Her Baby Wish. Patricia Thayer

passed and it still hurt like a fresh wound.

      No! This baby was going to change things. She was going to have her family, even if it was only part of one.

      “Kira…”

      She turned around to see Trace at the door. He was dressed in his usual jeans and Western shirt, his cowboy hat in his hand. With her heart pounding, she stood. “Trace.” He never came to her school. “Is something wrong?”

      “Do you have some time to talk?”

      “Sure.” She stepped aside. “Come in.”

      He glanced around the busy office. “I’d rather go somewhere else. Can you leave for a while?”

      She checked her watch. “I’m free for the next hour.”

      “Let’s go for some coffee.”

      “Sure.” Kira grabbed her purse, stepped out into the hall and together they walked out of the building. When Trace placed his hand against the small of her back, she shivered.

      “Are you okay?” he asked.

      “Yes,” she lied. “I’m fine. I just need some coffee.”

      He gave her a sideways glance. “You should switch to decaf.”

      She studied his profile. Trace McKane had always been serious by nature. He didn’t smile easily, but when he did he was irresistible.

      They were quiet as he helped her to his truck, then drove past all the recently built, chain restaurants to the older section of Winchester Ridge to Bonnie’s Diner. Still a favorite with the locals.

      They took a booth by the picture window. The red vinyl seats were worn and cracked, repaired by tape over the years. The place was clean and the food good. Right now, there weren’t any customers, only the sound of a country ballad coming from the old fifties-style jukebox.

      Trace signaled the waitress for two coffees and sat down across from Kira. He wondered if he should have waited until she got home to talk with her.

      After what happened between them last night, he should be staying away from her, completely. But here he was, sitting across from her. Just looking at her had him working to breathe normally. Nothing had changed. Kira Hyatt had gotten to him from the moment he laid eyes on her, right here in this diner. It had been the only time he’d ever won out against his older sibling. For once Jarrett hadn’t gotten the girl. Younger brother, Trace had.

      But Trace had nothing now. Not a wife. Not a marriage. It helped to remember the bad times. That kept him from storming back into the house they’d shared for five years. To a life he’d thought was perfect, but reality hit and he’d learned nothing was perfect. That it hit home again as he recalled that Kira only wanted a six-month marriage.

      The waitress placed their mugs on the table. The older woman, Alice Burns, gave them a warm smile. She’d worked here for as long as he could remember. “Well, how are Mr. and Mrs. McKane doin’ today?”

      “Just fine, Alice,” Trace answered.

      “How’s your granddaughter?” Kira asked.

      The fifty-something woman grinned. “Best not get me started on little Emily. But she’s gonna have to share me soon because Carol’s pregnant again. A boy this time.”

      Kira’s smile froze. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”

      Alice eyed the couple. “You two should think about having a few yourselves.” Before they could answer, the waitress walked away.

      Trace watched Kira fight her emotions as she took a drink.

      “Alice didn’t know, Kira,” Trace said.

      “I know that.” Kira wrapped a strand of golden-blond hair behind her ear, leaving the wispy bangs along her forehead. “Why did you need to see me?”

      Okay this was all business. “A woman from the adoption agency called after you left.”

      Her brown eyes widened. “So soon. What did she say?”

      “I didn’t get to talk to her. Just a message on the machine. It just said that she’d call back again.”

      “Darn, I wonder if she’ll call the office.” She glanced at him. “Did she leave a number where I could reach her?”

      It hurt when she used the word “I” and not “we”. He pulled the paper from his pocket and slid it across the table. “I don’t think you should call her just yet.”

      She looked hurt. “But I have to.”

      “What are you going to tell her, Kira?”

      She blinked at him. “We’re just talking to her, Trace. I don’t want to delay the process, it takes a long time. We’re probably just going to be put on a waiting list.”

      “I still have to pretend we’re married.”

      “You are married—to me.” She lost her attitude. “But as I told you the baby will be my responsibility.”

      So she hadn’t changed her mind. He was to do nothing concerning the child. “We aren’t even living under the same roof.”

      “I never asked you to move out in the first place.”

      “You know why I did, Kira. We were headed for disaster.” He’d hated leaving, and if she’d asked him to stay just once, he would have in a heartbeat. Now, it was too late.

      She sighed. “Please, just listen to what Mrs. Fletcher has to say, that’s all I ask.”

      “Okay, I’ll talk with the woman. See what she has to say.”

      “Really?” Tears flooded her eyes. “Oh, Trace, thank you.”

      He raised a hand. “Don’t thank me, yet. I’ll agree to another home visit. Afterward we’ll see where we go from there. I can’t commit to anything more.”

      She nodded. “Does that mean you’re moving back to the house?”

      Before Trace could come up with an answer they were interrupted.

      “Well, look who’s wandered in off the range.”

      They both glanced up to see Jarrett McKane standing at their table. He was tall, athletic and good-looking. He knew it, too. Jarrett knew a lot of things, all you had to do was ask him.

      Trace straightened. He didn’t want his half brother here. Not now. “Hello, Jarrett.”

      “Trace.” His brother turned to Kira. “Hello, pretty sister-in-law.”

      Kira smiled. “Hi, Jarrett.”

      Grabbing a chair, he turned it around and straddled it. He glanced between the two of them. “You two look serious. There wouldn’t be trouble in paradise, would there? Kira, you just let me know if this guy isn’t treating you right and I’ll knock some sense into him.”

      Kira shifted in her seat as she continued to smile at her brother-in-law. “Everything is fine, Jarrett, but thanks for asking.”

      At their first meeting when Kira arrived in town, Jarrett had laid on his easy chair but it hadn’t taken her long to realize that Jarrett McKane was out for himself. He was attentive to his women though, but that was another problem, there were a lot of women.

      Both brothers were handsome, but Jarrett had been the school sports hero and a college graduate. Meanwhile Trace had stayed and worked on the ranch with his father, going to college locally.

      “Anytime.” He looked at Trace. “I need to talk to you about our arrangement. Could you come to my office?”

      “Later. Kira and I are talking right now.”

      “Seems like you could do that at home. Hell, you sleep in the same bed.” There was a wicked look in Jarrett’s eyes.