The Cowboy Lassos a Bride(21)

"No. I'd been having issues, so I went off them a few months back. I  have a doctor's appointment next month to try another kind … " She dragged  her sleeve across her face and shrugged. "I guess it's too little, too  late."

"What did Jake say?"

"He wants to marry me-right away."

"Well, that's …  good," Bella said. "At least Jake loves you and wants the child, if there is one."

"This is all happening way too fast."

"Okay, first of all, congratulations on your acceptance to Montana  State. Whatever happens, you'll do a great job there and you'll be a  great veterinarian. Second, until you know whether you're pregnant or  not, you don't have to do anything as far as Jake's concerned. Just try  to relax and focus on other things for a few weeks. If you do turn out  to be pregnant, you still have plenty of time to make decisions, right?"

"I guess so. But Jake wants an answer in two weeks."

"Too bad. He'll just have to wait. This is an important decision,  Hannah. You have to think it through." She stood up. "Come on, let's go  give the animals in back a little love while we talk."

Hannah nodded and followed her to the shelter at the back of the clinic.  Bella stopped at a kennel in which an older mutt lay chewing on a bone.  "Where will you go for vet school? To Colorado like I did?"

"I'll go wherever I get in," Hannah said. "You know what the competition for spaces is like."

Bella nodded. "I do know. Can I ask a personal question?"

"Sure." Hannah waggled her fingers through the bars of a cage where a  tan puppy lay curled in a fluffy ball. She loved this guy. If she had  her own place she'd adopt him in a heartbeat.

"How are you going to pay for school?"

"I have a little savings to get started," she said. "Enough to cover  spring semester. I'm going to pick evening and weekend courses and still  work as much as possible. Then there's financial aid and scholarships.  I've already got a bunch to apply for."

"No." Bella said, petting the mutt's floppy ears. "Forget it."                       
       
           



       

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're not going to work full time, go to school full time and try to fit in all those hours of homework, too."

"I'll manage just fine. Everyone does."

"No, you won't. Because I'm offering you the first Bella Mortimer Full-Ride Scholarship for veterinary students."

Hannah's mouth dropped open and for one second her heart surged with  hope. Just for one second, though. Nearly as quickly, reality set in.  She shook her head. "No way. I'm not taking your money."

"You know, I'd buy that line in any other situation than this one,"  Bella said. "I mean, if I was some random friend of yours who offered to  pay for school out of the goodness of my heart, you'd be right to turn  me down and pay your own way. That's not the case here, though, is it?  First of all, I wouldn't have won so much money if you hadn't signed me  up for the reality show. I should pay your way for the rest of your  life. Second, I wouldn't have married a man who's even richer than me if  you hadn't signed me up for that show. So I should doubly pay your way  for the rest of your life. In fact," she grew serious, "I've been trying  to figure out how to do just that, Hannah." She reached for her hand.  "I owe you everything. I can't carry that burden forever. I've been  talking to lawyers about how to set up a trust for you. Just let me pay  for your schooling. It'll be so much simpler."

"No." Hannah shook her head. "I can't do that. It's wrong. It's weird!"

"Um …  we passed weird a long time ago, sweetie. Billionaire." She pointed  to herself. "How weird is that? Please don't make this weirder than it  needs to be."

Hannah thought a moment. Bella was right, not that she'd signed her up  for the show in order to profit off it; she'd only wanted her friend to  be able to hold onto the clinic so they'd both have a job. But Bella did  win and she did marry Evan, and there was a bit of strain between them  now that Bella had so much money and Hannah …  didn't. "Okay," she nodded.  "You pay for my school and we'll be quits, okay?"

"Sure thing." Bella grinned.

Hannah narrowed her eyes, but let the subject slide.





‡

Chapter Eleven





"It's not fair; you're stealing all of my friends," Autumn said when  Jake and Luke came to pick up Fila and her things. The shy young woman  showed Luke her bags and he began to haul them outside.

"They won't be far off," Jake assured her. "You and Ethan are welcome to come by any time."

"It won't be the same." Autumn waited until Fila passed by them,  carrying a few of her lighter bags. "I'm worried about Fila. Living with  Luke? That's crazy for her. She barely talks to men."

"Luke's a pretty steady guy. They'll do fine."

"I'm not so sure. She hardly leaves the house, you know, and she trusts  us. Over at the Double-Bar-K … " She met his gaze. "No offense, Jake, but  you and your brothers and Holt can get pretty rough."

Jake's jaw tightened. She was telling the truth. None of them pulled any  punches when their ire was up. Sometimes things got loud and out of  hand.

"She'll have my Mom, Morgan, Hannah and Mia to take care of her. She'll be fine. I promise."

"Well, tell Hannah to stop by soon. I miss her already."

"Will do," Jake said. He went to help load Fila's things and realized  she and Luke had already finished the job. Fila hadn't been in Chance  Creek long enough to accumulate many possessions. The ride back home was  quiet, so he was glad it only took a couple of minutes. He left Luke  and Fila to carry her things into Luke's cabin while he went to find  Ned.

He met Mia on the front porch of Ned's house, wielding a broom and  singing along to a song on her iPod. Again he marveled at how young she  looked, although she and Fila were about the same age.

"How's it going?" he asked when he caught her attention. She pulled the earbuds out of her ears and grinned.

"Great! Come and look! Tell me if you think Ned will like what I've done."

Jake followed her inside and stopped dead, blinking at the sight in  front of him. All of Ned's things were still here. They were just …   different.

"Let me guess. Your favorite color is …  pink," Jake said.

"Scrape that look off your face, cowboy. I know people think pink is too  girly, but I love pink. You know why?" Mia grabbed his hand and tugged  him farther into the house. "It's bright. It's bold. It doesn't hold  back. The color pink stands for unconditional love and that's my thing,  you know? I don't hold back my feelings or emotions. I'm not cold like  so many people are. I don't judge people. Do you judge people?"                       
       
           



       

"Um …  I don't know."

She stopped and he nearly bumped into her before he noticed her  scrutinizing him. "You do. I can tell. That's a shortcoming, Jake. You  have to let people be people. You have to let them express their true  selves and follow their passions-otherwise you'll just make them  miserable."

"Okay." Inside the house he got a full view of the changes she'd made. A  hot pink tablecloth covered the table and matched the curtains on the  main living room windows. Evidently Mia didn't have enough curtains to  go around, because the rest of the windows on the first floor were still  dressed with the ones his mother had provided. There were candles  everywhere. All kinds and sizes, short and tall, fat and thin, some in  glass holders, some sitting right on the furniture, which Jake doubted  was a good idea in a cabin constructed primarily of wood.

The old comfortable couch had a new pink covering with raised white  polka dots. Pink and white striped pillows were plumped in its corners. A  bouquet of red and white roses sat in pride of place on the dining room  table. Something was cooking, but Jake couldn't place the smell.

"What's in the oven?" he asked. He was afraid to comment on the décor.

"A quinoa casserole. It's got spinach and kale and shallots. It's so good for you! Do you want to stay for supper?"

"Uh …  no! I mean …  I have plans with Hannah."

"That's so sweet!" Mia tied a frilly apron around her middle and pulled  hot pink oven mitts on her hands. She opened the oven and peered in.  "Just another half hour. I hope Ned's hungry."

"I hope he is, too," Jake said and made a quick escape.