If the Ring Fits
Cindy Kirk
“WE’RE ONLY MARRIED ON PAPER.”It was a shriek heard around the world. Single mum Mary Karen Vaughn woke up in Las Vegas with a ring on her finger. A fulltime nurse raising three small boys, she had no room for romance. Although there was Dr Travis Fisher, whose sexy allure always set her hormones on fire.One second Travis was a confirmed bachelor vowing never to marry or have kids. The next, he willingly walked down the aisle! In the light of day, they opted to forget their night of wedded passion. And they were doing just that when, suddenly, forgetting became impossible…with two babies on the way…
“We need to talk.”
Travis wasn’t so easily dissuaded. With gentle fingers he tipped her chin up then kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I was wrong to leave you behind in Vegas.”
“You didn’t have a choice.” Mary Karen’s fingers played with a button on his shirt. “You had a plane to catch. So did I.”
“If I’d have stayed we could have gotten the marriage annulled. I know how much you wanted to get that done while we were still there.”
Her hand dropped. “I’m glad now that we didn’t.”
Travis frowned. He must be more tired than he realized. Surely she hadn’t just said she wanted to stay married.
“Don’t get me wrong. I still don’t think marriage between us would work,” Mary Karen continued as if she’d read his mind. “Unless you’ve had an epiphany and changed your mind about children?”
Her tone was light but her blue eyes were dark and serious.
“I love your boys, M.K. You know that. But I’m not interested in spending the next twenty years raising children.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“About the annulment. I think—”
“No annulment.” Mary Karen shook her head, her gaze now on the full moon. “I’m pregnant.”
Dear Reader,
When I wrote the first book in the RX FOR LOVE miniseries, The Doctor’s Baby, I brought in Mary Karen and Travis as secondary characters. In the next two books, In Love with John Doe and The Christmas Proposition, they reappeared as part of this close-knit group of friends.
Though I’d initially planned to write only three books set in Jackson Hole, I found there were other characters clamoring for their own stories. At the top of the list were Mary Karen and Travis. I’d developed a soft spot in my heart for the young doctor with the quirky sense of humor and the mother of three very challenging little boys. I wanted to see them get together and have the happy ending they deserved.
I hope you enjoy their love story!
Warmest regards,
Cindy Kirk
About the Author
CINDY KIRK has loved to read for as long as she can remember. In first grade she received an award for reading one hundred books. Growing up, summers were her favorite time of year. Nothing beat going to the library, then coming home and curling up in front of the window air conditioner with a good book. Often the novels she read would spur ideas, and she’d make up her own story (always with a happy ending). When she’d go to bed at night, instead of counting sheep, she’d make up more stories in her head. Since selling her first story to Mills & Boon in 1999, Cindy has been forced to juggle her love of reading with her passion for creating stories of her own … but she doesn’t mind. Writing for Mills & Boon
Cherish
is a dream come true. She only hopes you have as much fun reading her books as she has writing them!
Cindy invites you to visit her website at www.cindykirk.com.
If The Ring Fits
Cindy Kirk
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my mother-in-law, Marfae.
Thanks for all your love and support. You’re the best!
Chapter One
The sound of rushing water jolted Mary Karen Vaughn from a sound sleep. Still, she resisted the urge to open her eyes. She’d been having the most delicious dream, and she wasn’t ready for it to end. Instead of a quickie—like they’d shared at last year’s Christmas party—she and Travis had made love for hours.
She smiled, knowing that was just wishful thinking, er, dreaming. Every time she and the handsome doctor had sex it had been fast and furious—a physical release for both of them. He was a bachelor with a busy schedule, and she was a single mom with responsibilities. Both of them had an image in the community to uphold.
Though she knew it wasn’t possible, the past couple of times she’d found herself wishing he could hold her for a few more minutes, whisper how beautiful she was just a few more times.
A popular ob-gyn, Dr. Travis Fisher might be one of Jackson Hole’s most eligible bachelors but Mary Karen didn’t think of him in those terms. He was simply Travis, a dear friend since childhood and a fabulous lover. Back when she was in college, they’d dated a couple of times. She’d really wanted it to work out. But she had wanted a family some day and Travis, well, after helping raise seven younger siblings, he couldn’t see kids in his future.
Mary Karen let her eyes drift open. After her divorce they’d renewed their friendship and he’d become her occasional lover. It only made sense he’d play a starring role in last night’s mai-tai-fueled dream. Rolling to her side, she realized with a start that she was naked beneath the silk sheets. She smiled. A little rum was obviously a dangerous thing.
It was too bad Trav wasn’t here. He’d have enjoyed the view … and gotten all sorts of interesting ideas.
Mary Karen stretched, liking the feel of the sleek sheets against her skin. This vacation had been three days of pure bliss. Most people came to Las Vegas to gamble, but Mary Karen had been content to sit by the pool and read. A couple times guys had tried to pick her up but she wasn’t interested. This was her time away from kids and all she wanted was peace and quiet and no distractions.
As she lay, looking at the ceiling, it struck her that the running water had stopped. Earlier she’d sworn that the sound had been coming from her bathroom but had dismissed the ridiculous thought almost immediately. The truth was the walls in the luxurious room on the Las Vegas strip were just way too thin.
Mary Karen’s lips quirked upward. Being too thin was a problem she’d like to experience at least once in her life. Although she was still a size six, her belly had a slight pouch and she was more curvy than willowy. Still, for a twenty-six-year-old mother of three, Mary Karen thought she looked pretty darn good … especially now that she’d had some R & R.
After spending the past two days in her new red bikini by the pool, her normally pale skin now had a golden glow.
Winning this trip in a raffle had been just what her body and soul had needed. But today the fun ended. She had to head home in a couple of hours.
While she’d had a wonderful time, she’d missed her sons. And from the hitch in their little voices when she’d spoken with them yesterday afternoon, they missed her, too. But they’d cheered up when she promised she’d be home tonight. With an eleven-o’clock checkout, she needed to get packing.
Pushing back the sheet, she sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed.
“You’re awake.”
Mary Karen whirled. She gasped and grabbed for the sheet, pulling it over her breasts.
“It’s a little late for modesty, M.K.” Travis strolled across the bedroom, clad only in the towel wrapped around his waist, his sandy hair still damp from the shower. “That horse left the barn a long time ago.”
Mary Karen could only stare.
At slightly over six feet, Travis was more wiry than muscular. He had a fair complexion with freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose. This morning his hazel eyes, which normally always had an impish gleam, were somber.
He crossed the room and the mattress dipped as he took a seat beside her. Tiny droplets of water still clung to his chest. He smelled like soap and shampoo and that indefinable male scent that sent sparks dancing through her blood.
Then she recalled the rest of last night’s dream. A sick feeling filled the pit of her stomach and she began to shake. Could she really have been so foolish? While she’d made some big mistakes in her life, this one would top them all. She’d been buzzed last night but definitely not drunk. Acting out her wildest fantasies in bed with a man she considered her best friend she could handle. But standing before a Bible-wielding Elvis …
Mary Karen searched Travis’s face. The despair that suddenly filled his eyes told her what she didn’t want to know.
“Tell me we d-didn’t.” She couldn’t quite control the tremble in her voice. “Please, Trav. Tell me we didn’t.”
Instead of answering he reached over and lifted her left hand. The emerald-cut yellow diamond on her finger caught the morning light.
“I wish I could say this was one of my jokes.” His attempt at a chuckle fell flat.
Her heart thundered in her chest and the room began to spin. “This can’t be happening.”
“You and I were married last night, M.K,” he said, squeezing her fingers. “Now we have to figure out what we’re going to do about it.”
Four weeks to the day later, Mary Karen left her sons in front of the television with their favorite video playing and locked the door to her home’s only bathroom.
She caught sight of herself in the mirror as she placed the sack on the edge of the sink. The hard-won tan from Vegas had already faded and lines of stress edged her eyes. For the past week, she hadn’t been able to sleep, worried what this test might show.
For as long as she could remember she’d been right-on-the-dot regular. A person could set their clock by her menstrual cycle. But when the day she was waiting for came and went just like any other, she knew she was in trouble. Now it was time to know if what she suspected was true. Her hands shook as she completed the test.
Mary Karen could count on one hand the times she’d been truly afraid. The first was when she’d been a child and had wandered away from her parents in Yellowstone. The second had been when Steven had told her he wanted a divorce. The twins had just turned two and she’d been pregnant with Logan. And then there was … now.
The walls of the tiny room closed in around her. A bead of sweat trickled down her spine. Her heart pounded so hard she felt lightheaded. Mary Karen told herself to look at the stick but her eyes refused to cooperate.
Marrying Travis and celebrating with a night of passionate sex had been a crazy thing to do. She barely remembered how it had happened. One minute they’d been laughing and enjoying a drink by the pool—one drink—the next they’d been saying their vows in front of a judge who looked an awful lot like the King of Rock and Roll.
If Travis hadn’t been leaving Vegas for his annual medical mission trip, they’d have gotten started on an annulment while they were still in Nevada. Instead she’d had to wait for him to return to Jackson Hole. Now that he was back they could finally work on putting this mistake behind them. What had the attorney she’d contacted said? It would be like the whole thing had never taken place….
Mary Karen took a deep breath and lifted the stick to eye level.
Her heart stopped for several seconds then resumed beating. Louder and more frantically. She tried to tell herself it could be a false positive, but she knew better. She’d been pregnant twice before and the signs were all there. The nausea. The fatigue. The emotional roller coaster.
Tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She pushed a bucket of bath tub toys out of the way and turned on the water full force. The last thing she wanted was for her boys to hear her crying and worry.
Dear God, she couldn’t have another baby, she just couldn’t.
Though it would be easy to make Travis the bad guy, even in her despair Mary Karen knew she had only herself to blame. Fertile Myrtle … that’s what her brother laughingly called her. Both of her previous pregnancies had occurred when she’d been on the pill. She should have insisted Travis go out and buy some condoms before she let him touch her.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
She beat her clenched hand against her aching chest and the river of tears turned into a torrent. Breathing grew difficult as a sob blocked her throat.
“Mommy.” A small fist pounded on the locked bathroom door. “I hafta go potty.”
“Mommy,” another childish voice called out. “Open the door. Logan has to go real bad.”
Mary Karen swallowed the sob and took a shuddering breath. Her hand fumbled for the box of tissue. She blew her nose and swiped at her eyes before shoving the pregnancy test supplies into the plastic grocery bag. Only after she’d tied the sack shut did she open the door.
“I’m sorry, honey.” She stepped aside as her youngest rushed past.
Even though Logan was too focused to pay her much attention, the twins waiting in the hallway were much more observant.
“What’s wrong?” With his golden curls and big blue eyes, five-year-old Connor could have been a poster boy for one of God’s chosen angels. Until you got close enough to see the devilish gleam in his eyes.
“Your eyes look funny,” he said almost accusingly.
“Your face is red,” his identical twin, Caleb, chimed in.
“I, I had something in my eye.” Mary Karen dabbed the last of the tears away with the tissue clutched in her hand. “Like you did, Cal, last week. Remember?”
“It hurt.” Caleb nodded, accepting her explanation without question.
Connor wasn’t so easily fooled. His blond brow furrowed and suspicion filled his gaze. “If you got something in one eye, why are both your eyes red?”
Instead of answering, Mary Karen dropped her gaze. “You have chocolate on the front of your Spider-Man shirt. Did you get into the M&M’s?”
Connor blinked but was spared having to answer when Logan emerged from the bathroom, toilet paper stuck to his sneakers, a big smile on his face. “I went poopy all by myself.”
Even though he was three, this was indeed a big deal. After almost five years, her home was finally a diaperfree zone.
But for how much longer? Mary Karen shoved the fear aside and gave her child a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
Logan gave her five seconds before he began to squirm. “Let go.” He grunted and pushed back until she released him. “We’re playing trucks.”
“Okay, you go with your brothers.” Mary Karen drew a shaky breath. “Mommy needs to get ready for the party.”
Although Travis had returned yesterday from his mission trip in Cameroon she hadn’t heard from him. Of course, with her brother, David, hosting a welcome-back barbecue for him tonight, he probably assumed he’d see her then.
Still, she’d expected a call. After all, this marriage mess had shaken them both. Though they were good friends and the sexual energy between them had only grown stronger over the years, they were both smart enough to realize the marriage had been a huge mistake.
She wished it could be different but Travis had been clear—he didn’t want children. And she had three of them. Three little boys she adored.
If she ever did marry again, it would be to someone who loved and wanted not only her, but her sons as well. Her ex had taught her a valuable lesson. If love wasn’t there in the beginning, if the desire to be a part of a family wasn’t there, either, it wasn’t going to show up later.
Steven had never wanted to be a husband to her or a father to their boys. She’d tried hard to make their marriage work but from day one he’d blamed her for “trapping” him. And he’d missed no opportunity to throw that in her face. Her heart twisted at the memory.
If Travis found out she was pregnant, he would insist on taking responsibility. He was just that kind of guy. But Mary Karen couldn’t let him. She refused to go down that road again. Which meant she was in this alone. Oh, her parents would be supportive. But they were busy with their own lives. And her brother, who’d been such a help when Steven had walked out on her, now had a family of his own. No, the children she had—and any additional children she might have—were her responsibility. Hers and hers alone.
You don’t have to have this baby.
The thought was like a whisper on the wind.
Mary Karen refused to let it take hold in her head. She couldn’t end this tiny life growing inside her.
“You’re a dodo head,” she heard Connor yell from the other room.
“Mo-om,” Caleb called out. “Connor called me a dodo head.”
The words were followed by a crash then the sound of Logan crying.
Mary Karen closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. After a heartbeat she opened them, then squared her shoulders and headed for the living room. Later, she’d think about the mess her life had become. For now she had three little boys who needed their mommy.
Travis Fisher pulled his car in front of Dr. Kate McNeal’s apartment complex—just a few buildings down from his—and was overcome once again with the feeling that giving her a ride to his welcome-back party was a mistake.
Last night he’d barely gotten into town, when he’d received a call from the hospital. A woman needed an emergency C-section and the other ob-gyns were busy. As the on-call pediatrician, Kate had been in the delivery room.
After the birth, they’d grabbed a quick cup of coffee in the doctors’ lounge. They got to talking and she’d mentioned the party.
When she asked if he could pick her up, he hadn’t known how to respond. Like she said, she lived close and they were going to the same destination. Riding together made perfect sense. Except he wasn’t the guy she’d known before he left for Cameroon. He was … married.
Married. Travis still found it hard to believe. He could only imagine David Wahl’s reaction if he heard the news. Though his friend loved to tease his sister, he was her staunchest supporter. No, David would not be pleased.
Thankfully, the annulment would take care of the problem. No one—including David—would ever know.
Travis shut off his BMW Roadster and opened the door. He still couldn’t believe he and Mary Karen had been so reckless. The sex he could understand. There’d always been a strong physical attraction between them. But even way back when she was in college and he was in residency, they’d acknowledged that they weren’t right for each other. He was live-for-the-moment. She was home-and-hearth.
She was also his best female friend and the one he’d thought of most when he’d been in Cameroon.
Kate stepped out of the front door of her building. He acknowledged her wave with a smile. Though she wasn’t as pretty as Mary Karen, Kate was easy on the eyes. Her hair hung to her shoulders in a sleek bob, jet-black and silky. Long dark lashes framed hazel eyes. Tall and lean, she had a fashion sense that made her look more like a model than an up-and-coming pediatrician.
While she didn’t make his insides go all crazy like Mary Karen did, Kate was a nice person. There was no reason he should be feeling guilty for giving her a ride. No reason at all. After all, he and M.K. were really married only on paper. The annulment should be as quick as the wedding ceremony.
Travis started up the walk and met Kate halfway. Her summer dress accentuated her willowy figure and full breasts. When he drew close, she opened her arms to him. “I’m so happy you’re back.”
Obligingly he stepped in and pulled her near, appreciating the clean fresh scent of her. In Cameroon, such common staples like deodorant and toothpaste had been in short supply. Kate was a sweet reminder that he was home. While training other doctors to better help their patients had been a powerful experience, he was very happy to be back.
Kate lifted her face and he realized she expected a kiss. They’d kissed once before he left but this was different. He hadn’t been married then. And even if that marriage would be over the second he and Mary Karen had a chance to sign the appropriate forms and let the lawyers do the rest, to participate in even such simple intimacy with another woman felt wrong.
Travis took a step back.
A momentary look of confusion crossed Kate’s face. “Is something wrong?”
He smiled and pretended to misunderstand. “Don’t want to be late.”
Kate started down the sidewalk, and he fell into step beside her. “Will there be people I know at this party?”
“Probably. It will be an eclectic mix. David has invited everyone from colleagues at the hospital to my ski buddy Joel Dennes.”
“Joel Dennes?” she asked in a tone that seemed a bit too casual. “The contractor?”
Travis slanted a sideways glance as they reached the car. “You’ve met?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Why would you think that?”
“He has a daughter.” Travis shrugged. “I thought she might be one of your patients.”
“She may be. I haven’t met all the patients in my new practice yet.” Her eyes remained focused ahead, her tone noncommittal. “I did meet someone who knows you at the hospital last week.”
He opened the passenger side door and helped her into the car. “Who was that?”
“Mary Karen Vaughn,” Kate said. “Did you know David Wahl is her brother? I wonder if she’ll be at the barbecue.”
Somehow Travis managed a smile as he shut her door. “Undoubtedly.”
Chapter Two
Mary Karen’s brother, David, and his wife, July, had been blessed with a perfect night for their backyard barbecue. The sun shone bright in the blue Wyoming sky. Blooming patches of wildflowers rimmed the large yard. The linen-clad tables had each been adorned with bouquets of sunflowers. For an outdoor event, it felt surprisingly elegant.
“I thought everyone would be dressed a little more casual.” Mary Karen glanced down at her blue chambray skirt and scoop-necked lace top, and then back at her friends.
Her sister-in-law, July Wahl, wore a darling tropical-print dress while her friend Lexi Delacorte’s cherry-red one-shoulder maternity dress managed to look stylish and comfortable at the same time.
“You look so cute,” July said. “I love what you did with your hair.”
Mary Karen smiled wryly. “You mean … wash it?”
“Shut up.” July gave her a little shove. “I’m talking about pulling it back from your face in those cute little clips.”
“I love the look, too,” Lexi said. “And, just so you know, we’re super jealous of your flat stomach.”
“It’s hard to be sexy with your belly out in front.” July glanced down. “Thankfully, David seems to still find me attractive.”
“Nick tells me every day how beautiful I am. And he’s determined to be involved in every aspect of my pregnancy.” Lexi’s face took on a beautiful glow. “Every morning before he heads into his office, he places a hand on my belly and talks to our son. He read somewhere that listening to the voices of both parents helps the baby feel loved and secure even before he’s born.”
The vivid image Lexi painted brought a lump to Mary Karen’s throat. How different the experience was from her pregnancies. When she was expecting the twins Steve had called her a whale and refused to touch her. Halfway through her pregnancy with Logan, he’d left. Now she’d have to do this alone again. Tears filled her eyes.
She took a sip of iced tea and quickly blinked the moisture back, but apparently not fast enough.
July placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Tell us what has you upset.” Concern filled Lexi’s amber eyes. “Was it something I said?”
“I’m just tired.” Mary Karen forced a smile, knowing at least this was the truth. No matter how much sleep she got at night, it wasn’t enough. “The thunderstorms woke Logan. Then the twins heard him, and they were up, too.”
She saw no reason to add to the story. When she’d slipped into bed, she’d started thinking what her life was going to be like as a mother of four, and then sleep became impossible.
“I don’t know how you do it,” July said. “You have three little boys who are bundles of energy. You work—”
“Only part-time,” Mary Karen protested, uncomfortable with the admiration she heard in her sister-in-law’s tone. She knew many single mothers who had it much worse. At least her ex had a good job and paid his child support on time every month.
Lexi sucked in a breath. “He brought a date.”
Mary Karen didn’t need to ask who. She’d always had a sixth sense where Travis was concerned. Her heart picked up speed. She lifted her lips in a smile.
But wait. What had Lexi said? A date? Travis had brought … a date?
Her smile wobbled. Bewildered, Mary Karen turned. Her heart gave a leap at the sight of her … husband in khaki pants and a tan-and-blue camp shirt. With his sandy hair bleached a shade lighter than usual and his skin a honey-brown, he looked Tommy Bahama casual and the picture of health. Still, Mary Karen knew him. Perhaps better than he knew himself. She saw beyond the smile on his lips and realized the past four weeks had been tough on him.
Just then a woman’s laugh rang out and Mary Karen’s gaze darted to Travis’s companion. Standing way too close to him, with her fingers resting on his arm in a proprietary gesture, was Kate McNeal. The woman’s salmon-and-white jersey dress was a perfect foil for her dark hair and creamy complexion.
While she watched, Kate rose on her tiptoes and kissed Travis’s cheek. Mary Karen tightened her fingers around the stem of her glass. Intellectually she understood that she and Travis weren’t really a couple. Still, seeing him with Kate was like a knife to her heart. They hadn’t even signed the annulment papers and yet it appeared he’d already taken up with a career woman who’d probably never had baby spit-up in her hair.
Lexi took a sip of her club soda and studied the female doctor over the top of her glass. “She’s attractive.”
“I didn’t realize he was seeing anyone.” Mary Karen’s voice seemed to come from far away. Though only a few minutes earlier she’d felt almost too warm, a chill now settled over her.
July tilted her head, and her gaze turned thoughtful. “David mentioned they’d gone out a couple times before Travis left for Cameroon.”
“He must have called her as soon as he got back,” Lexi mused.
Mary Karen thought about last night, how she’d kept her phone close, not wanting to miss his call. Thought about how she’d worried for his safety while he’d been in Africa. Thought about …
Anger bubbled in her veins but she tamped it down, sternly reminding herself that Travis was under no obligation to call her the second he got into town. And it wasn’t any of her business if he’d brought a date.
“I swear he’s looking for you,” July whispered.
“Which is odd considering he’s with another woman,” Lexi said.
Mary Karen forced her gaze back to the couple and realized her friends were right. When Travis’s gaze landed on her, his face brightened.
Ignoring the warmth that rushed through her veins, Mary Karen lifted her hand in welcome, wiggling her fingers.
Obviously taking the gesture as an invitation, he crossed the lawn in several long strides while the statuesque brunette beside him struggled to keep up.
“Welcome back.” Mary Karen widened her smile to include the female doctor. “Hello, Kate.”
Kate returned the greeting, shifting from one foot to another, looking suddenly as uncomfortable as Mary Karen felt.
“It’s good to be home,” Travis said, his gaze caressing Mary Karen’s face.
Though July and Lexi were standing beside her and Kate lingered behind him, his eyes remained fixed on her alone.
Those hazel eyes were so familiar, so dear, that for a second nothing mattered except that he was home. And safe. And here with her. Until Mary Karen remembered he hadn’t called. And that he was standing in front of her with another woman while she was carrying his child.
The emotional roller coaster she’d been riding since Las Vegas crested the hill. Sudden tears clogged her throat, making speech impossible. Thankfully July and Lexi jumped feetfirst into the conversation, welcoming Kate, asking Travis about his experiences in Cameroon, laughing when he teased them about their huge bellies.
Mary Karen kept her gaze focused on her friends and pretended not to notice Travis’s questioning glances. When July and Lexi left to replenish the buffet table, she started to go with them. But they waved her back, assuring her they had the situation under control.
Reluctantly, she plastered a smile on her face and turned back to Travis and Kate.
“Quite a party.” Travis gestured with a can of beer in his hand to the backyard filled with people. “I never knew so many people cared.”
“They don’t,” Mary Karen drawled. “They’re here for the free food. And the beer.”
Verbally sparring with him was as natural to her as breathing. Their friends knew it, expected it even. But Kate wasn’t part of their tight-knit circle of friends.
Kate’s eyes widened.
Travis, on the other hand, roared with laughter. “Trust you to put me in my place.”
Mary Karen took a sip of tea, her lips curving in a half smile. “Someone has to keep you humble.”
“Let me guess.” Kate put a finger to her lips, her gaze shifting from Travis to Mary Karen. “Sworn enemies?”
“Close.” Travis looped an arm around Mary Karen’s shoulders. “Old friends.”
His gaze met hers, daring her to disagree.
She couldn’t. The woodsy scent she’d come to associate with him teased her senses and her traitorous body responded to his touch. Seconds later an ache filled her heart at the realization that the easy relationship they’d enjoyed over the years would soon be ending. The rolling in her stomach began in earnest.
“E-excuse me,” she stuttered, stepping back from his arms. “I need to … check on something.”
Travis called her name but she pretended not to hear. Without a backward glance Mary Karen zigzagged through the crowd. By the time she reached the house, she was running. The bathroom door had barely closed behind her when the crackers she’d eaten this afternoon came up.
It took every ounce of strength she possessed not to break down and bawl. But she’d been here before. She knew the challenges she faced. Being alone and pregnant wasn’t for the faint of heart.
She waited for several seconds then slowly straightened. Still, her body continued to tremble. Mary Karen couldn’t help remembering how solicitous her brother had been when July had experienced morning sickness early in her pregnancy. What would it be like to have Travis on the other side of the door waiting, worrying about her?
Stop it.
Mary Karen gave herself a mental shake and rinsed her mouth with unnecessary vigor. After gargling with mouthwash confiscated from below the sink, she squared her shoulders and headed outside to search for her friends.
On the patio, Mary Karen saw her sister-in-law talking to a tall, broad-shouldered man she didn’t recognize. July waved her over, then introduced the mystery man as Joel Dennes, a general contractor in the Jackson Hole area. They talked about the rise in home prices before July excused herself.
After chatting with Joel for several minutes longer Mary Karen noticed people had started pairing up and taking seats for dinner. For the past couple years she’d sat beside Travis at these types of events.
She glanced around the yard and saw Lexi and Nick chatting with him and Kate. Staring at the back of his head, she willed him to turn around and look her way. But his attention remained focused on the lady doctor. Mary Karen’s heart gave a ping.
“Food looks good.” Joel shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
Mary Karen refocused her attention on the sumptuous spread. Normally she’d taste a little of everything. Tonight, nothing appealed to her. Still, she knew she had to keep up her strength. If not for herself, for the life growing inside her.
“My friend Lexi did the catering and she’s a fabulous cook,” she said absently.
By now almost everyone had seated themselves. Kate still stood beside Travis waving her hands, telling some story. A funny one, if their laughter was any indication. Mary Karen turned her gaze back to Joel. “If you’re not sitting with anyone, I’d love some company for dinner.”
She wasn’t sure what made her offer. Maybe it was because he looked as out of place as she suddenly felt. Though she knew everyone here, most of them had someone special with them. Like her, Joel appeared to be flying solo this evening.
He flashed a smile and gestured for her to precede him to the buffet table.
“Amazing.” Joel’s eyes widened at the variety of food artfully displayed against the brightly covered table linen. “And to think I expected burgers and brats.”
“I can vouch for the cucumber gazpacho soup.” Mary Karen pointed to an Art Deco–inspired tureen. “It’s one of Lexi’s specialties.”
Joel’s gaze dropped to the reddish soup with brightly colored bits of vegetables and several cucumber curls on top. His easy smile faltered. Instead of reaching for the ladle, he shifted his attention back to her. “Do you have a special dish you like to make?”
“You bet she does,” a deep voice responded from behind her. “M.K.’s spaghetti rivals Chef Boyardee.”
Mary Karen whirled. “Travis.”
Her hope that he’d come to join her for dinner faded when she saw Kate at his side.
Joel grinned and clapped a hand on Travis’s shoulder. “Hey, buddy. Welcome back.”
“It’s good to be home.” Travis may have spoken to Joel but his gaze remained firmly fixed on Mary Karen. “I see you’ve met M.K.”
“M.K.? Oh, you mean Mary Karen.” Joel slanted a glance in her direction and winked. “We’re getting acquainted.”
A muscle in Travis’s jaw jumped but his smile was easy.
“Would you like to join us?” Joel asked.
“Thanks for the offer but we’re already settled in.” Kate slipped one arm through Travis’s and gestured with the other toward a large table. “The table is already full or we’d ask you to join us.”
“Us?” Mary Karen choked out the word.
“Travis and me.” Kate spoke slowly as if making a very important point. Or perhaps she thought Mary Karen slow on the uptake. But Mary Karen saw everything all too clearly.
“Of course.” Mary Karen could have cheered when her voice came out cool and even, giving no indication of her inner turmoil.
Travis’s brows pulled together and his lips pursed. “Actually—”
“That’s okay,” Mary Karen interrupted. “Joel and I have our eye on that little table by the arbor.”
An awkward silence descended.
“You look familiar,” Joel said to Kate. “Have we met before?”
“I don’t think so.” Kate’s cheeks pinked. “In fact, I’m almost positive we haven’t.”
“It’s your eyes,” Joel continued, for some reason unwilling to let the subject drop. “I know I’ve seen them.”
“I’m going to see if our hostess needs any help.” Kate smiled brightly. “I’ll see you back at the table, Travis.”
With those words, she disappeared into the house.
“I never forget a face.” Joel followed her with his eyes. “I just can’t place from where.”
Not at all interested in talking for even one more second about Kate, Mary Karen smiled and changed the subject. “Do you like lamb, Joel? These burgers with mint and cilantro are very tasty.”
“They’re my favorite,” Travis said before Joel could respond.
“Then you should take one.” Mary Karen kept her tone light. “But do it quickly. I have a feeling your girlfriend won’t like to be kept waiting.”
Girlfriend. Even the word tasted bitter on her tongue.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Travis said, his face taking on a mulish expression.
Mary Karen wasn’t fooled. And she wasn’t in the mood to be generous. “Really? That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“Before you left you told me you were dating someone from the hospital.” Joel added a large spoonful of pasta salad to his plate. “Did you two split up?”
Travis groaned.
“I think they make a nice-looking couple.” Mary Karen elbowed Joel. “Don’t you?”
Travis’s hazel eyes flashed. Mary Karen told herself she didn’t care if she’d ticked him off. She believed in calling a spade a spade.
Still, when Travis flung a lamb burger onto a plate and stalked back to the table where Kate now sat waiting, Mary Karen wondered exactly when it was she’d turned into a jealous fifteen-year-old.
She slapped an extra big dollop of sour cream dill potato salad—that she didn’t want—onto her plate pretending it was his head.
Joel didn’t seem to mind that the guest of honor had stalked off. Instead, he leaned over and grabbed two bottles of beer from a round silver tub filled with ice and held them up.
Although a Corona sounded surprisingly good, Mary Karen shook her head. It might be only one beer, but she wasn’t taking any chances with her baby’s health. “Club soda please.”
“Thanks for inviting me to sit with you.” Joel exchanged one of the beers for a can of club soda. “A pretty woman like you could have her pick of dinner companions.”
The compliment was a balm to Mary Karen’s battered and bruised ego. Although Joel didn’t make her pulse beat faster, with his unruly chestnut hair, brown eyes and rugged features, he was a very attractive man. She quickly discovered he was also a gentleman. When they started across the yard to an empty table, he insisted on carrying her plate.
She’d wondered if once they sat down it would be awkward. After all, they didn’t know each other. But conversation flowed easily. By the time they reached for the Key lime pie, Mary Karen had learned Joel had an eight-year-old daughter and that his wife had died of cancer two years earlier. She gave him the abridged version of her own life—minus the new chapter that was about to be written. He seemed genuinely surprised to learn she was divorced and had three small boys.
“You look like a college co-ed.” The admiration in his eyes momentary distracted her from her cares.
“I’m twenty-six. But it’s nice to know you think I look young and carefree.”
Joel brought the beer to his lips, his dark eyes never leaving hers. “You don’t feel that way?”
The last time she’d felt unencumbered of life’s burdens had been in Vegas … with Travis. And that had turned out so well. Mary Karen gave a strangled laugh.
Joel cocked his head.
“I’m a busy mom,” Mary Karen explained, feeling her cheeks burn.
“I understand completely.” The handsome contractor leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I come from a family of four boys. There was never a dull moment … or a quiet one. My brothers and I gave my mom fits. But now—except for the gray hairs she blames on us—I know she’d say it was worth it.”
“She sounds like a wonderful lady.” Mary Karen picked at a loose thread on the tablecloth. “Nowadays so many men—and women—think parenthood is too much work, too much of a hassle.”
“You’re speaking about your ex.” Joel surprised Mary Karen by briefly covering her hand with his. “The man was a fool, Mary Karen. One day he’ll wake up and realize that the freedom he wanted so badly wasn’t worth all he gave up.”
She’d actually been thinking of Travis rather than Steven, but she readily agreed both were fools. Raising three little boys might be challenging at times, but she adored them. She wouldn’t trade her chaotic life with them for anything. And, she was certain once this new baby came she’d feel the same way about him. Or her.
Yet life as a single parent wasn’t a cakewalk. In fact, most days it was downright tough. And the loneliness … She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to being single in a world of couples. A heaviness wrapped around her heart, the thought of going it alone for the next twenty years was incredibly depressing.
Mary Karen pushed the last few bites of her pie around the plate with her fork for several seconds, then lifted her gaze. “Do you think you’ll marry again?”
Joel sat back.
Heat shot up her neck. Dear God, what must he be thinking?
“I’m sorry.” She raised both hands, palms to him. “I’m just curious. I’m not shopping for a husband. Honest.”
He laughed. “Don’t apologize. Even if you were, I’d be flattered.”
“But I’m not—”
“No worries.” He shot her a wink, and the tenseness in her shoulders eased.
Yes, Joel was a very nice man. It was too bad she wasn’t attracted to him. Not that it mattered. Once she was divorced and raising four small children on her own, there would be no time to date.
Mary Karen smoothed the front of her shirt with the flat of her hand. At least Joel still had options.
“So, will you?” she asked. “Marry again?”
Joel shrugged. “If I find the right woman. But she’ll have to love not just me, but my daughter as well. Chloe and I, we’re a package deal.”
“As it should be,” Mary Karen murmured almost to herself, thinking of her boys. “Any other way wouldn’t work.”
“Any other way would be out of the question.” Joel’s firm tone told her he’d given this matter a lot of thought. “Can you imagine what it’d be like to be a child growing up in a home with a stepparent who wished you weren’t there?”
“You’re right.” Mary Karen slanted a glance in Travis’s direction and sighed. “It would never work.”
Chapter Three
The sun hung low by the time Travis left the table. With Kate still tagging along, he wandered to the back of the large yard to check out the elk refuge. The familiar rugged landscape of green and brown with the mountains in the distance did little to soothe his jagged nerves. He couldn’t get the sadness in Mary Karen’s eyes out of his head.
It didn’t help knowing he was to blame. What had he been thinking? He should never have agreed to give Kate a lift to the party.
If the pediatrician weren’t glued to his hip he could be with Mary Karen right now. Assuring her that she had absolutely nothing to worry about. Confirming that once they completed the annulment papers, what happened in Vegas would forever stay in Vegas.
Oddly, Travis found the thought bittersweet. He remembered how close he’d felt to her the night they’d said their vows. A closeness that had more to do with their friendship and shared history than the mind-blowing sex.
Kate slipped her arm through his, yanking him from his reverie.
“It’s beautiful here.” Her eyes turned surprisingly somber.
“David and July do have a nice yard,” Travis agreed.
“I don’t mean just the yard—although it is lovely.” Kate slanted a sideways glance in his direction. “I mean Jackson Hole. It’s magnificent.”
Travis settled his gaze on the land he loved so much. While some people thought of his birthplace only as a place to ski, he knew that was only the tip of what Jackson Hole and the rest of Wyoming had to offer. He casually untangled his arm from Kate’s and hooked a boot in the lower rung of the fence. “There’s no place like this on earth. Leaving this state was the hardest thing I ever did.”
Kate lifted a dark brow. “Why did you?”
Although he’d been old enough to strike out on his own, he’d refused to walk away from his brothers and sisters. Which meant he had to go with them. “I didn’t have a choice.”
Kate wrapped her arms around herself as if suddenly chilled. “The feeling—that you don’t have a choice—is awful.”
Travis nodded.
“You went to school in Nebraska, right?”
“I did.” Travis spent almost a decade in Omaha. “Great education. Nice people. Awesome college football team. Still, those years seemed endless.”
“Medical school and residency are definitely not for the faint of heart,” Kate agreed.
Travis chuckled. “School was easy. It was everything else that was hard.”
Like the time his sister Margaret had been rushed to the hospital with appendicitis the morning of his Anatomy-Physiology final. She was still in surgery when he’d been called to the high school because his brother Zac had been suspended for fighting.
Kate’s gaze grew puzzled. “I don’t understand.”
He considered making a joke and changing the subject. That’s what he usually did when someone asked about his family or something related to his past. But for some reason, he felt like talking tonight. For it all to make sense, he had to start at the beginning.
“Shortly after I graduated from high school, my parents died in a car accident.” Without even realizing what he was doing, Travis dropped into the monotone he used whenever he spoke of his parents’ deaths. “Their will made it clear they wanted my uncle in Omaha to raise us if anything happened to them. But Len was a lot younger than my mom and still single. He wasn’t sure he was ready for the responsibility.”
“I’m sorry about your parents.” Sympathy filled Kate’s eyes. “Since you went to school in Nebraska, I assume your uncle finally came around?”
He nodded. “We convinced him that all he had to do was provide the house. My sister Margaret and I took full responsibility for our brothers and sisters.”
Travis settled his gaze on a herd of bison in the distance and tightened his fingers around the fence post. Prior to his parents’ deaths his life had revolved around girls, sports and school. Taking on so much responsibility at such a young age had been a huge change. But he’d seen no other option. “If Meg and I hadn’t agreed, Len wouldn’t have taken us in and our family would have been split up. My brothers and sisters would have been thrown into the foster-care system.”
Kate tilted her head. “How many siblings do you have?”
“Seven.”
“No way.”
The shock in her voice made him smile. He lifted a hand and pulled his fingers together in an almost-forgotten gesture. “Scout’s honor.”
Kate’s brows pulled together. “I can’t imagine how you made it through college and medical school while still fulfilling the promise you made to your uncle.”
Her interest appeared genuine, and he was discovering that talking to Kate kept him from noticing how close Mary Karen was sitting to Joel. Or how pretty M.K. looked with the sun hitting her hair.
“Travis?” Kate prompted.
He pulled his gaze back and focused on the woman at his side. “For starters, I lived at home. I studied while attending sporting events and dance recitals. Thankfully they were good kids. Challenging at times, but a little fire can be a good thing.” Travis’s lips lifted in a satisfied smile. “Not a slacker in the bunch.”
Kate glanced around. “Are any of them here tonight?”
“None of them live in Jackson Hole.” Leaving his family in Nebraska to set up practice back here had been hard. But, at that point, they’d all been adults and capable of making their own decision. Still, he hadn’t given up hope that they’d all one day find their way back home. “I’m hoping that will change. Even though we live hundreds of miles apart, we’re still close.”
A thoughtful look blanketed Kate’s face. “With such a successful parenting experience, I’m surprised you don’t want kids of your own.”
Travis shrugged and watched the sun slip behind a cloud. Until he’d been thrust into the father role, he hadn’t realized all that being a parent entailed. He’d felt overwhelmed. Inadequate. Even now he wondered if they’d grown into fine young men and women in spite of his efforts and countless rookie mistakes.
He pulled his attention back to Kate and found her staring. But not at him. “What’s so interesting?”
“Your ‘old friend’ and Joel Dennes,” Kate blurted out. “They sure seem to be hitting it off.”
Travis followed Kate’s gaze and frowned. Was his ski buddy holding Mary Karen’s hand? Just then she threw back her head and laughed.
A surge of something that felt an awful lot like jealousy stabbed Travis in the side. Usually he was the one making M.K. laugh.
“There’s a certain gleam in your eyes when you look at her.” Kate’s gaze turned sharp and assessing. “Were you lovers?”
She sounded almost hopeful, but that didn’t make any sense. Neither did asking something so personal in such a public setting. Thankfully no one was standing close enough to overhear them.
The last thing Travis wanted was to get gossip started. Mary Karen had already endured more than her share. When she’d walked down the aisle six months pregnant with twins, the tongues had started wagging. It had started up again when her jerk of a husband walked out on her when she was pregnant with Logan. The spunky blonde had kept her chin up, but he knew the gossip had stung.
If news about what had happened in Las Vegas got out, M.K. would once again be hurt. But he wouldn’t let that happen. He would protect his friend—and her reputation—at all costs.
“You were, weren’t you?” Kate pressed. Then her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you two are still dating?”
“Any questions having to do with her are off-limits.” His tone made it clear the subject was closed. Still, as they strolled back toward the party, Kate continued to push the issue until he found himself holding on to his temper with both hands.
“You know Kate, it’s been a long day.” He stopped short of the crowd. “I’m ready to call it a night.”
The brunette blinked as if she’d heard the words but they didn’t compute. “It’s your party. And it’s not even ten o’clock.”
“David and July will understand.” The words came out more clipped than he’d intended, but Travis wasn’t about to apologize.
Her gaze searched his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Travis.” Kate placed a hand on his arm, two bright spots of pink dotting her cheeks. “Consider me properly chastised. Your relationship with Mary Karen Vaughn is absolutely your business, and none of mine.”
The apology brought Kate back up in his estimation but didn’t change his mind. Blame it on jet lag and a late night at the hospital, but the party had lost its appeal. He headed across the lawn to where July and David stood, Kate tagging along. By the time he made the rounds and said his goodbyes, the lights were on in the yard and Mary Karen and Joel were nowhere in sight.
Travis briefly considered asking Kate if she’d seen them leave but thought better of it. He kept the conversation on hospital matters until they reached the sidewalk. Kate surprised him by hailing one of her partners who lived in her neighborhood and securing a ride home.
“I can take you,” he protested, though perhaps not as strongly as he could have.
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you around.”
Although Travis was relieved to watch her go, he insisted on opening her car door, then waited at the curb until the SUV disappeared from sight.
For a second he thought about returning to David’s backyard to see if Mary Karen had reappeared. But the way his evening was going, even if he did find her there’d be no opportunity for them to talk privately. Besides, he was tired. Exhausted. Bone-weary.
After chatting for a few minutes with a couple nurses who’d stopped by specifically to give him a welcome-back hug, Travis headed down the sidewalk. The curb out front had been lined with cars when he’d arrived so he’d been forced to park his new car on a nearby street.
The approaching darkness shrouded the vehicle in shadows but as he drew close, the remaining light allowed him to see that someone sat inside.
Not just anyone …
Adrenaline surged. In several long strides he covered the distance to his red BMW convertible. He jerked open the door and slid behind the wheel. “Hey, stranger. I was looking for you.”
“I didn’t know you bought a new car,” Mary Karen said. “Not until David told me.”
“It came in right before I left for Cameroon.” He gestured with one hand to the luxurious interior. “What do you think?”
“I saw Kate get into Duane’s car.” She leaned over and straightened the collar of his shirt in a gesture that seemed … wifely. She patted his chest then sat back. “I take it you struck out.”
For a moment he thought he’d heard wrong, or that she was teasing … until he noticed her expression. “C’mon. You know me better than that.”
“We’re only married on paper.”
M.K. seemed so tight tonight. But he knew just how to loosen her up. Travis reached over and took her hand, his thumb caressing her palm. “Remember what happened that night, when we returned to the hotel?”
“Umm.” She noisily cleared her throat and pulled her hand away. “Yes, there was … that.”
“That.” Travis trailed a finger up her bare arm. “Was fantastic.”
He started humming a few bars of “All Night Long.”
“Let me give you a tip.” While he was still humming, Mary Karen leaned close so that her lips touched his ear. “Bringing a date to the party then talking dirty to me is not a way to score points.”
The tune died in his throat. Was she serious? Travis straightened, his gaze searching hers. It appeared he had some explaining to do. “Kate wasn’t my date, M.K. She lives near me and asked if I’d give her a ride. That’s it. Nothing more.”
Mary Karen crossed her arms, clearly not convinced. “It looked like a little more than that to me.”
“Then you need glasses.” His attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. “She’s only a friend.”
Mary Karen lifted a brow. “A friend with benefits?”
“Without,” he snapped. “I’m not sleeping with her, M.K. I wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.” Mary Karen held his gaze and flipped a strand of long blond hair over her shoulder. “Joel said you’d been dating Kate before you left for Cameroon and—”
“Joel Dennes needs to get his facts straight.” Travis spoke between gritted teeth. “Kate and I went out for drinks a couple times with a group from the hospital. That’s the extent of our ‘dating.’“
“You brought her to the party,” M.K. pointed out. “You never bring girlfriends to these types of gatherings. What am I to assume except … she must be special.”
Travis had never seen this side of Mary Karen. It was almost as if she were jealous. But that didn’t make sense. He opened his mouth to tell her it wasn’t any of her business—in a nice way, of course—when he realized with a jolt that it was her business. Just like he hadn’t liked seeing her with Joel, she hadn’t liked seeing him with Kate.
She was his wife.
He was her husband.
The second they’d signed that marriage license, the rules had changed. Which meant he owed her more of an explanation. And, an apology.
“I ran into Kate at the hospital last night,” he said. “David had invited her to the party and she asked me to pick her up. I should have said no.”
“Hmm.” Mary Karen brought a finger to her lips. “You had time to talk to Kate about the party, yet you didn’t have time to call and let me know you’d gotten back safely.”
Instead of being angry for being called onto the carpet once again, Travis found himself admiring Mary Karen’s spunk.
“You’re absolutely right,” he said. “I should have called.”
Surprise flitted across her face as if his response had taken her by surprise. “Y-yes,” she stammered. “You should have.”
“Do I need to grovel?” It was an old joke between them. Some offenses required not just an apology, but some serious groveling.
A smile tugged at her lips before she brought her mouth under control. She pretended to think for a moment, then nodded. “Because of the multiple infractions, groveling will be required.”
Thankfully he was in the car. If it were anywhere else, she’d probably have made him get down on his knees. He clasped her left hand between his. “I’m sorry, M.K. I really am. I’m a thoughtless, despicable ass. If you forgive me, I swear the next time you make your tofu pizza, I’ll eat it and you won’t hear a word of complaint. That’s how truly sorry I am.”
She pretended to ponder his words but her smile reappeared.
“Apology accepted,” she said with a decisive nod. “And I’ll hold you to that tofu pizza promise. Don’t think I won’t.”
“I missed you. As the words left his lips he realized they were true. “Did you miss me?”
Mary Karen lifted a shoulder in an exaggerated shrug. “I may have thought about you once or twice.”
“Brat.” Relief washed over him. He smiled then reached for her. Before she could protest and pull away, he pressed his mouth to hers.
Surprise was on his side. She instantly softened against him. Her fingers slid through his hair as they continued to kiss, long passionate kisses that sent fire coursing through his body. Then, abruptly, just as his hand slid beneath her shirt, she pulled away and glanced around.
“Discretion, Trav,” she said, sounding breathless, her lips swollen from his kisses, her hair tousled.
Travis groaned. Discretion had been their byword since they’d started their friends-with-benefits relationship three years ago. The rules were simple. No hugs or kisses where they could be seen by others. Other than last year’s Christmas party where a plethora of mistletoe had caused things to get a bit out of control, they’d stuck to those rules.
“You’re no fun,” he grumbled.
The rarely seen dimple in her left cheek flashed. “That’s what my boys tell me.”
“If you insist on privacy …” Travis slid the key into the ignition and the engine purred.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Someplace private,” he said. “Where we can talk and not be disturbed. Is that okay with you?”
She thought for a moment, her eyes dark and unreadable in the dim light. Then she nodded. “We do need to talk.”
Conversation wasn’t exactly what Travis had in mind. He wanted to hold her close, feel her body respond to his, reassure himself that their temporary marriage hadn’t changed things between them. But if she wanted to talk, they would talk.
She reached forward, switching radio stations. He wasn’t surprised when she stopped the search when she got to a country one. He knew her tastes as well as he knew his own.
Travis put the car in gear but didn’t hit the gas. Instead he let his gaze linger, watching the way the light from the moon caught the golden blond of her hair. Pretty, intelligent and with a heart as big as the Wyoming sky. No wonder no other woman held a candle to her.
The strains of a steel guitar filled the cab and she sat back with a satisfied sound. Travis pulled away from the curb and relaxed fully for the first time since he’d left for Cameroon.
He turned onto US 26, passing the four antler arches in the town square. Surprisingly, for someone who’d wanted to talk, M.K. didn’t seem to have much to say. So Travis picked up the ball and ran with it, just like he had in high school when he’d been the running back and had taken a handoff from David.
Travis told Mary Karen about the baby he’d delivered last night, how concerned he’d been when he’d first arrived at the hospital, his relief when all went well. Once he turned onto the highway the talk shifted to Cameroon and his time in the East Region.
He could still see the men grilling fish and soya and brochette over homemade barrel grills at the side of the roads. Then, the talk turned professional. As a nurse, Mary Karen could appreciate the challenges of providing medical care in hospitals without running water.
She listened attentively, occasionally making encouraging noises.
“I’m never going to complain about anything again,” he vowed, turning off the highway onto a side road. “We have so much here, so much to be thankful for.”
“I’d thought about going into the Peace Corps when I got out of college.” Mary Karen’s eyes took on a faraway look. “As a nurse, I knew I could be of real help to those less fortunate.”
Peace Corps? Mary Karen? He’d dated her when she’d been in college. She’d been the pretty sorority girl who always had a smile on her face. This volunteer thing was news to him. “Why didn’t you do it?”
The smile on her lips vanished. “C’mon, Trav. You know why.”
Then he remembered. Her senior year she’d begun dating Steven, a man without an altruistic bone in his body. By the time she’d graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she’d been five months pregnant.
Travis pulled off the highway onto a rarely used dirt road and parked the convertible.
“You never told me about the Peace Corps thing.” For some reason not knowing bothered him. They were friends. He knew what radio stations she liked. He knew her favorite flavor of ice cream. Shouldn’t he also have known she’d once considered going into the Peace Corps?
He motioned her closer. When she leaned in, he slipped an arm around her shoulder and nuzzled her hair. The familiar scent of strawberries teased his nostrils. “You smell good.”
“None of that.” She pressed a hand against his chest and pushed him back. “We need to talk.”
Travis wasn’t so easily dissuaded. With gentle fingers he tipped her chin up then kissed her lightly on the mouth. “First let me say I’m sorry.”
Her eyes were large and luminous. “For what?”
Both of his arms were around her now. He pulled her close and felt her heart fluttering like a hummingbird against his chest. “I was wrong to leave you behind in Vegas.”
“You didn’t have a choice.” Mary Karen’s fingers played with a button on his shirt. “You had a plane to catch. So did I.”
“If I’d have stayed we could have gotten the marriage annulled.” He wondered if she was worried that he would drag his feet getting the papers filed. “I know how much you wanted to get that done while we were still there.”
Her hand dropped. “I’m glad now that we didn’t.”
The words were soft but still audible. Travis frowned. He must be more tired than he realized. Surely she hadn’t just said she wanted to stay married?
“Don’t get me wrong. I still don’t think marriage between us would work,” Mary Karen continued as if she’d read his mind. “Unless you’ve had an epiphany and changed your mind about children?”
Her tone was light but her blue eyes were dark and serious.
In Cameroon he’d had a lot of time to think. During the long hot nights he’d wondered what it’d be like if they stayed married. But each time he’d come to the same conclusion. What he wanted and what she wanted were too far apart. “I love your boys, M.K., you know that. But I’m not interested in spending the next twenty years raising children.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“About the annulment. I think—”
“No annulment.” Mary Karen shook her head, her gaze now on the full moon.
Travis wondered if she was worried that getting the annulment would cost money she didn’t have. But that couldn’t be it. He’d assured her that he’d pay for it. Perhaps—
“I’m pregnant.”
The breath froze in Travis’s throat. “Beg pardon,” he returned, keeping his expression perfectly still.
“I’m pregnant.” Her fingers twisted in her lap. She lifted her gaze to his and he saw the truth in the tears shimmering in her eyes.
When Travis had been ten his brother had hit him in the chest with a two-by-four, forcing all the air from his lungs. To this day he remembered that awful, panicky feeling. He felt the same way now.
After a long moment, he cleared his throat. “Are you sure?”
“I did a home test. It came back positive.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I have all the symptoms.”
He had to be in an alternate universe. There could be no other explanation. “You’re on the pill.”
Then he recalled why her brother called her Fertile Myrtle. Both times she’d gotten pregnant before, she’d been on oral contraceptives.
“I should have used a condom.” A sick feeling took up residence in the pit of his stomach. “We’d always used one before.”
“Yeah, well …” Her voice trailed off and he saw the despair in her eyes.
“Are you planning on having the baby?” He tried to keep his tone casual. Although this was his child she was carrying, he was well aware that this was ultimately her choice.
“Are you asking me to have an abortion?” Her voice rose then broke.
“Nononono.” He reached for her hand. “How could you possibly think that?”
Mary Karen jerked her hand away and crossed her arms. “You don’t like children. You told me that yourself less than five minutes ago.”
“Of course I like children. I’m an obstetrician. I bring children into the world on a daily basis.” As he spoke, Travis tried to remember his earlier words. “I merely said I didn’t want to raise them.”
Tears spilled from her lids and slid down her cheeks.
Damn. He was an intelligent man, but that didn’t seem to stop him from putting his foot in his mouth.
“Ah, M.K.” He pulled her against him despite her protests. “It’ll be okay. Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying,” she said between sobs. “Crying is s-stupid.”
“No, it’s not,” he said in a soothing tone. As he stroked her hair, he realized this wasn’t just about him. He’d put his best friend in an untenable position.
“I’m getting your shirt wet.” She tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold.
“I don’t care about the shirt.” He leaned his forehead against her hair. “I care about you.”
It was the truth yet something he’d never said to her before. Though they’d been as intimate as two people could be, they’d always been careful to avoid talking about feelings.
“Caring doesn’t matter.” Mary Karen pulled a tissue from her purse and blotted her eyes. “Steven cared about me. Look how that turned out.”
Steven was also an arrogant, self-centered jerk. From the moment he’d set foot in Jackson Hole, Travis hadn’t liked the guy. And he certainly hadn’t appreciated the way he’d treated Mary Karen.
“This is such a big mess.” She sniffed then blew her nose.
Big mess seemed a bit mild, considering the impact, but Travis agreed with the assessment.
They’d stay married. What other choice was there? Mary Karen was his friend. She was carrying his baby.
Travis blew out a harsh breath. It looked like he was about to become a family man … whether he wanted to or not.
Chapter Four
Mary Karen pushed back from Travis’s arms. It wouldn’t do to get too comfortable. She’d told him about the baby. She’d accomplished her goal for the evening.
“The lease on my apartment will be up next month,” he said, thinking outloud. “Since your place is bigger, I’ll move in with you. After the baby is born, we can talk to Joel about building a house for us.”
The resignation in his eyes made her heart clench. It mirrored what she’d seen in her ex-husband’s eyes when she’d told him she was pregnant.
“No,” she said softly, then repeated more loudly as if to convince herself, “no. You’re not moving in with the boys and me.”
“What are you talking about?” Confusion blanketed Travis’s handsome features. “Of course I’m moving in. You need me. Now more than ever.”
Mary Karen briefly closed her eyes and prayed for strength. She did need him. Or rather she needed a partner on this scary journey. But a willing partner, not one who was only with her because he felt obligated.
But wasn’t having someone better than being alone? a tiny voice in her head whispered.
No. She wouldn’t do that to herself again. Or to Travis. If she brought him with her down this familiar road, there’d be pain at the end for everyone. For him. For her. Most significantly for her children. “You don’t want to be married or have a family.”
Travis didn’t bother to argue the point. How could he? He’d made his feelings on marriage and children very clear on many occasions. What had he told her at Christmas? Being married and having children would be like a noose around his neck.
He wiped a weary hand across his face. “M.K., you and I both know life isn’t simply about what we want. Honor and duty matter, too.”
Though his words only confirmed what she already knew, they were like a dagger to her heart. “I married one man because I was pregnant,” she said in a quiet tone. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
Travis gave a half-hearted chuckle. “It’s a good thing I have a strong ego or being lumped into the same category as your ex might cause me some serious psychological trauma.”
He reached over and cradled her ice-cold fingers in his strong ones. “C’mon, it won’t be so bad. Your parents like me. Your brother is my best friend. And your kids think I’m cool.”
Her children. “They won’t think you’re so cool when you get tired of us and leave.”
“Stop with the comparisons to your ex.” Travis’s hazel eyes flashed. “Leaving is Steven’s M.O., not mine.”
“I apologize.” She’d been wrong to lump him in with her ex. Mary Karen knew in her heart that he’d stick around but at what cost? Oh, he’d try to hide his unhappiness. But she knew him so well, she’d see right through his act. And while she knew he’d be good to her boys, wouldn’t they eventually pick up on the fact that his heart wasn’t in being a father?
No, having him move in wasn’t an option. But what were they going to do? And how would they explain it all to their family and friends? Time, she needed a little more time. “Promise me you won’t say anything about our marriage or the baby to anyone. Not just yet.”
“You won’t be able to hide your pregnancy for long,” Travis pointed out. “After three children—”
“I know.” She didn’t need anyone to remind her that all too soon she’d resemble a beached whale. “It’s just that I want time before—”
“—everyone finds out you took the biggest player in Jackson Hole off the market and got knocked up in the process?”
In spite of the seriousness of the topic, Mary Karen had to chuckle. Trust Travis to put his own unique spin on things. “Something like that.”
“I wouldn’t want anyone to know I’d married me, either,” he said in a conversational tone, looping an arm companionably around her shoulders. “But I think it’s better they know sooner rather than later.”
Normally she would agree. But not in this situation. Mary Karen had the feeling no one was going to be happy or agree with her decision. “Just keep it quiet for now. Okay?”
“I’ll go along with whatever makes it easier for you,” Travis said, but he didn’t look happy.
“I’d also like to postpone the divorce until after the baby is born.” Mary Karen swallowed hard against an unexpected lump in her throat. Poor sweet baby didn’t deserve all this drama.
“Divorce?” Travis’s eyes widened and a rarely seen muscle in his jaw jumped. At the same time, his brows slammed together. “I thought that was off the table.”
“I never said that.” She shifted her gaze into the darkness over his shoulder. “Neither of us want to stay married. Not really.”
“But you’re pregnant.”
Mary Karen sighed. “Believe me, I’m well aware of that fact.”
Without warning Travis pushed his door open and stepped from the vehicle.
“What are you doing?” Mary Karen asked.
“I’m going for a walk.” Travis rounded the front of the car and opened her door. “With you.”
When he held out his hand, she hesitated for only a second before placing her fingers into his firm grasp and stepping from the warmth of the car into the cool night air. The stones of the gravel road crunched beneath her sandals.
She hadn’t even had a chance to shut her door when a gust of wind swept across the open countryside, ruffling her hair and making her shiver. Mary Karen wrapped her arms around herself. Perhaps going for a walk wasn’t such a good idea.
Travis paused. Then he bent down and reached under the seat, rummaging around.
“I know it’s here somewhere.” Finally, with an exclamation of triumph, he pulled out a wrinkled gray hoodie. “Just what the doctor ordered.”
Though the jacket looked a bit tattered, when he offered it to her Mary Karen wasn’t about to argue. She slipped her arms into the soft, warm fleece and Travis zipped it up with a solicitousness that brought tears to her eyes.
Just for a second, she let herself wonder what it’d be like if Travis loved her and wanted to raise children and grow old with her for all the right reasons. She breathed in the faint scent of the cologne that clung to the fabric and wished with all her heart that things could be different.
“Warm enough now?” he asked.
She nodded and ducked her head, afraid of the longing he might see in her eyes.
“Good.” He took her arm and crooked it through his. “Now, tell me why you won’t give me, us, a chance.”
Mary Karen looked up. The moon hung large in the sky. A zillion stars sparkled brightly overhead. But romance and love were no longer in those stars for her. She thought of the other dreams she’d once clung to, the hopes she’d had of making a difference in the world. Those fantasies were now out of reach, too. Sadness engulfed her heart.
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