“I believe you, Sophie. If the baby is mine, I’ll take care of it. Of both of you.”
If the baby is mine? What did he mean by that?
“If the baby is yours? Who else would be the father?” She pushed against his shoulders and he dropped to one side of her.
“Don’t take that the wrong way. It didn’t come out the way I meant.”
“Oh, gosh. I understand,” she quipped as she struggled to get out of the sleeping bag. “I guess you found out about all those other guys I’ve been with since May,” she spat out sarcastically. “Oops.”
“That isn’t what I meant,” he said.
“I don’t need anyone to take care of us, and unless you believe in modern-day immaculate conception, I assure you this baby is yours. Let me up.”
He immediately withdrew his muscled legs from over hers and she pushed to her feet.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going home.”
She headed for the sofa, stubbing her little toe on its leg. In the semi-dark, she groped for her jeans and her shirt.
“And just how are you going to do that?”
“What do you mean, how am I...?”
“Sophie, we’ll go home first thing in the morning, as soon as it’s light. Now come back over here and let me keep you warm.”
For a few long moments she sat on the couch, shivering. She didn’t want anything from him, including his warmth. But she had to think of the baby. Muttering, she limped back to the sleeping bag and got inside. His arm came around her, bringing with it the heat from his large frame.
“You’re shivering,” he said as he pulled her closer, his powerful leg again draping over hers. “You know what? Roll over on your side. If we spoon, I can keep you warmer.”
Sophie released an aggravated sigh and did as he asked. Did he really think the baby wasn’t his? How could he think that? He knew the hours she kept. If she’d been going out on a date, he would know it.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” Clay whispered, as if he could read her mind. His right hand rested against her stomach. After a few silent minutes, he asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“It’s too soon to tell.”
“Hmm.” And with that he laid his head down on the shared pillow.
Sophie didn’t move. Clay hadn’t yelled at her or gotten mad; his surprise was a given. But he seemed to accept it. So far. In fact, he’d accepted it a lot better than she’d thought he would. Not that he had a lot of choice. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, especially at the time she did. She had just been caught up in the overpowering love she had for him.
What would he do now? Would his mood change in the morning? And how should she handle it either way? Sadly, in part because of his comment, the thought crossed her mind again that her time with Clay might be drawing to a close. She fully intended to go back home to Indiana and give her mom what support she could. Would Clay care one way or another, aside from the fact that he’d be losing a good assistant? That was very sad. At least he hadn’t denied it was his. And now he knew, so perhaps the worst was over. Tomorrow or the next day she would have to tell him she was leaving. She hoped the news would bring as much acceptance and understanding as learning he was about to be a father. But somehow, she doubted it. She closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. Maybe things would look better in the morning.
* * *
“Sophie,” Clay called to her. She shook her head, not wanting to talk.
“Sophie, I need you to look at me,” he persisted. “Come on, honey.”
She moaned her unwillingness and tried to recapture that plateau, that heady ambience she only felt in Clay’s arms.
“Come on, darlin’.” Slowly her eyelids parted, as her mind struggled to do as he asked.
“Hey, there you are.” He smiled.
Her gaze was rooted to his mouth. Those lips. Her arms reached up, over his shoulders. Her fingers felt the short hair at the back of his head as she pulled his mouth down to hers. He kissed her long and deep then placed a quick kiss on her forehead and sat back. She noticed he was no longer inside the sleeping bag. In fact, he was dressed and ready for the day.
“Come on, Sophie. Wake up. It’s morning. We need to be on our way back to the ranch.”