Warrior's Baby. Sheri WhiteFeather

that’s a little more controversial than having a man stay over.”

      “Really?” In his hometown, people still talked about who slept at whose house. Her casual attitude piquing him, he spouted off like an envious suitor. “And just how many men have stayed here?”

      Her voice vibrated “What exactly are you accusing me of?”

      Colt only stared. She looked mortally wounded and, God help him, way too vulnerable. He gazed into Melanie’s eyes and shook off a chill. Suddenly she looked like someone from his past—a sweet, innocent girl who had touched his reckless, teenage heart.

      The name came to him in an instant, hovering like a ghost. Gertrude. Little Gertrude. He glanced at Melanie’s hands, at the slender line of her fingers, the long, perfectly manicured nails. Gertrude used to chew her nails, gaze up at him with those wide blue eyes and nibble her chipped, brittle fingernails.

      Colt sat on the edge of his suitcase and raked his hands through his hair, pushing away Gertrude’s fragile image. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m sorry. I had no right to say that.” What was wrong with him? He’d never felt possessive of a woman before. “I guess I’ve been thinking about how much gossip you and I are going to stir up back home.”

      “There’s no way to avoid that.” Melanie twisted a tassel on one of the decorative pillows. “Our situation is unusual.”

      He rocked the suitcase and tried not to stammer. “Sure, but... we could at least try to keep a low profile. Not dating other people while we’re expecting might keep some of the tongues from wagging.”

      Colt blew an anxious breath and waited for her response. He couldn’t stand the thought of Melanie being with another man while she carried his child, not even something as innocent as dinner or a movie.

      Her near-timid smile warmed his heart. “Can we put that in the contract?” she asked. “Because you’re the one who will still be trim and attractive. I doubt anyone’s going to want to date me four or five months from now.”

      “I’ll take you out so you don’t get lonely,” he said, telling himself it would be for the sake of the baby. “And I promise not to get involved with anyone if you don’t.” A married surrogate was one thing, but making a single woman pregnant and dating another seemed disrespectful. “A jealous lover could create stress and even more gossip,” he said, trying to justify his odd request. “We don’t need either.”

      When she promptly agreed and extended her hand, he clasped it in his. As they shook on the verbal agreement, Colt realized how unusual their situation was.

      “And I am going to rent a hotel room while I’m here,” he reiterated, breaking contact. Her fingertips were too soft, the feminine touch warm and inviting. “Regardless of what you say, people talk. I’ve tarnished enough reputations in the past. I don’t need yours on my conscience, too.”

      The following evening Melanie convinced Colt to accompany her to the mall. They’d spent the morning apart and the afternoon together. She’d attended a business meeting while he explored the beach. By noon, they’d met for lunch and began packing immediately thereafter. He’d worked in the kitchen, she’d been in her bedroom. When she’d tackled the grueling task of organizing her closet and choosing a suitable Montana wardrobe, she’d decided shopping for fashionable maternity clothes was definitely in order.