When Love's Gone Country - By Merri Hiatt Page 0,4
was remembering the chill bumps you gave me one of the first times I saw you. It was strange because every part of my body was heating up nicely at your presence, but I still had the shivers.”
“Now you’re just changing the subject.”
“Yes, I am. Ever since I told you I was pregnant, we haven’t been close. Does it worry you? Do you think you’ll harm the baby?”
“Do we really have to talk about this?”
Purity put her arm on Alex’s. “It’s okay. We talk about everything in class, including sex. A lot of guys get really nervous about doing it once they know the woman’s pregnant. It’s totally natural.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. There’s nothing you can do to harm the baby. Well, unless you throw me down a flight of stairs or something.”
“Purity!” Alex’s horrified expression made her regret the words immediately.
“I didn’t mean that you’d ever do that, just that that would be the only way you could actually do any kind of harm. It would have to be deliberate and pretty violent. Our having sex wouldn’t be enough to do any damage.”
“I really need to concentrate on the road.”
A vein in Alex’s forehead was pulsing.
“Sorry. Are you more worried now than you were before?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Okay. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it up again for the entire trip.”
“And after that?”
“I’m not making any promises after that.”
Alex sighed. It was going to be a long eight months and he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to handle the stress. If anything happened to Purity or the baby, well, he didn’t know what he’d do. They were everything to him.
Thirty-five minutes later, Purity texted Meg and Courtney that they would be arriving in Alene in about twenty minutes. Meg’s schedule had them meeting for brunch at the Moon Spirit Lodge. It boasted a buffet that folks came from miles around just to eat. Nestled in the woods next to a waterfall, it was the perfect place to begin their ranch adventure.
“You did good, Meg,” Courtney said as they piled out of the van and began stretching their legs.
“Thanks. I have amazing Google-Fu skills.”
“What’s Google-Fu?” Jeremy asked.
“It’s like Kung-Fu, except instead of using your body, you use your fingers and your brain to search the internet.”
“Brad’s pretty good with Diego, does that mean he has Dog-Fu?” Jacob said.
“I guess it does.”
“Better than dog poo,” Jeremy said.
“And now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming,” Courtney said. “Pure and Alex are only about ten minutes away.”
“I’d love to come back here and stay for a weekend,” Meg said to Bobby.
Bobby wrapped his arm around her. “It’s so close and an easy drive, sounds good to me.”
“Oh. My. Gosh!” Jeremy’s mouth dropped half-way to the pavement. “Look at that car!”
“Now, you’re busted,” Meg said.
“You rented that, Dad?” Jacob asked.
“Guilty.”
“Can we sit in it?” Jeremy asked.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“I think we may have just lost our passengers. A convertible tops a dog,” Court said.
“Once the shine wears off, the dog will be the winner. Boys and dogs are a forever combination.”
“I think boys and cars are a forever combination, too.” Courtney glanced at Brad and then jabbed him in the ribs good-naturedly. They’d spent the last three weekends in car lots looking for the perfect truck. Court was convinced there was no such thing. Brad seemed to find something that wasn’t quite right with every pick-up he looked at.
“Boys and their toys,” Meg said. “Do they ever grow up?”
“I hope not,” Bobby said with a grin.
Chapter Four
“Did you guys stop for ice cream, too?” Jeremy asked.
“No, why?” Bobby asked.
“There’s something sticky on the door handle.
Meg turned her body toward the waterfall to hide the flush creeping up her cheeks. She wasn’t quick enough, Courtney caught the move.
“Sticky stuff?” she teased her friend. “Just when did you and Bob arrive here?”
“We were a bit early.”
Courtney giggled. “And everyone thinks you’re the shy, innocent one.”
“Keep your voice down.”
“I’m whispering. My voice doesn’t go any lower.”
“I knew we’d get caught.”
“That’s half the fun.”
“It really was.”
Brad and Bobby turned their attention to the lodge. “How old do you think these trees are?”
“Really old,” Bob said. “It looks like they built the lodge right around them.”
“Roots must run deep.”
Brad tried to put his arms around one of the bases, but they only made it halfway around.
Jacob joined them, looking up. “Hey, what’s that up there?”
“Looks like a tree house,” Bobby said.
“There’s another one,” Jeremy yelled from the