He shrugged. “I am on the fence. I knew that there would come a time when I was going to have to produce an heir, but I thought it would be done the proper way. A wife first, and then kids later.” He gestured around the room. “It needs to be passed onto the next generation when I am no longer around.”
“Is it all this pregnancy is to you?”
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes inscrutable. “I don’t know what this pregnancy is to me yet. I cannot decide. I run a multi-billion-dollar ranch with all the intricacies it entails. I am dedicated to the running of it and that has been the case since I was a child. I always knew that I would be in charge one day because I was an only child but thought that it would have perhaps been the case when I was in my forties, but the responsibility was thrust on me at a young age and I had to adapt quickly.” He tossed back the drink and went to get some more. Sophie watched as he unscrewed the bottle and poured the drink. His back was to her and she could not help but noticed how the faded denims molded his butt and long legs. She realized that they had both lost their parents and he seemed to have been very committed to them. She did not know much about him except what she had read on the internet and she was almost certain that he was not the type to pour his heart out to a woman, even one carrying his child. She averted her gaze as he turned and walked back to the counter. “What does it mean to you?”
She looked at him startled. “I am carrying a life inside me and I am awed at it. I am scared because I do not know what to expect. I have heard that it is a life changing experience and I wished….” Her voice petered off and she stared into her cup.
He waited her out even though he had a pretty good idea what she had been about to say.
“It does not matter. I will figure it out. That’s what books are for.”
“You won’t have to do the figuring out on your own.” He told her quietly. “I will be here for you and the kid, always.”
She looked at him, a question in her dark brown eyes. “What about your own relationships?”
His eyebrows lifted. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I am not worried!” She hastened to assure him. “I am just wondering how you are going to deal with having a child with one woman and being with another.”
He sipped the bourbon. “I have not thought about it and I do believe that when the time comes, it will be sorted out. Like I said before, you have no need to be concerned, I will deal with it.” He got to his feet. “And I really think it is time you turned in.”
Chapter 3
It was a complicated recipe and required her complete attention. It was the Fourth of July and it was a big deal on the ranch. The ranch hands worked hard, and they partied hard. She had grown kind of accustomed to Hunter with his brief conversations whenever she saw him, which was not often. She knew he was not avoiding her, but it felt like it. He would leave out very early in the morning and come back when she was in bed. She had tried to avoid being in the kitchen late at nights. She certainly did not want to make him think that she was lying in wait for him. He barely acknowledged her whenever they saw each other, and she had come to accept that he wanted nothing to do with her. He would ask after her well-being when they happened on each other but that was the extent of their conversation. She told herself that it did not mean anything to her, but she was lying. She was pregnant by him and she would certainly appreciate more than just polite conversations.
The kitchen was a hive of activities, with the noise level above normal as the conversations sounded around the large room. She was still in charge even though the extra people had been hired to accommodate the bulk of the work. Ms. Jennings had called her into the office yesterday to compliment her on handling herself and Sophie had wondered what she would say if she found out about the pregnancy. She had not been here six months yet; she had fallen prey to the Hunter’s charms or lack thereof. He had certainly not used his reputed charms on her, and she could not help but think that he had made love to her because he had felt sorry for her. He certainly had not approached her that way again and she wondered who the woman was he was with now. Was she coming to the dance later today? Could she bear to see him cozied up with another woman? She was not in a relationship with him and other than his seed growing inside her, she did not have any claims, but she was not sure she could stand to see him with someone else. She knew he was probably in a relationship or several…. She grimaced at that! She still could not believe that she and gotten herself into this predicament. The only thing she had to be thankful for was that he was not in a committed relationship, or was he? She could not think about that right now. The baby growing inside her was taking up a lot of her thinking and was serving to replace the sadness that had become a part of her since her parents died. She had often heard that the ending of one life was the beginning of another and she would like to think that this baby was the start of something terrific! Her child! Whenever she was done for the day and alone in her suite, she would reflect on the wonder of it. A baby growing inside her….! Wow! She had ordered several books online and had started reading up on what to expect. She had also started playing classical music, placing the headphones over her stomach so that the fetus could absorb the strain of melody. Hunter had told her that he wanted to be involved but she had a feeling that he only meant financially and would lend his support when it was time for the visit to the doctor. No amount of wishing that he were more involved would change things. She had become pregnant for a virtual stranger, a man who was accustomed to being in several different relationships at a time and she had to accept the consequences of it. She did not dare think about the long-term of it, because it would bring about a stress that she could not afford now. Like where would she live when he decided to settle down with someone which was bound to happen eventually. He had told her that his child would of course be staying at the ranch and she did not have enough money to fight him on that. He was Hunter McTaggart and would win against her in any courtroom because he had the money to do so. Maybe she could buy a place not far from here so that they could share custody. She shook her head as she concentrated on pastry. It was something she had planned last night while being unable to sleep and had got up early this morning to come into the kitchen before the rest of the staff. She had started the huge pots of coffee and had put the grits on before Joe and the rest had wandered in. She had always been a morning person and even when she went to bed late, she always managed to get up early in the morning.
“What are you going to call it?” Joe asked, intruding in her thoughts.
“It’s a mix of chocolate and vanilla with a touch of cinnamon.” She murmured as she cracked the eggs to make the whip cream. The milk was fresh from the cows in the pasture and the eggs from the chicken that were kept for household purposes. She had been amazed at how self-sufficient the ranch was and had been told that it had been the domain of Mrs. McTaggart when she ran the household. It was maintained by the housekeeper, the formidable Mrs. Lowe who made sure that the greenhouse had the organic fruits and vegetables growing; and organized the milking and collection of eggs. “I have no idea what to name it yet.” She glanced at the man towering over her. “You are going to be my taster for the day.”