“I’m sure neither one will be as good of a dancing partner as you, Mav. Don’t worry. You’re not that easy to replace.”
He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We’re still on for Brittany and Court’s wedding though, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss our last date.”
“Me neither. Not for anything, darlin’.”
Something twisted inside me. I was too happy to be with him for my own good. Maybe this break in our schedule was a good thing. I had too much riding on my plan to let him derail me. One more wedding and then everything would change. Getting attached to my wedding date wasn’t on the agenda.
5
Maverick
Weddings seemed to be the name of the game in this fucking town lately. I'd been to no less than seven in the last year, eight if you counted this one. Thank God for Clara. She'd been my saving grace, keeping me occupied and out of the clutches of the meddling church ladies who all seemed to think I was a catch and they needed to matchmake. And here we were again, lined up outside the reception hall as two of our long-time staff members celebrated their wedding. Brittany and Court shocked us all when they announced she was pregnant and they'd been together for the last two years. Honestly, everyone thought Brit was sweet on Luke. Turned out, her eyes were only for Court.
“You ready to spin me around a little, Mav?” Clara said as she came up beside me. She smiled, her amusement and gentle heart making my scowl lessen. Ever since she shut down my almost-kiss in the truck after our first wedding date, the mood between us changed. We were playful but slightly detached. I’d been squarely put in the friend zone. It was the right choice.
“You've gotta have at least a little fun at these things, otherwise you become the broody hero they all want to fix.”
“That's why I have you. You come as my date, I get left alone, and we keep each other company. Perfect arrangement.”
She grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes this time. Clara had something weighing on her. I knew it as sure as I knew when there was something off with one of our horses. “And you dance with me. That's part of the deal.”
I tipped my hat. “Of course, darlin'. I'd never let you down.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don't call me that. I'm not one of your buckle bunnies. Darlin' is reserved for women you're trying to roll in the hay with, not the woman you've stood next to and helped pull a foal from a laboring mare.”
A shocked laugh escaped before I could school myself. “Well, that's about the least sexy visual you could have given me.”
“Oh, believe me, I have plenty more where that came from. I'm a vet. We have stories.”
“Don't I know it.”
“How’s the hockey business?”
I shook my head. “Seattle is so different from Sunrise, but in a good way. I gotta admit, I kind of like it there.”
“Yeah?”
“I think you would too.”
“My sisters live there.”
That surprised me. “What? You never mentioned it.”
“Well, to be fair, they live across the water. There’s a little town called Bainbridge Island. They own a bakery together.”
“I’ll have to stop in next time I’m there for team stuff. You could come visit.”
She bit her lip and tensed like she was gonna say something more, but the doors opened, and I offered her my arm as the bridal party walked into the reception hall. The rest of the night went exactly as a typical wedding reception did—dinner, dancing, cake, more dancing. After catching up with my brothers for a bit, I found Clara sipping a glass of water at our table, that faraway look in her eyes again.
Offering her a glass of champagne, I said, “What's with you?”
She shook her head and placed the drink on the table next to her. “What do you mean? I'm fine.”
“No, you look like you've got something serious on your mind. You're not even drinking. You're not on call tonight, are you?”
“Nope. I'm just . . . I'm giving up drinking for a while.”
I frowned. “Something going on?”
She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. “Oh, what the hell,” she muttered.
My heart lurched. Fuck, was she leaving us? We couldn't do this without her. She was the best equine vet in the state.
“Look, if you need a raise, more equipment, better hours, we'll take care of it. Give us a chance to counteroffer whoever is taking you from us.”
Her eyes went wide. “What are you talking about?”
“You're leaving. That's what this is. I know I can be an overbearing ass, but we need you at the ranch.”
She shook her head. “I'm not leaving. I'm trying to have a baby.”
Relief hit me straight in the gut. “Thank fuck . . .” until the rest of what she said landed. “You're pregnant?”
She looked around, checking to see if anyone heard. “Not yet. But I'm planning to start trying.”
Who the fuck was she sleeping with? As far as I knew, she spent more time with me at the ranch than anyone else, but maybe that wasn't true. Did she have a whole boyfriend I didn't know about? No way. If I was her man, I wouldn't be okay with her being a cowboy's date to every wedding this season.
“With who?”
“I haven't decided yet.”
My brows pulled together. “Well, I'm pretty sure that's an important part of the recipe.”
“I can find a donor. I'm almost forty, single, and ready to start my family. I'm done waiting for the right guy. I don't need a husband to have a child. I just need his . . . swimmers.”
I took her by the hand and walked her out of the reception like my feet were on fire. “You mean to tell me you're going to fuck some random guy and let him knock you up without doing his part to take care of you?”
Her voice was low and tight. “Get your head out of your ass, Wilde. No. I'm going to get a donation from a sperm bank and do it myself. I'm not spreading my legs for a rando.”
“So you won't even know the guy?”
“I think that's probably less complicated.”
Unreasonable jealousy and a bit of panic trickled into my thoughts. She deserved more than a damn turkey baster and frozen jizz.
“Let me do it.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Let me be your donor. I'm not looking for what my brothers have. I don't want the wife and kids and picket fence. But I like you and, not to be too cocky, I know I've got good genes. Let me knock you up, Clara Barnes. I won't even charge you a stud fee.”
THE BABY PROPOSITION
1
Clara
“What the hell did you just say to me?”
I stared at the man in front of me, my eyes wide enough I was sure people noticed how shocked I was.
“Let me be your baby daddy. I bet I knock you up on the first try.” His smirk. God Maverick Wilde’s smirk was deadly.
Hysterical laughter escaped me before I could stop myself. “Confident, are you?”