Dylan hadn’t been the least bit nervous about introducing Emma to his brother and sister-in-law until they turned off on to their ranch road. He knew his seven-year-old niece Ivy would like Emma. Ivy liked everyone. And Belle and Emma shared a common baby bond. It was Harlan he worried about, even though they had already met. And he hadn’t been concerned up until his conversation with Wes yesterday morning. Granted, a lot had changed between him and Emma since then, but Wes’s concern that Dylan was repeating old patterns bothered him. He didn’t see any similarity between Emma and Lauren, but Wes had. Now he wondered if Harlan would, too.
Ivy greeted them before Emma had a chance to step out of the truck. “You’re having a baby, just like Belle!” The little girl danced in front of them on the snow-packed drive. “Do you know if it’s going to be a boy or girl?”
“It’s a girl.” Emma shared in Ivy’s enthusiasm.
“Do you have a name yet?”
“Not yet. But I have to choose one soon.”
“You could always name her Ivy.” His niece grabbed hold of Emma’s hand and led her through the back gate of his brother’s white clapboard farmhouse. “Dad, Belle! Emma is having a baby!”
“Ivy, use your inside voice,” Harlan warned from the top of the porch steps.
“But I’m outside,” she protested.
Harlan rolled his eyes and stretched out his arm. “See what you have to look forward to? It’s nice to see you under better circumstances. You look much better than the last time I saw you.”
“Yeah, about that.” Emma grimaced. “I’m sorry I screamed and cursed all the way to the hospital. I’m surprised I didn’t shatter your eardrums.”
“No worries. I’ve heard much worse. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Harlan slapped Dylan on the back. “Hey, man. You actually look a little more relaxed since I last saw you.”
“Is Emma having your baby?” Ivy asked.
“Enough,” Harlan warned again. “Why don’t you take Elvis for a walk?
“Come on in.” Harlan held the door open for them. “Belle will be down in a minute or two.”
“Here I am.” His sister-in-law pulled Emma into an all-encompassing hug. Dylan didn’t know Emma well enough to know if she was the hug-everyone-you-meet type or not. Belle hadn’t been until her pregnancy. “How far along are you?” Belle wrapped her arm around Emma’s shoulder and steered her into the living room.
“Well, that’s the last we’ll see of them until dinner.” Harlan opened the fridge and handed Dylan a beer. “What’s going on? Wes told me you and your arch enemy have gotten pretty hot and heavy.”
“I wouldn’t say she’s the enemy, anymore. I think we’ve come to an understanding.” Dylan twisted the top off his beer and flicked the cap into the garbage can. “She knows I’m not going to sell.”
“Does she?” Harlan asked.
“Yeah, why?”
Harlan shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“No, if you have something to say, say it.”
“Did you know Emma was in town today?” Harlan asked.
Dylan nodded. “She was buying things for the baby and Billy Johnson’s kids.”
“Okay.” Harlan opened the oven door and peeked in. “Honey, you may want to check the lasagna. It’s looking a little brown on top.”
“I’ll be right there,” Belle called from the living room.
Dylan held up his arms. “You can’t leave me hanging. What are you not telling me?”
“Get out of the way, you two.” Belle swatted at them. “Pregnant woman coming through. This room isn’t big enough for all of us and my belly.”
Emma laughed from the doorway. “Wait until you reach thirty-three weeks. And I hear we get even bigger.”
“I wouldn’t mind so much if I didn’t have to pee every two seconds.”
“Really?” Harlan looked at Belle. “We’re getting ready to eat and you’re talking about your bathroom habits.”
“What habits? I made a statement, that’s all.” Belle opened the oven and quickly closed it. “Okay, dinner’s ready. Here.” She thrust two potholders at Harlan’s chest. “You can take it out.”
“Did you know, I’m her new manservant?”
“And he’s not too happy about it. The doctor doesn’t want me around any animal urine so that means this one here has to clean up after all my little ones at the rescue center when my volunteers aren’t available.”
“I’m sorry, that cow is not little. Neither is your three-hundred pound pig.”
Emma laughed at Belle and Harlan’s banter, but Dylan couldn’t help wondering what his brother wasn’t telling him about Emma. She hadn’t mentioned going anywhere else in town, not that he expected her to report to him. She was free to go where she wanted. Still, something was amiss and he was going to find out before they left tonight.
* * *
EMMA COULDN’T FIGURE out what had changed between the time they arrived and the time they sat down to eat. Dylan had barely said two words throughout their meal. He’d glanced at her a few times, almost questioningly. Their tension began to make her feel uncomfortable and she could see the uncertainty in Belle’s face as she wondered what was going on, as well. She was fairly certain Dylan had bad-mouthed her in the past, but they were past that now, weren’t they?
Dylan and Harlan retired into the living room after dinner while Emma helped Belle clean up the kitchen. She had tried to hear what they were saying, but couldn’t make out a word.
“Emma, please sit down. You don’t have to help me. Your feet must be killing you at this stage.”
“They were until I bought bigger boots. When I got here, I actually had to borrow somebody else’s. No one told me my feet were going to get bigger during this whole process.” Emma waved her hands in front of her belly. “And names. How do you choose a name for your child?”
“Tell me about it. How many names do you have on your list?” Belle asked. “I have hundreds and I can’t manage to narrow them down. It doesn’t help that we’re waiting until the birth to find out the sex.”
Emma shook her head. “I don’t even have two.”
Belle stared at her. “You have one name on your list? Doesn’t that make it really easy then?”
“No, because I keep second-guessing it. I liked it and now I hate it, but I haven’t come up with anything else.”
“Whatever you do, don’t ask Dylan for baby name advice. If he’s anything like Harlan it will be something off-the-wall like Aloysius.”
“Aloysius?”
Belle’s brows furrowed. “It was some great-great uncle of theirs from way back when. Harlan said it was unusual enough to stand out and not worry about another kid in class having the same name.”
“No doubt,” Emma agreed. “Can I ask you something just between us?” Belle didn’t owe Emma any loyalty, but she needed a logical explanation to explain Dylan’s sudden mood change.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Dylan... Does he tend to—how should I put this?”
“Brood?”
Emma sagged against the counter. “Yes.” She lowered her voice. “Exactly that.”
“I’ve known him for almost my entire life, and the man he is today is much more jaded than he used to be. He tends to see the negative before the positive. It’s my understanding you’ve already seen that side of him.”
“That’s an understatement.” After the heartfelt talk he had with her stomach this morning, she had thought they had turned a new corner in their relationship. She still didn’t know how to define it, although Dylan had hinted about making things official. Official as in dating. At least that’s what she thought he meant. Because he couldn’t possibly mean marriage. That was out of the question this early in the relationship. She didn’t even know if they had a chance of dating past New Year’s, let alone walk down the aisle. She didn’t want to spend two seconds to say “I do” and then have to spend two years trying to say “I don’t” in divorce court. At least that’s what some of her coworkers had told her about their marriages.
“I’d like to tell you to take things day-by-day with him, but I know you two are pushing time. That is, unless you decide to move to Saddle Ridge.”
“Let me get through this pregnancy first.” Why did everyone make it sound so easy?
Emma filled Belle in on her Braxton-Hicks scare until Dylan and Harlan joined them. Dylan refused to make eye contact with her as they said their goodbyes. What could possibly have happened? At this point, it wasn’t just frustrating, it was annoying the hell out of her.
“Thank you both for having me.” Emma nodded to Harlan and gave Ivy and Belle a hug goodbye. “And don’t forget to send me that vegetarian lasagna recipe. It was really good.”
“I will.” Belle called from the porch. “You two should drive around town and see the Christmas lights while you’re out. Only four more days until Santa comes.”
“I’d love to see the lights.”
Dylan wordlessly held the car door open for her as she eased onto the seat. She was about to open her mouth to ask him if they could drive around for a while before heading back to the ranch when he closed the door. So much for that conversation.
Emma may be relatively new to town, but she knew her way around. The way they were heading home was definitely the most direct route and not to see any Christmas lights.
“Okay, Scrooge. Do you mind telling me what happened back there? You were fine when we arrived and then you weren’t.”
“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked.
“Like what?”
“Like, I don’t know, maybe how you went into town today and pulled the plats on my ranch and Barnaby Holcomb’s. I can understand you pulling the plats on my land, although you should have them already. At least your office should. But Barnaby’s? I’m sure he’ll find out about that. This is a small town and news like that spreads faster than green grass through a goose.”
Emma didn’t know what to say. She clasped her hands on her belly and faced forward. If he could get this judgmental without discussing it with her then they had a problem.
“I guess it’s true, then.”
“You tell me. You seem to have already made up your mind.”
“I had told you I wasn’t going to sell. So why would you do that? It puts me in a really bad position.”
“Because it’s my job, Dylan. I spoke to Charlie earlier and he asked me to pull the plats on the Holcomb ranch so he could see the land survey. It doesn’t matter if you were planning to sell or not. I’m not just answering to Charlie. I have to answer to a group of investors. If it goes south, I have to detail the reasons why and what I did to prevent it. Just be glad I’m the one here from my firm. They are already clamoring to take my place. You thought I pressured you? They would’ve swarmed like vultures around you.”
“No, they wouldn’t have. I would’ve thrown them off my ranch. Just like I—”
Emma snapped her head in his direction. “Just like you what? Should’ve done with me?”
“No. I was going to say just like I had tried to do with you.” He tugged off his gloves and adjusted the heat. “I feel like a damned fool taking you to my brother’s house and then hearing that.”
Emma began to feel lightheaded. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying her best not to raise her voice. “How do you think I feel knowing I sat at your brother’s table and neither one of you trusted me?” The thought alone made her feel sick. “You both made me feel about as welcome as a skunk in church.”
“How can we have a relationship if there isn’t any trust?”
“We can’t. So let’s put it all out there.” Emma fought against her seat belt in an attempt to gain more air. “You’re only mad at me because if Barnaby Holcomb hears I pulled the plats on both lands he’ll think I did it for you. And you don’t want anything to jeopardize that offer, do you? Why didn’t you tell me you received another bid on the ranch?”
“I knew it. How did you find out?” Dylan pulled into the supermarket parking lot and shifted the Wagoneer into Park. “I haven’t even discussed that with anyone.”
She unbuckled the blasted restraint and turned to him. “I overheard you and that man talking when I snowshoed out to the stables yesterday. Seriously, Dylan, if you don’t want people listening in, I suggest you hold your meetings in a more private place like...oh, I don’t know...maybe your house or your office. I waited over twenty-four hours for you to tell me about that offer and you haven’t said a word. You probably still wouldn’t have unless I brought it up.”
“I didn’t tell you because I haven’t made a decision. It’s a nice offer to fall back on, but it’s not exactly what I had in mind. I would have preferred a partnership with Barnaby instead of relinquishing control of Silver Bells, but it was an all-or-nothing deal. I still have so many ideas for the ranch. I’m not ready to give it up.”
“What if I said you could have your dream ranch?”
His icy laugh crackled between them. “Did I suddenly win a lottery I don’t remember entering?”
“My firm has increased their offer by $100,000 and will guarantee employment for all current employees. While it won’t be immediate employment at Silver Bells, we are willing to pay relocation fees if they want to work at one of our other investment groups resorts anywhere in the world.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” Emma couldn’t see how he could refuse the offer when it gave him the freedom to build whatever he wanted. “It would be a great opportunity for them. And you could buy your dream guest ranch here or elsewhere. You don’t have to split the money with anyone and with the extra hundred grand, your options just increased exponentially. Imagine the possibilities.”
“How can you preach to me about honesty? When were you planning to tell me this? After I told you about my offer?”
“My boss had asked me to tell you last night and get back to him today with your answer.”
“So why didn’t you?” Dylan rubbed the sleeve of his jacket against the fogged window.
“Because you invited me over for dinner and to decorate the Christmas tree in your uncle’s memory. I wanted to honor him as well without ruining the moment with business.”
Dylan’s shoulders sagged and Emma believed she was finally getting through to him. “Fair enough. But I still don’t understand why you pulled the plats. Oh, my God, they want Barnaby’s ranch, too, don’t they? Or was his a consolation prize in case I didn’t sell?”
“It was a combination of both. If you don’t sell and we present the investors with equally suitable land, the deal will remain intact. Just with different owners. And if you sold to us, we would try to purchase his land and expand the original design.”
“And you would get your promotion.”
“Yes, I would, but it wasn’t about that.”
“Whose idea was it to go after Barnaby’s land? Yours or your boss’s?” Dylan asked.
“I presented the idea and Charlie gave the go-ahead to pursue it.” Emma swallowed and patted her belly. The butter bean was beginning to rock and roll inside her and Emma wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand the pressure. “You should be happy. In the end, you’re getting what you want. You never wanted to sell in the first place.”
“This is about you being honest with me, Emma. At least now we know neither one of us has been completely honest with the other.”
Emma waved her fingers at the car keys. “Hey, the butter bean’s not too fond of our conversation. We need to get back to the ranch.”
“Are you all right?” Dylan started the engine and shifted into gear before taking her hand. “Do you need me to drive you to the hospital?”
“No.” She continued to breathe. “It’s just Braxton-Hicks again. I know what it feels like this time around.”
“If you’re sure?”
“Just drive, Dylan.” Why did men always have to argue when you needed them to do something? “You still haven’t answered me. What about my offer? It’s pretty substantial.”
“You seriously want to talk about this now?”
“As long as we both stay calm, we might as well get this over with once and for all. You’ve heard my final offer. What’s your final answer?”
“It was never about the money,” Dylan said under his breath.
“No, I thought it was about your employees. We’re offering them a tremendous opportunity, and you’re refusing to give them the chance to even consider it. I could understand if after you had sat down with them, put it on the table and they said no. But for you to make that decision for them...” Emma shook her head. “That tells me this was about your stubborn pride from the beginning.”
* * *
DYLAN PARKED AS close to the lodge’s entrance as he possibly could. Before he could get out of the Wagoneer, Emma had opened her door and was testing her ability to stand.
“Here, let me help you to your room.” Dylan gripped her firmly by the elbow.
“I’m fine.” She shrugged out of his grasp. “Please just go home and leave me alone. You bring out the contractions in me. I’ve had enough for one night.”
“I’ll let Sandy know what’s going on so she can check on you.”
Emma swatted goodbye over her shoulder as if he were a mosquito she was trying to kill. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
He understood Emma’s annoyance, considering he was once again the reason she was in this condition. Nonetheless, he watched her through the glass doors as she made her way up the stairs and to her room. He tugged his phone from his jacket pocket and punched in Sandy’s number. He knew she was busy with her wedding plans, but he needed someone to check in on Emma during the night and there was no way she’d allow him anywhere near her. Which was fine by him. They needed some distance.
After speaking with Sandy, he called Melinda for good measure. And then he called Harlan to fill him in on the details. He loved his brother dearly, but Harlan may have overreacted a tad to the situation, which in turn had damaged Dylan’s relationship with Emma. He couldn’t blame his brother for being suspicious. It was his nature as an officer of the law to question everything, but neither one of them had had the facts. He couldn’t fault Emma for doing her job. He may not like it, but it was her job and he had known that before they got involved. He couldn’t expect her to put her livelihood behind his.
He’d been an ass. And a first-class one at that. He needed to make it up to her, and there was only one way he knew how. He unlocked the front door of the house, flicked on the lights and tore through the stacks of paperwork on the kitchen table until he found it. The drawing he had sketched of the rocking horse for Emma’s baby. And on the back, a cradle. He may never have the opportunity to see the butter bean use them, but he wanted her to have something special that he had made with his own two hands.
Dylan ran back down the front porch stairs, almost wiping out in the process. He drove the Wagoneer farther down the road to his log cabin, and pulled around back near the woodshop. Christmas was in four days, technically three once midnight rolled around. Both were fairly basic designs, but he needed to start now, if he planned to have them finished by then. That is, if she didn’t pack up and leave in the morning. There weren’t many hotel-type places to stay in town. But Whitefish and Kalispell weren’t far and he was sure they’d have vacancies available. Then he ran the risk of never seeing her again. And he couldn’t bear the thought.
Dylan ran his hands over a couple pieces of mahogany he had set aside for a special project. He didn’t know what could be more special than Emma’s baby. He already missed the butter bean and they hadn’t even met yet. Hopefully he’d still have that chance.