Standing on her parents’ front porch, with Esther bundled in her arms, the twins bickering and Wyatt wrangling Mabel who kept insisting she didn’t want to wear any clothes, Natalie wished herself back to her former, sane life. The salon had been stressful enough. An impromptu dinner invitation from Opal and Bud probably wouldn’t prove relaxing.
“Aw,” Opal opened the door wearing her favorite pink apron and a supersized smile, “don’t you all look pretty! I heard about your big day at the beauty parlor.”
“My lady almost stabbed me to death,” Bonnie said, barging into the house, removing her coat only to toss it on the floor.
“Hey,” Wyatt scolded. “Pick that up and ask Mrs. Lewis where she’d like you to hang it.”
“Yeah,” Betsy said. Her stylist had given her Shirley Temple curls. Ever since, she’d been in princess mode. “Ladies always hang their coats.”
Bonnie stuck out her tongue.
“We didn’t know you were coming,” Opal said to Wyatt.
“Hot!” Mabel plopped her behind onto the living room carpet, tugging at her shoes and white tights.
“You’ve got your hands full.” Natalie’s father, Bud, took the twins’ coats. “Wyatt. Opal may not have been expecting you, but it’s always good seeing you. It’s been a while.”
“Yessir, it has.” The men shook hands. Natalie had been pleasantly surprised when Wyatt volunteered to accompany her. Though at times he exasperated, flustered and mesmerized, more often than not, he was becoming a true friend.
The house was an old-fashioned ranch, featuring formal living and dining rooms and a big country kitchen. It had mostly beige decor, so the tall, dark-suited man seated on her mom’s “fancy” sofa stood out like a lone orange-garbed OSU fan at an OU game.
“Honey,” Opal practically dragged Natalie across the room. “I’d like you to meet my friend Alice’s pride and joy, Ian. He just returned from Iraq and isn’t sure whether to start a ranch or pursue something else. Either way, I knew you’d want to meet him.” To Wyatt she said, “I appreciate you dropping off Natalie and the girls, but if you have things to do, we’ll understand if you can’t stay for dinner.”
Wyatt waved off her concern, extending his hand to Ian, “Good to meet you. Thanks for serving.”
Ian nodded. “Glad to meet both of you.”
With Mabel still stripping, the older girls came over to investigate the new guy. “I’m Bonnie and this is my twin, Betsy. She looks just like me. ’Cause we’re twins.”
“That’s cool,” Ian said. “I’m glad to meet you, too.”
“I just had my hairs decorated,” Betsy said, fluffing her curls. “I’m gorgeous. But Bonnie didn’t get her hairs done, so she’s ugly.”
“Am not!” Bonnie roared. “You’re the ugly one.”
“Oh my.” Fingering her pearls, Opal said, “Girls, would you like to watch TV in the den?”
“No, thank you.” Betsy checked herself out in the mirror hanging behind the sofa. “I want everyone to see how pretty I am.”
“I’m nekked!” Mabel had finally gotten her way and ran, laughing and waving her arms, wearing nothing but the big red bow in her hair. “Nekked! Nekked!”
The night went downhill from there.
During dinner, Esther pitched the mother of all infant fits. Mabel put corn up her nose and Bonnie declared herself on a hunger strike. Betsy announced she was on a movie star diet and ate only mashed potatoes.
By dessert and after-dinner coffee, Esther had thankfully fallen asleep in her carrier and the twins took Mabel to watch TV.
“Whew,” Bud said, sipping at his French roast, “those girls are quite a handful. Natalie, bet it makes you glad for having a man around the house—even if Wyatt is only temporary.”
Natalie swallowed a groan.
Opal cleared her throat. “Ian told me he once volunteered to coach his base’s Little League team. He’s very good with children. In fact, his mom told me he won an award for his charitable activities.”
Looking as if he’d like to crawl beneath the table, Ian said, “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Sure was,” Bud added, “he even won a plaque.”
Their guest ducked behind his coffee cup. “Since it’s getting late, I should probably go.”
“Already?” Opal complained. “At least let me get you a piece of pie to take home. Your mother has been hounding me for my recipe for years, but it’s a family secret. Natalie knows my banana cream recipe, though. Don’t you, honey? My Natalie is a very accomplished cook.”
Forcing a smile, Natalie said, “Ian, it was a pleasure meeting you. Good luck in whatever career path you choose.”
“Thanks.” The poor guy looked as put off by her mother’s transparent matchmaking technique as Natalie had been. “Wyatt, I might give you call about my folks’ abandoned wells. With oil prices so high, might be worth the cost to reopen a few.”
Wyatt withdrew his wallet, offering Ian a business card. “Anytime.”
With Ian out of the house, Opal attacked. “Honey, isn’t he handsome? And so accomplished. When I heard you’d just gotten your hair done, I knew this was the perfect night for you two to meet. Although I didn’t expect Wyatt to tag along.”
Natalie stood, stacking dessert plates to take to the kitchen.
Bud said, “Honey, don’t be upset with your mom. Time is ticking for you to find a father for your baby.”
As if to remind them he was still in the room, Wyatt cleared his throat.
“Damn it.” Fuming, Natalie slammed the dishes in the sink with enough force to snap the bottom two. “For the last time, I’m fine raising this baby on my own. Craig’s leaving was horrible. Why would I ever put myself—let alone my child—in the position of being walked out on again? Because trust me, even if I did suddenly find a husband, what’s to stop him from leaving? What man in his right mind would even want to father another man’s baby?”
Opal began to cry.
Of course, Bud put his arms around her.
Who comforted poor, pregnant Natalie? No one.
“THAT WAS QUITE A tongue-lashing you gave your folks.” Long after they’d put the girls to bed, Wyatt found Natalie nursing a cup of her favorite mint tea. She shrugged.
“You really feel that way? Like just because you’re pregnant, you’re damaged goods?”
Sipping her tea, she asked, “Any chance of you leaving me alone? Because I’m pretty sure you once said the same.”
In response, he hefted himself onto the counter, pillaging the contents of the cookie jar. “It’s not really my business, but Nat, you’re an amazing woman—inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have you and your son.”
Any man, but not you. As soon as the thought hit her head, Natalie fought to erase it. What had happened to her to go from hating Wyatt to considering him to be one of her closest friends? Possibly even more? What would happen when Dallas and Josie returned home, ending the cozy family scenario she and Wyatt had formed? “Please, leave me alone.”
“No can do.” Hopping off the counter, he joined her at the table. “Wanna take a walk?”
“Love to, but we can’t leave the girls alone.”
He thumped his forehead. “Rookie new-dad mistake.”
“But you’re not a dad.”
Once her statement sunk in, his smile faded.
“As soon as Dallas and Josie return, we’re out of here. The dumbest thing you ever did was not going to Africa. You could’ve had a fresh start. A clean slate. Isn’t that what you want?”
“Yeah, Nat. You nailed it.”
She moved to freshen her tea.
“Is there any subject you won’t overanalyze?”
She poured steaming water from the teapot into her mug, then dunked her tea bag. “Is there any analysis you won’t question?”
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Wyatt woke the morning of New Year’s Eve to find all hell breaking loose in the kitchen. At 5:00 a.m., not even the kids were out of bed, so what was a barn-big pregnant woman doing on a rickety stepladder? “Seriously, you need to get down from there.”
“Don’t tell me what to—” She turned too fast, in the process losing her balance.
He caught her in time to avoid major damage, but not fast enough to save her ankle from twisting.
Natalie winced, grabbing his T-shirt for support. “Ouch.”
A roll of paper towels fell from the niche above the cabinets, bouncing off the counter to hit the floor.
“Out with it. Why on God’s green earth were you up there cleaning?”
“Your mom’s going to be home soon. I don’t want her thinking I haven’t properly cared for her beautiful house.” She made a motion for the towels, but her ankle wasn’t having it.
“Sit,” he requested.
For once in her stubborn life, she did as he asked. A quick inspection showed some swelling and what he guessed was a minor sprain.
“How is it?” It hadn’t occurred to him, but from her current awkward angle, she couldn’t see her ankle past her belly.
“You’ll live, but probably need extra rest.”
“No time.” She pushed up, only to have him urging her back down. “Wyatt, seriously. Josie’s due to be released any day. Dallas in a week. Even though Georgina will no doubt hire round-the-clock nurses to help, she won’t have time to do the basics. Plus, the patients need an ultraclean environment for—”
“Are you aware you’re rambling and sound loopy?”
“You’re an ass.”
He pulled around the chair opposite hers, propped her leg on it. “I’ve been called worse. You’re not nesting, are you? Because I read about it in that pregnant lady book of yours, and if you are—nesting—it’s too early.”
Eyebrows raised, she asked, “You’ve been reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting?”
“You don’t have to look so shocked. I figure as long as we’re stuck together, I need to know the score. Just in case.”
For the longest time she sat staring, then burst out laughing. “And you call me crazy?”
“Because I care?”
“Why? You have no stake in this baby. Odds are, just as soon as Dallas and Josie get home, the two of us will go back to seeing each other only on special occasions.” Hands protectively over her belly, her eyes shone with unshed tears.
How did he begin to explain that the more he was around her, the more he wanted a stake in her baby. He had no rational reasoning. Nothing but a vague sense that when it came to Natalie and her son, he didn’t want to miss a thing. Wyatt wanted to be a friend to her, a mentor to her kid. Only how did he do all that when he had no right?
Fate had been pretty clear about the fact that he shouldn’t be a father. It didn’t matter that during his time with his nieces, he’d not only enjoyed himself, but had done a good job co-parenting. From the start, he’d known this job would end. As for being a full-time dad, Wyatt knew literally and figuratively he didn’t have it in him. But Lord, how he at least wanted the chance to try.
Forcing a deep breath, he said, “Cash called last night.”
“What’d he want?”
“He told me Wren isn’t working tonight, but her idea of a celebration is to stay home, lounging in front of their TV. Cash wanted to know if we’d like a night off. If so, they’ll watch all of our girls.”
“All of them?” Eyes wide, she asked, “Even wicked little Bonnie?”
He laughed. “I know, I was shocked, too. But hell, I figure if they’re dumb enough to offer, we should be smart enough to take them up on it.” Giving her shoulders a light massage, he asked, “Well? What do you think?”
She nodded.
WITH HER CHARGES GONE, Natalie took her time getting ready. She lounged forever in her bathroom’s deep tub, then squeezed herself into one of Josie’s sequined maternity gowns. She curled her hair, sweeping a portion up, letting the rest fall in soft curls.
In the kitchen that morning, Wyatt had been right. She had succumbed to temporary insanity. More than anything in the world, she wanted to spend the last night of the year acting as carefree as Wyatt’s kisses made her feel.
After all, what was the worst that could happen? She was already pregnant.
An hour later, Wyatt had transported her to Grange Hall’s annual New Year’s Eve party. She’d been to a half-dozen or more, but never had she seen the old place look more festive. Tiny white lights had been strung from the rafters, and black, white and silver balloons provided sophistication to the homespun buffet comprised of potluck classics.
“We forgot to bring a dish,” she said, wishing her ankle wasn’t throbbing. It didn’t help that the heels she’d borrowed from Josie were a half-size too small. What did help was holding on to Wyatt’s strong arm.
“The case of champagne out in the truck is our dish. I wanted to get you settled before bringing it in.”
“I can’t drink champagne.” Which was sad, because she loved it.
“That’s why I also grabbed a case of sparkling cider for teetotalers like you.” He guided her to the nearest black-clothed table. “Be all right here until I get back?”
“Fine.”
Upon his return, in between servings of hash-brown casserole and beef stew, laughing with old friends and explaining too many times that not only were they not a couple, but Wyatt wasn’t her baby’s father, Natalie was tired, but almost glad for the few awkward turns the night had taken. Had it been too perfect, she might’ve let down her guard, daring to hope for more from Wyatt than this one, special evening.
“I’ve wanted to dance with you for hours,” he said, holding her in his arms beneath a shimmering disco ball. Swaying to a slow song, she forgot her ankle hurt and remembered the sensation of falling in love. Only she wasn’t fooling herself by believing for a second that’s what was happening. She and Wyatt had shared a lot, but love would never be theirs. “I think I already told you, but in case I haven’t, you look amazing.”
“Thank you.” Smiling up at him, she said, “You’re looking awfully spiffy in your suit.”
“I want to kiss you.”
Then why don’t you? Mouth dry, she forgot to breathe.
“But after we’ve told all these fine folks how we’re just friends, I suppose we should behave.”
Aren’t you the one always urging me to be bad? “You’re right.”
“But when the clock strikes twelve…well,” he chuckled. “It wouldn’t be right ringing in the new year without a proper kiss.”
“I agree.”
Once the countdown started, they gravitated closer and closer. The crowd vanished. All Natalie remembered was her hunger for this man’s lips to graze hers.
Three…
Closer.
Two…
Closer.
By mutual unspoken agreement, they skipped one and went straight to their own personal celebration.