Archer's Angels (8 page)

“Wait,” Clove said. “
I’m
confined to bed. You’re not.”

“Where you are, I am. You have no family here, and it’s up to me to take care of you. Lucy would want that,” he said logically, clearly pleased with his argument.

“Archer, you are smug, self-assured, over-confident and—”

“And those were all the reasons why you bought a plane ticket, my dear. You wanted me, you got me. And you’re going to love reading the paper in bed with me every morning. I’ll read the financial section and the funnies, and you can have ‘Hints from Heloise.’”

She had no reply for that. Part of her wanted him around because as loony as he was, he was fun, and he kept her mind off her problem. She’d been so frightened of miscarrying! The fear that had washed over her at the thought of losing these babies still sat inside her. They were becoming so real to her; her pregnancy was bringing her a joy she’d never expected.

Besides, being bed-bound with Archer was something many women would dream. The con was that they
would get on each other’s nerves; the pro was that she fully remembered how sexy and considerate he could be. They couldn’t make love again, and probably never would, but he was outrageous company, something her daredevil heart enjoyed. Even when he was playing the irascible, wayward cowboy hunk.

Yet she could not allow him to take over her life the way he wanted to. He was bossy and stubborn. Even his horse rebelled.

“The only question left for us to answer, I guess is,” Archer said, “my bed or yours?”

“Never mind,” Archer said suddenly as he pulled up to Delilah’s salon. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to walk upstairs. I’m thinking stairs are verboten. You stay here, and I’ll go pack for you.”

“No!” Clove moved to open the door.

He reached out and caught her fingers. “Clove, I know you want to rebel about everything, but stairs cannot be a good thing for a woman who’s been given orders to rest. I will pack your things.”

“You can’t pack my things!”

Her eyes were so tired, he thought, though even the dark circles were attractive.

She made him want to protect her, he realized. For all her blowing in the wind about how independent she was, he knew she needed him. And that made her more attractive.

“I think I really like you,” he said slowly. “I know you won’t believe that, but you’re doing something funny to my heart.”

“I don’t know why,” Clove said.

“I don’t, either, because heaven knows, all you do is rile me.” He shook his head in wonder. “I’m pretty sure I was meant to have a brunette who likes to fish. Fishing is comfortable for the soul. I think she should like fishing, sex and pool.”

“Fishing comes before sex?”

“Yeah, but only because I dream of making love in a boat, out in the middle of a lake, where no one is around, just me and my gal and the night sky overhead—”

She sighed. “In Australia, we would make love on an ocean.”

“Yeah. I can see that,” Archer said enthusiastically. “You see why fishing is so critical. After we make love, we’ll have a finned creature or two to toss on the barbie.” He winked. “Did you notice me trying to incorporate some Aussie slang?”

She wrinkled her nose. “You may call it that, pardner. I’m getting out of this truck now, and I’m going to giddyup to my bed, where I am staying till this storm blows over.”

“Very nice on the slang part, but you’re staying put, and I’m fetching.”

“Is that slang?”

“It’s fact,” he said. “Don’t move.”

He got out of the truck. She slowly got out on her side.

“No, Clove,” he said. “You have to stay here. No stairs. Dr. Fern did not okay you for stairs.”

“I’m going to the top of the staircase, and then I won’t come down for two weeks. That’s my plan.”

Gently, he helped her sit back down in her seat.
“Clove, I have a ranch to help run. I cannot leave you here alone. Those are my children, and I’m going to see to their safety and your well-being. Delilah can’t take care of an invalid for two weeks. She has a business to run.” He touched his fingers to her cheek. “It’s time to say, ‘Yes, Archer.’”

“That’s what got me into this predicament,” she told him.

“No, what got us into this predicament was me saying yes to you. You and I are still going to have a talk about that one day, because you pulled a Tonk on me, and if you weren’t so much my kind of girl, I’d be madder than heck.”

“Your kind of girl?” Her look of surprise caught at his heart.

“Yes. I think you must be. We had two years’ worth of e-mail correspondence between us, and I know we both had separate reasons for writing, but I know I enjoyed having an Aussie pen pal, despite the fact my brothers thought I needed more in my life than a cybergal. I thought you were one of the most interesting women I’d ever talked to, and I have clearly been proven correct. But despite that, the saying goes that we must be careful of the seeds we sow. You sowed three seeds, and I’m going to harvest those little bundles of joy in about six months. Sit. I’ll be right back.”

She seemed to do as he asked, so he headed up the stairs. Of course, she was liable to disobey or disappear on him, so he had to pack fast. She’d come to town, he recalled, with one tiny suitcase, so he grabbed that from
her closet and shoveled undies and other drawer contents into the suitcase.

He cleaned out her makeup drawer in the bathroom without hesitation. Grabbed shoes and clothes from the closet, cramming them into the suitcase. He wasn’t doing a very good job, but they were only going to be in the case for about two hours. The bottle of perfume on the dresser, he figured, should go on top so it wouldn’t break.

It was then that the picture on the mirror caught his eyes. Clove and another woman hugged each other, each laughing for the camera, clearly having the time of their lives. Turning the picture over, he read the inscription. “To the best sister in the world. The only one I trust and can run to at any time. If it wasn’t for my brave sister, I wouldn’t be alive today. There is no one like you, Clove. I love you. Lucy.”

Frowning, he blinked, rereading the inscription. His heart hammered, felt as if it was knocking on a piece of his soul with a bad omen. Restless worry came over him as he read it a third time.

Then he quietly laid the photo in the suitcase, closing it tight.

A
RCHER WAS QUIET
on the drive to his ranch, so Clove fell asleep. When she awakened, he was listening to soft country music, his face was grim, and he was pulling into the driveway of a very large ranch.

“Wow,” she said. “Did you mention in any of your e-mails to me that you lived on a real ranch?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that this is beautiful, and seems to go on and on, except for that cute house on the hill.”

“That’s Mimi’s house, at least for another week. She’s selling out, which has my brother, Mason, in an uproar. Try to ignore him.”

“All right.” She got out and Archer came around to take her arm.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine! Just tired.” She pulled her arm away.

Several big men came out onto the front porch, waving at them. Archer took a deep breath. “Welcome to the family,” he said. “The very diluted version.”

She was nervous. They were obviously more nervous, which surprised her, because she wouldn’t have expected such big men to be that way about anything.

“Clove,” Archer said, “these are my brothers. Mason, Last, Bandera and Crockett. I have more, but they’re sort of dispersed for the moment. Bros, this is Clove Penmire. You may recall that I had an Australian pen pal. This is she.”

They solemnly shook her hand. Her face burned with embarrassment. Of course, they knew she was pregnant, she realized as they all slipped surreptitious glances at her stomach. Which meant they also knew that she had shanghaied Archer’s sperm.

They had to think she was an opportunist and very likely after money. For the first time the result of her actions hit her. She’d been so busy thinking about Lucy, she hadn’t considered Archer’s brothers. If Archer had
done what she had done, Lucy would be very angry and would probably never like him.

She put her head down.

“Welcome to the family,” Mason said gruffly. “You need to get inside. Archer, can I talk to you privately?”

“Sure. Will you guys introduce Clove to Helga—our and Mimi’s housekeeper—and if Calhoun’s around, his gang, too. Help her get settled.”

With a pang, she watched Mason and Archer walk away.

“Let me get your stuff,” Last said kindly. “I’m sure you’d like something to eat, so let me show you to the kitchen. Helga always has something tasty sitting out for us. You fellows go on. I can handle settling Clove in.”

They nodded to her, apparently happy to let Last be in charge of her, and moved away.

“Sometimes we talk a lot,” Last said, “and sometimes we don’t. Today we seem to be a taciturn bunch.”

“I’m sure I’m unexpected,” Clove said faintly.

“Yes, you are, but if you only knew how much happens around here that’s unexpected, you wouldn’t worry a bit. Besides, you’d be surprised at how much of our unexpected happenings turn out to be blessings.”

She blushed. “I guess you know I’m expecting.”

He grinned. “We may be taciturn, but we don’t keep many secrets. Congratulations, by the way. We like babies around here.”

“Oh, I won’t be staying here,” she said hurriedly. “After I get through with this period of rest, I must return to Australia.”

He looked at her, settling his hat back on his head. “How about you don’t owe me any explanations, and how about I find you a cookie and some tea in Helga’s kitchen?” Gesturing for her to follow, he carried Clove’s bag into the kitchen. “We didn’t like Helga’s cooking when she first came here, but now we consider it a good thing. Most especially when it’s cold outside. She can cook a cabbage soup that would make you cry with joy, believe it or not. And her poppyseed cake will take your breath away.”

She smiled at Helga, who gave her a broad wink.

“More babies,” Helga said. “Good!”

Last chuckled. “We don’t have secrets, as I said. Sit right here and let Helga fix you up. I’m going to head out for the moment, and figure out where you’re sleeping tonight. We have three houses on the ranch, and we want you where you can rest comfortably.”

“Thank you.” Clove sat silently, appreciating the warm cup of steaming tea Helga put in front of her. Two banana-nut muffins joined the tea, a pretty gingham napkin was put beside her hand and a nosegay of cinnamon sticks tied with straw was laid in front of her china plate for decoration.

Though she was tired physically and mentally, Clove realized she felt at home and welcome.

“Eat,” Helga said in her German accent. “For babies.”

Clove nodded, and as Helga draped a crocheted shawl over her shoulders, she knew Archer had—again—not been bragging in his e-mails.

This really was a special family. A special place.

“You are first girl Archer brings home,” Helga said.

Clove started. “Ever?”

“Yes. While I’ve lived here. The brothers say he is too much afraid to like a girl.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Helga looked at her. “His mother died when he was very young. All he knew was that she went away and never came back. They say he is always afraid of that.”

“Oh.” Clove blinked.

“So you won’t leave.”

It was a question couched in a statement. Clove’s skin prickled as Helga’s worried gaze searched hers.

After a moment, Helga turned back to stir something on the stove. And Clove looked out the big kitchen window, seeing the spring, still-unawakened landscape, and the two big men standing outside talking more with their hands than with their mouths.

They weren’t so taciturn—and they weren’t so unruly, either. Right now, Archer seemed to be on the receiving end of whatever Mason was saying.

Clove turned away, knowing that she was the topic of their conversation. Unexpected and not yet considered a blessing, she figured she was about as trusted as Tonk.

“T
HERE’S JUST NO WAY
around it,” Mason said sternly. “You have to marry her.”

“Mason, trust me, it’s just not going to happen,” Archer replied. “She’d yell so loud if you said that to her they’d hear her in the next county.”

“How do I have two brothers get women pregnant out of wedlock,” Mason roared. “Both with women who do not want them? Is there a chance that I’ve done something wrong? Did I miss a concept? You should be in love to make babies! It works better that way!”

“Admittedly. But I’m working on her.”

“Working on marrying her?”

“No. Working on getting her to fall in love with me.”

Mason stared at him. “Can I ask you why you got her pregnant if you knew you weren’t in love with each other?”

“I thought she was fine.”

“Well, clearly,” Mason said with disgust. “She is fine. But that’s no reason to knock someone up. Consensual sex with a lady who is fine is no reason to just uncork the—”

“Mason. I thought she was ‘fine’ as in ‘on birth control.’ She said she was fine, and clearly we have two different meanings of that word.”

“That’s what happens when you meet people who are not from your background,” Mason said. “You have to overcome a host of communication issues, and one of them is language differences. So you didn’t ask her to elaborate on her ‘fineness.’ You just dived right in.”

Archer frowned. “Mason, it’s all irrelevant now.”

“Except that she won’t marry you. That makes it pathetic. We are not having three children out of wedlock!”

“One is better than three?”

“Well, don’t you think it’s a bit odd?” Mason demanded. “It’s like, here’s my mistake, times three!”

“I really don’t feel like it’s a mistake.”

“Oh, it’s not a mistake to be having children by someone you’ve just met.”

“Not everybody takes their whole lifetime to acknowledge a good woman, Mason,” Archer said stiffly.

Mason blinked. “I’m going to overlook that,” he said, his voice low.

“Well, you overlook a lot. Now, for the moment, you and I need to agree that we’re not on the same page about my marital status. Clove has been to the doctor today, and she’s tired. I’d like to go make her feel at home.”

Mason raised his eyebrows. “And where do you expect to take her?”

“To one of the houses. I don’t care which.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that Miss Penmire might prefer to be married? Have you asked her?”

“I’ve mentioned it, but I told you, she’s not interested in staying here. I’m going to try to change her mind, but she’s a decisive little thing.”

“Three babies,” Mason said. “I can’t believe it.”

“Neither can I. Or Clove.”

Mason shook his head. “All right. I have a plan.”

Archer’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“You’re clearly out of options with this gal. You want her?”

“Of course,” Archer said without hesitation. “In my heart, I know she is right for me. You learn a lot when you write someone for two years. Despite the fact that she came here on a mission, I’d like to give her more than just babies. I’d like to give her my name.”

“Then what I propose is this. I’ll discuss it with the boys later, but for now, my first thought is that we buy Mimi’s house and land.”

Archer looked at Mason, astonished. “We already have five thousand acres, and we only have six of twelve brothers working the ranch. Not to mention, I mean…”
Are you giving Mimi up that easily?
he wanted to shout.

“You’re wanting a way to stay here, and Clove and you have three babies on the way. We’ll need land for future generations.”