Baby My Baby (A Ranching Family) Read Free

impending arrival of Ash Blackwolf served only to unnerve her.
    “So get out of here and do something about it,” she ordered.
    Taking a deep, steeling breath, she left her room, meeting Linc in the hallway just outside her door as he said his last good-night to his son.
    The middle Heller son was a tall, handsome man who’d just agreed to give up his wandering ways and settle down—or what he considered settling down—to open a honky-tonk on the edge of town. He was the less serious of her two brothers, the lighthearted, good-time-Charlie, and he met her with a grin to prove it.
    “I need to talk to you and Jackson,” Beth said in a hushed voice so as not to disturb her nephew.
    “Sounds serious,” Linc answered, his tone anything but.
    “Downstairs,” Beth instructed, leading the way to the wide-open, slate-tiled foyer of the sprawling house that was evidence of Shag Heller’s success in both ranching and business. Jackson was standing in the sunken living room near the big-screen television, checking the listings for the evening’s programs.
    “Beth wants to talk to us,” Linc informed their older brother.
    Jackson resembled Linc, though he was a shade better looking, just the way he was a shade taller. Both men had the sparkling blue eyes, sharply planed faces, and the dent in their chins that had distinguished their late father.
    But appearance was the only similarity between her brothers, for temperamentally, Jackson was more like Shag—serious, down-to-earth, no-nonsense. It wasn’t surprising to have him set aside his program guide, turn off the TV, cross his arms over his chest and home in on her with an expression solemn enough for a war summit.
    “It’s about time,” he commented to Linc’s announcement. Little got past Jackson, and Beth knew that if either of her brothers had guessed her condition, it would be him.
    “I have a problem I need you guys to help me with,” she said. “I...” It was harder than she’d thought to say this. But Shag Heller would not tolerate pussyfooting around and she’d learned her lessons from him well. She cleared her throat and blurted, “I’m pregnant.”
    Linc took his wallet from his back pocket and handed a twenty-dollar bill to Jackson, who accepted it without taking his eyes off Beth for more than a moment.
    “Are congratulations in order?” Linc asked, sounding partly as if he were teasing and partly as if he honestly weren’t sure the sentiment was appropriate.
    Jackson frowned at her. “What I want to know is, who’s the father and where the hell is he?”
    “That’s what I need to talk about. Ash is the father.” No money changed hands, this time. Beth was glad to know they hadn’t been betting on that subject, at least.
    “How’d that happen?” Jackson asked.
    Linc threw him a look and shook his head. To Beth he said, “Black-and-white. Everything is black-and-white with him, just like with old Shag.” To Jackson, he said, “When hearts and hormones are involved, anything can happen. Anytime. One of these days you’re going to run into a filly who’ll teach you that.”
    Jackson just stared darkly at him for a moment before pivoting his gaze to Beth again as if he was still waiting for an answer that made sense.
    Beth had no intention of giving one. “The point is, I’m about five months along, but until the day before I left the reservation and finally saw a doctor, I thought stress was causing...my symptoms. So, of course, when I found this out, the divorce was final.”
    “But the baby’s still Ash’s,” Jackson reminded.
    “Well, yes, but that doesn’t really make any difference—”
    “It sure as hell does.” Again this from Jackson.
    “Will you let her talk?” Linc asked.
    Jackson remained stoic but silent and she went on.
    “I couldn’t reach Ash to tell him, so I finally sent him a note.” Beth drew yet another deep breath, shoring up to hide the uncertainty she really felt about being a single mother.