Linc parked his truck and went into the emergency room waiting area.

Irritated, Sunny imagined ten different scenarios of how she'd kill her mother. She'd been under the impression that Jack had been in on the summons to bring her home, had agreed to ask for her help. But when she'd arrived at the Forked S ranch ten minutes ago and gone in search of Jack, there didn't appear to be a speck of tension--a tension she'd expected if there was a suspected outbreak of cattle disease. None of the ranch hands gave any indication that they recognized her or expected her.

Within twenty minutes, he was surrounded by Tracy Lynn's Texas Sweetheart pals--Sunny, Donetta and Becca Sue, all of them bombarding him with questions. The speed with which they'd made it to the hospital was impressive.

All three were business women who would have customers in the middle of the afternoon--Sunny doctored the animals in town, Donetta did hairdos at her salon, and Becca Sue sold folks antiques, books and designer coffee. Clearly they'd dropped what they were doing and just raced out the door.

"I'm going back there to see what's happening," Sunny said in the no-nonsense tone she used when bossing around cows four times her size.

"I already tried," Donetta remarked, giving an indelicate snort. She still wore her black vinyl bib apron that had her salon's name, Donetta's Secret, emblazoned across the front. "The emergency room Gestapo with the hideous perm ran me off without an ounce of care over my delicate condition." She cradled her abdomen that barely showed her pregnancy. "The old bat wouldn't even tell Tracy Lynn that I was here."

Sunny put her hands on her hips, dislodging animal hairs clinging to her white lab coat. "I'm a doctor. I can get in there."

"You're a veterinarian," Becca Sue corrected. "This is a people hospital in case you hadn't noticed. Your credentials won't mean squat in the ER."

"Gaining entrance to restricted areas is all in the attitude," Sunny said. "You just have to act like you know what you're doing, like you belong. Besides, we can't just let Tracy Lynn sit back there by herself. Come on. We'll all four go. They can't stop the whole group of us, and if they try, Linc can run defense."

"I don't think there'll be any need for bloodshed," Linc said, nodding in the direction of the emergency room doors.

They all turned as Tracy Lynn walked out. She looked lost, sad, flustered, and seriously peeved. Quite a combination, he thought. He hoped the last emotion wasn't somehow aimed in his direction.

When she spotted them it seemed as though she singled him out of the group. Something in his chest gave way when she met his gaze, her beautiful features sliding into relief as if he alone held up her world.

Hell, where did that sappy thought spring from?

She headed toward them, her boot heels clicking against the speckled gray tile floor.

"Linc called us," Donetta said and pulled Tracy Lynn into a group hug.

Watching the four women huddle together raised that pang of envy in Linc again. He'd lived in this town from birth through high school, yet he didn't have even one special friend that he'd kept in contact with other than his brother, Jack.

"How's your dad doing?" Sunny asked.

"He's awake and trying to tell the doctors how to do their job. They took him down to the radiology lab. I suppose we'll know more once they do a few tests."

"How about you?" Linc asked. "You holding up okay?"

"If the billing people would quit hounding me about insurance forms, I'd be doing a lot better. Daddy's the mayor, for goodness sake. It's not as though they wouldn't be able to find him if he skipped out on the bill. I tell you, these places just make me so mad. You'd think they'd have a little respect and compassion for family members who are upset."

Linc patted her shoulder. She was working herself into a state. "Want me to go beat them up?"

She gaped at him, clearly surprised by his unexpected teasing. Then she laughed. A dimple winked at the corner of her mouth, and he took a step back because he was way too tempted to press his lips just there. He shouldn't have gotten involved in her personal business, but he hated seeing her look so vulnerable.

The engine shut off and the two-blade propeller jerked to a stop like a whirly-gig with a child's finger suddenly thrust into it. After several minutes, the door popped open and he climbed out, lithely jumping down onto the sticky asphalt where heat wave mirages danced over the black surface like transparent flames. Sunny's heart pumped and a line of sweat trickled down her spine.

"That's a tempting offer, but I'll pass, thanks. I'm sorry for leaving you all out here like this. Linc, you really didn't need to stay."

He tugged at the brim of his hat. "I promised you a ride home. I try to make it a point to leave with the same lady I arrive with."

For a moment he paused, facing her from a distance of one hundred yards. She couldn't see past the aviator sunglasses to his blue eyes, couldn't gauge his mood by the position of his brow because he wore his tobacco-brown Stetson pulled low and sexy over his forehead.

"Nice trait." She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Do you also make it a point to claim responsibility for their pregnancies?"

"Can't say as I've had that come up before." He liked her moxie, especially when he could see the worry in her blue eyes.

After what appeared to be a synchronized, delayed reaction, Sunny, Becca and Donetta gasped and started talking at once.

"What?"

"I thought you were--"

"You guys got together? I--"

"Shh!" Tracy Lynn hissed, conscious of the hospital personnel nearby. She looked at Linc.

"I didn't tell them about that part." He winked and sauntered off toward the chairs.

Tracy Lynn's yearning to have a child was something she'd only shared with her three closest friends. For precious moments, her initial, giddy excitement flared as she repeated the news of her positive pregnancy test.

"I thought Daddy would be thrilled. Instead, I gave him a heart attack. Literally."

"Oh, you did not," Donetta said, then looked over at Sunny for confirmation. "Did she?"

Becca nudged Donetta's shoulder. "Real good, Donetta. Has pregnancy fried your brain cells, or what?"

Donetta gave Becca a 'bite me' look.

"You didn't cause the heart attack, Tracy Lynn." Sunny's tone was full of an authority that calmed.

Donetta reached for Tracy's hand. "I understand how your father might worry over whispering campaigns and the opinion of others. Remember how I acted when I found out I was pregnant? I was convinced the gossip mongers would have a field day with me, and that it would spill over onto Storm and his job as sheriff. But the Darla Pam Kirkwells of the world don't stand a chance against all of us."

"I'm sure your dad was just caught off guard," Becca assured. "Once he's had a chance to think clearly--when he's not suffering with the pain of a heart attack--he'll be a proud, expectant grandpapa."

That remained to be seen. And, if he did indeed run for a seat on the senate, the repercussions Jerald Randolph worried about had the potential to reach national levels--which was way out of Darla Pam Kirkwell's range.

Meanwhile, Tracy Lynn really needed to talk to Linc. In private.

"I hope you're right. I've had my heart set on having a baby for so long, and I'd hate to think that the very thing I want most might cause dissension between Daddy and me. But right now, you all need to get back to work."

"To hell with work," Sunny said. "You're more important."

"And I love you for that. But I'm okay. I don't know how long it'll be before they get Daddy settled in a room. There's no sense in all of us sitting around here waiting. I'll call if anything comes up, okay?"

"He's just as important to us," Becca reminded. "You don't need to go through this alone."

"I'm not alone." She glanced over at Linc. He was slouched in an upholstered chair, his coffee-brown hat pulled low on his brow as though he was trying to catch a little sleep. What was it about a man in a cowboy hat? she wondered. The mystique? He could cast a glance from beneath the brim in an enigmatic, bold stare that might spell invitation or censure, promise or threat.

Goose-bumps shivered up her spine all the way to the roots of her hair.

She reined in her curiosity over Lincoln Slade's magnetism. "Besides, I need to speak with Linc. We'll have to get our stories straight about the baby--at least until Daddy is stable."

"I can't decide if I'm surprised by Linc's actions or not," Sunny said. "He's got a good heart, but he's a hard one to figure out. He's not normally the kind of guy to butt in." Since Sunny was married to Linc's brother, she probably knew him the best. But that wasn't saying much--Linc didn't allow many people to get inside his head.

"Well, at least he's cute and rich," Becca commented. "Just think, if it had been Artie Bertram who'd come to your rescue your daddy would be imagining a stick-skinny grandkid with axle grease under his nails."

"And acne scars," Donetta added.

"Thank you so much for putting that picture in my mind," Tracy Lynn said dryly. "Especially since my sperm donor was anonymous. Go back to work, would you? All of you."

The women grinned and acquiesced. "You'll call and keep us up to date on your dad's prognosis?" Becca asked.

"You know I will." She hugged her girlfriends, feeling fortunate to have such a tight friendship with each of them. She never thought of herself as an only child because she'd always had Sunny, Donetta and Becca Sue as surrogate sisters.

The Texas Sweethearts through thick and thin.

When the women left, promising to come back after work, Tracy went over and sat down beside Linc.

"Did you run them off?" he asked, his chin still tucked to his chest, his hat pulled low.

"Yes. And you really don't have to stay, either." He lifted his head. "Why are you trying so hard to get rid of everyone?"

"I'm not. But there's nothing anyone can do at this point, so it's silly to sit out here in the waiting room."

"If I want to do something . . . silly, I suppose that'd be my prerogative. Been a long time since I've done anything I didn't want to."

"Really? If that's the case, what in Heaven's name possessed you to tell my father that my baby is yours? Do you realize what you've done?"

"Babe, the man's heart was threatening to cash in his chips, and I sure didn't hear you coming forth with a name."

"That's because there isn't one!"

He folded his arms across his chest. Other than his gaze dipping to her flat stomach, his expression hardly changed. He merely waited for her to elaborate.

"I had artificial insemination about three weeks ago. You've heard of that, haven't you?"

"I'm aware of the term. A good portion of my breeding operation involves artificially inseminating the mares. Why didn't you just say so when your dad asked?"

"There wasn't time. I mean, I would have . . . I was just so excited, I blurted it out." She stood and began pacing. "I used one of those home test kits, and when it came up positive I rushed over to the courthouse."

"Couldn't wait till suppertime?"

"We're close--Daddy and me." She shoved her platinum blond hair back from her forehead. "I never even considered the possibility that he wouldn't be pleased about the baby." She realized that she had a tendency to plow headlong into ventures, automatically expecting them to turn out fine. Sure, she'd gotten herself into some fixes over the years, but she was naturally lucky and eventually things fell into place.

This time, she wasn't quite as confident. Her reputation wasn't the only one at stake. Her father's was as well.

"He didn't know you were trying to get pregnant?"

"No. I couldn't see any sense in both of us getting our hopes up, watching the calendar and wringing our hands. You have no idea how stressful this is. And now . . . I still can't figure out what in the world you were thinking when you claimed paternity. You've gotten us into a bigger mess."

"Come on, babe. It's not as bad as you think." He stood and moved toward her. "We'll just leave things be for now, and straighten out everything when your dad recovers."

"You mean, pretend I've been sleeping with you?"

His brows slammed down. "I imagine you could do worse. For the record, I bathe daily and I've had all my shots."

She sighed. "I didn't mean to sound like . . ." She waved her hand, the word escaping her.

"A society girl?"

Her head snapped up. "It used to make me very mad when you'd call me that."

"I know." He paused, letting the implication of the words sink in.

His direct stare made her heart skip. He was toying with her. Did he have any idea what that had done to her as a girl? What it did to her as a woman?

From the book Rescued By A Rancher
by Mindy Neff Harlequin American Romance
ISBN 0-373-75005-6 - January 2004
Copywrite by Mindy Neff

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