Free Fannin's Flame by Tina Leonard

“Do not call my husband.”
    He glanced at Kelly. “Mimi—”
    “I don’t want Brian to know I’m not feeling well. It’s going to pass in a moment. Helga says I just got nervous. Don’t bother Brian over something trivial.”
    Kelly watched him curiously.
    “Are you sure you don’t want me to call Brian? It’s no trouble.”
    “Fannin,” Kelly said, “she says not to. Brian’s got a big court case he’s working right now, and she doesn’t want him bothered. Mama says Mimi’s going to be fine. Now go back out and tell everybody to relax. ”
    He’d be the last one to know about women, pregnant women especially. Kelly seemed to think the situation was under control. Not wanting to seem out of his depth, which he was, he backed out of the room and closed the door.
    “Think they’ve got it under control,” he told Mason. “Think we’re supposed to go count grass blades in the yard or something.”
    “It’s December, dummy,” Mason said crossly. “How much grass do you see?”
    “Don’t jump on me, Mason. I’m doing the best I can with three ornery females and you eating my head!” He glared at Mason for emphasis.
    “Here comes Doc Gonzalez, at the best moment,” Last said. “Before this whole place blows up over a baby. Interesting how much havoc a pregnant woman can wreak on men’s perfectly normal existences, isn’t it?”
    But no one was in the mood for Last and his deep ponderings.
    “Hey, Doc,” Fannin called. “Thanks for coming out. Mimi wouldn’t let us take her into Dallas.”
    “It’s fine, boys. Been a while since I’ve been out, hasn’t it?” He peered at them as he stamped his feet clean on the doormat. “Since Frisco Joe broke his leg last year, maybe? Or was it Laredo’s concussion? Or Ranger’s—”
    “Doc, Mimi’s in here,” Fannin said hurriedly, before the Curse of the Broken Body Parts—a fairy tale of Laredo’s if he’d ever heard one—could be visitedon him. Who really thought the Jefferson brothers had to be injured before they fell in love? After all, Mason was suffering from a different curse—Broken Heart Syndrome, if Fannin was any judge.
    Of course, as of yesterday, Fannin was determined not to end up like his brothers, the jugheads. They’d avoided love. He was going to find meaningful sex with the redhead inside—if it killed him. She was his made-to-order girl, even if the wrong order had arrived.
    He wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth. “Kelly, can I see you?” he said, as Doc Gonzalez went inside.
    “Not now, Fannin.” Kelly shook her head at him. “I’m not leaving Mama.”
    “She’s fine. The doctor’s here.”
    “I’m not leaving my mother, Fannin. She doesn’t understand much English, as hard as she tries. I don’t think she’s in the best environment for learning it.”
    Kelly looked away, listening to what Doc Gonzalez was murmuring to Mimi. Fannin stood thunderstruck. Had Kelly just accused their family of mistreating her mother? He had certainly tried to be accommodating, more so than his brothers. He squinted at the redhead, who was intent on the matter at hand. Sighing, he went off to a corner to wait until they determined if an ambulance, a hot meal or an absent husband was needed for Mimi. Whatever it was, he was determined to be of service.
    Anything to get close to Kelly.
     
    K ELLY TRIED TO IGNORE the big cowboy propped in the corner, but it was hard. For one thing, he was snoring slightly, asleep the moment he’d hit the chair. She reminded herself that they’d been up late the night before, and no doubt he found their current dilemma painstakingly slow. He was a man of action and it seemed that, for now, they were in a holding pattern.
    “I’m sending you home, Mimi,” Doc Gonzalez said. “You need to be in bed until this baby comes. Mostly, you need help. I want you to put a call in to your regular physician and tell him that you’re worn out.”
    “It’s a her,” Mimi said tiredly. “I