Jill Kemerer - His Wyoming Baby Blessing

Kit’s stricken, drawn face as she’d cried over the casket had picked off the scab on emotions he’d gotten used to pretending didn’t exist, and, as much as he sympathized with her loss, he’d avoided contacting her since then. The little girl he’d met in foster care all those years ago—his childhood best friend, the one who always believed the best in him—had grown into a very special, very beautiful woman.

Her husband passing away complicated things.

A dust cloud formed in the distance. It must be Kit’s car. He propped his hand against one of the posts. His land stretched for miles. Land he’d been blessed with. He’d taken it for granted in his quest to expand. Look where it had gotten him. On the brink of losing it all. Why had he overextended himself last year to buy Dudley Farms, a massive farm east of here? If he didn’t find a buyer for Dudley Farms soon, he’d lose everything, including his home, JPX Ranch.

Somehow, he’d find a way to get out of this financial hole, and until he did, no one needed to know about the trouble he was in.

Right now he had to focus on Kit.

The compact silver car stopped in front of the garage. He had the oddest sensation that if he moved even a muscle, his life would change forever.

Nonsense. Get over there like the barn is on fire!

He took off toward the driveway as the car door shut with a thud. Kit walked his way. A perfectly rounded belly jutted out from her long sundress.

His feet refused to move another inch.

She was pregnant.

Why the concept floored him, he couldn’t say, maybe because the thought of her having a baby hadn’t occurred to him, with Cam’s death and all.

If he thought her husband dying complicated things...

“Wade.” The word sounded scratchy, defeated. Her skin was drawn, dark crescents shadowed her pale green eyes and weariness burdened her shoulders. The woman standing before him barely resembled his vibrant friend.

“Kitty Cat.” The old nickname fell off his tongue before he could worry about the consequences.

Something sparked in her eyes, and she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist. He held her lightly, trying to ignore the sensations crowding his brain. Soft skin. Long silky hair with a hint of coconut shampoo. A pregnant tummy separating them. She seemed thinner, not taking into account the baby. There was a frailness to her that didn’t mesh with any version of the Kit he knew. At least the freckles on her nose were still there.

“I didn’t know where else to go.” She stepped back and let out the most pitiful sigh he’d ever heard.

“What have I always told you?” He tried to capture the teasing tone he saved especially for her, but he didn’t quite nail it.

“If I ever need anything, you’re here for me.” She didn’t crack a smile. In fact, her face was as devoid of expression as it was of makeup.

“Exactly.” He straightened, locking his jaw. The fragile, pregnant woman standing here wasn’t the feisty, optimistic girl he’d bonded with as a kid. Life had beaten her down. It had beaten him down enough, too, but he hated that it hadn’t spared her.

“Come inside.” He held the door open, then he led the way to the great room, a large open space with plenty of windows, hardwood floors, leather furniture and area rugs to keep the chill out. Visible signs of the wealth he’d accumulated and, in his greed, put in jeopardy.

“You really did it, didn’t you?” She looked around, lowering her body onto one of the couches. “You always said you were going to own the biggest ranch in Wyoming someday. Your house alone is massive.”

A surge of shame filled him. If he hadn’t bought Dudley Farms, he’d have been financially set for a lifetime. All attempts at trying to salvage his mistake hadn’t worked. Last year the farm’s old irrigation equipment had failed, and the drought had polished off any hopes of growing enough crops to be profitable. On both properties—here on JPX Ranch and on Dudley Farms—he’d downsized all his employees to the bare minimum. Sold as many calves, heifers and horses as he could, except for his favorite stud horse, Del Poncho. He’d sell Del Poncho only if absolutely necessary. But the way the bills were coming in, he’d have to sooner rather than later.

“I didn’t realize you were...having a baby.” He waved in her general direction as he sat in a chair opposite her. “I mean, it was hard enough Cam died.” Heat licked up his neck, and he averted his gaze. What was wrong with him? He wasn’t shy. Didn’t get squeamish. And here he was acting like a pimply kid instead of a grown man.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and averted her own eyes. It brought him back to their younger days. She’d been eight and he’d been ten when they’d met at a foster home. They’d been best buds the three years they’d lived there. He could still see the freckles on her nose as she swung her legs high in the air, brown hair flying in the wind. Her eyes had danced with delight as she begged him to push her higher, higher. When her swing would finally come to a stop, he’d sit on the one next to hers, and, with their legs dangling, they’d talk about the future.

He’d been set on owning the biggest ranch in Wyoming. He’d have so much money no one could ever again tell him what to do. She was going to be a teacher and get married to the best husband in the world and have two boys, one girl, a dog, a cat and a nice house. They both had been on their way to achieving those dreams. And though they still shared a childhood bond, Kit’s marriage to Cam had strained their friendship. Wade understood. Marriage changed things.

“I guess the perfect family you always wanted isn’t turning out the way you’d hoped,” he said, as gently as possible.

“Yeah, well, it was a stupid dream, anyhow.” She gazed out the wall of windows. Sadness and something else was etched into her face. Bitterness?

Not Kit. Sunny, kind, spitfire Kit never let anything get her down.

He didn’t like to think of her spirit broken, but maybe he was overanalyzing things.

“When are you due?”

“October second.” Her shrug gave him the impression she was nervous. “Depending.”

Depending on what? He scuffed his foot against the floor.

“Thanks for letting me stay here. It will only be for a week. The extended-stay hotel should have a room for me by then.”

She hadn’t given him much information when she called last night. Just said she needed a place to stay for a week and did he have a spare room for her? He’d offered her one of several renovated cabins on his property. They’d been remodeled a few years ago for his friends to use for getaways, hunting, fishing...whatever. She was welcome to hunker down in any of them.

But last night she hadn’t mentioned an extended-stay hotel.

She also hadn’t mentioned she was having a baby.

“Why are you going to some roadhouse?” He needed more information from her. Nothing was adding up, and he didn’t exactly consider himself slow.

One of her shoulders lifted. “I’m moving to Casper.”

“Did you get a new job or something?” He couldn’t picture her accepting a different position. She loved teaching second grade in Fort Laramie. But maybe the memories with Cam made it too hard for her to continue working there.

“No.” Her hands covered her tummy.

Her short answers, air of gloom and lack of animation kicked up his stomach acid.

“Kit, this is me. You don’t have to hide anything.” He leaned forward, immediately recognizing the hypocrisy of his words. He was hiding his problems from her and everyone else he was close to. “What is going on?”

“I need a new start.”