Frost stood in the center of her reception area, cowboy hat in hand, an unreadable expression on his face.
Adrenaline surged, making her head swim. “Garrett.” Her hands moved reflexively to cover the baby bump. That happened a lot lately when she was apprehensive.
He misinterpreted the protective gesture. “If you’re trying to hide that you’re expecting, it’s a little late.”
“I...I...” Say something. Preferably something intelligent. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
It wasn’t until he shook his head that she realized she hadn’t brewed any. She’d given it up during the pregnancy and hadn’t been expecting clients for another few hours. Thank goodness he hadn’t taken her up on the offer—her pride balked at the idea of making herself seem more ridiculous. She hadn’t exactly been articulate at the grocery store.
“I’m sorry I was rude the other day,” she said. “You took me by surprise. It was a shock, running in to you there.”
“You weren’t the only one stunned,” he said pointedly. His gaze dropped before returning to her face.
“So, uh, how’d you find my office? Did your friend Hugh mention I was in this shopping center? I hope he and his wife are doing well.” Her pulse was racing, and she heard her babbled words as though from a distance.
“Actually, I looked you up myself. Knowing your name and that you owned a photography studio was enough. It’s not difficult to find someone, if you bother to look.” His gray eyes were like thunderclouds. “If, for instance, a woman needed to locate a man, even one in a different town. I don’t think there are many Garrett Frosts who are part owners of Colorado cattle ranches, but maybe I’m wrong. What do you think, Arden?”
She swallowed, knowing that his real question had nothing to do with addresses or phone books. He was asking if his suspicions were accurate, and she couldn’t bring herself to answer. There was a huge difference between not tracking down a man to deliver life-altering news he probably didn’t want to hear and actually lying to his face.
He took a step closer. “You seemed so startled to see me the other day. Terrified, as a matter of fact.”
Feeling cornered, she took deep breaths, trying to lower her elevated blood pressure.
“Maybe I’m completely off base,” he continued, “but extenuating circumstances have made me more distrustful than I used to be. If I’m wrong, you can laugh at me or indignantly cuss me out. But tell me the truth, Arden. Are you carrying my child?”
Chapter Four
Garrett had mentally rehearsed different ways this confrontation could play out—from her scoffing at his ludicrous accusation to her tearfully confessing all and begging his forgiveness. But he hadn’t imagined her collapsing.
Her eyes rolled upward and she crumpled in on herself.
“Arden!”
He bolted toward her with just enough time to get his arms around her before she fell. What was he thinking, intimidating a pregnant woman? What if he’d caused harm to her or the baby? He lowered himself to the floor awkwardly, supporting her weight as he cradled her against his chest.
She blinked up at him, and it was such a relief to see those blue-green eyes open. At least she was conscious, although her chest rose and fell with alarmingly rapid exhalations. “G-Gar—”
“Shhh. Catch your breath first.” He stroked her hair back from her pale face, feeling like an ogre. If he was right about the baby, then Arden owed him a major apology, but no matter how angry he was, he never would have deliberately hurt her.
She raised one shaky hand to press against her heart, her expression pained. “Water?”
He shrugged out of the lightweight denim jacket he’d been wearing, rolling it up as a makeshift pillow beneath her head. There was a water dispenser in the corner of the room, and he half filled a paper cup. “You have a history of fainting?” he asked. Maybe if this was something that happened routinely, he wouldn’t feel like such a bastard.
“Only twice.” She sipped her water, her words halting. “Overheated camping. Blacked out another time. When...I got bad news.”
He wasn’t sure whether this technically counted as fainting—had she lost consciousness completely? Was there a chance it would happen again when she was alone? “Should we get you to a doctor?”
She bit her lip, still struggling to breathe normally. “Probab— Probably overkill, but... The baby.” Her eyes filled with tears, the palpable fear in her gaze knifing through him.
“Better safe than sorry.” He helped her to her feet, noting her rocky balance.
“We have to lock up,” she said. “Keys in my purse. Second desk drawer.”
He got everything she asked for, then helped her out to the truck. She leaned against the seat, eyes closed. There was a lot they needed to say to each other, but it was challenge enough for her to give him rudimentary directions to the hospital.
The emergency room was fairly empty on a Tuesday afternoon. A mother sat in the far corner trying to coax a little girl to stop crying, and a burly man watched a daytime talk show with one eye while holding some kind of compress over the other. The blonde nurse working the admissions counter gasped softly when she spotted Garrett and Arden.
“Arden! You okay, hon?”
“Probably. I feel silly being here, but I think I fainted. Heart beating too fast, got dizzy...”
“Then you did the right thing by coming in.” The blonde eyed Garrett with blatant curiosity but didn’t ask who he was. “You two have a seat and fill out the forms on this clipboard. Oh, and this one for Obstetrics.” She passed over a pale green sheet of paper.
Garrett caught sight of a long list of questions. None seemed as crucial as the one looming in his mind. Who the hell is the father?
“Need any help with those?” he offered.
“No!” Arden clutched the paperwork to her chest, not meeting his eyes. “I got it.”
They sat down and she fumbled through her purse, retrieving her license and insurance card. Her hands were shaky as she muttered, “Damn, I hate hospitals.”
He’d never thought much about them one way or the other. It occurred to him that Will Harlow could be in a hospital bed at this very moment, praying that his biological son agreed to give up a kidney.
Fury filled him, resentment at the secrets that had been kept. He struggled to keep his voice soft, nonthreatening. “Arden, you owe me an answer.” At least here, if she became overwrought by his questioning, there were medical professionals twenty feet away.
“I know.” She turned to him, the tears shimmering in her apologetic gaze an unmistakable reply. Still, he couldn’t quite force himself to accept the truth until she added out loud, “It’s you. You’re the baby’s father.”
Garrett hadn’t thought he could ever be more shocked than when he’d learned about his mother and Will. He’d
