Barbara Dunlop - Thunderbolt over Texas

Katie gave a little shake of her head and waved away their concern. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” said Cole.

She placed her hand on Kyle’s arm. “I’m really okay. I’m just going to get a glass of water.”

Kyle put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. “You sure?” he whispered.

She nodded. “Really. The less fuss, the better. I’ll be right back.”

Kyle watched her disappear into the kitchen.

Cole raked a hand through his hair, trying to sift through the turn of events. “I’m sorry,” he said. “What the heck…”

“Can I help?” Sydney asked Kyle.

Kyle closed his eyed and dropped back into his chair. He shook his head. “It’s the talk of kids.”

Cole slowly sat, opening his mouth to ask for an explanation, but Sydney’s fingers closed on his thigh again.

He felt like a bull in a china shop. What was he missing here?

“She hoped to be pregnant by now,” said Kyle.

Cole went cold.

Sydney tossed her napkin onto the table. “I am going to make sure she’s okay.”

Both men rose with her.

After Sydney disappeared, Kyle moved restlessly to the rail, taking a long, steady swig of his wine.

Cole followed, not sure of what to say. He and Kyle didn’t exactly have heart-to-heart talks about their sex lives, never mind their sperm counts. Was this a medical problem? Did they need to see a doctor?

“Are you…” he began. “Uh, do you…”

“The doctor thinks it’s stress,” said Kyle. “But we don’t know anything for sure, and Katie’s worried she’ll never have kids.”

Cole could have kicked himself. “And I was a big help.”

Kyle snorted out a dry chuckle as he gazed out over the Blue Hills. “Next time, watch my expression and grab a clue.”

“Next time I’ll pay attention when Sydney mangles my thigh.” Cole regretted his bull-headed stupidity. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Get married and have some babies so Katie doesn’t have this whole dynasty thing on her shoulders.”

“That would be a trick.”

“Hey, you’ve got a bona fide offer in my kitchen.”

“We could have a bona fide con artist in your kitchen. Besides, Sydney doesn’t want babies, she wants the Thunderbolt. I’m pretty sure this is a platonic offer.”

Kyle turned to face Cole. He braced his elbow on the rail and a speculative gleam rose in his eyes.

“What?” asked Cole, dragging the word out slowly, trepidation rising.

“You wouldn’t really have to have babies with Sydney,” said Kyle. “You’d just have to let Katie think you’ll have babies with Sydney.”

“That’s insane.” And even if it wasn’t, Katie knew why Sydney was here. There’s no way they’d ever convince her they were having babies together.

“No.” Kyle shook his head. “It’s brilliant. You pretend to fall in love with her, pretend to marry her for real. She gets the brooch and Katie relaxes enough to get pregnant.”

“And I get a wife I don’t know, who doesn’t love me, won’t sleep with me but takes my jewelry?”

Kyle took another swig of his wine. “I’m sure you’re not the first guy that’s happened to.”

Cole snorted.

Kyle clapped him on the shoulder. “You get the satisfaction of knowing you put your foot down and made a decision that was best for your family.”

“Somehow I don’t think this is me putting my foot down.”

“So you’ll do it?”

“I never said that.” How could Cole justify getting married on the off chance it would help Katie get pregnant? Then again, how could he justify not getting married if there was a chance it could help Katie get pregnant?

“We’d be lying to your wife,” he pointed out to Kyle, looking for some loophole that didn’t make him the bad guy.

“No, we wouldn’t. We wouldn’t have to say a thing. Katie’s a hopeless romantic. Trust me, she’s going to throw you and Sydney together no matter what you and I decide. All you’d have to do is hang around and look besotted.”

“I don’t do besotted.”

“Just look at Sydney the way you were looking at her before dinner.”

“I haven’t-”

“That was more aroused than besotted, I’ll admit. But it should work.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“She’s a babe, Cole. It’s not like it would be this huge hardship.”

Alarm crept into Cole’s system as Kyle’s words started to make some kind of bizarre sense. He couldn’t consider this. Then again, he couldn’t not consider this.

“This is the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard,” he said. “Take Katie on a vacation. She can relax on the beach. I’ll pay.”

“She’ll worry about you.”

“She doesn’t have to worry about me.”

“I know that, and you know that, but Katie…”

It was Cole’s turn to gaze at the dark hillsides across the lake. “You know, this morning things were looking pretty good for me. I’d just bought a new mare. I was minding my own business, thinking about shoeing, thinking about building a new hay shed, maybe buying a combine…”

Kyle started to laugh.

“Then along comes Sydney Wainsbrook and suddenly she’s taking over my life.”

“Kyle?” Katie called from the kitchen.

“Yes, sweetheart?” he called back.

“Do you think it’s too late for Sydney to drive to Wichita Falls all by herself?”

“Of course it’s too late.” Kyle waggled a victorious eyebrow at Cole. “It’s way too late.”

“She’s going to stay over,” Katie called.

“Sounds good.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything,” Cole muttered to his brother.

“You have the easy part,” said Kyle. “Just hang around and look besotted.”

“I’m going home.”

“Come back for breakfast.”

“Nope.”

“I’ll send Katie after you.”

“Good luck with that.”

Cole was steadfastly chowing down on hotcakes and coffee when a knock came on his cabin door.

“Come in,” he called gruffly, ready to take on Kyle or Katie or both.

But it was Sydney who poked her head around the door. “Hey, Cole.”

Cole cringed, cussing inside his head. Low blow, Kyle. “Good morning, Sydney.”

She gestured inside. “May I?”

No, never. “Of course.”

Her lips curved into that brilliant, sexy smile. “Thanks,” she breathed, messing with both his equilibrium and his libido.

Katie had obviously lent her some clothes. Instead of her impractical suit, Sydney wore a tight pair of faded blue jeans, a short T-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a perky ponytail. Her makeup was more subtle than yesterday but, if anything, it made her sexier.

“Coffee?” he asked, finding his voice and rising from his chair.

“Love some.”

“It’s a little better than yesterday.” One cup of coffee. That was it. And no matter what, he wasn’t letting her talk him into going back to the house for breakfast.

Kyle’s plan might be crazy, but Cole knew he’d cave-even if there was only a slight chance it would help Katie get pregnant. Because Katie without babies was positively unthinkable. She’d be the greatest mother in the world.

“Yesterday’s coffee was fine,” said Sydney.

“You lie,” said Cole.

She shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

“Don’t know where.” He put a fresh, steaming mug on the table in front of her.

“Sherman’s on West Fifty-second. Ever been to New York?”

“Never have. You hungry?”

“Katie made eggs.”

He nodded and sat back down. “How’s she doing?”

Sydney wrapped her hands around the mug. “Sad, I think.”