Pregnancy Plan (8 page)

“
What just happened? The last thing I
remember, we were discussing Michael,” she whispered against his
chest.

“
They call that, ‘Getting caught up in
the moment.’” He kissed the top of her head. “You are one amazing
lady.”

Jillian cuddled closer, but didn’t comment.
He grabbed the throw blanket and pillow from the couch to make her
more comfortable.

She settled. And with her in his arms, he
knew the moment she drifted off to sleep. After such a busy day, he
was amazed at how she continued to respond to him, giving herself
completely, never holding anything back. He’d learned during the
course of the day that she liked to please others, doing whatever
it took to keep them happy.

She’d given up her career after college to
stay at home and help take care of her dying mother. After her
mother’s death, she’d again given up her dreams of college to help
her grieving father manage his store. Her father, afraid of being
alone, had continually bombarded her with excuses to keep her from
leaving. To please him, she’d stayed, until finally his death had
robbed her of an exit. Granted, she could sell the store, but it
had always been apart of her life and a legacy from her parents.
Now, she was trying to please and support her brother along with
the whole town by creating the perfect little hardware store. And
every time they made love, she gave him her all.

What more could he ask for?

A commitment?

Yes, he wanted her, yet not for a day, or a
week, but for the rest of his life.

The problem lay in convincing Jillian it was
what she wanted. He would have to coax, persuade, and bully her
into marrying him.

His back hurting from lying on the hard
floor, he stretched and stood. Leaning back down, he wrapped the
blanket around her and lifted her onto the couch before he stepped
back into his clothes.

His gaze landed on her angelic face at peace
in sleep. His heart bled a little at the thought of her selling her
precious home. A loan could be hard to secure for a self-employed
person. And from the way she talked, she loved her home. How could
her brother ask her to give it up?

Derek brushed his lips against her
cheek. She didn’t budge. He headed for the kitchen.
Time to start dinner.
He also needed
to plan their future. After all, tomorrow was Monday, a perfect day
for a wedding.

****

Jillian woke to the sound of trumpets.

“
That’s my cell phone,” Derek
whispered and threw back the covers to exit the bed. She heard him
hustled across the room and his groggy hello. Then she rolled over,
with not desire to wake.

He had an insatiable sexual appetite. He’d
woken her several times during the night to satisfy his cravings.
She stretched out her leg finding a sore muscle she hadn’t even
known she had.

A tickling sensation by her ear caused her
to stir a few minutes later. She brushed the menace away with her
hand. Words buzzed in her ear. “Come on sweetheart, we have to get
up.”

She refuses the invitation, but felt him
leaning over her back. A hand skimmed over her hips and legs but
she didn’t have the energy to even open her eyes.

“
Go away.” Jillian tucked the pillow
closer into her chest.

The hand slid between her legs.

“
Don’t even think about it. I’m not
moving.” She crossed her legs and buried her face in her
pillow.

Strong arms rolled her onto her back. Her
fluffy protector ripped from her hands, she stared into a pair of
amused gray eyes.

“
You have to get up on your wedding
day.”

“
What?”

He smiled and exited the bed, leaving her
lying there confused.

She shook her head, hoping to clear the fog.
“What did you say?”

“
I said you need to get up so we can
go get married.” He yanked a pair of pants from a hanger in his
closet. He didn’t appear deranged.

Rising onto her elbow, she gawked at him.
“Are you kidding?”

“
No.” He stepped into his pants and
then grabbed a shirt.

Confused, she sat in the middle of the bed.
“Did I miss something?”

His intense gray stare nailed her from where
he stood at the end of the bed. “I don’t have time to argue,
Jillian. We’re getting married. Today.”

“
But...”

“
No, buts. If you are pregnant, I want
to be involved. I’ve been called back to my job and I need to leave
today. I want us married by this afternoon.”

She glared, not liking his tone. What made
him think he could order her around? She shoved her hands through
her hair. “I’m happy you want to marry me, but it really isn’t
necessary. I knew when I got into this situation that I’d be
raising my child alone.”

Naked with the exception of the sheet
covering her, Jillian felt exposed when his stern gaze scanned her
body. The domineering man she’d met over a year ago had
returned.

“
It wasn’t a request.” He stepped back
into the closet. The muscles in his back bunched when he reached
for something on the top shelf.

“
Derek, if you need to leave, its
okay.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger and held the
sheet in front of her like a shield. “But marrying me before you
leave isn’t necessary.”

He brought down a small wooden box and
carried it to bed. His face revealed his determination. No smile,
and thin lines marred his forehead.

Uncertain of his intentions, she watched as
he sat beside her and rummaged through the contents of the box.
When he found what he was looking for, he tossed the box on the
dresser and turned. His steel gray gaze nailed her in place and the
lack of emotion on his face hit her in the gut. She swallowed and
fisted the sheet tighter with her hands.

“
Jillian, I know marriage wasn’t in
your plans when we started this weekend, but I will not let our
baby be born without us being married.”

He snagged her left wrist. Her hand
trembled. “This is my mother’s ring. Before she died, she gave it
to me, and now I’m giving it to you.” He slipped it onto her
finger.

She examined the ring, which was a size too
big. Beautiful. A round ruby glimmered in the middle of the wide
gold band. Her voice broke when she spoke. “Please don’t do this,
Derek. We both know that it won’t work.”

“
I don’t know that, Jillian. I’m
willing to give it a try.” His rough tone stated his anger. “Why
won’t you?”

Tears blurred her vision, but she forced
words through her parched lips. “As much as I would love for this
to work out, I don’t think marriage is right for us. Maybe after
you return from your assignment, we can get together and discuss
it. But it’s too soon.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. He stood and
walked away without a backward glance. “No it’s not. We’re getting
married today.”

“
Jillian? Where are you?” Karen Ann
yelled from the front of the store.

Strolling down the aisle, Jillian gathered
her composure. She’d need all her acting skills to weather this
inquisition. Karen Ann, her best friend, knew her to well.

“
Here I am.”

Karen Ann’s voice rang from a distance, as
if she’d been heading in the wrong direction. “Where?”

“
Aisle three.” Jillian continued to
the front as her friend rounded the corner of aisle
nine.

The first words out of her friend’s mouth
were, “Well, how was your weekend?” She rocked on her toes, ready
with a million questions.

“
I had a very nice weekend. Thank you.
How about you?” Jillian strolled calmly past Karen Ann on her way
to the cash register.

“
Oh, come on. There has to be more to
it than that? Did you meet any one interesting? See that gorgeous
brother of yours?” Karen Ann drilled her like a military staff
sergeant. “Come on, give me the scoop. What did you do?”

“
Mmmm, let’s see.” Jillian paused for
drama and tapped her finger against her chin. “I met this extremely
gorgeous guy who spent the entire weekend making wild, passionate
love to me. Then he got on a plane and headed for the Middle East.
What can I say? A calm weekend over all.” If Karen Ann knew it was
the truth, she’d go ape-shit.

“
Yeah, right. Now tell me what really
happened.”

“
What, you don’t believe I had a wild,
passionate weekend?”

“
Get real.”

Jillian clutched her hands to her heart.
“I’m mortally offended.”

Karen Ann laughed as expected. “Sure, I
believe it.”

“
Thank you, I had a great time. Lying
in bed until noon, having a man wait on me, shopping until I
dropped, not one little worry entered my mind.” Jillian waved her
hand dismissively. “I couldn’t have cared less what was going on in
the small town of Gladewater, Texas.” She ducked her head under the
counter so her friend wouldn’t see her guilt over the
lie.

“
Does this guy have a
friend?”

She found a rag and rose. “No, he’s a
loner.”

“
Sounds familiar. Did your brother get
a hold of you? He called me Sunday looking for you.”

“
I talked to him last night after I
got home. He wants me to get some appraisals on the house. As
usual, he needs money.” Jillian shifted several items on the
counter, and then brushed the surface with the cloth. “Apparently
he has a stock going bad, and he’s strapped for cash.” She scowled
at the thought of getting appraisals.

“
Well, maybe if you buy him out, he’ll
leave you alone for money.”

“
Are you kidding? Michael can’t handle
his finances. Every time he’s ahead, he pulls another dumb stunt
and winds up needing money again. I love him dearly but
sometimes...” Jillian’s voice ended with a growl. She twisted the
rag as if wringing his neck.

“
Okay, so what did you buy in Dallas?”
Karen Ann’s face lit with a mischievous grin. “Anything
sexy?”

“
Oh my gosh, I didn’t even think of
that.”

“
Your lover didn’t complain that you
weren’t trying to entice him into bed?”

“
Funny, I don’t remember him
complaining.”

“
But you did buy some new clothes. If
I’m guessing right, that’s a new outfit.”

“
What do you think?” Jillian struck a
pose, moving back and forth like a model. “Do I look like the new
young and clever hardware store owner?”

“
Well—the young part seems
right.”

She noticed her friend’s normal attire
of blue jeans and a T-shirt printed with,
Why be shy? I want your body.

“
Thanks for the vote of
confidence.”

“
Gosh, Jillian, everyone knows you’ve
been running this store for the last two years. Your father only
showed up when he had nothing better to do. You don’t have to dress
up for everyone to respect you.”

“
Right. Then why do I still feel as if
everyone is waiting for me to fall on my face?”

“
You’re imagining that,” Karen Ann
argued. “We all know how hard you’ve worked to keep this place
profitable. What you really should be doing is going out and having
fun.” Her face brightened, and Jillian waited for her friend to
suggest something outrageous. “Why don’t we head over to Longview
tonight and take in a movie?”

“
Why not? You only live
once.”

Surprised by the response, Karen Ann rushed
with the details. “Okay then, I’ll pick you up about seven and
we’ll head out.” She hurried to the door. “Got to go. See you
later.”

She left the shop before Jillian could
change her mind. Laughing, she watched her friend leave. Amazed at
how easy the conversation with Karen Ann had gone, she mentally
patted herself on the back. She’d dreaded lying to her best friend
about her weekend. But then, she hadn’t really lied. Karen Ann had
just chosen not to believe the truth.

Of course, it’d come out soon enough if she
came up pregnant. Thinking about the possibility brightened
Jillian’s mood, and she got back to work. There were a number of
things to do before she could relax and enjoy that particular
adventure.

****

The lonely sound of a train whistle drew
Jillian’s attention. Out the front window, the train chugged
consistently down the center of the shopping area. Boxcars rocking,
wheels turning, slow and steady, it continued on its journey.

She stretched. She’d managed to restock saw
blades, tool belts, batteries, and rope this morning. But as usual,
the day had passed too quickly. She still had power tools and locks
to place on the shelves. Why was there never enough time to do all
the things that needed to be done?

Hearing the bell above the door ring, she
glanced up to welcome her customer from behind the cash register.
“Good evening, John Paul. How can I help you today?”

The tall, gangly teenager visited the store
regularly. His father, a plumber, sent him in to purchase parts for
his business.

“
Well—I was wondering—if you might be
looking for some part-time help.”

Jillian considered the idea as she watched
him shuffle on his feet. “Maybe. I hadn’t thought about hiring
anyone, but now that you mentioned it, I might just be in the
market for a good worker bee.”

If she was pregnant, she could use help
lifting heavy boxes. She widened her smile and judged his strength
to handle the job. “Know anyone who might be interested in a
part-time job?”