Stealing a Cowboy's Heart Page 4
There was a soft knock on my door, and I stiffened, instinctively pulling the covers up. My spunk covered hand still gripped my softening cock, and I looked at the door with trepidation. I kept quiet, hoping he’d think I was still asleep, but when he knocked again, for some reason, I answered him.
“Come in.”
What am I doing? Why am I inviting him in?
He opened the door slowly, poking his head in. “I’m going to take off for work, and I just felt weird leaving and not saying anything. There’s food in the fridge, so just help yourself to anything you want.”
My face was hot, and I felt sweaty as I held his gaze. “Sounds good.”
He frowned. “Everything okay?”
I nodded, praying he’d just leave before his keen sense of smell probably picked up the scent of semen. “Yep. All is well.”
Pulling his brows tighter, he asked, “You sure?”
“Yes,” I said stiffly.
He narrowed his eyes, flared his nostrils, and his expression changed from worried to knowing, in the space of a second. “Oh.”
My face felt like it was on fire. He gave a gruff laugh and hesitated before closing the door abruptly. I scrunched my face in embarrassment.
That wasn’t awkward at all.
I kicked off the covers and grabbed tissues from the nightstand. I wiped off and winced, remembering his mortified expression. I was relieved he’d said he was leaving for work. Hopefully by the time he got home later, he’d have forgotten all about that awkward moment. I waited a few minutes before leaving my room. I wanted to be sure he had cleared out first. When I finally felt brave enough, I used the restroom and showered.
Once I’d dressed in jeans and a clean shirt from the guest room closet, I went to the kitchen to find food. I was starving, and I pulled out eggs and butter from the fridge. As fried eggs spattered in the hot pan, I chomped on fruit and yogurt. After I’d consumed the eggs, toast and more fruit, I sighed and collapsed on the couch. It was the most amazing feeling to be full again. I’d starved for so long, grabbing scraps wherever I could find them. Luckily people often didn’t finish what was on their plates, and I’d sometimes been fortunate enough to find steak and fries in the trash.
I shuddered, remembering how demeaning living like that had been. Selling my body hadn’t ever been my first choice to make a living, but often, when I’d fallen on hard times, it had been easy to fall back on. But trying to entice alphas when you were almost full term had been impossible. They hadn’t even wanted blow jobs from me.
I sighed and nestled against the couch pillows. I hadn’t met many kind people in my life. I’d been on my own since I was sixteen. My mom had died giving birth to me, and my dad had resented me for that. He’d turned to booze and had mostly ignored me. Eventually, after years of drinking himself into a stupor, he’d died of pneumonia right before my sixteenth birthday. I’d taken off with a friend of mine, Cane, who’d known how to get fake IDs, and we’d traveled around the country together for a while.
But then Cane had met an alpha and settled down to have a family. I’d never envied him, instead I’d thought he was foolish to give up the freedom we’d had. Being young, I’d stupidly let him know my opinion, and of course we’d argued. I’d moved on alone, hell bent on keeping my independence. Even though I was older now, I still didn’t understand other omega’s need to belong to only one alpha. It seemed like something out of a stupid romance novel. There was so much to explore in the world, and so many sexy alphas. Why tie yourself down to one?
I winced when the baby moved, and adjusted my position. I guess I’d ended up tied to one person after all, now that this little child was on the way. This kid would forever more be my responsibility. I wondered if my mom had been happy when she was pregnant with me, or if I’d been a mistake too. I sometimes tried to imagine what my mom would have been like. But it was hard since my dad hadn’t kept any photos around of her. He’d said it was too depressing. But I’d still thought about her all the time, and I’d actually found one photo of her, in an old desk drawer. I’d treasured that glimpse of her, and kept it hidden from my dad. I’d stared at that picture every night, and it had almost fallen apart from being held so much. I still kept it in my wallet, but I didn’t look at it as often anymore.
I wanted to be a good dad to this kid. But I’d never had anyone really care about me like a parent should, and that made me afraid I wouldn’t know what to do. I prayed that my omega instincts would kick in and guide me. The last thing I wanted was for my baby to ever feel as unloved or unwanted as my dad had made me feel.
I jumped when there was a knock at the back door. I got up warily to see who it was. I stood to the side of the door, trying to peer out through the blinds without being seen. Unfortunately for me, the woman standing there was also trying to peer through the blinds into the house, and our eyes met. She looked surprised to see me, but she smiled.
“Hello,” she called out. “Is Tex around?”
I straightened and let the blinds fall closed. I knew she’d seen me, and there probably was no point in hiding. My heart pounded, and I scowled. Who was this nosy woman? Why was she creeping around Tex’s house staring in windows?
She knocked again. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to speak to my son. Is he around?”
Her son?
This nosy woman was Tex’s mom? I grimaced, and contemplated just ignoring her, but then I realized that wasn’t very mature, and I took a big breath and opened the door. Running a hand over my hair, I met her gaze shyly. “He, uh… he isn’t here.”
Her smile faded as she took in my pregnant stomach. “Really?” She was polite enough she didn’t stare at my big belly, but I could see her confusion clearly on her face. “I thought he’d be here.”
“He’s… um… at work.” My face was hot. She probably thought the baby was Tex’s, anyone might make that leap.
She stuck out her hand suddenly. “I’m Tex’s mom, Sharon.”
I hesitated and then grasped her soft hand in mine. “My name’s Griff.”
While she looked sweet and motherly, her grip was like steel. “Would you mind if I came in for a second? I’m parched as a Calla Lily in the Sahara desert.”
She wanted to come in?
I grimaced, but then stepped back. What could I say? She probably belonged in Tex’s house more than I did. She was family after all. I moved to the middle of the room, and she came in, closing the door behind her. She grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards, and smiled sweetly as she filled it at the faucet.
“I don’t know when Tex will be home.” My voice was hushed.
“Well, if he’s at work, odds are he won’t be home till sun-down. He doesn’t like leaving things undone.” She sipped her water, watching me over the rim. She then set the glass down and said, “I guess there’s no point in pretending I’m not surprised to see you in here.” Her laugh was lilting.
I shifted uneasily. “Yeah. I’m sure you’re curious.”
She watched me expectantly, and when I remained silent, she laughed again. “So, how do you know my son?” Her eyes dropped to my belly.
I rubbed my stomach and winced. “Tex isn’t the father.”
She looked almost disappointed, which was a surprise to me. “Is that right?”
“He was just kind enough to let me stay here a while.” I cleared my throat. “I was having a rough time of it.”
“But the baby isn’t his?” Her mouth drooped. “That’s too bad.”
“It is?” I twisted my lips, feeling muddled. She didn’t even know me and she was disappointed I wasn’t carrying Tex’s baby?
“Yep.” She sighed. “I’m afraid that boy isn’t ever going to settle down. How am I ever going to get any grand babies?”
For some reason, her exasperated tone made me laugh.
She smiled and pointed to my belly. “If Tex isn’t the father, who is?”
“It’s a long story.” One I didn’t feel like sharing.
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“But he just took pity on you?”
“Something like that.”
She tucked an unruly strand of blond hair behind her ear. “It’s very… unusual… for one alpha to take in another alpha’s pregnant omega. Did something happen to your alpha?”
“I don’t have an alpha.”
Her brow wrinkled. “No? But you’re pregnant.”
“Yeah, but I don’t consider the father of this baby to be my alpha.”
She raised her brows. “Really?”
“No.”
“That’s very unorthodox.”
“I suppose so.”
She clasped her hands. “Well, I guess none of this is my business. Tex is old enough to make his own decisions.” Her smile seemed forced, and I could sense her confusion.
I couldn’t blame her for being perplexed. Everything she said was true. It was extremely unusual for an alpha to get involved with a pregnant omega, when the baby wasn’t his. “Tex is trying to help me.”
“Okay.”
“I guess you raised your son right.” I gave a stiff laugh. “He’s shown compassion to me even though we’re strangers.”
“Were you in trouble?”
“I was pretty desperate when I met Tex.” I didn’t like looking weak or needy, but Tex had taken pity on me, and there really was no arguing that fact. I’d hit rock bottom, and Tex had stepped in and turned things around for me in an instant. While I would have trouble admitting all of that out loud, it was true.
“Then I’m glad he was there in your time of need.” She took another sip off her glass and poured the rest down the drain. Then she moved closer. Her gaze was intent, and she really studied my face. “You have nice eyes. You can tell a lot about a person by their eyes.”
My face warmed. “Thanks.”
“I guess finding you here shouldn’t really surprise me. Tex always brought home strays when he was a kid.” She laughed and held put her hand quickly. “Not that you’re a stray. I just mean he always cared about those who needed a helping hand.”
I didn’t know enough about Tex to agree or disagree.
She narrowed her eyes. “So then the other alpha is out of the picture for good?”
“That’s the plan.” I dropped my gaze.
“Please tell me that alpha isn’t local.” She bit her lower lip.
When I grimaced, she frowned. “Oh, dear.” I couldn’t blame her for worrying about her son. She knew nothing about me, and she wouldn’t want Tex getting in a big war for an omega who wasn’t even carrying her son’s kid. “Have you thought about leaving town?”
“That’s what I was trying to do when me and Tex met.”
“I see.” She nodded. “But you stayed for some reason?”
I really didn’t want to tell her exactly how I’d met Tex, so I shrugged. “It’s not easy fending for me and the baby when I’m this far along.”
“No. It wouldn’t be.”
Which is why you should be with your alpha.
That unspoken phrase hung in the air.
The baby kicked hard, and I grunted, leaning against the counter. She immediately came closer, a concerned look on her face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. The baby is just really restless today.” The kid had been banging around inside like crazy most of the night and morning. I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d eaten that was bothering the baby, or if this was just how active fetuses were at this stage.
“How far along are you?”
“Seven months. Give or take a few weeks.”
“Baby seems pretty low.” Her voice was soft. “You sure you have the due date right?”
“Well, I’ve only seen a doctor once. I’m just going by what she said.”
She widened her eyes. “What? You haven’t been under a doctor’s care the whole time?”
Heat filled my cheeks. “Doctors cost money.” I’d also known Sven would watch the doctor offices in town to try and grab me. But I couldn't tell her that. She was worried enough about Tex being drawn into drama. If she found out Sven was nuts, that wouldn’t comfort her any.
Without asking, she moved to me and put her hand on my stomach. “I’m not kidding when I say this baby is really low. I suspect you’re closer to your due date than you realize.”
I frowned. “I hope not.”
She laughed. “The baby has to come sometime. Better get used to the idea.” As near as we were, I could now see that she had the same intense blue eyes Tex had. “You’re very thin. Have you been eating?”
I smiled. “You sound like Tex.”
“Yeah, the naggy gene runs strong in our line.” She took a step back. “So, over all, how are you feeling?”
“Tired. Fat. Grumpy.”
“That sounds about right.” She grinned. “I feel your pain. I have three boys. Tex is the oldest.”
Made sense why she wanted him to find his omega, if he was the older son. The baby kicked again, and I winced. I moved to sit at the table, lowering myself carefully with a grunt. “I think this kid is going to be a ballet dancer.”
Her laugh was warm. She crossed her arms as she studied me. “You seem like an okay person to me, Griff. I trust my son’s instincts.”
If only you could have seen me trying to steal his truck.
I kept my face blank. “Thanks.”
She sighed and headed to the door. “Well, it was nice meeting you. I sure hope I get to do it again soon.”
“Nice meeting you too.”
“Would you tell Tex I stopped by? For some reason I thought today was his day off.” She smiled and opened the door. “You take care, now, Griff.”
“I will.”
She left, closing the door softly behind her.
A smile hovered on my lips after she’d gone. She’d been very warm and easy to be around. I could see now where Tex got his laid back charm.
I stood to go lock the door, and as I took the first step, a burst of warm fluid gushed down my legs. I gasped and glanced down, taking in my soaked jeans. Before I could really comprehend what exactly had happened, a stabbing pain jabbed my gut. I clutched the back of the nearest chair, and cried out as another pain followed the first one. I stumbled sideways, trying to catch my breath.
Was this labor?
Panic filled me as I gasped against the stabbing pain. If I was in labor that was very, very bad. I was all alone, and Tex had taken his truck to work. How would I get to the hospital? I cried out as another contraction assaulted me. I eyed the phone, but it occurred to me by the time anyone got here, it might be too late. I was horrified at the thought of delivering this baby all by myself. That terrifying thought propelled me to stagger to the door, and yank it open. I prayed that Sharon hadn’t driven away yet.
I wobbled out onto the back stoop, clasping my belly and grunting against the pain. Relief flooded me when I saw that Sharon was still here. She was in the process of making a U-turn, that would then take her down the long, dusty driveway. It was imperative that I get her attention before she drove off, so I waved my hands and yelled, praying she saw me. My gut sank as the car pulled away from the house, bumping over the road and making its way toward the highway.
My entire belly felt like it was on fire, and my legs were weak as I hobbled down the porch steps. I waved and yelled, praying Sharon would see me in her rear view mirror. When her red brake lights lit up, and she stopped her vehicle, I could have cried. I fell to my knees because the pains were coming fast now.
She backed up swiftly, and stopped next to me, and I coughed as a cloud of dust swirled around me. Throwing open her door, she scrambled out and knelt beside me. “Honey, are you okay?”
“No,” I croaked, clutching my stomach. I felt light headed and slightly nauseous, but I clenched my teeth and tried to ignore that. “Hospital,” I moaned.
“Oh,
heavens. Yes, of course.” She stood and grabbed my arm. “Can you get up?”
I nodded and cried out as another contraction rocked through my body. Somehow she managed to help me up, and with her assistance, I made it to the passenger seat. I prayed I wasn’t about to have my baby inside her pretty, expensive looking car. But I wasn’t really in control right now. The baby and my body were.
She ran around the car and jumped in, her hands shaking as she put the car in drive. “You caught me just in time. Good thing I couldn’t find my keys at first or I’d have been long gone.”
I bit my lip and shuddered as pain shot through me. “Does labor always feel like you’re being ripped in two?” I writhed on the seat, squeezing my eyes closed. I wished I’d paid more attention to the literature the doctor had given me at my one visit.
“Unfortunately, yes.” She pulled out onto the main highway, her tires screeching on the pavement. “And it never gets any easier too. Don’t let anybody tell you it does.”
“Great,” I hissed, wincing against the contractions.
“Should I call Tex?” Her voice shook.
“No,” I wheezed. He wasn’t the father, so I figured he probably didn’t really care that I was in labor.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Sharon looked demure, but she drove like a bat out of hell, tearing down the highway with her foot floored. She glanced over now and then to check on me, but mostly she just stared at the road, looking panicked. “Just hold on, honey. We’ll get you there, don’t you worry.”
The drive was probably only twenty minutes, but it felt like two hours by the time we arrived at the hospital. Sharon flew out of the car, and opened my door. Then she helped me through the sliding glass entrance. Once we were in the emergency room, the nurse took one look at my face and wet jeans, and she got a few beefy helpers to practically carry me into the delivery room.
I was out of my mind with pain by the time they had me on the delivery table. I’d always kind of hoped I’d handle the moment of childbirth with dignity and grace, but I was pretty much an asshole. I yelled and cursed at anyone who tried to talk to me, and I think I even took a swing at one of the male nurses when he told me to calm down.