A Home of Her Own (Dundee, Idaho #4)(72)
Author: Brenda Novak

Lucky’s heart fell. It wasn’t what she needed, then. Maybe Josh and Mike hadn’t agreed on how much they’d be willing to pay. Maybe—

“Hmm…I guess it’s an offer, after all,” Priscilla said, straightening the papers. “Just not the kind I was expecting.”

“Who’s it for?”

“You.” She passed her the fax, then propped her hands on her hips.

Lucky stared down at the cover sheet. It was from High Hill Ranch, all right. Only it wasn’t from Josh. It was from Mike. She spotted his name on the “sender” line and couldn’t help running a finger over the ink. The message read: Attached please find my best offer.

His best offer? What did that mean? That he wasn’t open to negotiation?

Lucky removed the top sheet and studied the first page. Now she understood why Priscilla had had difficulty figuring out what she was looking at. It took Lucky a moment, too, but eventually she realized she was holding a picture of a ring. A diamond ring.

Why would Mike be sending her a picture of this?

She turned to the next page—and then she knew. It said: I don’t want the house. I want you. Marry me.

Lucky couldn’t believe it. She glanced up in astonishment to see the hardened, career-woman Priscilla-the-Realtor grinning like a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. “I’m single, so I’m not a specialist in this area, but from the size of that diamond, I’m guessing it’s not a bad offer.”

Lucky couldn’t seem to find her voice. Mike wanted her to marry him? To be Mrs. Mike Hill? To live with him and sleep with him and…

Their baby! She felt her chest constrict. They could raise their child together.

But what about his family? The town? The big fuss he liked to make about his age? Could they love each other enough to compensate for all that?

“There’s one more page.” Priscilla helped Lucky bring it to the top. This one looked curiously like a contract. A fancy heading read: Offer. Below that was one line of text: Everything I have. Everything I am. A signature block, where Mike had signed his name and even scrawled the date, made it all seem very official.

Now she knew why he’d said it was his best offer. There wasn’t anything more he could give.

The Realtor was positively beaming now. “God, if you don’t accept this, I think I will.”

He was willing to stand against everyone he knew—for her? Tears filled Lucky’s eyes, but she tried to laugh through them.

“As your agent, it’s my job to respond.” Priscilla cocked a playful eyebrow at her. “What should we fax back to him?”

MIKE STOOD next to his fax machine, waiting, his heart racing with anticipation. Would she accept? She’d once told him she loved him, but with Lucky, he wasn’t sure love was enough. She’d been through a lot in Dundee. Maybe she’d had all she could tolerate and wasn’t willing to come back. Maybe loving him was too simple a motivation to get her to settle down in one place….

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so nervous,” Josh said.

Mike didn’t respond. Since the day Josh was born, he’d shared almost everything with his brother. He supposed it was fitting that he’d included Josh in this moment, too, since it was one of the most terrifying of his life. But he was more than a little worried about how he might handle his disappointment if she said no. He’d never committed himself before, never been in this position.

“I know she loves you,” Josh said as if trying to convince them both. “I could tell that day I was talking to her in the barn. She didn’t even bother to deny it. She—”

Mike interrupted to shut him up. He was stressed enough without Josh’s anxiety adding to his own. “If you’re really so sure she’s going to say yes, quit wearing a hole in the damn carpet.”

“Actually, I don’t think I’m worried about her saying no. Yes might be worse.”

Mike stabbed a hand through his hair. “Mom and Dad?”

“And Uncle Bunk and Aunt Cori and all the others.” Josh shrugged and pivoted for another pass. “Oh, well, maybe I’ll get to be the family favorite for a while.”

“You’re the baby of the family. You’ve always been the favorite.”

“Well, I guess it doesn’t hurt to solidify my position.” Josh checked his watch.

“How long’s it been?” Mike asked.

“Fifteen minutes.”

“Seems like longer.”

“I know. The wait’s killing me. You’d think I was the one who’d just proposed.”

Mike started to chuckle but fell silent the second the fax machine whirred to life. “Here it is,” he breathed.

Josh came to stand next to him. They both watched the papers slide smoothly into the receptacle, then Mike retrieved what Lucky had sent.

The cover sheet indicated it came from some real estate company in Los Angeles. But her location was no surprise to them now. They’d already called information to check the area code on the fax number and knew she was in southern California. Mike just wasn’t sure she’d be willing to return to his little corner of the world. L.A. was a far cry from Dundee.

Shooting a quick “here goes” glance at Josh, he flipped to the second page. It looked like some kind of magazine clipping of a—he held it closer—a…baby?

“What’s that?” Josh asked, his eyebrows gathering in confusion.

“A baby, I think,” Mike said.

“But what does it mean?”

Mike had no clue. There wasn’t any writing on the page. He moved on to find that the last sheet had only one line of text. Does your offer still stand?

Mike met his brother’s eyes.

“I’m lost,” Josh said. “What’s going on?”

Mike couldn’t imagine. He—

Suddenly the realization of what Lucky was trying to tell him began to sink in. The fax fluttered to the floor as shock stole his strength. A baby…A…baby. His baby!

“Whoa,” he said and grabbed the nearest table for support.

Josh’s eyes cut back to the picture Mike had just dropped. Then his mouth formed an O. “She’s not saying…”

“I think she is.” Mike bent over, drawing several deep breaths to ward off the dizziness. He’d almost lost Lucky and his baby. If she hadn’t contacted Josh about the house—

Anger swirled through him, and he shot back upright.