Page 36 of Savage

“As for Donald Brown, let’s talk about what we’re going to do. I’ll call the council and tell them you have a mate now, and there’s more at stake than just a threat to an enforcer. This guy might show up on pack land. We need a plan.”

I nodded and we got to work coming up with one.

15

BECKY

“So… you and Clint?”Audrey prodded, with a waggle of her eyebrows and a grin. “Girlfriend, you’ve been keeping secrets.”

We sat in the great room in the big comfy couches that shaped a U and faced the massive river rock fireplace. Beside it, built into the wall, was a TV with the firstTwilightmovie playing.Delicious hors d’oeuvres Marina had baked were on the coffee table in front of us. Marina and Willow had wine, Audrey lemon tea. When the ladies said they had happy hour together like this at least once a week, I experienced a pang of jealousy. I wanted to be part of their tribe, too. Which I guessed I could be, if Clint and I became a fixture.

They were all comfortable in leggings, soft sweaters and thick socks. Audrey had a cozy blanket tucked around her.

The three of them lived on the ranch—Audrey up in the hills in a cute cabin, Marina and Colton finally settling into one of their own as well, and Willow here in the family house—so it was easy for them to do so. In fact, there wasn’t much else to do out here, especially in the winter.

I flushed at Audrey’s words, only because she knew about my divorce efforts. Namely, the fact that it wasn’t finalized, and I was getting it on with Clint. I still had that religious shame ingrained in me by my parents. Marriage was a sacrament. One that shouldn’t be broken even if it sucked.

Even if the guy broke you. And your car tire. And emptied your bank account. And...

“It’s nothing serious,” I replied, finally. It wasn’t a total lie. I’d told Clint I couldn’t enter into a relationship with him. He knew where I stood. Of course, the fact that we were having a child together might be considered serious to some. Some might also think the fact that we’d slept together the night before… sexandactual sleeping, plus what he’d just done to me in the stable, constituted us being together.

Hell, I’d had lunch with his parents.Thatwas a big deal.

Shit.

Willow tucked her hair behind her ear and said, “It smells serious to me.” Her nostrils flared like she was actually smelling something.

“Smells?” I raised my eyebrows at the strange turn of phrase.

She got busy reaching for the bottle of wine, kept her eyes focused on the task. “I just mean, we haven’t seen Clint with any woman, ever. So, if he’s bringing you here to look at newborn foals, it means something.”

Warmth kindled in my chest. I shouldn’t be so happy to hear he never brought women around, but I was. He wasn’t a monk. I knew he’d been with women before me. A gorgeous cowboy like him, a virgin at thirty-four? As if.

“We had lunch with his parents. And brother. And Nash,” I added. All three of them stared as if I’d said I’d eaten with the Queen. “What?”

“And it’s not serious?” Willow asked. “Are you sure because while I haven’t known Clint all that long, no guy takes a woman to meet his parents unless it’s serious. Especially around here. You sure you don’t want some wine?” She held up the bottle of chardonnay.

“No, no. I’ll stick with water.” I pointed to the glass Marina had gotten me when I’d first arrived, a thin slice of lemon floating on the top.

All three eyed me with curiosity. I may or may not have been the one who usually led the party when it came to imbibing a few. What could I say? I’d always had a lot of steam to let off after getting out from Todd’s clutches. Audrey’s bachelorette party had been the perfect example. I’d organized it with Marina, and while a limo had been on the schedule, me having sex with Clint in the storage room had not.

“Okay, I’m pregnant, too!” I blurted because Audrey was also having a baby—just a few weeks ahead of me.

“Oh my God!” Audrey sang, throwing her arms wide and giving me a hug as she leaned across the couch. “Wait… is it Clint’s?”

I nodded, blushing. “Your bachelorette party. We kind of hooked up.”

“That was months ago!” Audrey said. I recognized her doctor's gaze as she looked me over. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I am an Ob/Gyn,” she muttered the last as if she was put out.

“I’m seeing Dr. Seymour. I didn’t come to you because there’s no way I could have my bestie staring at my lady parts with my feet up in stirrups.”

She rolled her eyes then nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

“I didn’t tell anyone because, you know—my life is a mess right now,” I added. I looked to Marina and Willow and realized they knew nothing about my fiasco with Todd. I gave them the short version of how Todd had behaved in the marriage and my reason for leaving.

“Asshole,” Marina muttered, grabbing a stuffed mushroom and popping it in her mouth.

“That’s what I’ve been dealing with. Besides, twenty percent of first pregnancies end in miscarriage. I didn’t see the point in, well, facing it, until I was sure it would stick.”