Warrior's Embrace (34 page)

“I hope it’s momentous. Life is getting so
dull around here, I could use some shaking up.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?”

“I’m going to have a baby.”

“Well, congratulations.” Gladys reached
across the table and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “I guess there will
be a wedding real soon, huh?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I’ll raise the baby with a lot of help from
my friends.” She laughed. “And Aunt Kathleen, if she ever comes
home. Black Hawk has his life and I have mine.”

Gladys settled back into her side of the
booth, her mouth pursed. “How does he feel about this?”

“He says he wants marriage.”

“He sounds like a sensible man to me.”

“I won’t trap him this way.”

Gladys caught her hand. “Elizabeth, he loves
you.”

“How do you know?”

“I met him when you were in the hospital. Did
you know he stayed outside your door round the clock? Did you know
that every time you slept, he went inside and sat beside your bed,
holding your hand and agonizing over you?”

“No. You didn’t tell me.”

“He forbade me to.”

“He’s good at giving orders.”

Gladys released her and leaned back once
more, her forehead wrinkled in deep concentration.

“He asked if you spoke of him, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth didn’t reply. “His heart was breaking. He wanted to be
with you openly. He wanted you to need him, to want him.”

“He wanted his child, that’s all.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I know Hawk.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Gladys persisted.
“Have you thought about that? You’ll not only be throwing away your
own chance for happiness but your child’s chance for a full-time
father.”

Gladys tucked a big bite of whipped cream and
chocolate into her mouth and swallowed in grim silence. Elizabeth
toyed with her fork.

“Elizabeth McCade, I’ve never questioned your
judgment, but now I have serious doubts about it. Blackie is a good
man, a decent and noble man.” Gladys fortified herself with another
mouthful of chocolate. “Maybe I’m not the world’s greatest
authority on men, but I think I know enough about the male species
to recognize a prize when I see one.”

“I’m not denying that.”

Gladys relented and reached over to pat her
friend’s hand. “I guess I came on a little strong. What you do is
your business.”

“Thank you, Gladys.”

“And you have my full support. I want you to
know that. I’ll help you knit some little booties and bonnets.
Shoot, I’ll even knit a little christening dress. I want my
goddaughter to be the best dressed little girl in Tombigbee Bluff,
though I guess if Kathleen ever gets home, she’ll put up an
argument about naming the baby Sophie Gladys Hawk.”

“Your first name is Sophie?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s a
boy.”

“How do you know?”

“Hawk said so.”

They looked at each other and cracked up.

o0o

That night Elizabeth dressed for bed and lay
down on her cool white sheets, but she couldn’t lie still. She got
up and hauled down Hawk’s blanket then returned to her bed and
finally fell asleep.

o0o

Hawk found her that way. He stood beside her
bed, staring down at her. Her black hair lay like silk against the
intricate pattern of blues and reds and yellows.

Quietly he sat down and pushed the blanket
aside. Elizabeth was wearing a sheer white teddy that hugged her
body. She was already showing signs of her pregnancy. He bent over
and kissed her cheek.

“Why must you be so stubborn, Elizabeth?”

Hawk pulled the blanket back over her, then
sat on the edge of the bed a while longer, watching her sleep.

She stirred. Stretching languorously, she
sighed, then she opened her eyes.

“Hawk?”

“Hello, Elizabeth.”

She looked at the luminous dial on her
bedside clock.

“It’s eleven o’clock, and all you say is
‘Hello, Elizabeth.’“

“I can say more.” He sat beside her. “I can
do more. It’s up to you, Elizabeth.”

“Why are you here?”

“To check on you. To make sure you are safely
tucked in bed and getting your proper rest.”

“I won’t be foolish, Hawk. I want this baby
as much or more than you do.” She sat up, pulling the blanket with
her. “Why are you out so late? You should be getting your own rest.
You look tired.”

“I’ve just come from a meeting with Robert
Newton and the city fathers.”

“How did it go?”

“We’ve won, Elizabeth. There is no way
Tombigbee Bluff can take Chickasaw lands, no matter how many tax
advantages the mayor can think of.”

“I’m glad, Hawk.”

“It’s over, Elizabeth.”

“This battle is; there will be another
one.”

“Yes. I don’t deny it.” He took her hand and
lifted it to his lips. “But I can handle it, Elizabeth. Tonight I
realized that my life has been very one-sided. As I sat in that
boardroom with all those officials, my mind drifted. I thought of
you, here in this bed, and I wanted to be here with you. I’ve been
so caught up in causes that I’ve missed the things that are most
important: love, family, friends.”

“You were always good at speeches, Hawk. And
very convincing.”

He smiled at her. “I’m going to make some
changes. I’m going to create the proper balance of work with play,
of causes with family.”

She didn’t say anything, and he leaned down
to kiss the top of her head.

“Sweet dreams, Elizabeth.”

“My dreams are never sweet,” she called after
him, and then realized that it was no longer true.

Astonished, she snuggled back into her
blanket and smiled.

o0o

She didn’t see him again for a week. Although
she knew she should have been relieved that at last he was letting
her manage her own life, she felt uneasy and restless.

With dust rag in hand, she descended on the
room next to her bedroom. It was high time to think about fixing up
a nursery. And sooner or later, she was going to have to tell Aunt
Kathleen about the baby.

She removed a fine coating of dust that
always seemed to collect in empty rooms, then dragged a chair over
to the window and climbed up. The first thing to go would be the
ratty old curtains.

Suddenly she felt strong hands around her
waist. “What are you doing?” Hawk roared as he lifted her out of
the chair.

“I was taking down curtains until I was so
rudely interrupted.”

“You will not jeopardize my baby by climbing
on top of furniture.” He looked at her as if she were out of her
mind. If she hadn’t been so mad, she would have laughed.

“I was not climbing on furniture; I was
merely standing on a chair.”

“If you want somebody to stand on a chair,
call me. I’ll come stand on as many chairs as you want.”

“I won’t be calling you every time I want
some little thing done. Turn me loose.”

“Why?”

“So I can take these curtains down. I don’t
want the baby to have to look at the drab old things.”

“My baby will be in the crib of his
grandfather in his very own room out at the ranch.”

“At the ranch?”

“You can decorate his room any way you
like.”

“You don’t have room in that cabin for a
baby... and anyway, he won’t be there. He will be with me.”

“Well, at least you’re finally admitting you
carry a boy.” Hawk stalked across the room and jerked a blueprint
off the chest of drawers. Then he spread it across the floor. “This
will be our new house. Construction starts Monday.
Both
of
you will live there, Elizabeth.” His fierce gaze challenged her to
deny him.

Elizabeth faced him with her hands on her
hips. “I will not take orders from you, Hawk.”

“All right.” He tossed the blueprints onto
the chest of drawers. “I won’t argue with you about living
accommodations. If you prefer to live here, that’s fine with me.
I’ll move my things in. I can run my ranch from here.”

“You’ll move in?”

“That’s what I said.”

“I let you move in once and look what
happened.”

He smiled. She went to the window and gazed
outside. The stray cat was worrying a mockingbird perched in a wild
cherry tree. It was funny how everything in her life could be so
changed and the outside world still looked the same.

She felt Hawk’s hands on her shoulders. “Look
at me, Elizabeth,” he said gently.

She turned to face him. He brushed a strand
of hair back from her temples, then slowly took the pins from her
hair. It fell in a dark curtain around her shoulders.

“I always picture you like this... with your
hair down.” He pressed his lips into the pulse point at the side of
her neck. “You taste good, Elizabeth.”

“Oh, Hawk...”

“I’ve waited for you.”

“What we had, Hawk, was temporary insanity
that never should have turned to love.”

“But it did.”

“That doesn’t mean we have to compound the
mistake.”

“I don’t want to keep waiting.” He raised his
head so he could look at her. “We’re missing too much.”

“I lost my head over you once; I won’t do it
again. My future is too important. I have two to think about
now.”

He took her hands. “Let me care for you,
Elizabeth. Let me love you.” He turned her hands over and kissed
her palms. “I will never hurt you; I will never desert you,” he
whispered. “Trust me.”

Hawk gently reached up and pressed his hand
against her lips.

“Don’t worry, Elizabeth. Everything is going
to be all right.”

Suddenly the entire fabric of Elizabeth’s
life seemed to come apart. She twisted out of Hawk’s reach and
planted her fists on her hips. “How can you say that? You’re not
the one who is pregnant.”

“It’s my child, Elizabeth. And I will take
care of him. I’ll take care of both of you.”

“I haven’t seen you for a week. Hawk.”

“I’ve—”

“Please,” she interrupted, holding up her
hand.

“I’m not interested in excuses. At least Mark
didn’t give me excuses.”

“Elizabeth...” Hawk’s voice was
dangerous.

The floodgates to her emotions were down, and
Elizabeth let her feelings come; all the pain, all the fear, all
the uncertainty came boiling to the surface.

“At least he never pretended to want anything
except my body. ‘Your appetites are as big as mine.’ Isn’t that
what you told me in the beginning?”

“I don’t deny that in the beginning we came
together because of passion and need.”

“And even now when I’m dirty and pregnant and
frumpy...”

“You’re beautiful...”

“...right in the middle of my housecleaning,
all you can think about is sex.”

“Tell me you don’t want me, and I’ll go.” He
caught her face between his hands and tipped it up. “Look into my
eyes and deny your passion, Elizabeth.”

She closed her eyes to shut out his face.
Even so, it was etched on her memory, the eyes dark and piercing,
the face as fierce as if he were challenging his most formidable
opponent.

“I don’t deny it,” she whispered. She opened
her eyes. “I want you, Hawk. I will always want you. I’m trying to
learn to live with that. I can’t always be a slave to my passion.”
Two big tears rolled down her cheeks. “I get pregnant every time I
do.”

“Elizabeth... Elizabeth...” Hawk pulled her
into his arms and rocked back and forth, murmuring soothing words
and gently rubbing her back. “We won’t discuss this anymore. I’ll
make you some tea, and you can sit in a rocking chair and watch
while I do... whatever it is that you want done.”

“I don’t need...”

“I’m staying, Elizabeth.” His voice brooked
no argument.

Her gloom ended as quickly as it had come.
She guessed she’d have to get used to mood swings for the next few
months.

“If you think you can stand being around a
cranky old pregnant woman.”

“You’re my woman... and I love you.”

She let that pass. She was in no emotional
state to deal with declarations of love.

“All right.” She went to the rocking chair
and sat down. It
did
feel good.

“Just unhook those things up there at the
top... that’s right. That’s very good, Hawk.” She couldn’t help but
laugh at the picture he made, all male, his brow furrowed in
concentration at the simple task of taking down curtains. Black
Hawk would not be easily domesticated. Although she had to admit
that he
was
trying. It gave her cause for
consideration.

Hawk stayed all day, helping her around the
house. Late that evening they were in the kitchen together, sharing
a simple meal with the setting sun gilding the windowpanes.

“Change your mind, Elizabeth.”

“Hawk, please...”

“I know I promised not to talk about any of
this, but I worry about you. I need to be with you, watching over
you.”

“No. I have my life; you have yours.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way. Come home
with me.”

“No.”

“Then I’ll move my things in here
tonight—”

“Don’t.” Elizabeth stood up, came around the
table, and ran her fingers through his hair. “We’ve had a lovely
day. Let’s not spoil it with another argument.”

“I’m not going to argue. I’m just going to
talk sense.”

“We always argue, Hawk.” She smiled. “I guess
that’s because we’re so much alike.”

“No.” He stood up, smiling. Then he leaned
over and kissed her softly on the mouth. “You are soft and
beautiful, lovely to look at and lovely to touch. We’re not alike
at all.”

After he left, she stood at the window,
looking out at the darkness. Hawk was not a simple man. He would
always be a modern-day warrior, eagerly awaiting his next
battle.

“Oh, Hawk... how I wish...” Her voice trailed
off. She wasn’t sure what she wished anymore.

o0o

The next day Hawk paid a visit to his
brother.