pains.”

His father nodded. “Has she been hurting?”

“No, but she’s been getting sick.”

Slowly, his father’s lips curved. “Ah.”

Not sure what that meant, Patrick ate in silence. Every so often, he’d look over his shoulder to the doorway.

“Patrick.” Emma was at the doorway. No longer green, she had a strange smile on her pale face. His mother stood next to her with the same look.

He got to his feet. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?”

Emma rushed to him and threw her arms around his waist. “We...we are going to be parents.”

The room turned and tilted.

“There he goes.” His father’s voice sounded far away as he fell to the floor.

“Oh goodness.” It sounded as if his mother was laughing.

Patrick opened his eyes to a smiling Emma over him. “You fainted.”

“I passed out.”

His father chuckled. “Get up, Patrick. We have work to do. Let’s hope you don’t swoon off your horse.”

He sat up and hugged Emma, kissing her face. “You are expecting?”

“Yes.” She laughed. “It’s why I’m feeling so different and...moody.”

“I like some of your moods,” he whispered into her ear. When his father cleared his throat, he relinquished the hold on Emma and got to his feet. His mother hugged him and sniffed. “I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Ma.” Over his mother’s head, he noticed his father wipe at his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

For whatever reason, since marrying, he’d not considered children. Of course, he understood the mechanics of it, but hadn’t given it much thought.

So much had happened in the last months. Between the quick, unplanned marriage and the changes in Emma’s life, Davis’ death and such, they’d not had a chance to discuss the future much further than the next day.

Was it too soon to have a child? Patrick wasn’t positive he was ready.

There wasn’t much to be done about it now. Whether he and Emma were prepared or not, they were about to become a father and a mother to a child.

“When do you think it will happen?” He met his mother’s warm gaze.

“I would say probably late summer. Since Emma just began having notions. It’s probably early yet.”

He couldn't help reaching for Emma. “I should probably walk you home and put you to bed.”

“I am going to stay here for a bit and eat breakfast. I find that I’m very hungry now. Then I will go home and do what I normally do. I am fine. Don’t worry.”

His mother pushed at his arm. “Go on with your father. Emma will be fine. This is a most natural thing.”

With reluctance, he finally trudged out the door. Life certainly had a curious way of turning in different directions.

Once outside, he looked back at the house one more time.

His father was in the stables tightening the straps of the saddle on Patrick’s horse. Apparently while he’d dawdled, his father had time to saddle both horses.

“She’ll be fine, Son. I understand how you feel. Your mother and I had several arguments when I didn’t want to leave her alone at home all day. She was right. You arrived healthy and she recovered. Everything turned out fine.”

“Emma was so sick this morning.”

“I believe it. In many ways, women are stronger than we are. They carry another life in their bodies and continue on with the day-to-day tasks. Can’t see how they do it.”

Patrick was not convinced. To him, Emma was not just any woman, but a special part of his life and he would worry about her until arriving home every day. “I don’t think I’m ready for this, Pa.”

His father’s lips twitched. “You got married. What did you expect to happen?”

Despite his frown, he wanted to smile. “I suppose you and Ma aren’t as surprised as I am.”

“Nope.” His father mounted and looked down at him. “Actually, thought it would happen sooner.”

The day seemed to drag. Finally, Patrick could wait no longer. His father pretended not to notice when he urged the horse toward the stables. It seemed to take forever to brush down the steed, feed it and ensure it had a blanket over its back for the night.

He then had to see about the new horses that had been let out into the corral. Once again, he repeated the actions, taking his time to see that each horse was taken care of. By the time he walked toward his house, exhaustion settled in.

The lights from the windows cast a glow out to the ground. The curtains were closed so he could not see inside, but he imagined Emma was probably in the kitchen finishing up dinner.

At the bottom step to the porch, Patrick hesitated. Not wanting to appear eager, he took his time and walked up the steps slowly and then hesitated at the door.

When he stepped through the door, Emma looked up from her knitting. She smiled at him warmly. “I’ll get you some coffee. It’s mighty cold out there. I hope you are not out there the entire time without some way to stay warm.”

As she hustled about the kitchen making coffee and complaining about the weather, Patrick could only smile.

He caught up with her and pulled her to him, kissing her soundly. “How are you feeling?”

“You’re cold,” Emma said with feeble attempts to move away. Once again, he kissed her and slid his hands down her back. “Goodness, Patrick, what’s come over you?”

How could he explain to her how full his heart was? His joy was almost painful with happiness. “We’re going to be parents. Our family will grow,” he explained the obvious.

Emma let out a long sigh and pressed her forehead to his chin. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for it, Patrick. I don’t know the first thing about caring for a child. I’m afraid your mother will be tired of me running to her for help.”

“You may get tired of my mother here giving you unsolicited advice. I’m sure your mother will also be here constantly.”

He bided his time after warming up by the fire and while they sat down to dinner. Finally, Patrick had to tell Emma about his upcoming trip. He’d been dreading bringing up the subject since she’d been so moody as of late. Now with the news of her pregnancy, he wasn’t sure of her reaction.

“I’ve got a couple ranch hands that are going to go with me to get more horses. I am purchasing another six from Jane’s husband.”

“Oh?” Emma’s gaze met his, her brows drawn together. “When are you going?”

“I planned to go within a few days. But now, I am going to wait until next week. Just to be sure you’re better.”

Tight lines formed around Emma’s mouth. “You hadn’t spoken to me about it. You were planning to leave so soon and didn’t think I should know?”

Unsure of what to say, Patrick studied the food on his plate. In truth, he’d been delaying the discussion unsure of how she’d react.

“It will only be for a few days...a week perhaps...”

“A week?” Emma spoke softly, her eyes roaming the house. She nodded and placed her fork down. “I see.”

He’d considered she’d be sad, but her expression was unreadable. “I don’t want to upset you. Not right now with the babe...”

“I’m not upset.” Obviously she was, but he let it pass. His father had warned him that pregnant women could be hard to live with.

They ate mostly in silence as Emma concentrated on eating and then sipped tea while looking anywhere but at him.

With a huff, Emma stood and took her plate to the kitchen. Without a word, she went straight to the bedroom.

He hesitated for a few minutes, giving her time to get ready for bed and decided to give her a bit of time to calm.

“Emma! I’m going out to check on the horses.”

There was no reply, so he put on his jacket and went out.

The bedroom was silent as he washed his face and hands before undressing. He didn’t want to slide into the bed with cold hands and feet so he went to the small fireplace in the room and added a couple logs. Once the fire was going strong, Patrick warmed up with his hands outstretched.

Every so often, he’d look to the bed. Emma remained stubbornly silent. Usually at night while they lay in bed, she would ask him questions about his day or chat about projects and such.

“If you wish to go visit your mother, I can take you tomorrow.”

“No, thank you.”

He’d never been a patient man, so he went to the bed and sat down. “Emma. If you’re angry with me, then tell me why. I didn’t tell you about my trip because I wasn’t sure about the purchase until just recently.”

Again, she remained silent.

“It will only be a few days. If you wish, I can take you to stay at your mother’s.”

She sat up, her hair a tumble of curls cascading to her shoulders. Her pretty face was mottled and the frown made her even more beautiful. “I’m angry that you didn’t discuss the entire idea of purchasing more horses. I understand more than you think. I would have liked to know you are planning to breed horses and grow a stable. Your mother mentioned it, but even when I asked about the horses, you never explained your plans to me.”

Emma took a shaky breath. “And now you’ve been planning a trip and never once spoke to me about it. It hurts my feelings.”

“I’m sorry,” Patrick said and reached for her. She held out her hands, keeping him at bay.

“No. I do not forgive you this easily. Tell me why you haven’t discussed any of this with me?”

“I suppose the main reason I haven’t discussed it is because I am gambling a huge portion of our savings. If things don’t work out, it will take a lot to recover. It feels wrong to put the pressure on you. So much was happening in your life.”

When her gaze met his, there was only love in his eyes. Emma scooted forward and cupped his jaw with one hand.

“You come first, Patrick. You are the most important person in my life. I don’t want you to carry any burdens alone.”

If he’d been in love with her before, the feeling expanded to overflowing. Patrick could only nod as the lump in his throat did not allow for speech.

She shook her head. “I have lived in poverty all my life. It doesn’t scare me. I know you will take care of us.”

“How do you feel about a horse ranch? Do you think it’s a good idea? Appaloosas are a rare but sturdy breed.”

They discussed the pros and cons of horse ranching. Patrick was surprised at Emma’s insight. It seemed that although she’d been sheltered most of her life, she had paid a lot of attention to what happened at the neighboring ranches.

“There are already too many cattle ranches in the area and only more to come. I think horses will be needed for the work and if this breed is as sturdy and hardworking as you say, they will be in high demand.”

Later, as Emma slept, Patrick ran his fingers through her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. More content than he’d ever felt, he finally allowed sleep to claim him.