Expecting the Rancher's Heir / Taming Her Billionaire Boss: Expecting the Rancher's Heir

“Because he knows I could tell them I caught him cooking breakfast in his long underwear,” she said, laughing. “If his blush was any indication, I think I embarrassed him all the way to the roots of his snow-white hair.”

Rolling his eyes, Shane shook his head. “He definitely marches to the beat of his own drum. But don’t worry. He’ll get over it.”

“Boy, I got a bone to pick with you,” Cactus groused as he limped back into the room. “Why didn’t you tell me you were gonna have a lady friend comin’ for a visit this weekend?”

“I didn’t figure it would matter, since you weren’t supposed to be here,” Shane answered, unaffected by the older man’s irritation. Releasing her, he walked over to the coffeemaker. “Have a seat at the table, Lissa, while I pour us a cup of coffee. Lissa, this is Cactus Parsons, my housekeeper and the orneriest old cuss you’d ever care to meet.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Cactus,” she said, smiling.

He nodded. “Ma’am.”

Remembering something one of her friends had mentioned about not drinking caffeinated beverages while pregnant, Lissa shook her head. “Thank you, but I think I’ll pass on the coffee.”

When Shane walked over to sit beside her at the table, Cactus asked, “How do you like your eggs, gal?”

“Say scrambled,” Shane whispered. “That’s the only way he knows how to cook them.”

“I heard that, and it ain’t true,” the old gentleman retorted. “I know how to put cheese in ‘em or if your lady friend would like onions and green peppers, I can make ‘em that way, too.”

Shane laughed. “But they’re still scrambled.”

“It don’t matter,” Cactus insisted, his toothless grin wide. “They’re still different than just plain old eggs.”

Having grown up in the house where teasing and good-natured banter hadn’t existed, Lissa enjoyed listening to the exchange between the two men. It told her a lot about the kind of man Shane was.

Besides going out of his way to preserve an old man’s dignity by making bets they both knew were a complete farce, Shane went along with and even encouraged the man’s complaints because he knew it made Cactus happy.

That was something her father certainly would have never done for one of his employees. For that matter, he hadn’t bothered to do anything even remotely similar to that for his own children.

There wasn’t a single time in her life that she could remember her father teasing or playing with her or her brothers. He had reminded them on a daily basis from the time they were old enough to listen that if they weren’t excelling academically or working to somehow improve Jarrod Ridge, they were letting themselves down and disappointing him.

“Here you go, gal,” Cactus said, interrupting her thoughts as he placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her.

As soon as the plate touched the table, the food that had smelled so delicious only a few moments before caused a terrible queasiness in the pit of her stomach. Glancing at Shane, she watched his easy expression turn to one of concern and she knew she must look as ill as she felt.

Unable to make an excuse for leaving the table, Melissa jumped from the chair and ran as fast as she could for the stairs. She barely managed to make it into the master bathroom and slam the door before falling to her knees.

She had never in all of her twenty-six years been as sick as she was at that moment. If the fact that she was pregnant hadn’t sunk in before, it certainly had became very real now.

Feeling as if the blood in his veins had turned to ice water, Shane took the stairs two at a time as he chased Lissa. What the hell was wrong with her?

She had seemed fine when they got up and came downstairs for breakfast. Then, without warning, she’d turned ghostly pale and bolted from the room like a racehorse coming out of the starting gate.

As soon as he entered his bedroom he heard her and found the bathroom door locked. “Lissa, let me in,” he demanded.

“Go … away … Shane.” Her voice sounded weak and shaky.

“Not until I know you’re going to be all right.” If he had to, he would break the damned door down. But he wasn’t going anywhere until he found out what was wrong with her.

“I think … I have … morning sickness,” she said, sounding downright miserable. “Please leave … me … alone so I … can die … in peace.”

Feeling completely useless, Shane drew in a deep breath and walked over to sit on the end of the bed while he waited for her nausea to run its course. He felt guilty. If not for one of his swimmers, she wouldn’t be in there feeling as if death would be a blessing.

He rested his forearms on his knees and stared down at his loosely clasped hands. He wished there was something he could do for her, but he was at a total loss. Horses didn’t suffer through morning sickness and, since he never intended to have a wife and kids, he had never bothered to learn more than the basics about human pregnancies. Now he was going to have to play catch-up and learn all he could on the subject.

Several minutes later as he sat there mentally compiling a list of things that he wanted to research, he heard the bathroom lock click open and Lissa slowly opened the door. His heart slammed against his ribs at her appearance.

She looked as though she had just been through hell. Her usual peaches-and-cream complexion was still a pasty white, perspiration dotted her forehead and her long blond hair hung limp around her shoulders.

“I asked for privacy,” she said, sounding completely spent.

“I gave you as much as I thought you needed.” He might fall short with his lack of knowledge, but there was no way he would have left her on her own and gone back downstairs. “Does morning sickness last the entire length of the pregnancy or is it a short-term thing?”

Walking over to sit down on the bed beside him, she shook her head. “Every pregnancy is different. Some women have it for the entire nine months and others aren’t bothered by it at all. My friend in California only had a problem with morning sickness for a month or so before it disappeared.”

Nine months of being sick every morning? Just the thought made his skin crawl. In his estimation even a day or two was way too much.

“Is there something the doctor can give you to keep it from happening?” he asked, hoping there was.

He put his arm around her shoulders and tucked her to his side. Surely in this day and age there had to be something to help a woman get through it.

“I think there is medication to help with the nausea, but since I haven’t been to the doctor yet, it’s irrelevant at the moment.” She yawned. “Maybe it would be a good idea for you to take me back to the resort this afternoon.”

Shane didn’t have to think twice about his answer. “No way.” Rising to his feet, he pulled her up with him, then walked her around to the side of the bed. “There’s no one there to take care of you and as sick as you are, I don’t want you being by yourself.”

“If I need something or someone, I can call Erica,” she said, referring to the half sister the Jarrod children had learned of during the reading of their father’s will.

“We both know you wouldn’t do that,” he stated, pulling back the comforter. “Your sister would want an explanation, and you aren’t ready to give her one.” He motioned for her to lie down. “I told you that I was going to see you through all of this and that is exactly what I intend to do, angel. Now, stretch out and take a nap. Maybe you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

“You’re not going to be a bully about this, are you?” she asked. He thought she might dig her heels in and try to resist him telling her what to do, but to his satisfaction she climbed into bed. “Because if you are, I’m not—”

“Only if I have to be, to make sure I keep you and the baby safe and well,” he said, careful to keep his voice gentle. Pulling the cover up over her, he sat down on the side of the bed. “Now get some rest, Lissa.” It was only after he kissed her smooth cheek that he realized she had already fallen asleep.

Shane wasn’t certain when he had developed the fierce protectiveness that coursed through him now, but there was no denying its presence or its overwhelming strength. Staring down at the blond-haired woman in his bed, he silently made her a promise. No matter what it took, he would do everything in his power to keep her and their child safe and healthy.

“Where’s Cactus?” Melissa asked when she came downstairs to find Shane sitting at the computer in his office.

“He and a couple of the men who stayed around for the weekend are playing poker down at the bunkhouse,” Shane answered, looking up from the screen.

“What excuse did you give him about my … sudden exit from the room?” She could only imagine what the outspoken old man had to say about that.