that very fact. Her mother had run out on her. Gray’s abandonment in her teens hadn’t helped her insecurities, and Dirk’s desire to marry her only for her inheritance had just been the icing on the cake.
Catherine had what she wanted, a baby growing inside her, and she didn’t need a man to complete her. She could do this all just fine by herself. As she toweled off she realized that the pregnancy had made her decide that she had no intention of ever bringing a man into her life again.
She’d never have to wonder if she was loved for herself or for her enormous inheritance that she’d receive in four years. She never had to go through the dating game again. Love just wasn’t in her cards, except the love of her child. And that was more than enough to make her happy for the rest of her life.
By the time she left the bathroom dressed for the day, the young maid Allison Murray was in her room, tidying up and making the bed. “Good morning, Miss Catherine,” she said with her usual bright, cheerful smile.
“Good morning, Allison. How are the weekend classes coming along?”
“Great,” Allison replied as she fluffed a pillow. “My economics teacher told me I have a natural knack for numbers.” She laughed, her green eyes sparkling. “Who would have thought?”
“I think it’s wonderful that you’re pursuing your education,” Catherine said to the pretty young woman.
Allison cast her a sly glance. “And I think it’s wonderful that you’re pregnant. Have you been to the doctor yet?”
“Not yet. I just found out by taking one of those home pregnancy tests.” Catherine sank down in her favorite chair while Allison finished plumping all the pillows on the bed.
“You should get yourself to a doctor. I’ve heard that sometimes those home pregnancy tests can give you a false positive,” she said.
“I’ll check in with a doctor as soon as possible,” Catherine replied, although she knew the test was right. Even though it was far too early for her to feel anything or for her belly to show any signs of the life inside, Catherine knew with certainty it was there. She felt it in her heart, in her very soul.
She visited with the woman for a few more minutes and then when Allison went into the bathroom to clean up, Catherine headed for the dining room. She was later than usual and was grateful to find herself alone except for Amanda, who was at the table lingering over a cup of coffee.
“Hey, Cath.” She greeted Catherine with a smile and gestured to the chair next to her. “You missed the usual breakfast fracas. Darla spent most of the conversation whining that she wanted their suite redecorated and I swear Trip had already been drinking.”
“Gee, sorry I missed the fun,” Catherine replied dryly. “I was wondering if you could get me in to see your OB/GYN doctor in Laramie.”
“Dr. Kendall? You’ll love her, and if I give her a call right now I’ll bet she could work you in before the end of the day.”
Catherine laughed. “I don’t think it’s necessary to move that fast.”
“That baby of yours is going to be Cheyenne’s first cousin, her first real playmate. There’s no time like the present to get you in to the doctor and on a regimen of healthy eating and vitamins.”
At that moment head cook Agnes Barlow stepped into the room, her short red hair an indication of her fiery disposition with the kitchen staff. “Miss Catherine, would you like something for breakfast?” she asked. There was no hint of warmth or welcome in her voice. She was all work and no-nonsense.
“Thank you, Agnes, maybe just a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast,” Catherine said.
“Are you having morning sickness?” Amanda asked.
“No, nothing like that. I’m just not that hungry this morning.”
By the time Catherine had finished her glass of juice and toast, Amanda had set her up with a four-thirty appointment with Dr. Victoria Kendall.
The sisters parted then, Amanda heading toward the nursery to check in on Cheyenne and Catherine leaving the house for the petting barn to take care of the morning chores.
She could have hired somebody to do the caretaking of the animals for her, but Catherine didn’t mind getting her hands dirty and the work out there gave her a sense of purpose that she needed in her life.
She left the house for the walk to the barn and although she saw several ranch hands out in the pastures, thankfully she didn’t see Gray.
With her dreams of him still so fresh in her mind, she wasn’t ready to see him anytime soon. It was bad enough that she couldn’t get the scent of him out of her head and that he’d invaded her sleep all night long.
He’d stood so close to her when he’d encountered her outside of her father’s suite that she’d been able to feel his body heat radiating toward her, smelled the scent of fresh minty soap and shaving cream and a hint of woodsy cologne that was so familiar.
She’d read somewhere that scents easily pulled up specific people and places from memory, and she knew it was true. Gray’s scent had brought up times in the past that she’d prefer she never remember.
She was grateful when she reached the little barn with its smells of hay and grain and animal. As she worked to clean the area and replace foul hay with fresh, she thought about all the things that had happened in the past couple of months.
Yes, there had been terrible things going on. It seemed that when the three sisters had put into motion a plan to find their missing brother, Cole, the entire world had gone crazy.
However, good things had happened, too. Mia Sanders, who had worked as a nurse at the ranch infirmary, had left with Jagger McKnight, the investigative reporter who many had initially believed was the missing Cole. They moved away to begin a life of love and happiness together.
Levi, Jethro’s illegitimate son, had come home to help doctor the man he’d cut ties with years before and in the process had found love with pastry cook Katie McCord. Even Gabby had found true love with Trevor despite the drama of everything surrounding them.
Catherine preferred to focus on the positive than dwell on all the negative things that had taken place in recent months. Her sisters both accused her of being a Pollyanna, but Catherine didn’t care. She couldn’t control the bad things happening on and around the ranch, had no idea who was behind them and so chose to try to keep her head buried in the sand as much as possible.
After she’d finished at the barn, she went back to her suite to shower again and get dressed for the thirty-minute drive into Laramie to see the doctor.
She skipped the family lunch, deciding she’d make the drive leisurely and stop at a café for a quiet lunch alone and maybe even do a little shopping before her doctor’s appointment.
It was just after noon when she got into her red Jeep and headed toward Laramie. She had gone to Laramie and to the bigger city of Cheyenne often when she’d been dating Dirk and to attend a variety of charity events.
The town of Dead, Wyoming, was located only fifteen miles from the ranch, but offered little other than the basics of a small town.
For any real
