Carrying the Lost Heir's Child (11 page)

The moment went from her instant onslaught of tears to a chaotic meshing of voices chattering over each other.

“I think they’re excited,” Nash leaned over and whispered in her ear.

Damon came around the table and settled his hand on her shoulder. “Congratulations, Lily. I’m really happy for you guys.”

Lily couldn’t help the lump of emotion that settled in her throat. Nash’s newly minted father was already welcoming her and the baby into the family. This was everything she’d ever wanted to give her children...a sense of belonging.

“Thank you.”

Nash’s hand slid over the small of her back. “We want to keep this private for now,” he informed his father. “Lily is taking some time off and staying with me until we figure out the best course of action. If the media gets hold of this news before we’re ready...”

“I understand completely,” Damon nodded. “If you need anything, let us know. Privacy is something we value here. I promise to only keep Nash a few moments in the stables and then we’ll be back and we can continue this celebration.”

Nash leaned down, placed a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit,” he murmured before following Damon and the other men from the room.

Lily looked up to see, Tessa, Cassie and Linda all smiling at her. Damn it. She wished she could label her relationship with Nash because she didn’t want to bond and fall in love even more with these amazing women if it wasn’t going to be long-term.

Now that Nash had come clean with his family, would he want to get closer to them? Surely he wouldn’t want to just pack up and follow her back to LA. But, she had a job, a life there that she couldn’t ignore.

She loved her job, not so much the lack of privacy, but digging into roles and bringing emotion to the screen. She still hadn’t decided whether to take the film Ian had sent her way and she had to discuss things with Nash, too.

Lily needed to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling before she fell any deeper in love with this family.

But she was afraid it was too late for that.

Thirteen

N
ash entered the stables, like he had many times before, but this time Damon walked silently at his side. The fresh, familiar smell of hay and leather greeted them, while a couple of the horses peeked their heads out to see who their new visitors were.

A tug on Nash’s heart irritated him. He couldn’t think of this estate as home or as a place where he would be welcome once Damon found out the truth. But he truly loved these grounds, these horses.

“Man-to-man,” Damon started as he moved easily down the center aisle, his cowboy boots scuffing against the concrete. “How nervous are you about this pregnancy?”

Nash laughed. “That’s not at all what I thought you’d say once we got down here. But, between us, pretty nervous. Not about the baby, and I know Lily will be an amazing mother. The worry more centers around the fact I want her to have a healthy pregnancy.”

Damon stopped in front of the stall that housed Don Pedro, Tessa’s prizewinning horse that had helped her secure the coveted Triple Crown and put the Barrington sisters in the history books as the first females to accomplish such a feat.

“It’s rough being the man in this situation.” Damon rested his hand on the top of the half door. “You’re used to fixing things, being in control of everything in your life. I know when Rose was pregnant with our girls, I was a nervous wreck until she delivered. But once I held that baby in my arms, I knew for certain I’d never let anyone or anything hurt them if I could prevent it at all. I’d sell my soul to the devil himself to keep my girls happy.”

Be careful what you wish for.

“Lily has had a few dizzy spells and she was told to relax and take it easy to keep her blood pressure down, so right now that’s all I can concentrate on.” Nash reached out, sliding his hand up the stallion’s velvety nose. “So, I’m sure you didn’t bring me down here to talk babies.”

Damon took a step back, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “I want to make you an offer.”

Intrigued, Nash continued his slow caress of Don Pedro’s soft hair. This was where that power and control came into play. No matter what Damon said, Nash had to remember that he held the upper hand, not his father. And it was how Nash chose to play his hand that would determine both of their futures and any relationship Nash hoped to have.

“Tessa and Cassie retired, as you know. Cassie has plans to open a school for physically challenged children here and Tessa will help when she’s available. She and Grant have discussed moving.” Damon’s gaze shot straight to Nash’s, held there and demanded full attention. “I’ve been offered an excessive amount of money for several of my horses and I’ve yet to take an offer.”

It took every bit of willpower Nash had not to laugh. He knew all about those offers...and the fact they’d been turned down.

“I know we just discovered each other,” Damon went on. “But I’d like to offer Don Pedro to you. I’ve thought about this since you were here the other night and I know a gift hardly makes up for missing your entire life, but you’re the best groom I’ve ever had and this is the best horse we’ve ever had. I’d like you to have him.”

Nash barely caught himself before his jaw dropped. Control. He had to remain in that mindset. Damon Barrington was handing over such a remarkable horse? A horse that could pull in more money than any other at this point in time?

“I never expected that,” he said honestly.

Here all this time Nash had been dishing out offer after offer only to be rejected and now Damon was hand delivering the horse right to his rival. Had he admitted the paternity months ago, would Damon still have given Nash the horse once the season was over? Or had Damon just come to know Nash well enough to know he would take care of the animal like the royalty Don Pedro was?

The fact that Nash had deceived a man he’d actually come to care about weighed heavily on his heart and his conscience. This would not end well...for anybody.

“What did Tessa say?” Nash asked.

Damon waved a hand, then reached out to stroke the Thoroughbred’s neck. “She was well aware we’d be selling him after the race and she’s on board. I’m selling a couple, actually, if Cassie can part with them. We all get attached, but that girl is so emotionally invested it rips her heart out to let them go after she’s trained them.”

Nash glanced at the horse in question, one of his main motivations for coming here. The end goal was in sight, but that last shred of truth still remained wedged between Nash and all he wanted. His goals had changed somewhat, but he still wanted Don Pedro. He just didn’t know that he was comfortable using deceit to achieve that end anymore.

“I’m sure you could get a great deal of money for him from other owners who want to breed him,” Nash said after a moment. “Are you sure you just want to give him away?”

“I could sell him, sure, but racing was never about money to me.” Damon stepped away from the stall and crossed the aisle to show some affection to a horse named Oliver. “I had a passion for riding when I was a young boy. My mother was single and couldn’t afford to give me a horse, so I would take lessons at a local horse farm in exchange for working in the barns. It was hard work, but I learned the love of the sport and saved every single penny I ever received because I was going to buy my very own horse.”

A slice of guilt slashed right through Nash’s heart. Hearing Damon talk of his childhood, wondering how much more their lives mirrored each other, Nash turned to face his father.

“I know hard work,” Damon continued, resting his elbow on the edge of the door. “I know it pays off and I want to reward you for all you’ve done here in a short time. I realize you came here to technically spy on us, but I have to admit, I would’ve done the same had I been in your shoes.”

That damn lump of remorse settled in his throat, making it nearly impossible to swallow. Nash had never expected to have a bonding moment with Damon and he sure as hell hadn’t thought he’d nearly get choked up over it. But here Damon was sharing a part of his past, proving why Nash should take the free gesture of love.

Damn it.

Nash glanced back to the coveted stallion in question. Could he seriously go through with this? Just take the prizewinning horse and move on? Everything he’d wanted was right within his reach; all he had to do was grab hold.

What would Damon say once he learned the truth? Deceiving the man was initially the plan, but, now that Nash had actually spent time here and gotten to know this family, he cared for them in a way he never would’ve imagined.

Turning down this gesture, however, would require an explanation Nash wasn’t quite ready to disclose yet. So he tightened the web he’d woven around himself and turned back to Damon.

“I’ll take good care of him,” Nash said with a smile that didn’t quite come from his heart.

Damon’s shoulders relaxed as his lips curved into a grin. “Anything for my only son.”

The guilt knife twisted deeper, leaving Nash more vulnerable than he’d ever thought possible. He’d officially become the man he never wanted to be. Because in the end, he would tear apart the relationships he’d just started to build, relationships he realized he wanted more than anything.

He hadn’t even known how much he longed for a family until he came here. Then when he’d discovered the baby another layer of need was added. So here he was, his heart overflowing with family bonds and relationships and in one second that all could be wiped right back out of his life.

Right now, he had to figure out a way to reveal the truth in the least damning way because that tight fist he’d had gripping all he wanted was slowly coming apart and he could feel the control slipping from his grasp.

* * *

Lily didn’t remember laughing so hard in such a long time. Having an impromptu girls’ day was beyond fun and quite a departure from the cattiness of the women in LA. Lily really didn’t have good girlfriends back home and being here with Cassie, Tessa and Linda almost felt as good as being with her own mother.

“So what do you think for desserts?” Linda asked, crossing her leg over her knee and propping her notepad up on her thigh. “So far I only have the main course. What’s your favorite dessert, Lily?”

“She’s a fan of chocolate.”

Lily jerked her head toward the doorway where Nash stood looking all scrumptious in his black T-shirt pulling taut across his wide shoulders and those well-worn faded jeans hugging narrow hips. His gaze zeroed right in on hers.

“I believe chocolate milk is high on the list,” he added, his tone dripping in sex. “Ice cream will do in a pinch. Right, Lily?”

Lily suppressed a shudder. The man knew exactly how to turn her on in a room full of people without so much as stepping into her breathing space.

“Why don’t we do sundaes?” Linda asked, oblivious to the sexual tension.

Cassie laughed. “Emily will love that.”

“I’m always up for anything chocolate, too,” Tessa chimed in, pushing her hair back over her shoulder.

Lily smiled, excited to be pulled into the Barrington family like she belonged there. “Sounds like a great night. What can I bring?”

“Yourself.” Cassie leaned over and patted Lily’s leg. “Linda gets offended if we try to bring anything to a party she’s throwing. And we’ve learned she’s the best and anything we make won’t compete so we just let her have at it. Bring Nash and an appetite. That’s all.”

Lily glanced to Linda who was rigorously jotting down notes, her lips thinned, her eyes narrowed. This woman was all business when it came to meal planning. Lily knew from being on the set that Linda loved to feed a houseful of people and she was an amazing chef.

“Sounds good to me,” Lily said around a yawn. “Sorry, I’m so tired lately.”

“It’s the first trimester,” Cassie told her with a soft smile. “You’ll regain some energy soon.”

Nash came to stand in front of her and extended his hand. “Why don’t I get you home? It is getting late.”

Glancing out the window, Lily realized the sun had all but set. They’d been there most of the day and time had flown by.

She took his hand and came to her feet. “This was so fun. Thanks for having us over.”

“You’re welcome here anytime,” Tessa told her. “Feel free to come any time Nash is working. We can always use another female around here.”

“Good thing the guys aren’t nearby to hear that,” Linda said as she rested her pad and pen on the coffee table. “But, I agree. Come by anytime.”

After saying their goodbyes, Lily and Nash headed home.

Home. Had she really started thinking in terms of his house as her own? She’d spent the majority of the day being welcomed into his newfound family, she was having his baby and her feelings for him were growing stronger every single day.

Yeah, she was starting to feel as if this was home. LA seemed so far away, as if a lifetime had passed since she’d been in her spacious condo. Just the thought of going back to the lonely space depressed her. She’d never fallen in love with a place—or the people—she’d visited on location before like she had at Stony Ridge. Part of her never wanted to leave, the other part had to be realistic and see that she couldn’t stay forever. Her job didn’t allow her to set roots.

So how could she raise a baby with a man who lived here? How could she leave the man she’d fallen for in such a short time?

Tears pricking her eyes, that tickle in her nose and clogging of her throat had become all too familiar sensations lately. Her hormones were raging all over the place, just like everything she’d read said they would. She sniffed, turning to glance out the window so Nash wouldn’t see her sniveling like some crazy, unstable woman...which she was, but still.

“Hey.” He reached across the truck console and gripped her hand, giving a reassuring squeeze. “You all right?”

Lily glanced over, catching his quick look her way before he concentrated back on the two-lane country road. “I love it here,” she found herself saying. “I mean, it’s so nice, so laid-back. And today I felt like a normal person.”

Nash’s soft chuckle filled the cab. “Sweetheart, you’re going to have to clarify that last part.”

Staring down at their joined hands, his so large and tan and hers so delicate and pale, she tried to find the right words to make him understand.

“I’m always treated like a celebrity everywhere I go,” she began. “I don’t mind the pictures, the autographs, that’s all fine and comes with my job. But that’s just it. I do a job and that’s what it is to me. I don’t see myself as someone on a level above anyone else. Today everyone treated me like I was just a family friend, they welcomed me into their home and I had a fun time without worrying about work or the pettiness that comes along with the industry.”

Nash continued to drive, not saying a word, and Lily started to feel a bit silly.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “That all probably sounds ridiculous. I’m already worried about the media hounding me when I return to LA. They hover all over, even going through my garbage to get any morsel of gossip they can sell. I have no clue how to resolve that unless I do what you mentioned and make an announcement during a live interview. But this town, these people are so amazing. I’m comfortable here and it’s just going to be hard to leave.”

There. She’d said it. She really wanted to know how he felt on the matter and it was past time they discussed where they were headed. She was kind of glad her rambling led them down the path to a topic they’d danced around for over a week. The uncertainty of her immediate future was starting to really cause more anxiety than she should be dealing with.

“Do you want to stay?”

That low tone of his produced the loaded question she’d been asking herself.

“I want to know what you want.”

Such a coward’s answer, but she needed to know where he stood, needed to know what was on his mind because up until now they’d only talked seriously about his past and they’d had amazing sex. That was all well and good...better than good, actually, but there was so much more to be brought out in the open.

“I want you to be happy.” He gripped the wheel tighter with one hand and continued to hold hers with the other as he maneuvered the truck around a series of
S
curves. “I want our baby to be healthy and I want us to build on what we’ve started.”