Had she somehow convinced herself it was okay to fly eight feet in the air and come crashing down on the back of a eighteen-hundred-pound animal? He’d seen her last bruise. The sport was bloody dangerous.
They took a stone pathway to the main hotel tower, crossed the lobby and entered an elevator.
As the elevator filled up, Alec nabbed her hand andtugged her close beside him. She pressed the button for the twenty-sixth floor.
It was a short walk down the hallway to her room. She inserted the key. He opened the door. Then he shut it behind them.
She immediately turned on him, back to the picture window that looked over the arena. “Are you out of your mind?”
He ignored the question. “Do your brothers know you’re here?”
“Of course they know I’m here. Why are you acting like I’ve done something wrong?”
He advanced on her. “Because you’re pregnant. ”
“I know I’m pregnant. That doesn’t mean my life stops.”
“ This part of your life stops.”
She paused. Her eyes darkened. Then she waggled her finger at him, stepping three paces backward as she shook her head. “Oh, no, no, no. I am not going to sit home in Montana twiddling my thumbs for the next seven months.”
He stepped forward once again. “Well you’re sure as hell not sitting on the back of a horse jumping six-foot oxers.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I know you can be reckless. I’ve heard you’re irresponsible. But honest-to-God, Stephanie—”
“What?” she shouted.
“You are not going to compete in show jumping while you’re pregnant with my baby.”
She stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “What makes you think I’m competing?”
He gestured out the picture window. “You’re here.”
“I’m coaching Wesley.”
Nice try. “With Rosie-Jo?”
“Wesley’s riding her.”
“No, he’s not.” The woman was caught. She might as well own up to it.
“Yes, he is.”
“Rosie-Jo is your horse.”
“She’s also a once-in-a-lifetime jumper. She’s not taking a year off just because I’m forced to.”
Alec stopped. A chill of unease spread through him. “You’re not jumping?”
“Of course I’m not jumping, you idiot. It’s dangerous.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “To stop me from jumping?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand, Alec.” She gave her head a little shake. “Where did you get the idea…?”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I saw you on television this afternoon. You were here. You had Rosie-Jo. The reporters—”
“And you jumped to a conclusion.”
“Apparently.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Where were you?”
“Chicago.”
“And you flew all the way to Cedarvale?”
“What was I supposed to do?”
“Phone me?”
“I tried.”
“Trust me?”
Alec didn’t have an answer for that. How could he trust her? He barely knew her.
“It’s my baby, too, Alec.”
“I know.”
“I’m not going to hurt our baby.”
Alec drew a breath. He supposed he knew that now. But he had no way of knowing that back in Chicago when the evidence had stacked up against her.
The hotel room telephone jangled.
Stephanie kept him in her sights with a censorious expression as she crossed to answer it.
“Hello?”
She paused. “Yes.”
She nodded. “Okay…I know…Thank you.”
She hung up the phone then turned to Alec.
“What is it?”
“Word’s getting around. You’ve just been included on a VIP reception invitation for tomorrow night.”
She waited, and Alec wasn’t sure what to say.
“What are you going to do?” she finally asked.
He knew what he should say, knew he should get his butt back on that plane and leave her the heck alone. But now that he was here, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He found his emotions making deals with his conscience.
He promised himself it would only be for a day or two. He’d get them a suite, so they both had privacy. He wouldn’t let her get close, wouldn’t let her
They took a stone pathway to the main hotel tower, crossed the lobby and entered an elevator.
As the elevator filled up, Alec nabbed her hand andtugged her close beside him. She pressed the button for the twenty-sixth floor.
It was a short walk down the hallway to her room. She inserted the key. He opened the door. Then he shut it behind them.
She immediately turned on him, back to the picture window that looked over the arena. “Are you out of your mind?”
He ignored the question. “Do your brothers know you’re here?”
“Of course they know I’m here. Why are you acting like I’ve done something wrong?”
He advanced on her. “Because you’re pregnant. ”
“I know I’m pregnant. That doesn’t mean my life stops.”
“ This part of your life stops.”
She paused. Her eyes darkened. Then she waggled her finger at him, stepping three paces backward as she shook her head. “Oh, no, no, no. I am not going to sit home in Montana twiddling my thumbs for the next seven months.”
He stepped forward once again. “Well you’re sure as hell not sitting on the back of a horse jumping six-foot oxers.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I know you can be reckless. I’ve heard you’re irresponsible. But honest-to-God, Stephanie—”
“What?” she shouted.
“You are not going to compete in show jumping while you’re pregnant with my baby.”
She stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “What makes you think I’m competing?”
He gestured out the picture window. “You’re here.”
“I’m coaching Wesley.”
Nice try. “With Rosie-Jo?”
“Wesley’s riding her.”
“No, he’s not.” The woman was caught. She might as well own up to it.
“Yes, he is.”
“Rosie-Jo is your horse.”
“She’s also a once-in-a-lifetime jumper. She’s not taking a year off just because I’m forced to.”
Alec stopped. A chill of unease spread through him. “You’re not jumping?”
“Of course I’m not jumping, you idiot. It’s dangerous.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “To stop me from jumping?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand, Alec.” She gave her head a little shake. “Where did you get the idea…?”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I saw you on television this afternoon. You were here. You had Rosie-Jo. The reporters—”
“And you jumped to a conclusion.”
“Apparently.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Where were you?”
“Chicago.”
“And you flew all the way to Cedarvale?”
“What was I supposed to do?”
“Phone me?”
“I tried.”
“Trust me?”
Alec didn’t have an answer for that. How could he trust her? He barely knew her.
“It’s my baby, too, Alec.”
“I know.”
“I’m not going to hurt our baby.”
Alec drew a breath. He supposed he knew that now. But he had no way of knowing that back in Chicago when the evidence had stacked up against her.
The hotel room telephone jangled.
Stephanie kept him in her sights with a censorious expression as she crossed to answer it.
“Hello?”
She paused. “Yes.”
She nodded. “Okay…I know…Thank you.”
She hung up the phone then turned to Alec.
“What is it?”
“Word’s getting around. You’ve just been included on a VIP reception invitation for tomorrow night.”
She waited, and Alec wasn’t sure what to say.
“What are you going to do?” she finally asked.
He knew what he should say, knew he should get his butt back on that plane and leave her the heck alone. But now that he was here, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He found his emotions making deals with his conscience.
He promised himself it would only be for a day or two. He’d get them a suite, so they both had privacy. He wouldn’t let her get close, wouldn’t let her
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