The Virgin Cowboy Billionaire’s Secret Baby(95)
Matt laughed dryly and kissed her temple. “I could say the same about yours, but I’m starting to think that was more your dad than her.”
“Probably, yeah.” She rubbed her eyes, then turned to him again. “How’s your head?”
“It’ll be all right. How’s your stomach?”
“About the same.” She glanced toward the kitchen. “I should clean things up in there, or it won’t get done until tomorrow.”
“You want some help?”
“You cooked. I can clean.”
“And you stood up to my mom. I think I owe you.”
She laughed. “Well, I won’t say no.”
Chuckling, he kissed her, and then they both got up and headed into the kitchen.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Matt helped Dara clear away the dishes. Neither of them said much while they cleaned up the kitchen and filled the dishwasher.
Afterward, he leaned against the counter, and she stood in front of him, arms around his waist. “How’s your head?”
He shrugged, tenderly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Ask me again in a few hours. So far so good, though.”
“Good.”
“What about you? You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Just thinking. And I think I could use some air.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They left the kitchen and stepped out onto her front porch. The air was definitely nice. Maybe it was just an aftereffect of the showdown with their families, but the house had gotten stuffy, almost suffocating.
Out here, the air was fresh, the night was cool, and Matt managed to shake some of the tension out of his shoulders. As he stood out there, though, he could still feel the queasy, nervous feeling he’d had the night he came here from Hal’s wedding, when he’d come up the walk and hoped she wouldn’t turn him away. Then she’d opened the door, and everything he meant to say was gone. One look at her, and he just needed to kiss her and hold her.
He wrapped an arm around her waist. When he glanced at her, though, her gaze was distant, her lips pulled tight.
Matt cocked his head. “Something on your mind?”
“No. Well, kind of.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
She gazed out at the yard for a moment. “I guess I was just thinking about everything.” She finally turned to him. “I guess I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“About?”
“About…us. What happens next.” She swallowed. “The thing is, my divorce isn’t final yet. Hell, the ink’s not even dry. And I’ve already failed twice at marriage. So I want to hold off on that part. At least for a little while.”
“Of course.” He smoothed her hair. “I’ve waited my whole life for this. There’s no need to rush it now. We’re already going to be parents, and now we’re giving it a go as a couple.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll take everything else a day at a time.”
Dara sighed, and the tension melted out of her expression and her shoulders. Wrapping her arms around him, she tucked her head beneath his chin. He held her close and stroked her hair gently.
He definitely wasn’t in a hurry. After all the shit they’d had to put themselves through to even get to this point, the last thing he wanted to do was screw it up.
Things with their families would even out over time. Or maybe they wouldn’t. Tonight, though, he couldn’t bring himself to care. The most amazing woman on the planet was in his arms, and in a few months, they’d start raising their baby together.
After a while, Dara broke the silence. “What do you think’s going to happen to the farm?”
Matt sighed. “I don’t know. And I’m worried about it, but I have to admit, it’s a relief to not have it dangling over my head anymore.”
She released a breath and looked up at him. “I just hate the idea of Aspen Mill turning into Goldmount because of us.”
“It’s not because of us.” He cupped her cheek. “It’s because my mother is a manipulator and my brother is greedy. All we did was stop playing my mom’s game.”
“True. I feel terrible for your sister, though.”
“Me too. But I’ll make sure she has everything she needs.”
“Good.” Dara nodded. Then a grin played at her lips. “How much of a scandal do you think this is going to cause?”
“Oh, I imagine it’s making its way around Facebook as we speak.”
“Social media meets the small town.” Shaking her head, she clicked her tongue. “Everyone’s gonna know by tomorrow morning.”
“Yeah, probably.” He laughed. “Anyone who doesn’t will find out at church on Sunday.”