Page 69 of Forsaken Trail (Runaway 4)

An hour passed as I lay on my bed, my eyes trained on the ceiling as the anxieties flourished like a freshly watered tulip. The sun was setting outside, casting the pool with its glow.

Shifting one ear into a pillow, I studied the colors as they faded. Blue to yellow. Yellow to orange. Pink to red. I did love desert sunsets. Bright and beautiful, I found myself on the back patio often, watching the colors shift over the dusty horizon.

In the mornings, I’d venture outside to watch the desert bloom. Years of visiting Clara and I hadn’t timed a trip in the early spring, probably because

March was always a hectic time at The Gallaway, planting for the season. Boy, had I missed out.

It was just beginning, but soon, the wildflower super bloom would carpet the rugged landscapes in pinks and yellows and purples. Clara had told me it was beautiful, but even now, at the beginning, words hadn’t done the spectacle justice.

The spring desert was truly breathtaking, and it was only the start.

When I’d stopped wanting to hate it here, I’d fallen in love.

“You missed dinner.”

I flinched, sitting up with a jolt.

Brody stood in the doorway with one ankle crossed over the other. His feet were bare, his jacket and tie gone. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and the buttons at his throat were undone. Just like last night. And just like last night, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“I wasn’t sure if dinner was a good idea,” I confessed. “I wasn’t sure what to say.”

He pushed off the door and walked into the room. Then he climbed on the bed, lying at my side. “I’m not sure what to say either.”

“Really?” I propped up on an elbow. “You always seem sure.”

“Not always. Do we have to decide now?”

Clara’s advice had been to give him time. And here he was, asking for it too.

So instead of worrying, I leaned closer and brushed his lips with mine.

“No. I guess we don’t.”

Chapter Thirteen

Brody

“I have to go.” I kissed Aria’s bare shoulder as she combed her wet hair. She wore the towel she’d wrapped around her body after her shower. A shower I’d missed because I’d been in my own bathroom preparing for what would likely be an exhausting day.

“Have a safe trip.”

“I will.” I kissed her shoulder again, then took a long look at her in the mirror.

My God, she was gorgeous. If we had a girl, I hoped she looked exactly like Aria. If we had a boy, I wanted him to have her bewitching eyes.

“I think I’ll tell her.”

The comb in Aria’s hand froze. “Are you sure?”

“Would you mind?”

She shook her head. “We can’t keep this a secret forever.”

“All right. Then I’ll do it today.” It would be better to tell Grandmother about the baby in person.

I was flying to Vegas today for a string of meetings, but I had an hour carved out after lunch to catch up with Grandmother. She wasn’t going to like this—the baby or Aria—and I didn’t give a single fuck.

This was my child and I was excited. The fear of fatherhood was there, a constant worry at the back of my mind, and I suspected it’d be there for the remainder of my life. But excitement had taken center stage, especially now that Aria and I had started . . .