Waking the Beast(53)
Abby nodded. “So do you think, now that I’m…” She stopped and glanced down at her still flat belly. “I still can’t believe I’m pregnant. Can I take a test?”
“It won’t show this soon on a normal test. But trust me, if Cody says you are, you are.”
Abby looked down at Tah. “Do you hear that? We’re going to have a baby. A little mini Tah.”
Tah moved on the bed. Though his eyes didn’t open, his hand clenched in hers and his legs shifted.
“Oh, my God,” Abby exclaimed, sharing an excited look with Jess. “Tah, can you hear me? Wake up, Tah! Wake up!”
* * * *
Tah could hear Abby calling to him, and he wanted nothing more than to open his eyes, pull her close and hold her. A baby. She was having a baby. Pride and pleasure filled his chest. But something held him back, kept him locked inside. And no matter how hard he fought against it, as it grew weaker, so did he.
Chapter Thirteen
From the journal of Abby Lane
What if all of this is meaningless? What if the legend of the paka watu is just that? A story? A legend? I’m swamped with these “what if” thoughts today, and no matter how long I sit here, I can’t shake them from my consciousness.
I think it’s Utah. When I first came here and started watching him, I couldn’t look without picturing the lion I just know he holds inside him. I painted him with so many qualities of the animal. Then I started to know the man and found out just how amazing he is.
I think I’m falling in love with him. I can confess that here. I’m falling in love with Utah Pearce. It’s the man who fills my dreams now, the man I long to hold and call my own. And as the man takes a firmer hold on my thoughts, the lion dream begins to fade toward the background.
I think that’s what scares me the most. Not that Utah will never look at me as more than a friend or casual acquaintance, but that he has the power to make me give up a dream that has consumed most of my life.
I think I love him.
Maybe it’s time for me to leave.
* * * *
Tah didn’t wake up, though he did continue to move restlessly. It was less like he was in a coma state now and more like he was caught in a deep sleep. The fever had eased back a bit, but Abby could tell Jess and Diane were still worried. Cody had tried several times to reach Tah, but whatever he was going through wouldn’t allow the other man to connect with him.
Everyone was checking on her, seeing if she needed anything, asking if there was anything they could do. Abby just stayed by Tah, refusing to leave his side that day and through the night.
“How’s he doing?” Reno’s voice pulled her attention toward the open door where he lounged the next morning.
“His fever’s gone down, but he still won’t wake up.”
Reno crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed. “I have an idea, Abby. Do you trust me?”
She looked at him and part of her felt a trickle of fear as she met his blue eyes. He was so like Tah, except for those blue eyes. She’d always thought they were the same height, but being close to them, she realized Reno was about a half inch taller. Similar builds, though Tah’s shoulders were just a bit broader, his chest the subtlest bit wider. They both gave off strong vibes that proclaimed them as dominant males. Watching them over the last week, she’d realized the difference between them and Logan was they didn’t hide how dominant they were. Logan gave off the easy-going, happy-go-lucky vibe of a boy next door. He’d fooled her for a bit into thinking he wasn’t as alpha as Tah or Reno. But she’d spent her life watching people. Logan was good, but she could read him now.#p#分页标题#e#
“Abby?” Reno prompted her again. “Do you trust me?”
Tah trusted him. She knew beyond a doubt Tah trusted Reno with his life and hers. Slowly, she nodded. “Yes.”
He slid his hand down and touched her fingers with his, tried to link them together. “Come with me.”
She jerked her hand back from him. “I’m not leaving him.”
Tah kicked a leg out and both Abby and Reno glanced his way. She had just a moment to glimpse the cold calculation in Reno’s eyes before he reached for her and jerked her to him.
“I think you did something, Abby. I think this is all your fault.”
She shook her head vigorously. “I never meant to hurt him, Reno. I swear.”
“I see you’re not denying this is your fault. He was better off without you. You’ve ruined his life, Abby.”
She could feel the tears spilling down her cheeks as the guilt she kept inside began to eat at her with Reno’s accusations. “I love him.”