continued rocking as she looked out over her ranch. She admitted to herself that she’d cherrypicked the examples that she’d shared with her mother about Jake, focusing on the ones that showed him in a good light rather than the ones that made her want to tear her hair out in frustration. But she felt good about her relationship with him. When he did turn stubborn, sometimes it had been good. Like taking her to the hospital when she’d hurt her ankle or convincing her to go to the dance. That night had turned out just fine.

  Big questions remained, though. Would they live together? In what ways would his stubbornness be an issue?

  Things could be good between them, but as she’d told her mother, she wasn’t rushing forward. They had time.

  13

  “Thanks.” Julia smiled at Jake as he handed her a bottle of water. She’d taken one look at the buffet table laden with deviled eggs and orange punch with sherbet floating on the top and turned a little green.

  He’d quickly steered her to the other side of the ranch’s living room, which was decorated in pink for Caitlyn and Brian’s baby shower. The couple was expected to arrive any minute now. Jake would be glad to get this show on the road. He was excited about having a niece, but this kind of party really wasn’t his thing.

  “Julia was telling me about your agreement over Twister. He’s a great horse,” Alex Ramirez said when Jake joined them. The older rancher owned a spread on the opposite side of Darby Crossing and had done business with Jake’s father for years.

  “We’re still working out the details,” he said, not wanting to get into it. He’d been successfully avoiding going there with Julia since the night he’d shown her his bedroom.

  “I’ve switched to artificial insemination entirely,” Ramirez said. “I never thought I would, but times change.”

  “A lot of breeders have,” Julia agreed with him.

  “Safer for the animals and we catch the mares at their best chance of conception.”

  “I don’t care for it,” Jake said, unable to stop himself from commenting. “The research shows that conception is more likely with covering.”

  “You risk injuries that way, though,” Ramirez pointed out.

  “Nature’s been following that method since the beginning of time.” Jake didn’t see any reason to change what worked.

  “We’d be living without cars and electricity if humanity thought that way,” Julia argued, turning toward him.

  “Don’t be dramatic,” Jake said and saw Ramirez fade back. Wise man.

  “Dramatic?” she echoed. “All I’m asking is that we come to an agreement on the details of our transaction, put it in writing, shake hands, and be done with it. That’s not being dramatic. That’s business, which you claim you want.”

  “I do. I want Twister to mate with my mares, but we’ve got time to figure out the details.”

  “Do we? The clock’s ticking. Some of your mares will be ready soon. I’d think you’d be worried about that.”

  “And I’d think you’d be worried about where we’re going to live after the baby’s born.” He’d kept his voice low, but she glanced around anyway.

  “What’s there to worry about? I have a perfectly nice home in which to raise a child.”

  “I’m not arguing that. The problem is that I don’t live at your home, and I thought we’d be raising the baby together. Also, when are we going to tell people about the baby? I’m tired of keeping it a secret.”

  “Soon, okay? I’m just…” Her focus went to the front windows. The shower guests were all clustered around them. “What’s going on?”

  “Does it matter? We’re having a conversation.” He hadn’t intended to get into this with her right away, but it was too late to draw back.

  “We are, but our conversations don’t lead to decisions, and I’m getting tired of that.”

  “I don’t like to fight with you.” He felt the collar of his shirt chafing against his skin. “It makes me feel like I’m losing control of my emotions. Why can’t you just let me take care of everything?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by everything?”

  “You, the baby, the ranch. That’s what I was raised to do.” It was what his father had instilled in him and his brothers. They took care of their responsibilities. Why didn’t she get that?

  “And I was raised to value my independence. I won’t be controlled by you or anyone else.” Her face was turning red, which he knew wasn’t good for her, so he tried to dial it back.

  “I’m not trying to control you,” he said. “I’m trying to steer you to what’s right about Twister and the baby.”