Tiny Dancer(Divine Creek Ranch 13)(102)

Sounding displeased, Ben asked, “Where is she?”

Heath and Spencer pointed to her as she came into view, amused looks on their faces. Heath had been able to read the titles on the books through the bag when she’d gotten in the car, so she’d had no choice but to confess when he’d asked her outright if she was pregnant. He’d told her that Quinten, and then Ben, had called him while they’d been at the pharmacy, and she’d made him promise to not call back so that she could tell them the good news herself. Heath hadn’t liked the idea, but she’d extracted the promise anyway.

She smiled at the relieved expressions on their faces as they both ran to her, asking questions a mile a minute. Looking around at the attention they were drawing from all the workmen, she shushed them with a giggle and drew them both back to the office.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked as she closed the door behind them.

“What happened? Why were you at the hospital?” Quinten asked, inspecting her appearance as if he thought something was wrong with her.

“The hospital? I wasn’t at the hospital.”

Both men looked for a second like she could’ve knocked them over with a feather, and Quinten looked ready to pass out with relief. “You weren’t?”

“No.” Both men immediately took seats and breathed deep sighs. “Why would you think that? I was just at the doctor’s office this morning.”

Ben drew her into his lap and kissed her forehead. “We’ve been searching for you at the hospital. In the emergency room…at the admissions desk…”

“I had errands to run today. I needed to see Rosemary on business, then I came back to Morehead, stopped for lunch, went to the pharmacy—oh!”

“Oh—what? What—oh? Are you okay?” Quinten asked anxiously as he looked into her eyes.

Camilla had to hold back her laughter at the comical questioning look on his face. “Oh…I was at the pharmacy near the hospital. You called Heath while I was inside, didn’t you? I told you I would call you back. Heath said you’d tried to call but that the connections were bad. I told him to let me call you myself, so don’t be upset with him.”

“You weren’t at the hospital?”

“No. It was a misunderstanding. Heath said he spoke to you, but he wasn’t sure how much you understood before you were cut off.”

“That explains why my calls didn’t go through,” Ben said. “At the hospital, they told us no one with your name or description had come in. We were scared that something had happened to you.” She could tell by Ben’s expression that he was serious.

“I’m fine, guys. I was dialing your numbers to call you when you walked through the door. I just needed a little time, that’s all.” She rose from Ben’s lap. “I have something for both of you.”

“You do?” they both asked at the same time.

“Yes. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

Stifling a giggle, as big grins suddenly covered their faces and they complied, she pulled the books out of the desk drawer. She kissed Quinten’s forehead and put his in his hand and then did the same for Ben.

“Open your eyes now.”

Ben pulled the bow off and looked at the book cover. “The Caveman’s Pregnancy Companion: A Survival Guide for Expectant Fathers. Holy shit. It’s true?” He looked ready to faint and she sympathized with him.

She nodded as Quinten seemed to collapse in his chair and his eyes got big. The smile that crossed his lips was permanently cast in her memory as he looked at the cover of his book. “My Boys Can Swim!: The Official Guy’s Guide to Pregnancy. Hot dayum!” He grabbed her and kissed her until she saw stars. “You have no idea how damned relieved I am.”

She did have an idea but didn’t know the cause for his extreme relief. She filed that tidbit away until later to ask him about.

“Yes. I am expecting your baby. This is not the timing I would’ve preferred, but it’s happening nonetheless. This means we have to make some adjustments around here.”

Truth was in Ben’s dark eyes when he said, “Whatever you need, sugar. I mean that, too.”

Camilla didn’t doubt for a second that he did.



* * * *



Quinten sighed as he slid into the tub of hot water that evening. They’d filled it up for her and lit candles in the bathroom before undressing her and helping her into the water. Camilla smiled at him from her perch in Ben’s lap and practically purred as Quinten laid her legs over his lap and began massaging her feet.

“I love these itty-bitty feet of yours, baby. And your cute little piggy toes, too.” He gently tugged on each one as she giggled before he went back to rubbing them.