Secret Love - Brenda Jackson [89]
For the second time that night, passion overtook them and sensation after sensation tossed them both over the edge of sanity and into unadulterated ecstasy.
Jake pulled his Jeep up to the airstrip just as dawn was streaking across the sky. He glanced over at Diamond, who was sitting quietly next to him. Although she hadn’t said anything, he knew her thoughts. Last night hadn’t been long enough. Morning had come too soon.
Instant memories of the night before flitted through his brain. Those memories would be the ones he would hold on to until she returned. He shook his head. He was going to be a father. It was still hard to believe. They had decided to wait until she returned to the ranch before officially announcing the news to anyone, including his family. They wanted it to be their own private secret for a while. They wanted it to be something only the two of them shared for now.
“Jacob?”
He turned to her when she said his name.
Diamond took a deep breath and studied her husband’s face with her heart in her throat. She loved him so much and now she was carrying their child and felt very happy about it. “Can you believe it? I’m going to be a mother.”
Jake smiled. “Yeah, and I’m going to be a father.”
Tears glistened in Diamond’s eyes. “I think we’re going to make pretty good parents, don’t you?”
He lifted a finger and wiped a tear from her eye. “Definitely the best,” he said, swallowing back the rushing tide of happiness inside of him. He pulled her into his arms. “I can’t wait to tell everyone.”
He held her tighter. Everything he ever wanted was here in his arms. And no matter what, he would never let her go.
Over the next few days after Diamond left, Jake settled into his regular routine of running the ranch. He got up early to make sure the working stock was fed, the stalls were mucked out and the cattle were moved from one section of the ranch to another. Alex checked in with him about the leads they were following, but so far, he had not been able to tie anything together.
February turned into March and with that change of months had come longer days and shorter nights. To Jake it seemed his shorter nights were even lonelier with Diamond gone.
One afternoon a very tired Jake was about to take the stairs to his bedroom for a shower when he heard Blaylock call to him from the living room. “Come quick, Jake. Diamond’s on television.”
Instantly Jake went to where Blaylock was. Upon entering the room he glanced over at the television set. He took a seat on the sofa. Beautiful as ever, Diamond was surrounded by reporters as she answered their questions.
“You heard wrong,” she was saying to one reporter, but her voice was carrying to all the rest. “The main reason I’m back in California is to take care of some unfinished business, and not because I’ve left my husband or that we’re having marital problems.”
Jake shook his head, wondering just where the media got some of its garbage. He watched as Diamond’s smile widened as she added, “Jacob and I are doing just fine, and I can’t wait to take care of things here to return home to him.”
“Are you still thinking about giving up acting to go live on a ranch?” another reporter asked.
“Yes, my plans about that haven’t changed.”
“And what does your father think of your decision?” a third reporter asked.
Jake watched Diamond’s features closely. Only someone as close to her as he was could detect the pain hiding behind the smile. He knew her father was not at all happy about her giving up her acting career.
“I’m sure he’ll support my decision. My marriage to Jacob is a dream come true and my husband means more to me than anything, even an acting career.”
“Is your husband forcing you to give up acting?” another reporter asked.
The camera hit the reporter’s face who was asking the question, and Jake frowned and sat forward, leaning his forearms on his thighs. The reporter was Conrad Ammons. Although