The Rancher's Christmas Baby

Chapter Four

“I’m glad you’re here,” Luke Carrigan told Teddy at the chapel the next afternoon, where construction of a new roof was under way. Fifty men had volunteered to help the professional roofers and structural engineers in charge of the reconstruction and repair efforts.

Luke was manning one of the power saws, cutting lumber to size. Teddy had been assigned the task of carefully measuring and marking each piece.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” Luke continued.

Teddy had figured as much. He couldn’t blame him. Were he Amy’s father, he would have wanted to chat with his new son-in-law, too.

“So how’s it going so far?” Luke asked.

“We’re still settling in,” Teddy said finally. “But we had fun last night.” It had almost seemed like old times. Before the rush to the altar…when the only thing on their minds had been having a good time. “I helped her make gingerbread cookies.” Then Amy had slept on the sofa, and he’d taken his bed. He was bleary-eyed from lying awake half the night, wondering where the desire to kiss her…really kiss her…had come from.

“So you’re living where right now?”

“We’re alternating houses at the moment.” Tonight they were going to be at the trailer. They were still trying to figure out where he was going to sleep—on a sofa that was a good two feet too short for him, or in the double bed that was also too small for his six-foot-four frame.

Luke paused to study Teddy. “Where’s Amy now?”

“She had work to do on her ranch, then this evening, she’s going to the cookie swap.”

“You won’t see her…”

“Till I get done here.”

“I saw she had signed up to work on the cleaning and painting of the interior of the church later this week.”

Teddy nodded. “We both did.”

It meant a lot to both of them, getting the community chapel restored before the Christmas holidays.

Luke lined up another piece of lumber and ran it through the saw. “I guess it’s no secret Amy’s mother and I remain concerned.”

“No, sir, it isn’t.” Teddy was pretty sure his parents still felt the same way. They just hadn’t had a chance to corner him yet.

Luke carried the wood over to the growing pile of cut lumber, then paused to get a drink from the water bottle he’d brought with him. “Had you two told us of your plans, Meg and I would have moved heaven and earth to stop you from making such a big mistake. Especially,” he continued gravely, giving Teddy no chance to interrupt, “since you are the reason Amy hasn’t found anyone to spend the rest of her life with, and vice versa.”

This was news. “How do you figure that?” Teddy asked. He’d never tried to keep Amy from dating anyone. Heck, he’d encouraged her to go out with other guys, just as she had urged him to date all likely prospects that came his way. It wasn’t his fault—or hers—that none of the people either of them had dated had come close to measuring up.

Luke clapped a fatherly hand on Teddy’s shoulder. “You two have gotten so close over the years, spent so much time together. No one new coming into either of your lives can compete with that kind of intimacy. Not,” he added quickly, “that it’s all your fault. Amy’s experience with Ken left her wary of giving her heart to anyone again. That’s why I’d held back on trying to set her up with any potential suitors just yet.”

Teddy eyed him curiously. “You don’t think she considered marriage to me a risk?”

“I think she figured she would be safe as long as her heart wasn’t involved with you, the way it was with Ken.”

Teddy pushed away his unease. “Why did they end the engagement?” he asked.

Luke looked stunned. “She didn’t tell you?”

“Amy and I made a pact early on never to give each other the details on the people we were dating.” For reasons Teddy had never been able to put a finger on—it just hadn’t felt right, talking to Amy about the women in his life…or hearing about the men in hers. So they’d steadfastly avoided the topic.

Teddy shrugged, admitting, “All Amy ever said was that ‘Ken wasn’t the man she thought he was.’ I know the breakup left her feeling embarrassed and humiliated, but not a lot more.” Amy had never wanted to talk about it further. And he hadn’t wanted to push her.

Belatedly, Teddy realized he probably should have been more insistent. Particularly if Ken was the reason Amy was still so closed off, as her father seemed to be indicating.

Luke gave Teddy a frank, man-to-man look. “You’ll have to ask her if you want to know more than that. It’s not my story to tell. In the meantime, I expect you and my daughter are both stubborn enough to want to see this marriage through, but when it ends—and it will end, Teddy, because no union can survive without a foundation of deep, abiding romantic love—then I expect you to do the honorable thing and let my daughter go. And make it a clean break. So you and she will both have a chance with someone else.”

Teddy wanted to disregard everything Amy’s father had said. He couldn’t. As close as he and Amy were, there was still a lot he wanted—needed—to learn about the woman he had married.

Unfortunately, by the time work on the chapel roof wrapped up and he got back to Laurel Valley Ranch, it was ten o’clock. Amy was already fast asleep on the living room sofa. Curled up on her side, one hand pressed to her cheek, the other tucked beneath the pillow, her golden curls tousled…she looked young and innocent and incredibly sexy.

Aware the trailer had taken on a chill, the way it did every night when the sun went down, he got a second blanket off the back of the sofa and spread it over her. She shifted slightly, sighed softly and drifted right back into sleep.

Surprised by the tenderness he felt, Teddy picked up his overnight bag and walked soundlessly to the rear of the trailer.

By the time he had stepped into the shower, he had an ache that wouldn’t quit. An ache that had little to do with friendship and everything to do with the fact Amy was now his wife.

A piece of paper…a couple of words said in a judge’s office…shouldn’t make a difference.

But it did.

And Teddy didn’t know what in blazes he was going to do about that.

FOR TEDDY, MORNING came all too soon.

Stiff and sore from a night bent like a pretzel, he pushed back the covers and struggled to get out of bed. As he made his way to the miniscule bathroom, he realized the trailer was awfully quiet.

He followed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee into the kitchen and his spirits sank. The blankets on the sofa were folded neatly. The coffee carafe sat on the kitchen counter, beside a note scrawled in Amy’s hand.

Teddy,

I really need to sleep here tonight. So if you wouldn’t mind… We’ll double up at your place after that, to make up for it.

Amy.

Teddy scowled. He’d had more time with his wife when they weren’t married.

AMY FELT A LITTLE GUILTY FOR repeatedly ducking out on Teddy over the weekend. Not that she could have helped with the roofing of the chapel—that was clearly a guys-only job, with only guys volunteering. And she had needed to work. But she could have stayed around this morning, to have a cup of coffee with him, or at least say good morning before she took off for town, to get some more bundling mesh for the trees she was cutting.

She hadn’t, because the thought of furthering the intimacy between them left her feeling all jittery inside. They’d had no trouble keeping to established boundaries when they were friends. Now the same rules seemed oddly confining. The thought of setting new ones was even more daunting.

Fortunately, the note Teddy had left for her on the kitchen counter indicated he had client appointments at his ranch and wouldn’t be home until eight or nine that evening. He advised her not to wait dinner on him; he’d grab a sandwich at his place.

Realizing she should be relieved not to have to worry about doing anything wifely when she was exhausted from a day spent cutting and bundling trees, Amy made a sandwich for herself. She had just washed her dishes and retreated to her bedroom when Teddy strode into the trailer, looking freshly showered and shaved. And loaded for bear. “What’s this I hear about you driving a load of trees to Wichita Falls by yourself tomorrow?” he demanded.

So much for the boundaries they’d previously had in place.

Deciding it was high time she got cleaned up, too, Amy grabbed her pajamas and a pair of panties from the top dresser drawer. “Who told you?”

Teddy leaned a shoulder against the door frame, watching as she maneuvered the foot of space between the bed and the only other piece of furniture in the room. “Tyler—who heard it from Susie.”

“Figures,” Amy grumbled. Being the baby of the family made everyone think they had to manage her life for her. She had figured that would change as she got older. To her chagrin, it hadn’t.

“You know there’s a fierce winter storm from Colorado headed our way.”

What was it about him that made her trailer feel so small and close, instead of cozy and warm, whenever he was here with her? It was more than just the sheer size of him. It was the way he looked at her since they’d said their vows. Like he wanted to possess her…

Aware she was letting her thoughts slide into forbidden territory again, Amy went back to her dresser and added a bra to the bundle of nightclothes in her hand.

“The ice and snow is not supposed to hit Laramie.” She had to kneel on the bed, which pressed up against the opposite wall, to open the sliding closet doors.

Teddy edged closer. The masculine fragrance of his soap and cologne inundated her. “But all reports predict it will hit Wichita Falls.”

Amy plucked a robe from a hanger, and a clean towel and washcloth from the shelf. “Not until tomorrow evening, at which point I will already be safely back in Laramie.”

Teddy stepped aside to let her pass. “What time are you leaving?”

Amy set her clothing on the top of the clothes hamper. “Dawn.” She had promised the trees would be there by noon at the latest. This would give her plenty of time.

Teddy watched as she rubbed cleansing lotion onto her face. “Who’s going to unload the truck?”

Amy dampened a washcloth and washed off the remains of the day. “The members of the civic club. They’re supposed to have a dozen people there, so it shouldn’t take long. I can collect my paycheck and be on my way.” Finished, she layered toothpaste onto a brush.

Teddy frowned as she brushed and rinsed. “I still don’t like it.”

Amy bent to take off her wool socks. His presence kept her from disrobing any further. “It’s not really up to you to like or dislike it.” Hand to the center of his chest, she pushed him gently back into the narrow hall, between the bedroom and kitchen. Her palm tingled from the solid warmth of him. She dropped her hand and stepped back, so she was just inside the bath. Before he could continue, she added, “And if you say you’re my husband now, I really am going to lose it.”

Teddy grinned unrepentantly. “Is that so?”

Aware her pulse was racing, Amy nodded. “I managed just fine without you all these years. You don’t need to step in and run my life now.”

His expression gentled. “I’ll feel better if I’m with you.”

Unsolicited orders were easy to ignore. Tenderness was much harder to fight. Amy drew a stabilizing breath. “You have your own business to run.”

“Nothing that can’t be managed by my part-time help.” This time, he held up a hand to cut her off. “I’m going with you tomorrow, Amy. End of story. Now, where are we going to sleep tonight?”

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, Teddy lay in Amy’s double bed, listening to the shower running. Funny, he had never had much trouble ignoring Amy’s soft curves and silky skin when they had just been friends. Now, as he lay in sheets and blankets scented with the unique fragrance of her, it was much harder to stay immune to her delectable presence.

Had he insisted they sleep at his place, he could have stretched out on the sectional sofa and given her his king-size bed.

Knowing how important it was to her to maintain her independence, he had respected her request and come here to sleep. Again. Since there was no way he could get his body onto her sofa, he had ended up scrunched up on the double bed, which was still too small by half. Hoping yet another uncomfortable night would show her the wisdom of sleeping at his place from here on out, he closed his eyes.

The water in the bathroom shut off.

He heard Amy moving around, knew she was toweling off.

It took forever for her to dress.

Blow-dry her hair.

Emerge from the bathroom, smelling like the perfumed soap and shampoo she used, and tiptoe toward the other end of the small trailer.

Aware his body was reacting in a way it shouldn’t, he turned onto his side. Given the way he was aching, it was going to be a long night.

Eventually, Teddy went to sleep.

When the alarm went off, he dressed and went out to transfer the necessities from his pickup to her cargo truck.

Amy climbed behind the wheel, a thermos of coffee, a bag of granola bars and apples, and two thermal mugs in her arms. She cast a skeptical look at the boxes he’d stowed behind the seat. “What’s all this?”

“Survival gear.”

Her pretty eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

Teddy shrugged and climbed into the cab beside her. “Never hurts to be prepared. There’s a lot of desolate road between here and Wichita Falls.”

Scoffing, Amy fit the key into the ignition. “We’re not going to need that stuff.”

“Of course we’re not,” he teased. “We’d only need it if we didn’t have it.”

She considered that. “True.”

Trying not to appear as antsy as he felt, he settled into the passenger seat. “You want to split the driving?” He wasn’t used to taking the passive role. Particularly when he was with her.

“No.” Amy’s chin took on a familiar, stubborn tilt. “I can do it.”

Teddy forced himself not to exhale in exasperation. “If you change your mind…”

“I’ll let you know.”

The morning passed quickly. Although the weather reports remained dire, the pavement was dry when they reached Wichita Falls. However, the clouds were a deep, troubling gray-white.

Luckily, the trees were unloaded quickly and Amy was paid.

By three that afternoon, they were on their way back.

Shortly after, the rain began.

“Maybe we should just err on the side of caution and get a room somewhere,” Teddy said, studying the sky.

“And get stuck here for who knows how many days if this turns to ice? I don’t think so. We’re moving away from the storm. I think we should continue. Besides, it’s just rain.”

“Now.” Teddy pointed to the digital numbers on her dashboard that indicated it was currently thirty-three degrees outside. “If the temperature dips a point or two, we could be dealing with freezing rain or sleet.”

“By the time that happens, we’ll be well out of harm’s way,” Amy predicted.

Not necessarily, since the storm was moving in a southerly direction, from the west, and they were headed southwest.

“At least let me drive,” Teddy said, aware they were still a good five hours from home.

Amy gripped the wheel with both hands, her attention firmly on the road. “Your job is to ride shotgun. That’s it.”

Was this what it was going to be like to be married to her? Amy seemed to be holding on to her autonomy with all her might. And while Teddy understood that—he, too, had an independent streak a mile wide—he also knew that marriage required compromise. Thus far, Amy hadn’t demonstrated much of an inclination to meet him halfway on anything, never mind allow him to protect and care for her in the traditional way husbands cared for their wives.

He found that frustrating as hell.

“Don’t worry,” Amy promised, completely misreading the reason behind his concern. “We’ll stop and get some dinner when we get far enough away from all this.”

TWO HOURS LATER, AMY GLARED at Teddy from across the table. He’d barely spoken to her since they entered the restaurant. Worse, he was so edgy he was making her tense. “Would you stop fidgeting and looking at your watch?” she asked irritably.

“Can’t help it.” The look he gave her mirrored her mood to a T. “I’d rather be driving. Actually—” he held up a hand and corrected before she could comment “—I’d rather be checked into a hotel room.”

That was the last thing they needed. Especially when the idea of the two of them sequestered in a hotel room together, waiting for the winter storm to pass, immediately conjured up forbidden images of hot, passionate sex….

Forcing herself to stop her wayward thoughts—hadn’t notions like that gotten her into trouble in the past?—Amy turned her gaze toward the Christmas tree in the lobby of the truck stop.

Although carols were playing on the sound system, and peppermint ice cream pie was on the menu, it still didn’t feel like Christmas to her. Amy forked up some turkey and dressing, glad for their first hot meal of the day. “Hold on to your britches,” she grumbled. “I’m eating as fast as I can.”

He brightened. “You could take it with us and eat it in the truck if you’d let me drive.”

It would be so easy to lean on him. It would also be a bad precedent to set, unless she wanted him telling her what to do, every day for the rest of her life. Amy went back to glaring at him. “Just because I don’t inhale my food at the speed of light the way you do…”

He arched a brow, obviously fed up with all the waiting around, even though they’d only been in the restaurant for twenty minutes or so.

“I’m going to get some coffee for our thermos.” He left the table.

Amy looked out the window. It was raining pretty hard. Now that the sun had gone down, the temperature was dropping, too. She hurried up, despite her early admonition not to be worried by all the alarmist predictions on the airwaves. By the time she emerged from the ladies’ room, the check had been paid. Full thermos in hand, Teddy was ready to go.

As they walked back out to the truck, icy rain pelted their faces.

It hadn’t been coming down anywhere near this hard when they had stopped for dinner half an hour ago. In fact, it had barely been raining at all.

Her foot slid on the slick pavement as she approached the driver’s side. He caught her.

She had only to look into his eyes to know what he was thinking.

They could spend the night here.

They wouldn’t have a bed, or any privacy, but they’d have heat, food, bathrooms. And he’d be looking at her with that I-told-you-this-was-a-bad-idea gaze all night long.

“I want to keep going.”

His expression remained impassive. “You’re the boss. It’s your call.”

Amy didn’t like the sound of that. There weren’t supposed to be any bosses in their marriage between friends. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her down jacket. “No need to be sarcastic.”

He kept the steadying hand on her elbow and gave her a chivalrous boost up into the cab. “Be grateful I’m still this circumspect.”

Amy scowled and started the truck. To her relief, the dashboard indicated the outside temperature was still thirty-three degrees.

She went over to gas up, and then turned the truck back onto the two-lane highway. “It’s thirty-four miles to the next town,” she said. “If it looks any worse by the time we get there, we’ll stop there for the night.”

Teddy nodded.

To Amy’s relief, the next fifteen miles were fine, although she drove very slowly and carefully, just to be on the safe side.

It was only when they got into an area that was as desolate as the desert, that the temperature began to dip even more. And that was when the road got really slick.

One minute they were cruising along, easy as you please, the next they were skating across a sheet of black ice. Fishtailing, then spinning all the way around, before bumping across a cactus-riddled field and coming to an abrupt halt.

IT TOOK A GOOD FIFTEEN seconds after they stopped for Amy to catch her breath. Recovering, she gripped the wheel hard with both hands and stepped on the gas. The truck went exactly nowhere.

She tried again and was rewarded with a spinning sound and a sinking truck.

“Try rocking it back and forth,” Teddy suggested.

She did…to no avail.

She eased off the gas, frustration knotting her gut, and shifted the truck into Park. Swearing softly beneath her breath, Amy unfastened her seat belt and jumped down from the cab. Teddy followed her onto the ground. It took only a moment to see what the problem was. The truck’s front wheels were stuck in the mud.

Amy sighed, as the freezing precipitation continued to rain down on them. “We’re not going to be able to get out of this, are we?”

“Not until it stops. Which should be by daylight.”

“Lovely.”

She climbed back in the truck and turned off the ignition.

Silence surrounded them, broken only by the pelting sounds of the ice hitting the windshield and top of the cab.

Teddy reached around behind them. He brought out a couple of wool blankets and draped them over their laps.

He lit a candle, stuck it inside a hurricane globe and set it on the dash. “This candle will keep it fifty degrees in here, all on its own.”

The heat of his body would keep it warmer than that.

Amy ran a hand over her eyes and slumped down in her seat. “You can say I told you so any time now,” she grumbled, feeling incredibly foolish.

Teddy draped his arm along the back of the bench seat and turned toward her. Using the pressure of his hand on her shoulder, he urged her out from behind the wheel, not stopping until they were sitting side by side in the center of the wide bench seat. “When in our many years of friendship have I ever said I told you so to you?” he asked her in a deep, kind voice.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Amy replied miserably.

He shifted, getting more comfortable, too. His leg nudged hers beneath the blankets. “Are we talking about me now or your ex-fiancé?”

Amy shut her eyes and tipped her head back until it rested against the seat. “You know I don’t talk about that.”

He pulled her deeper into the curve of his arm. “Maybe it’s time you do.”

Needing to see the expression on his face, Amy opened her eyes and looked at him. “You first, then.’ Cause you never said why you and Vanna broke it off, either.”

For a long moment, Amy thought Teddy was going to put up the usual smoke screen into his most private thoughts about all members of the opposite sex. Then something in his gaze shifted, became more intimate still. With the change in his mood, a new peace stole over the cab of the truck. His sensual lips curving ruefully, he murmured, “Vanna said the thrill was gone. Our life together was too ordinary. I was too ordinary. Too nice.”