Chapter Twelve
The weekend had flown by, and as the days passed, Shiloh grew more and more attached to Drake. Hell, if she were completely honest with herself, she’d admit that she loved the man. He was always putting her needs first, and she’d thought it was because of the baby, but now she wondered if maybe he felt something for her too. Or maybe it was more that she hoped he did. The way he’d held her hand at the doctor’s office… She sighed as she thought about all the intimate moments they’d shared over the past few days.
Shiloh stared at the ultrasound picture Drake had framed for her desk at work. They hadn’t been able to tell if they were having a girl or boy because the baby hadn’t cooperated, but Doctor Thompson had agreed to try again in a few weeks. She’d gotten a good report, despite the fact she was still a little underweight. Her belly was started to round a little and she looked forward to being able to wear maternity clothes. Drake had been at the appointment with her and had held her hand the entire time. There had been such pride and love in his eyes as he’d stared at the image on the screen.
Charlie had been in the office an hour, but so far, they hadn’t discussed the incident from last week. Coming onto the jobsite today, she’d been nervous but not as fearful as she’d thought. The man responsible had been arrested and the foreman had personally escorted her to her desk. He’d introduced her to two other workers, both men he claimed were happily married and would watch over her. It made her feel a little safer, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel completely at ease around so many men ever again.
Not entirely true. She hadn’t felt that way with Drake at the ranch. The cowboys they’d seen were friendly and had never looked at her with anything other than respect. She knew that not all men were pigs, but it was going to be hard not to paint everyone with the same brush for a while. When her boss came out of his office and stopped at the side of her desk, she looked up from the framed picture on the corner of her desk.
“I’ve been making some calls this morning, and I have a few options for you,” Charlie said.
“Options?”
“I would love it if you remained here, but given what happened, I’ll understand if you’d prefer to move on. I called a few companies that I know are looking for office help. One has a receptionist opening so you’d only have to answer phones, and the other two have secretary openings so you’d be doing the same thing you do here. They know you’ll be out on maternity leave next year, and they were okay with it.”
“I don’t think I want to leave,” Shiloh said. “But I’m nervous about being left alone with the men. What if something happens the next time you go out of town?”
“I discussed it with my foreman, and we just can’t guarantee there’s not another rotten apple in the bunch, especially with the turnover we have. So, from now on, if I go out of town, I’m giving you time off. Paid time off. I don’t leave town very often, so it wouldn’t be much of an issue. We could see about having the phones routed to a cell phone you could take with you. And you could always take your laptop home in case you needed to look something up.” Charlie shrugged. “It’s the best I can come up with right now. If business keeps booming, I’ll hire another office worker and then you won’t be alone when I’m gone.”
“I’d like to stay, if that’s okay. I know it doesn’t make things very convenient for you…”
Charlie waved away her concern. “I like having you here, Shiloh. You’re a hard worker. If you want to stay, I’m happy to hear it.”
He gave her a nod of approval and then stepped into the kitchen. She’d cut back on her caffeine intake, but it didn’t mean the smell of brewing coffee didn’t still make her mouth water. She wished she could have some, but she instead glared at the bottle of water on her desk. Charlie had apparently bought a case of it and put some in the fridge for her, telling her they were for her and to help herself. She’d noticed a carton of orange juice, too, that hadn’t been there the previous week, as well as a bowl of fruit. Between her boss taking care of her at work and Drake taking care of her the rest of the time, she was starting to feel like a spoiled, pampered poodle.
She glanced at the clock and saw that Drake would be coming to get her for lunch in a few hours. He’d asked her to go a little later so he’d have time to shower and change after work. She wondered how his first day was going and wished she could see him in action again. When she’d hooked up a sergeant in the Army, who’d have known she was getting a cowboy in the deal too? Those butt-hugging Wranglers of his were definitely a sight to see, and the hat just made him even sexier.
Shiloh spent the next few hours filing, sorting, and entering data into her laptop. When Drake showed up, hair damp and a polo hugging his broad chest and shoulders, she stared a moment. He gave her that slow, sexy smile of his as he approached her desk, stopping right in front of her.
“See something you like?” he asked with a bit of humor.
“All the time, cowboy.”
“Ready for lunch? Or do you need to finish up first?” he asked.
“I’m ready. Anything left on my desk can wait until I return.”
Shiloh got her purse from the desk drawer and slipped her hand into Drake’s. She’d thought they would go to the diner, since it seemed to be a favorite of his, but he surprised her when he pulled to a stop in front The Roadhouse. He’d ordered out from there on their first night together, but she didn’t understand why they were here now. It was a little pricey for lunch, in her opinion.
“Are we celebrating something?” she asked.
“Maybe. Come on. They’re holding a table for us.”
Shiloh followed him inside, her curiosity piqued further by the secretive smile on the hostess’s face. The woman led them to a table in a cozy corner with a single rose in a vase. Shiloh hadn’t noticed flowers at the other tables and wondered if Drake had requested it. He pulled out her chair before taking a seat across from her.
“I have some good news,” he said.
“You love your new job?” she asked.
“Well, there’s that, but not what I was going to say. I talked to the contractor on my way to the motel and he said the apartment is ready. We can go home when you get off work tonight. I’m going to drop you off after lunch and go back to get Dusty and our things.”
“That was fast. Do you think everything was done correctly?”
“He had good references so I’m sure the work is fine. What I saw of it when I dropped off the paint samples looked pretty damn good to me. He finished painting last night was just putting all of the furniture and appliances back today.”
A waitress came to take their drink order and to leave two menus with them, and then hurried off.
“So, we’re eating here to celebrate moving back into the apartment?” she asked.
“That’s part of it.”
“Drake, just tell me what’s going on. I never did have the patience for guessing games, and pregnancy makes me even less patient.”
“Damn, woman. You’re going to ruin the surprise if you don’t chill out.”
She arched a brow but didn’t say anything.
When their drinks arrived, the waitress slid a slice of cake in front of her with white frosting and sliced strawberries on top. Shiloh opened her mouth to protest that she hadn’t ordered when she saw the look exchanged between Drake and the waitress, and noticed the other wait staff seemed to be watching them with interest. She glanced down at the cake again and gasped when she saw a twinkling diamond ring sticking out of the top.
Drake came around the side of the table and went down on one knee, taking her hand.
“I asked you once before to marry me and you said maybe. I know only a short time has passed since then, but I thought I’d try again, with a ring this time.” Drake smiled but looked nervous. “Shiloh, will you marry me?”
“Drake, I…” She glanced around the room before leaning toward him a little. “Are you sure? We don’t know each other that well. What if we can’t stand living together?”
“Sweetheart, I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure. I know things have happened fast between us, but I know I don’t want to live a day without you by my side. I’ve never said these words to anyone in my life, other than my parents, but I love you.”
Tears misted her eyes. “You love me?”
He nodded.
“But…”
Drake leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. “I love you, Shiloh. There are no buts, ifs, or maybes. I’m completely crazy about you and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. If you’ll have me.”
Shiloh wrapped her arms around his neck and cried against him. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
His arms tightened around her and then he was kissing her again. The restaurant broke out in applause as he pulled away and stood, smiling down at her. Drake wiped the tears from her cheeks, and then he pulled the ring from the cake and wiped the icing off with a napkin before sliding it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit, and she’d never seen a more beautiful ring.
“When did you even have time to go ring shopping?” she asked as he retook his seat.
“I bought it at the antique store. I thought it was more unique than the rings you see in the windows around town. The moment I saw it, I knew it was meant for you. Do you like it?”
“I love it.”
“If you don’t want the cake,” he said, motioning to the piece in front of her, “you don’t have to eat it. I just wanted to propose in a slightly different way. I still got down on one knee, but I know how much you love your sweets.”
Shiloh looked from the cake to her beautiful ring. Tears misted her eyes again and she hastily wiped them away before taking a bite of the dessert in front of her. By the time their food arrived, she was almost too full to eat it. What she didn’t finish, Drake sent back to work with her in case she got hungry before it was time to go home. She hated to return to the office, but she didn’t need to miss work on the day her boss returned.
Drake walked her back to her desk and pulled her into his arms for a knee-weakening kiss. When he pulled away, she didn’t want to let him go. Shiloh pulled him down for another kiss, not stopping until they were both out of breath and wanting more. A throat cleared behind them and Shiloh turned to see her boss watching them with a smile.
“Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off, Shiloh?” Charlie asked. “That sparkly bauble on your finger tells me the two of you have something to celebrate.”
“He asked me to marry him,” she said, smiling broadly.
Charlie chuckled. “And it looks like you said yes. Congratulations to both of you. Now, get out of here. I’ll see you at eight tomorrow morning. There’s just one more thing I need before you take off.”
“What’s that?” Shiloh asked.
Charlie tossed her a set of keys. “I need to give you the keys to your company car.”
“Company car?” she asked, her brow furrowed. “We don’t use company cars.”
“Fine. Consider it an early wedding and baby present. I can’t have you driving around town in that death trap of yours, especially when your baby arrives. You do enough errands for me that I think it’s justified. And before you refuse, you should know it isn’t brand new. I got it used, but it has low miles and was a one-owner vehicle. An elderly lady owned it and she’s unable to drive anymore so I got it for a steal.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to thank him and return the keys, but Drake edged around her to shake Charlie’s hand.
“Thank you,” Drake said. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get her to accept a car, but I knew she’d refuse one if I bought it.”
Charlie nodded and shook his hand. “Just do me a favor.”
“Anything,” Drake said.
“You get tired of being a cowboy, you come see me for a job. I always have openings, so I don’t want the two of you falling on hard times if you don’t have to. I’ve become rather fond of Shiloh since she started working here, and I’d like to help y’all anyway I can.” Charlie winked at her. “She’s like my pesky younger sister.”
Shiloh’s heart melted at his words. She remembered him speaking of his sister, and she was honored that he thought of her that way. Hurrying over to him, she hugged him tight and thanked him for the car. Part of her still wanted to refuse it, but deep down she really didn’t want to. Even sight unseen, she knew it had to be better than what she’d been driving.
“I’m going to have your old car hauled to the junkyard,” Charlie said. “So, anything you need from it should be removed before you leave today.”
“It’s empty,” Shiloh said. “I’ll leave the keys to it on my desk, in case the tow truck driver needs them.”
“Go enjoy your afternoon,” Charlie said, shooing them out.
She dropped her keys on her desk and made sure she had everything. When she got the parking lot, she hit the button on the key fob in her hand and nearly squealed when she saw the cute compact car in the lot that beeped. She didn’t know what kind it was, and she didn’t care. It looked brand new despite Charlie’s words, and she couldn’t wait to drive it. Sliding behind the wheel, she followed Drake back to the motel where they gathered Dusty, their things, and then checked out.
At the apartment, Drake made her wait in the car until he had taken everything inside, including Dusty. Then he walked with her up the stairs and covered her eyes before letting her into the apartment. He removed his hand and she gasped at how beautiful it was. She’d chosen a light teal for the living-room walls and an apricot for the kitchen and small dining area. It looked gorgeous with the new wood laminate floors. She explored the rest, checking out their bedroom, which was now a soft green, and the baby room, which was the same yellow Drake had painted it before the contractor had taken over.
The floor in the bathroom was a pretty beige color and made the space seem even larger with the light-lavender walls. She’d been surprised that Drake had allowed the color, but he’d given her free rein over the colors of the rooms. The only thing he’d picked was the flooring, and it was beautiful. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
“I love it. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived.”
“Even though we went with the wood in the kitchen instead of the tile?” he asked.
“I like the wood in there. And is it my imagination or did we get new kitchen appliances too?” she asked.
“They were kind of old. You keep telling me how much you love to cook, so I thought you deserved the proper equipment. That old stove never cooked things evenly, and the fridge was smaller than most. We lost a little cabinet space by adding the dishwasher, but with the baby on the way, I figured you’d appreciate one.”
She kissed him. “It’s perfect. I may never want to move from here.”
“You’ll change your mind. Especially when I pull up the website I was checking out the other night. There are tons of house plans on there that we could order to have our place built.”
“I just want to enjoy this place for now.” She smiled. “But I’ll let you know when I’m ready to consider a house.”
Drake nibbled along her jaw and down her neck. “What do you say we christen our newly renovated apartment? I even put new bedding in our bedroom.”
“Why, Sergeant Edwards. Did you renovate this apartment just so you could get in my pants?”
He winked. “You found me out.”
Shiloh shook her head and followed him to the bedroom. As if the man had to spend thousands of dollars to fix up the apartment to get her to sleep with him. All he had to do was wear those tight ass jeans of his and she was putty in his hands … and she was fairly certain he knew it too. Damn smug Texas cowboys.
Drake slowly undressed her and pressed kisses to her slightly rounded belly.
“I think you and this baby are the best things that ever happened to me,” he said.
“Who’d have guessed that when the asshole ex stranded me here that I’d end up knocked up on my first night in town? I have to say, despite how scary it was to find out I was pregnant and alone, I wouldn’t change a single thing.” She narrowed her eyes. “Except that one email.”
He gave her a sheepish smile. “How about I send you an email every day for the rest of our lives, or until email is obsolete? And I promise they’ll only say the best of things, like how much I love you and can’t live without you.”
“I’m going to hold you to it.”
Drake pulled her into his arms and kissed her until her toes were curling. When she’d landed in Gulch Springs, she’d thought her life was too fucked up to recover. But she’d found great friends, and a man she loved more than anything. Life had never been so sweet before. Shiloh had something she’d never had before. Family. And she was going to hold on with both hands. Her sexy sergeant turned cowboy was everything she’d ever dreamed of, and for once, she was looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.
The End
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