The Texan's Baby Proposal

“When my family moved to Texas, they didn’t have money, but they were successful. Mom’s little café grew and when my dad’s health began to fail, as long as he could, he helped in the café. By that time, my grandfather was doing better and he put some money into her café. Then my dad’s health got worse and he had heart problems. I had wonderful parents and wonderful grandparents and I’m sorry you lost your family so early in life. It hurt to lose my dad and it’s going to hurt like hell to lose Grandpa.”

She grasped Marc’s hand and squeezed lightly, releasing him swiftly and trying to ignore the inevitable tingles. “I know, Marc. I was so close to my mother.”

“When I lost my dad, I got closer to my grandfather on Mom’s side. He was the father figure in my life after Dad was gone.”

“You had a lot of family.”

“My mom’s dad worked for a successful rancher and moved up to become foreman. On that side of the family I come from people who are driven and work hard. My mom put work first in her life always. So did Grandpa. Sometimes I think they both worked too much. The man who owned the ranch didn’t have children. When the rancher’s wife died, he willed the ranch to my grandfather and four years later, when the rancher died, Grandpa inherited it. I was seven years old then and already loved to visit my grandparents. It’s a great ranch.”

She noticed his voice changed and she wondered how much he liked ranching versus working in Dallas in an office.

That question and others would have to wait. She was getting tired of walking and her feet were killing her in her heels. She looked at her surroundings. “I’m not familiar with where we are now and we’ve walked quite a way.”

He swung her around and they headed back as she laughed. “Oooh, I get what I want the minute I ask. I’m going to like my new role.”

He stopped and faced her. Surprised, she looked up at him as wind caught locks of his dark, curly hair.

“I’m beginning to look forward to our deal. And we better get on with it. So, we’re on for dinner tomorrow night?”

“Yes, thank you. We need to make wedding plans if you want to move so fast.”

He stepped beside her again and they continued walking. “Think of the secretaries in the office. Is there anyone who’d be a good replacement? If we can find someone who’s already working there, it’ll be easier for you to train them before you leave.”

“You have two who should be perfect. They’re quiet about their work and I don’t think most people realize how much they get done. Let me think about that tonight before I give you names. But you should know you’ve got good employees.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

By the time they walked back to his car and drove to her house, the sun was setting in the western sky. When they walked up onto her porch, Marc stepped between her and the door. Surprised, she looked up at him, suddenly feeling caught in the depths of his brown eyes.

“Definitely, I’ve made a good choice here,” he said in husky tones that gave her a tingle.

“And I know I made a good decision in accepting your offer. You’ve solved so many problems in my life. My world will change, thanks to you. The thing we need to remember is you have plans and I have plans. I’ve had my goals since the first six months of my mom’s illness. I don’t intend to give them up. I got engaged and we thought we could work it out, but we didn’t plan on a baby. This baby is part of me and my mom and my family, and I’m not giving it up. Now I’ll be free to get my education. I feel I owe that to my mom.”

“That’s one reason you were such a good choice. You have an agenda. You won’t want to stay married. Even if we get along great, you’ll want to go to med school and I won’t want a wife who is wrapped up in school and becoming a doctor. Besides,you know, Lara, that I still love my wife and I’m not over that loss.”

“I understand that. You know you have to let go, but part of you can’t ever let go when it’s someone you love,” she said solemnly.

He nodded. “How about seven tomorrow night?”

“Excellent. Tonight I’ll have my own little celebration all by myself. Tomorrow night we’ll make wedding plans.”

“Are you taking charge of my life?” he asked, looking amused.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re capable of taking care of yourself.”

“I’m glad to hear you think so,” he said, smiling at her.

“I’m going in and celebrate.”

“Save some celebration for tomorrow night. When I leave here, I’ll go see my mom. I want to tell her and my grandfather about you. My grandfather’s days are really limited. He’s a sick old man.”

Marc caught her lightly beneath her chin, making her heart flutter. “You’re absolutely sure, Lara? You can take tonight to think—”

She stifled his words with a finger to his lips. “I’m absolutely sure I want to marry you on a temporary basis.”

He smiled and she pulled her hand away. “Good. You’ve made me happy, and you’ve solved a big dilemma for me. I want to keep Grandpa happy in his last days. I don’t want him to worry about his family.”

“That’s good, Marc. You’re a good guy.”

“Maybe not quite so good,” he said as he shook his head. “I am going to inherit a lot if I do what he wants.”

“You could get along without all that. You love the ranch because of your grandfather.”

“You keep seeing that halo over my head,” he said.

“There are moments it’s there. Moments,” she said, smiling at him.

He laughed. “That’s what I thought from my very practical secretary. You don’t really see me as such a saint.”

“With what you’re going to do for me, oh, yes, I do see a halo. Now, I think you should let me say good-night and go inside.”

“Of course,” he said, stepping away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and tomorrow night I’ll take you to dinner and we’ll plan our wedding.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Start believing. I’m really happy, Lara, and I hope you are, too.”

She smiled as she watched him walk toward his car. Only when he pulled away did she go inside.

When she shut the door behind her, she finally let go. Shouting for joy, she spun around her entryway and stopped in front of a mirror that had belonged to her mother. She looked at herself. “Mrs. Marc Medina. Hello, Mrs. Marc Medina,” she said, feeling tingles each time she said her future name. She was going to marry him. She would have enough money for her future, for her education, for her baby. More than enough money. She’d even be able to pay some of her mother’s medical bills. Marc was being incredibly generous. He was a multi-millionaire, but he must be inheriting a lot to be so generous. She waved her arms in the air and spun around again.

“Mrs. Marc Medina,” she repeated, looking at herself again. This time, though, her exuberance was tempered. She told herself she needed to guard her heart well, because Marc would stick with his plan and end their marriage. She knew he was strong-willed and she would be deluding herself if she thought he would fall in love and want to stay married. That wasn’t what she wanted, anyway. She wanted to be a doctor and to pursue a career in medical research.

Meanwhile, Lara intended to enjoy Marc, have a good time with him and keep her heart absolutely locked away. She turned to face the mirror again. “Can you do that when he is handsome, fun, and oh, so sexy?”

Yes, she could keep from going to bed with him. She’d known him a year and hadn’t slept with him, hadn’t fallen in love with him. She didn’t want emotional hang-ups tangling up her life now that she could do so many things she’d planned on doing. She had to resist his appeal.

“After this marriage I have plans for my future and Marc Medina is no part of them. And Marc has plans for his future and I’m not part of his plans,” she told her reflection in the mirror. “Remember that. I have plans for my future and I can’t wait to start.”

She rushed to her closet to plan what she would wear to work.

It was past 2:00 a.m. when she fell asleep, and her dreams all included Marc Medina.

* * *

To her relief, the next day at work she was too busy to think about her new life or her dinner plans, and she barely saw Marc until after four when he postponed their talk and told her he would pick her up shortly before seven.

After work she rushed home to shower, change clothes and take down her hair, aware it was the first time that she’d have her hair down with him and be dressed in a flirty, flattering outfit. Was he even a fraction as excited as she? She suspected he merely viewed their dinner the same way he would one of his business dinners where he was about to close a deal.