Her breath caught in her throat, nearly strangling her. She had to say this.
Lord, help me.
She swallowed and hoped her voice wouldn’t shake. “There’s something else you should know too.” She reached for Gil’s arm once more, needing to appear happy about this, though her forced smile must’ve wobbled. “I’ve just recently realized I’m in the family way. We’re going to be parents.” She sent Gil a strangled smile, doing her best to ignore his rounding eyes, before turning back to her father. “And you’ll be a grandfather.”
The room fell silent.
Father's face turned ashen, his eyes widening in shock before narrowing into slits of anger.
Gil didn’t move, his arm tense under her grip.
"You're what?" Her father's voice was a low growl, each word sharp as a knife. "Carrying this man's child?"
Jess swallowed hard, her throat tight. She held on Gil’s arm as if he could shield her. "Yes, Father. Gil and I...we're married, and we’re going to have a baby." She tried to keep her tone even, but her voice quavered.
Her father's gaze flicked between them, and his mouth formed a hard line. When he finally spoke, his eyes locked on her, his voice deadly calm. "You've really done it now, girl."
Jess flinched at the fury in his tone. She'd seen him angry before, but she’d never had his rage directed at her. Fear coiled in her belly, but she forced herself to stand firm. For her child's sake, she had to be strong.
Once again, Gil inched in front of her, shielding part of her with his body. “We hoped you’d be happy, sir. We sure are.” His voice held such a genial tone that she could almost believe he really was her husband, that they’d been overjoyed to learn of their coming babe.
A bit of relief eased the knots in her shoulders. Gil was here, helping her. Playing his part better than she could have hoped.
Her father's icy stare locked onto him. "I don't even know you, boy. What's your name?"
"Gilead Standish, sir. My family owns a ranch southwest of here."
Something in her father's expression shifted. That frightening anger never left his eyes, and his jaw stayed hard as steel. Even so, something was different. She couldn’t name it, but it was there. She’d spent a lifetime learning her father’s moods, the shifts in his face, his voice. What she saw now, the change in his expression—the mystery of it, the not understanding… It terrified her.
“What are you doing in these parts, Standish?” His voice was even, yet still laced with fury.
She slid a look at Gil, praying he wouldn’t tell her father the truth about his purpose here. Father wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Sampson to get to Gil if he learned their connection.
Icy dread slipped through her, freezing her chest. She tightened her grip on Gil’s arm.
Gil cleared his throat. “Exploring. Enjoying a bit of time away from the ranch. Also keeping my eye out for an uncle. He and his family came to these parts before we did. Now that my parents have passed, my brothers and I would like to find him.”
She eased out a breath. He was smart.
“You’ve nice land around here,” Gil said. “Good valley land for grazing. Do you keep any cattle?”
He was making conversation. She had to work to keep the shock from her expression. Here they were, trying to keep her father from venting his rage, and he was making small talk.
Studying Gil, another unreadable look filled her father’s eyes. Calculating maybe? Surely, he was trying to figure out how he could work the situation to his own good. He dipped his chin in anod. “I suppose so, but we don’t run cattle. That’s what you raise on your…ranch?” Why had Father paused before that last word?
“Yes, sir. My father started with horses when we first moved to the place, and we added cattle about five years ago.”
Her father seemed to choose his words carefully. “That sounds like a lot of work. I’m surprised your family could spare you so long.” His gaze slipped to her, leaving his meaning clear.
Gil’s voice didn’t shift from its casual tone. “I’ve several brothers and a nephew still working the ranch.” He glanced at her, his free hand touching her fingers still wrapped around his arm. The smile that touched his mouth lit in his eyes with a tenderness that felt so real, her heart gave a little flutter. “I’m eager to take Jess to meet them. They’ll love her.”
Gil turned back to her father. “I hope you don’t mind us traveling for a bit. We haven’t made any final decisions about where we’ll live, but I want her to meet my family.”
Her father just glared, and everything inside her clenched as she watched for the anger to take over once more. But it didn’t. His tight skin eased into what looked dangerously close to a smile. "I suppose that’s fair. We can talk more about it later." He stepped forward, and she fought to keep from flinching. But Father extended his hand to Gil. "Welcome to the family, son."
Gil didn’t pause before taking his own step and meeting the grasp. “Thank you, sir.”
Just like that?
