Having Adam's Baby

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“Yeah, I visited Walter and Mavis at the nursing home back in April.” Adam crossed his arms over his chest. “The staff said his condition requires round-the-clock care.”

Elise nodded. “Mavis sold their home in town and moved to a small apartment in Cheyenne near the facility. She goes every day to see him. She sits for hours and reads or talks to him. Losing their only child … I can’t even begin to imagine their heartbreak.”

“With Scott’s death and Walter unable to be involved with Coggen Motors any longer, Walter’s partner took over the entire business. All six dealerships,” his father added.

“You mean he bought out the Coggens’ and Fay’s shares?” Adam asked.

Again with the shared looks between his parents.

“Honey, you know what a thriving gossip chain Destiny has.” His mother finally spoke. “There have been rumors that Fay’s been dealing with—”

“Well, look who’s here!” Alastair Murphy’s booming voice cut off whatever his wife was about to say. “Welcome, Fay.”

Adam turned.

Fay stood in the entry area near the receptionist desk, balancing two flower arrangements in her arms and a surprised expression on her face. She looked very different from yesterday. Today she wore a dress, sweater and heels, all in matching shades of pink, with her curly hair lying in soft waves to her shoulders.

“Ah, hello.” Her gaze darted between Adam and his parents until she focused on him again. “The front doors were unlocked, so I came in thinking Bryant or Liam might still be … Well, I didn’t expect any of you to be here.”

Adam started toward her, registering the same exhaustion on her face, but his mother hurried past him and reached Fay first.

“My, aren’t these pretty? They’re the silk arrangements we talked about for the upstairs rooms, right?” She took one of the flower-filled vases out of Fay’s arms, cradled it in her own and gave Fay a quick hug. “Oh, Al and I got back from our adventures just a little while ago. Everyone is out back fixing dinner for us. And for Adam! As you can see, Adam’s home!”

Fay gave his mother a gentle smile. The simple act transformed her features, as if someone had finally turned a light on inside of her. The unexpected change caused Adam to stop midstride.

It was the first time in years he’d seen a real smile from her. Not since Scott had shocked her—and Adam—by following in his footsteps to join the Air Force six years ago.

His friend had come to him to talk about his plans, after another night of drinking at the Blue Creek, but Adam had been too caught up in his own hell at the time with Julia to do anything but get his buddy home in one piece. By the time he’d finally surfaced from the mess of his divorce, Scott had completed boot camp and had been assigned to his reserve unit.

After that, his friendship with Fay cooled. When Scott had received orders for a tour overseas it had disappeared entirely.

“Yes, I do see that,” Fay replied to his mother, then she turned to look at him. “Welcome home, Adam.”

Her smile looked forced now. But Adam decided he would take what he could get even when she turned her attention to his father.

“Al, it’s nice to have you and Elise back in Destiny, too.”

“It’s good to be home,” his father said. “You’ll stay for dinner?”

Fay shook her head. “No, thank you. I just wanted to drop these off before I headed back to my shop. I’d planned to come by this morning on my way to Ch-Cheyenne, but I was running late.”

Did she go down to Cheyenne to visit with her former in-laws? Is that why she looked like she’d been put through a wringer?

“You sure you can’t stay?” Adam asked, wanting the chance to spend more time with her. “We’d love to have you with us.”

She looked at him for a long moment, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. “No, I can’t stay.”

Her words had an edge to them Adam couldn’t understand. She seemed almost angry. Because of their reunion yesterday? That hadn’t gone the way he wanted, but Fay had charged out of his place so fast, he’d barely had time to gather his thoughts.

“Oh, I think these beautiful blooms are going to match with the quilt in the suite upstairs perfectly!” Elise chimed in, breaking the silence. “I’m going to head up and see for myself. Be back in a jiffy!”

Adam grinned, watching his mother dash away. Some people walked, but Elise had always moved at a speed that spoke of a mother who raised six boys. “She’s been keeping you busy, hasn’t she?”

“Fay’s actually helping out with the model homes,” Al said. “We contracted her about six months ago to provide arrangements for the homes, guest quarters and the office. She now oversees the exterior landscaping as well.”

This was news to Adam. Even though he wasn’t involved in the day-to-day running of the business, he was surprised no one in the family mentioned it in their letters. “I guess that means you’re the one responsible for my new front yard as well?”

“I just added a few bushes and flowers to enhance the trees and lawn.” Fay looked down, her attention on the silk flowers in her arms. “Otherwise, it was just cleaning and straightening up.”

“And new curtains, dishes and bedding.” Adam rattled off the list of changes that had finally registered when he took the time to really see all the work Fay had done. “Sort of a mini Extreme Makeover.”

Her gaze shot back to his, uncertainty in her hazel eyes. “I kept asking your mother in our emails if she included you in any of the decorating changes. I’m sorry if there’s something you don’t like.”

“I like it, Fay, all of it. You went above and beyond by getting my father to part with his treasured oil painting.”

Adam had been stunned to find the original artwork depicting wild horses racing across an open field, the work of his great-grandfather, the first Alistair Murphy, hanging over his desk in the third bedroom.

“I’ve been after him for years to part with that painting. Believe me, I like everything you did to my home.”

The doubt in her eyes gave way to a sparkle of delight. A rush of male pride filled his chest that his words were the reason why.

“Nolan and Liam came over and hung it themselves.” Fay smiled as she nodded in his father’s direction. “They said your dad insisted it belonged in the home of a rancher.”

Adam’s chest swelled at that bit of news, knowing the gesture represented more than just the handing down of a family heirloom.

Alistair Murphy cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I’m sure your brothers are fighting over control of the spatula by now. Time for me to play referee.” He gave his son a genial pat on the shoulder before he walked away. “Son, do your best to change the lady’s mind, okay?”

Adam waited until his dad left before deciding to take his advice. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to share his homecoming celebration with her as well as his family. “So, what can I do to get you to stay?”

“N-nothing. I need—” Her smile faded and she brushed past him, heading for the stairs. “I’m going to take this other arrangement up to your mother and then go home.”

“Fay.” He followed, catching her as she started up the steps. “Please, wait. I want to talk to you.”

She paused on the third riser. “It’s been a long day, I missed lunch and talking is the last thing—”

“Okay, don’t talk, just listen.”

Shaking her head, she put one foot on the next step.

“I’m sorry.” He followed, suddenly determined to say what he should’ve said before she walked out of his house. “About yesterday. I never should’ve pushed you about your business or money or … or about what happened between us.”

She whirled around, gripping the handrail with one hand. “Shh! Someone might hear—” Her voice broke and she closed her eyes. “Someone might …”

The sudden paleness of her features and the slight sway of her body sent off alarms inside him. Adam skipped two steps to get to her. “Fay, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Her eyes fluttered a few times as she struggled to open them before she went boneless in his arms.

“Oh, my!” Elise called out. “Fay!”

His mother’s voice carried over the inner balcony that circled the second floor and looked down on the great room, but Adam’s focus remained on the unconscious woman in his arms. He grabbed the vase of flowers now wedged between their bodies and set it aside.

“Fay?” Cradling her shoulders with one arm, he gently tapped her soft cheek with his fingers. Her normally fair skin was a deeper shade of pale. “Honey, wake up.”

When she didn’t respond, he pushed away the panic that flared in his gut and easily hefted her into his arms. Turning, he continued up the stairs as Nolan and his dad returned to the room.

“What’s going on?” Nolan asked.

“Fay passed out,” Adam offered, but didn’t stop as he heard his brother and father start up the stairs behind him.

He headed to the open door to the guest room his mother was pointing to. Making sure not to catch Fay’s heels on the doorway, he walked into the room and laid her gently on the queen-size bed.

Fay’s eyelids fluttered open and he started to breathe again.

“What … what happened?”

Her soft whisper cut through his concern. “It’s okay. You fainted right in the middle of talking to me.”

Panic filled her beautiful eyes. “Fainted?”

“Don’t worry, sweetie.” Elise stepped in front of Adam and laid a hand on Fay’s arm. “Adam caught you as soon as your knees buckled.”

“I—I don’t understand.” Fay’s soft voice grabbed at his heart. “I don’t remember.”

“It’s all right, dear. You just take a few moments to lie here and relax. We know you’ve been battling the flu for a while now ….” Adam’s mother looked back at him over her shoulder. “Why don’t you go downstairs and get Fay a glass of cool water?”

Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, but he read the unspoken demand to get out in his mother’s eyes. Adam did what he was told, closing the door behind him, only to meet his brother and dad just outside the door.

“Is she okay?” Alistair asked.

“What the hell happened?” Nolan demanded.

“I don’t know.” Adam answered both questions at the same time. “One minute we were talking and the next her eyes closed and she dropped.”

The two men opposite him shared a look. If one more family member shared a look with another he’d hit something. Or someone. He’d rather someone start talking. Pronto.

“I’m going to put together a tray with a light lunch for Fay. She didn’t get a chance to eat while she was visiting Walter and Mavis,” Elise said, joining them as she too closed the door behind her. “You three leave that girl alone and let her rest.”

“What’s going on?” Adam asked. “You mentioned the flu. Is Fay sick?”

His mother continued on her way while his brother and father remained silent. Determined to find out how she was doing, Adam reached for the door, but his father’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Son, wait.”

Adam turned back. “Wait for what?”

“I don’t think you should go charging in there before we’ve had a chance to talk.”

“About what?”

“There’s something you should—” Nolan paused, then lowered his voice. “Over the last month or so I’ve noticed Fay hasn’t been feeling well. She says it’s a cold she can’t shake, but when I mentioned it to Dad during our weekly phone calls he said the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Then again, seeing the two of you together—”

“You only saw me carry her up the stairs. What the hell are you talking about?”

His father motioned Adam to follow him away from the door and down the hall. As much as he didn’t want to, he went, his brother at his side.

“Son, during your last visit home in April I headed for your place early, wanting to spend some one-on-one time with you before we took you to the airport. Then I saw Fay’s van in your driveway and hightailed it back home.”

Every muscle in Adam’s body stilled, even his heart for a moment. Then it began to slam inside his chest.

“You’ve always had a thing for her,” Nolan added.

Adam’s gaze shot to his brother, who only shrugged and continued. “Hey, I remember you telling me what happened between you two. Down by the river? The night of your twenty-first birthday?”

“Geez, that was years ago,” Adam said. “We were just kids.”

“Besides, between Dad and me we’ve been through this nine times—”

“Through what?”

“If we didn’t know any better, your brother and I would both swear Fay is pregnant.” His father once again placed a hand on his shoulder. “What happened that night? Is it possible you’re the father?”

Pregnant?

His father’s soft words exploded inside Adam’s head. He braced himself, his posture ramrod straight against his father’s touch, but the detonation continued, a powerful roar that flowed outward until it reached every inch of his body.

He’d felt this way only twice before in his life, most recently just a few short weeks ago when he’d had the harrowing experience of barely missing an IED—or improvised explosive device—that thankfully exploded after their transport of construction equipment had passed and was a few precious miles away.

Adam tried to form the word he hadn’t spoken in five long years, but he couldn’t put the syllables together aloud. That didn’t stop the utterance from vibrating inside his head again.

Pregnant?

Because of the night they spent together?

He’d insisted they use protection, both times, even after Fay had whispered something about it not being necessary as she couldn’t get …

Fay being sick yesterday morning at his place. The way she held one hand protectively over her stomach. The paleness of her skin, the tiredness in her eyes.

The way she pulled from his touch.