Chapter Ten
“I’ll get the door.”
Seth darted in front of Presley, practically knocking her over in his haste to be the person that opened the door to room service. It was the same behavior that his son displayed when the phone rang at home. Ben wanted to answer it even though he didn’t have anything to say.
After their sexy sojourn in the jetted tub, they’d both fallen asleep on the big king-sized bed. As working parents of young children, they simply didn’t get enough sleep. When they’d awoken, she’d unpacked for both of them while he tapped out text after text, presumably to his deputies that were covering for him this weekend. By the time she’d finished, she was ready to go out and play. She wanted to walk down the strip and see the sights.
Seth, however, had been dead set against the idea, telling her he wanted a quiet dinner. Just the two of them.
He must have romance on his mind. Me too.
Which was fine with Presley. As much as she wanted to explore, she wanted to explore her husband’s fine body even more. There would be time to be a tourist tomorrow.
But first…she missed her little munchkins. The sloppy kisses and the big hugs. Even the stubborn chins and the pleas for another cookie. Seth’s parents were fabulous grandparents but she needed to talk to her babies and see for herself that they were okay. That had led to a Skype call with Ben and Lulu where she was relieved to see they were happy and content. Giggling, they gave her kisses through the screen which she tearfully returned. She was having fun with Seth but not having her children where she could see them wasn’t something she was used to. After the call, Seth had held her as she’d sniffled a little bit, telling her that the kids were doing great and everything was wonderful. And he was right. It was just unusual.
When they were done, she’d ordered dinner and champagne from room service and slipped on one of her prettier long nightgowns while they waited. Worn on her first honeymoon, it was blue silk with ecru lace around the neckline, and it hugged her figure while still being somewhat demure. A matching peignoir completed the set and she knotted the belt while the waiter wheeled in the delicious smelling food. Steaks, potatoes, grilled mixed vegetables, and a decadent chocolate mousse that she was planning to spread on select areas of her skin so she could watch Seth lick it off. If she couldn’t see Cirque de Soleil then she’d damn well see her husband’s skillful tongue.
Seth signed the check and closed the door behind the waiter, the Do Not Disturb sign in place on the door handle outside. Presley was anticipating quite a night but she was definitely going to enjoy a meal she didn’t have to shop for, cook, or clean up afterward. There wasn’t a chicken nugget in sight either and that made it even more special.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she said, lifting the silver domes off of the plates. Even more steam wafted out and her stomach growled its appreciation. “I’m starving. Why don’t you open the champagne?”
Scowling, Seth lifted the bottle from the ice bucket. “You ordered champagne?”
“I thought it would be romantic.” She’d seen him drink it, although the last time might have been at Dare and Rayne’s wedding over a year ago. “We’re celebrating.”
He frowned at the bottle as if it had done something to offend him. “You’re planning to have some too?”
Perhaps her husband had hit his head recently. “Of course, I love champagne. Why would I order an entire bottle if I was planning on just watching you drink it?”
“But you can’t drink it.”
The way Seth said it was as if there was no question about it. It was fact. She couldn’t drink the champagne. Period. End of story. So sad, too bad. Reaching into the recesses of her memories, she tried to remember the last time she’d drank champagne. Perhaps she’d embarrassed herself and got sloppy drunk, singing bad karaoke and telling everyone how much she loved them.
“Why?”
“Because you can’t,” Seth said again, this time more firmly. “It wouldn’t be healthy.”
“But just for me? Not you?”
Placing the bottle back in the ice bucket, Seth moved closer and reached for her hands.
“You don’t have to pretend, Presley. I know. I was hoping you’d tell me this weekend.”
Now she was completely confused. She wasn’t pretending about anything. Carefully placing the silver lid back on the dinner plate she gave Seth all of her attention.
“Tell you what?” she asked, watching his expression closely. Whatever it was that he thought she was keeping from him, he didn’t seem angry or upset about it. On the contrary, he was looking at her tenderly, and even his touch was loving and gentle.
A step closer and this time he leaned down to brush his lips softly over hers.
“About the baby.”
The baby. The baby. The baby?
“The baby,” she repeated carefully, trying on those words for size. “So you know all about the baby?”
He nodded and tugged her into his arms, holding her tightly against his body. “I found the test in the trashcan, or rather outside of the trashcan when Fergus dragged everything out of it the other day. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me.”
Oh no… Oh God no…. He thought… Shit.
Is this why he’s been acting strangely?
But he didn’t let her speak, his own words rushing out like a tidal wave of emotion. “I admit that I was shocked at first because we’d talked about this and said no more, but then I really thought about it and I have to say that I’m happy about it. I mean, you’re a great mom and any baby would be lucky to have you.” He held up his hand as she opened her mouth to talk…stop him. Anything but let him go on and on. “I know it’s not going to be easy, honey. What with my crazy hours and helping out more on the ranch since Dad retired. Add in you starting your own business, but I know we can do this. Ben will be in first grade by the time the baby comes and Lulu can go to Mom and Dad’s a few days a week. They’re always saying they want the kids more. And I’m going to be more help around the house, I promise. I know I make plans and then sometimes I don’t see them through but I’m going to do better.”
Tears stung the backs of her eyes and she had to blink to keep them from falling down her cheeks. The sweet, loving, wonderful, romantic fool. He’d been thinking about this for days and had said absolutely nothing. Didn’t he know her? She couldn’t have kept it a secret for five minutes, let alone days or weeks. It just showed how much the thought of having a third child had scrambled his brains.
Now she had to burst his beautiful bubble and she felt like the worst person in the world to do it. She should have thought about the pregnancy test in the trash but honestly it hadn’t crossed her mind. She’d had too many things to think about on her to-do list to think about what Seth might discover if for some reason the dog dragged the trash through the house.
Suck it up, buttercup. You can’t let him go on thinking this.
Taking him by the hand, she led him over to the couch, setting next to him on the cushion. She kept a hold of his hand, stroking his knuckles with her fingertips in what she hoped was a soothing motion. Because she was about to upset him. No doubt about that.
“Seth,” she began, her voice trembling with a combination of disappointment and fear. “Honey, I’m not pregnant.”
Her husband didn’t say anything for a long moment, seemingly not comprehending her words.
“What? I saw the test.”
“I’m not pregnant,” Presley said again as gently as she could. This was going to shock him no matter what but she could at least be kind about it. “The test you found in the trash wasn’t mine. It was Eliza’s. You know that she and Alex have been trying for the last few years. She was late and came over, nervous about taking the test. She’s had so many come out negative and I think she just wanted a friend’s shoulder to cry on when this one did too. But this one…didn’t.”
The air seemed to go out of him and his whole body seemed smaller. “Oh. I…I’m happy for them.”
Running her fingers over his square jaw, she didn’t take her gaze away from him, watching every nuance of his expression intently. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry that you thought that test was mine. It never even occurred to me that you would. Eliza took two tests that day. One she wrapped up and took home to show Alex and the other she put in the trash. We were both so excited for her I didn’t even think about Fergus dragging it out and spreading it all over the bedroom. I’m so very sorry, babe. Can you forgive me? I never meant to put you through something like this.”
Never in a million years would she have done something so cruel on purpose. She’d ripped the rug out from under him and she felt horrible. She couldn’t apologize enough and she’d be making this up to him for a long time.
Shaking his head, Seth sucked in a breath. “It’s not your fault. Of course you couldn’t have foreseen what would happen. I could have spoken up that day as well but I was just so shocked. I wanted you to have your surprise announcement like you did with Ben and Lulu.”
He still didn’t look okay, his skin sort of pasty.
“I’m still sorry,” Presley insisted. “I had no idea you were thinking that I was pregnant. It explains so much.”
It really did. All the strange behavior now didn’t look so weird. He’d been freaked out about a third baby.
But that left them at a crossroad.
They’d decided two children was enough but apparently, Seth was maybe now thinking he wanted a third. Something she hadn’t given any thought to since they’d make their decision and given away the bottles and the crib. He’d even promised to get a vasectomy, although he’d found about a half dozen excuses for postponing it. Perhaps it hadn’t been the idea of having his boys worked on; it had been the thought of no more babies that had made him delay. Did he only agree to stop at two because that’s what she wanted?
Rubbing the back of his neck, Seth grimaced. “I was shocked at first and felt kind of guilty. I know I was the one that was supposed to be taking care of protection.”
Giggling, Presley reached up to briefly kiss his mouth. “That’s something we never seem to have time for but it also explains why you haven’t been worried about it the last few times.”
A smile curved his lips and he chuckled along with her. “I thought the barn door was already open so to speak, but that doesn’t explain why you didn’t think about it.”
A true statement. She hadn’t been thinking about it at all. It literally had not crossed her mind at any point. Was that a Freudian thing? Did she secretly want another baby? Or was her husband such a stud she could barely form words and sentences, let alone actual logical thoughts?
“I can never think straight when we’re making love.”
She couldn’t lie about it because he was well aware of how he affected her. Talented asshole, but she loved every minute of it.
Her handsome husband grinned in response. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m not thinking all that clearly when we’re together either.”
Her throat tightened and she couldn’t stop herself from asking. “Still?”
“Still,” he whispered, lifting her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “And forever. Baby, you’ve got to know that I go crazy for you. I can’t get enough of you.”
She traced patterns on his chest with her fingertip. “I was thinking that maybe…you might be bored. That I wasn’t exciting enough anymore, not as unpredictable and spontaneous.”
Laughing, Seth shook his head. “Trust me, babe, you’re still a bundle of trouble. My life hasn’t been the same since the day I met you and I don’t want to go back.”
“You don’t miss the order and control?” she teased, remembering that first day in the office when he hadn’t wanted to make any changes. He’d had a big stick up his butt and it hadn’t been easy to extricate it. “You don’t miss the peace and quiet? If we had a third child you might never get another good night’s sleep ever again.”
Seth groaned, presumably at the thought of many sleepless nights. “Am I an awful person to say that I’m kind of relieved that you’re not? I do like a good night’s rest.”
“You’re not terrible,” Presley insisted. “We both know that there would be some wonderful things about having another baby—that’s why making the decision was so hard. Do you–do you want to reopen the discussion?”
Shaking his head, Seth tightened his hold around her. “No, I think we made the right decision for us and our lives, but if you were pregnant I just want you to know that it would be okay.”
If it happened they’d be fine. They’d adjust and welcome the new baby into their lives. There was more than enough love in the Reilly household to go around.
“So this is why you’ve been acting so strangely lately,” Presley laughed. “I’ve been thinking that you were replaced by some sort of clone or maybe a well-crafted artificially intelligent robot. Lately you’ve been doing some weird stuff. Like the other night, for example. Why were you out on the back porch in your bathrobe talking on the phone?”
In a split second Seth went from happy and smiling to an expression carved from granite, any mirth or contentment wiped away. Her husband was like this so rarely it immediately set Presley on edge, goosebumps rising on the flesh of her arms.
She’d been right. There was something going on. Something besides a baby. And it wasn’t a positive thing either.
“You might as well just tell me because I’ll find out sooner or later.”
Levering up from the mattress, he rubbed at his forehead and paced the space in front of the sofa. She let him gather his thoughts, not pushing him to speak before he was ready. Seth liked to get his ducks in a row. Finally, he paused and turned toward her, his hands in fists at his side.
“I’ve been acting this way because Danny Harbaugh was paroled from prison about a week ago. I killed his wife and he’s sworn vengeance.”
It was the worst part of being a sheriff’s wife. Never knowing if he’d come home at night. A chill ran up her spine but she was determined not to show him her unease. She was strong and she could handle this. She had every day since she’d married him.
“He’s threatened to kill you?”
Scraping his fingers through his hair, Seth closed his eyes for a long moment. “Kind of, but it’s more than that.” His eyes opened and he pinned her with his gaze. “Baby, he’s threatening to kill you. He wants you dead and that’s why I brought you here. To get you out of Harper.”