“I’m sure you can’t spare any time to just hang out here with me and Colette.”
“On the contrary, Gina, I’ve always told you where my priorities lie, and family has always been my number one priority,” he replied. He paused a moment and took a sip of his coffee, then continued. “Besides, I’ve got good men working for me back at the ranch. They’ll keep things running smoothly while I’m gone. I’ve already checked into the hotel down the street, and maybe spending a couple of days hanging out will reassure me.”
He forced a smile. He had no intention of being reassured. He did not intend to leave Kansas City without Gina in tow. Legally he had no leverage. She was of age and could refuse to return to the ranch where she belonged.
But Tanner knew there was more than one way to skin a cat, and he knew the best way to get Gina back where she belonged was to gain Colette’s support.
He gazed at the lovely blonde, a rush of adrenaline sweeping through him as he realized that was one cat he wouldn’t mind skinning at all.
Chapter Two
“I can’t believe you did that,” Gina exclaimed the moment the two women were once again alone in the apartment.
“Did what?” Colette asked as she kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the sofa.
“Suggested that Tanner stick around for a few days.” She paced back and forth in front of Colette, her slender body stiff with tension. “That just gives him more opportunity to manipulate me into doing what he wants, not what I want.” Gina sat in the chair opposite the sofa.
“Gina, I think he’s just worried about you, and after a day or two of seeing you here, I’m sure he’ll realize you’re doing just fine.”
Gina leaned forward. “You don’t know him, Colette. He’s relentless. Don’t be fooled by his charm, don’t be fooled by him. He’s so cursedly stubborn, he doesn’t even have a girlfriend.”
Colette held up her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “Gina, this is between you and your brother. He doesn’t have to try to charm me. It’s you he wants to take back to the family ranch.”
“He wants me to go to school and get a job teaching in the local grade school and eventually marry Walt Tibberman.”
“Who is Walt Tibberman?” Colette asked curiously.
Gina stopped her pacing and sat in the chair opposite Colette. “Walt works on the ranch for Tanner. He’s a nice guy and a hard worker and I know he has a thing for me, but I don’t feel any sparks with him. There’s no magic between us.”
Colette bit her tongue. She didn’t believe in that kind of magic. As far as she was concerned, love was a nice illusion used to sell greeting cards and flowers, a nice word to justify lust and passion. As far as Colette was concerned, love was for needy, clingy women who were afraid to live their lives alone.
She stood and smiled at her young roommate. “Gina, if this is what you want, to stay and build a life here, then stand strong against your brother. And with that bit of advice, I’m going to bed.”
A few minutes later as Colette changed out of her clothes and into the short cotton nightshirt she always wore to bed, she couldn’t help but think about Tanner Rothman.
She had not only found him ruggedly handsome to look at, but utterly charming, as well. His obvious concern for his sister, his desire to make certain she was okay, only added to his attractiveness.
A slight wistfulness filled her as she slid beneath the sheet and into bed. She wished there had been somebody who had been concerned about her when she’d been eighteen years old and had struck out on her own.
Gina might see her big brother as a pain in her backside, but she had no idea how lucky she was to have somebody who cared about her and her well-being.
Colette shoved these thoughts aside. She rarely thought about what she’d never had, instead focused her thoughts and energy on attaining what she wanted. She’d learned at a very early age that she could depend on nobody but herself.
She placed a hand on her tummy, wondering if even now, at this very moment, a little soul was inside her. How she hoped, how she prayed that the artificial insemination had been successful. This child of hers would have all the love, all the care, all the dreams that nobody had ever taken the time to give to Colette.
She frowned sleepily. Funny, she wondered where Tanner and Gina’s parents were in all this. Neither of them had mentioned what their parents wanted. In fact, in the weeks that Gina and Colette had worked together, lived together, she hadn’t mentioned any mother or father.
It wasn’t her business, she told herself firmly. Just as Gina’s life wasn’t her business. And no matter how handsome, no matter how charming Tanner Rothman was, within days he’d be back at his ranch living his own life and she would continue hers…hopefully anticipating the birth of the child who would fill her world with love.
With this pleasant thought in mind, Colette fell asleep.
It was just after eight the next morning when she left the apartment to walk the three blocks to her shop. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sun was already up, shining down warmth on her shoulders, and the scent of sweet flowers rode the air from a nearby truck stand that sold fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Although the shop didn’t officially open until nine-thirty, Colette liked to get there early in the mornings. She always stopped into the local café for fresh bagels, then went on to The Little Bit Baby Boutique and made a pot of coffee.
She enjoyed the quiet time before customers began to arrive, and often the bagel breakfast was all that sustained her through the day. Usually the store was too busy for her to take any kind of a lunch break.
As usual, the café was busy with clerks and office workers whose businesses were located in the down-town area. Colette went directly to the counter, where “to go” orders were placed.
“Hi, Johnny,” she said, greeting the heavyset older man behind the counter.
“Hey, doll.” He grinned at her. “The usual?”
She nodded, then remembered that it was possible Tanner would spend part of his day at the shop. “Why don’t you double it.”
Johnny raised a grizzled gray eyebrow as he placed the fresh bagels into a paper sack. “What did you do? Skip dinner last night?”
She laughed. “You know me, Johnny, I rarely miss a meal.”
“Here you go, doll. Take it easy.”
She took the bag of bagels he handed her, then paid him his amount due. “Stay out of trouble, Johnny,” she said.
“That’s one thing an ex-con always tries to do,” he replied with a teasing grin.
She smiled and whirled around to leave and ran smack dab into Tanner Rothman’s broad chest. He grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her and grinned down at her. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she replied, and quickly stepped back from him, far too aware of the clean, masculine scent of him and the hard muscle of the chest
