CHAPTER 5

Two week later, Lisa and Jake returned to the ranch. Jake had wanted them to spend more time on the yacht, but Lisa had persuaded him for them to leave, and this was because the telltale signs of pregnancy were beginning to tell on her. And she was scared that if she continues to stay with Jake on the yacht, sooner or later, he was bound to find out that something was wrong with her. When they had returned, Gableton, Carl, Henry, and Willie were all there to welcomed them. They had thrown a little welcome party for them. More so, the party had been initially hosted to celebrate the victory of Fiery on the horse track.

Some of the folks that were living near Jake's ranch were also invited.

They had an open-door buffet; the food consisted of fried chicken, the famous Kentucky stew; Burgoo, barbecue, wild turkey, hushpuppies, fried catfish, cornbread, etc., hushpuppies. There were lots of beers, soda, and smoothies to go around. The party looked like a feast. The men talked and played some outdoor games while the women gossiped about the happenings around the town.

Lisa sat among the women. She had been quiet during the whole conversation. It was not because she was richer or beautiful than most women, but because she was not used to being in a group. All through her childhood and high school days, she has always kept to herself and she did not have any friends in the town. Her eyes were focused on Jake as he stood among the men. His handsome face was creaking with laughter, and at that moment, she felt a kind of jealousy she never knew she had surged through her. She wanted to be with him at that moment. She wanted him away from the men who surrounded him. She knew she had been irrational possessive at that moment, but she just didn't care.

One of the women had turned to her.

" Miss Wolfe, right? " She quipped. She was plump, with blonde hair, green eyes glittering like jade, and a laughing round face.

Lisa nodded, saying nothing.

" Yeah, I know you. I've heard a lot about you. Folks talks around here. You should know that by now. " She chattered, smiling at Lisa. " My name is Chloe," She quipped.

" Nice to meet you, Chloe," Lisa said, a sudden wariness in her voice.

" Nice to meet you, too," Chloe replied. " So, tell me, how far along are you? " She quipped.

Lisa turned red. Blood flowed into her face and then as quickly went away, leaving it white and taut. She had turned so white; the other woman had been a little frightened.

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. " Chloe said quickly. " My husband says I talk too much. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. " She was babbling now.

" It's….alright, " Lisa stuttered, her body trembling slightly. She paused, then went on," How…..did you know? " She said. Her throat felt so dry.

The plump woman quickly looked around. Seeing that no one was paying any attention to them, she ducked her head down and said, "The signs are all there! I've had five kids now. Four boys and a girl. That's the girl right there " she nodded to a tall man, holding a baby in his hands. " You can easily hide it from the men " she nodded at the men who were laughing now at a joke Gableton had made. " " All they know his money and horses but we women……" she shook her head vehemently. " Not on your life. I can bet it with you; half of the women here already know you've got a little kiddo in there. This is a small town, Miss Wolfe. Little things like that go unnoticed. But it's none anyone business to talk about it."

Lisa swallowed hard. It was so unbelievable.

" I don't…..know what to say," she said. " I mean, how could you have known? I don't even have a baby bump yet? She stuttered.

Chloe smiled knowingly.

" Baby bump occurs differently in women. Sometimes, some women don't see their baby bump until after six to seven months. Some see it immediately after two to three months; some don't even see it until eight months. It all depends on so many conditions. So, you see, baby bump is not the only thing that tells folks a woman is pregnant," She said. Then She nodded at Jake " Does he know? "

Lisa drew in a long, slow breath.

She did not want to say anything, especially to a stranger. But at that moment, there was something about Chloe that made her want to tell the woman what was going on with her.

" Jake doesn't know," she said finally.

Chloe inclined her head.

" I thought as much. But sooner or later, he's going to know. I can assure you of that. Men are not really that stupid. " She paused and went on. " Mr. Courtland is a fine, good man. I've never heard of him being in a scandal. He's going to make a good husband. You both are getting married, right? "

Lisa shifted uncomfortably.

" I…….I can't tell you any of that," she said in a shaky voice. How could she explain the kind of agreement she and Jake had had to this woman? She wondered.

Chloe smiled knowingly again.

" That's okay. You see, we all heard the rumors," she said.

Lisa's face lost color.

" What rumor? " She said.

" You know, it's just the usual town gossips. " Chloe replied. " We heard about you and Mr. Courtland probably hooking up. Some of the wranglers that work for him talked. Most folks around here know what is going on in every household. But like said, it's none of anyone's business to talk about it."

Lisa cursed under her breath. It's none of anyone's business to talk about, she thought. And here you are, talking about mine. Can't you just do anything without people knowing about it, she asked herself.

" Well, people can say anything they like. What is between Jake and me is none of their business," she replied in an even tone.

Chloe smiled again, showing her small, white teeth.

" Of course! But I'm sure you are crazy about him " it was more of a fact than a question.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at her.

" How do you know that? "

Chloe smiled again.

" It's all written on your face. A saw you a moment ago. The way you were looking at him. It was as if you wanted to devour him. It's so glaring. You love that man, Miss Wolfe."

Lisa wanted to talk, but her throat was paralyzed. She knew Chloe was right. There was no denying that fact. But the problem is that had it been so glaring that the other woman could have known she was in love with Jake?

Chloe patted Lisa's hands.

" Don't sweat it, alright. You see, love is a beautiful thing. And I can assure you, Mr. Courtland is sure gonna take good care of you. Trust me on that. " And with that, she turned to the other women and joined the discussion.

Lisa watched them as they continued chattering excitedly. She thought about what Chloe has said and grimaced. Things were getting out of control now. If the public were beginning to notice these little things about her, sooner or later, Jake was bound to find out things too. But what could she do? She wondered. The only thing that came to her mind was to tell Jake the whole truth. But the thought of it scared her. But he deserves to know! Her mind screamed at her. If you tell him now, you won't have to be worried about anything. I know, she said to herself. But I'm in love with him now. I wish he loved me and would be willing to accept the child. It would make things easier. Though it was never in the deal they had made, and she had not planned things to be like this between them, but nothing she could do now. She was in love with Jake, and she wanted him to accept her and the child. But would he? she wondered. Would he be interested in accepting the child? Does he love her? These were the questions that were running through her mind as she sat there.

*************

After five months, Lisa found out Jake had been suspecting her of being pregnant. It all happened this way. Jake and Gableton were on the ranch field; under the fierce afternoon sun, Henry, the horse trainer was training fiery for her last final performance against the Outrunner. Wille was astride her, listening attentively to all the instructions Henry was dishing out.

Because of the fatal incident that had happened to the founding members, the rest of the racing board had agreed that all the first runner-up horses in each group should be picked as the finalists for the final horse race competition to bring the race to an abrupt end. Though the indefinite break had not been lifted, the information going around was that it could be lifted anytime.

Fiery was one of the first runner-up horses. But what worried Jake was Old Bills horse, The Outrunner, who was also a first runner-up horse and would definitely be competing against Fiery. If the Outrunner weren't among the finalists, Jake would have been less worried. But the Outrunner was going to be there. Undoubtedly, Jake knew Outrunner was an exceptional racing horse, and the thought of losing to Old Bill scared the hell out of him. But Henry and Gableton had assured Jake that everything was going to be okay.

Lisa had stepped out of the house to watch them. She had been of sleeping all day. Since there was nothing she was doing in the house, she thought it wouldn't be a bad idea if she went out of the house to watch Fiery. As she stood under the burning hot sun with the men, all of a sudden, she felt her body suddenly go limp, and her legs could not hold her. Just then, Jake, who by sheer chance had been watching her, then stretched out his hands and caught her before she hits the ground. Swiftly, he had picked her up, told Gableton and Henry to continue with the practice, and carried her into the house, then up the stairs into his bedroom. He had laid her quietly on the bed and dashed into the bathroom. He came out later with a bowl filled with water and a white towel. He sat beside Lisa on the bed, dipped the towel into the bowl, wrung out the water, and began to dab at Lisa's face with it gently.

" Are you alright now, Lisa? " He asked her. " Or should I send for a doctor to come to check you? "

Terrified as she heard the word doctor, Lisa shook her head vigorously.

" I'm perfectly fine, Jake. " She said, staring directly into his eyes. " You don't have to be worried. I guess the sun was too hot for me," she added glibly.

Jake shook his head, a deadpan expression on his face.

" I don't think it's the sun, Lisa," he whispered.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at him. Her heart was beating fast now.

" I said I don't think it's the sun," he repeated. " Are you sure you are really okay, Lisa? " He said, " I've been watching you for the past couple of days now……… it seems you are…….you are, " he shrugged, leaving the word unsaid.

" What are you insinuating, Jake? " She blurted out. " If there's anything you are thinking, I think I've got the right to know? "

An angry glint came into Jake's eyes

" You don't have to be haughty, Lisa. I'm only telling you what have been noticing all this while we've been together," he seethed.

" What have you been noticing all these while? " she whispered, afraid to hear what he was going to say.

" I don't know," he shrugged again. " it might be foolish thinking, but if you ask me, I'll say something is happening to you. You see, I've been keeping a close eye on you for some time. You seem to sleep a lot which is more than usual. Sometimes, you seem to be sleepwalking. You are always looking tired and bored. And sometimes, you don't eat much food. The only things you eat are veggies, fruits, and milk. " He paused and went on. " Mind you, I've wanted to ask you about this sudden change I've been noticing, but I will tell myself again that if there's were anything going on with you, you would have told me. And more so, Lisa, we've been having sex for the past four months now. So logically, I believed you should be pregnant by now " he was staring hard into her eyes now.

Lisa's face was white like the fresh fall of snow. She stared at him, her mouth dry, her body turning cold with fright. If Jake had seen the look on her face, he would have known he had been right, but at that moment, he was unclenching and clenching his hands, lost in thoughts.

" That's foolish thinking, Jake," Lisa said blandly. " Why would you think of something like that? If I'm pregnant, I won't hesitate to tell you; you know that right. So, don't worry, your little head, alright? "

Jake stared at her for a long moment, then inclined his head.

"As I said, it was foolish thinking," he said. " I agree. I don't know much about a woman being pregnant. Hell, I don't even have time for things like that. " he dragged his hand through his hair. " But sometimes, when I go to the bar, I listened to some men talk about their wives and girlfriends. Some guys talk and make jests among themselves about this women's stuff. It was during those kinds of discussion I picked one or two things. That was why I was kinda sure you were pregnant, but if you say you are not………" he shrugged. Then he suddenly looked at her. " Lisa, if you were pregnant, you would tell me, wouldn't you? " He asked, his face anxious.

" Of course! I would tell you, " Lisa lied easily. " I can't keep such a thing from you."

Jake drew in a long slow breath.

" Or maybe I'm the one with the problem."

Lisa narrowed her eyes at him.

" What are you talking about? "

Jake shrugged and grimaced.

" You see, I've had sex with only a few women in the past. But neither I nor any of the women were interested in marriage or pregnancy stuff. Everything was just a kind of fly-by relationship. But now that I am ready to give a woman a child……..it seems not to be forthcoming. Maybe I'm……..I'm," he stuttered, afraid to say the words.

Lisa stared at him for a long moment, then understanding crept up her face.

" Oh, Jake," she cried. " Are you trying to say you are sterile? "

Jake nodded, a dark expression on his face.

" Yeah, maybe that's it," he said gravely.

" Oh, Jake. You don't have to think that way. " She said, her fingers touching his face now. " Please don't think that way. Everything is perfectly fine with you, alright. "

Jake stared at her for a long moment, then he grinned.

" I believe you, Lisa. I guess I'll have to stop worrying myself about things like that. " and he bent his head and crushed his lips against hers. Then he pulled away from her. " Is there anything you want? " his dark eyes were shimmering with admiration.

Lisa shook her head.

" No, all I need is a good rest! " She said, cupping his face with her hands.

Jake nodded.

" Alright! I'll check up on you later. " And he kissed her on the forehead and stood up from the bed and walked out of the room.

She watched him go and swallowed hard. It was getting tenser and tenser now. With the way things were going, Jake was definitely bound to find out. I've got to tell him, she thought. I can't keep on hiding it from him.

But when will I be able to tell him? She wondered. When? The only thing that was her saving grace we that she did not have a baby bump. Her belly was almost entirely flat as if nothing was there. Her well-built stature had come in handy. At first, she had been scared, thinking this wasn't normal. But then she had google searched on this and also consulted her women's wellbeing magazines.

Her findings had reassured her that some women experience something like this, and this was completely normal. She remembered her conversation with Chloe and knew the woman had been telling her the right thing along. It was due to her not having a baby bump that had given her the chance to hide her pregnancy from Jake. If not, she knew Jake would have found out. The only thing was that she still did not know the gender of the baby.

She had read something in the women's magazines about how women can carry out some orthodox tests to know the gender of their babies. She had carried out the test, and yet it had not yielded any positive result. She knew the only thing for her to do was to go for an ultrasound test. But the problem was that the only hospital in the town does not have such facilities. That means she would have to go into the city. Jake might get curious, and she didn't want him to know. Lisa sighed heavily and grimaced. Only if she could tell him all these won't be a problem. She sat there, her mind busy with thoughts.

***********

The next day, Lisa went into the kitchen to get an apple from the fridge. She walked towards the vast refrigerator, and as she swung open the door to take the apple, she reeled and quickly reached and grabbed the refrigerator handle to steady herself.

Carl, who had just entered the kitchen to sort out the dirty dishes, quickly ran to help her. In his jittery state and not used to something like this, he called out Jake's name. A few seconds later, Jake rushed into the kitchen and found Lisa hanging on to Carl. He swore and darted to Lisa's side and picked her.

" Take me to the room. I just need to rest! " She babbled, her face wet with sweats. "all I need is rest."

" For Christ's sake, you can keep on going on like this, Lisa. You need to see a doctor! " Jake bawled. " I'm taking you to a doctor now."

" No! To my room! " She shrilled, her face white and pale. " I'll be alright! Just take me to my room. Do this for me, Jake. " her fingers were digging hard into his shoulders as he held her.

Jake stared at her for a long moment, then he swore under his breath.

" You stubborn cat! " He spat out. " Alright! The room it is! But next time, if something like this happens, I'm taking you to a doctor! And not even my old man, God bless his soul, can stop me! " And with that, he carried her out of the room and up the stairs. Carl tottered along behind them.

The following day, under the disguise of going to check on Sally and seeing how things are going on the ranch, she got into Jake's Porsche and drove hard and fast to one of the city's low-profile hospitals. She walked into the hospital, registered her name, and went into the radiography department for an ultrasound scan. A few minutes later, she was lying flat on her back on a bed.

" Look! That's your baby alright, " The female radiographer said, pointing to the ultrasound scan screen while making small circles on Lisa's belly with the transducer in her gloved hand.

" Is it a boy or girl, ma'am? " Lisa said anxiously.

The radiographer peered her eyes at the screen and did more checking.

" It's a baby boy, alright," she announced, beaming. " A beautiful baby boy."

Lisa drew in a long ecstatic breath and felt her body sagged with relief.

" Oh, my baby," she cried tears in her eyes. " My baby boy! " She was grinning sheepishly now. " Oh, God. I'm so happy. So happy. Is he doing okay? " she asked.

" He's doing great! " The radiographer said.

Lisa then told the radiographer to carry out an internal ultrasound scan to check for her vital organs. The radiographer did the scan and then assured her everything was perfectly alright externally and internally. An hour later, Lisa was done with the scan. As she drove to the ranch, she could feel happiness flooding through her. The only thing that made her a little worried as if she was going to tell Jake about all these or not. She sighed heavily and thought about it for a long moment. I guess I've got to tell him after all, she told herself. I can't keep something like this from him. I've been hiding too long, but now I don't think I can hide any longer.

Jake had done a lot for her. More than she had expected from him. He deserves to know the truth. The least she could do for him was telling him the truth about her pregnancy. She bit on her bottom lip and stamped hard on the pedal.

Inwardly, she knew telling him the truth was going to be the end of their agreement. He had gotten his horses, and she, on the other hand, had gotten her child, more importantly, her male child. She was in love with Jake, and the thought of leaving him or not seeing him again scared her. If I tell him about the baby, maybe he might not want me to leave. She told herself. It's still better than her telling him she loved him and him rejecting her. If she can't hook Jake with her love for him, at least she can hook him with the baby. His child! His flesh and blood. She reasoned with herself, and with that thought in mind, she sped home.

The time was past seven when she got to the ranch, she parked the Porsche in the garage and went into the house. The house was quiet and still. This was strange. Lisa looked around, wondering what was going on. Just then, Carl appeared from the inner room. There was a dark gleam on his face.

" Good evening, ma'am " Carl said. She could feel the gloomy undertone in his voice.

" Carl! " She said. " What's, is it? " What's going on? "

He stared at her for a long moment.

" Mr. Courtland is in a bad mood, ma'am. If I were you, I wouldn't try to see him this night," he said in a pleading voice.

" Did something happen to him? " Lisa whispered. Her heart was beating fast now, and she could herself turning cold with a dreading fear. She wondered why she was feeling this way.

Carl shook his head.

" I don't know, ma'am. He wouldn't talk. He has not eaten since you left. " He paused to look around, his dark eyes scanning the room, satisfied, he went on. " I'll tell you this, little ma'am. Mr. Courtland went out right after you left." his voice was very low now, but she could hear everything he was saying. " Then, an hour later, he came back looking all angry and moody. For the past few hours, he's been holed up in his study, drinking, I presume. You see, ma'am; I believed he actually went after you to confirm where you actually went to."

Hearing him say this, Lisa's face lost color, and her body went cold, as cold as the Siberian wind.

" You don't actually believe that, do you? " She said. Even as she asked the question, she had a feeling Carl was definitely right.

" Of course, I could be wrong, ma'am," Carl said. " But I've been working for Mr. Courtland for a long time now. I see things, and I know things. "

.Lisa stared at him for a long moment, her heart slamming hard inside her chest. She knew if Jake had driven right after her, then two things were bound to happen; either he had tailed her to the hospital without her knowing, or he had driven to her ranch to find out if she had actually gone there. Either way, I know I am screwed. She thought. Jake was not stupid. I might have bluffed him about the pregnancy, but something like this, she shook her head miserably. She should have thought about it before giving Jake such a flimsy excuse. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now. She looked at Carl.

" Are you sure he's in his study? " She asked.

Carl nodded his head.

" He is there alright! " He replied.

" Then I'll go and see him," Lisa said. " You can go, Carl and thanks," and giving the valet an uneasy smile, she made her way up the stairs, walked through the passage, and knocked on Jake's study's door. There was no answer. For a long moment, she stood there, her heart pounding. Then she heard his voice.

" Who's there? " He said in a cold voice.

" It's me, Jake," she said in a small voice.

" Lisa? " She heard him say. " Come in."

Lisa paused for a moment, her heart pounding fast, wondering what he might say to her when he sees her. Then she sighed heavily, pulled herself together, and walked into the room. Jake sat on his armchair. His left arm elbow was on the chair, and it propped up his head. Between his other fingers hand was a cigar burning anxiously.

He was dressed in an open-neck white shirt and pants. On the table was a bottle of whisky, glass, and an ashtray filled with cigar stubs. All these made Lisa shivered with fright despite herself. But what really terrified her was the expression on his face and in his eyes. His face was black with hate, and his eyes were cold, flat, and it glittered at her like two pellets of ice.

" You are finally here! " He said harshly. " What took you so long? "

" I………I….. what's wrong Jake? " She stuttered.

He slammed a clenched fist on the table. The sound rolled around the room. Lisa's heart nearly leaped out of her chest in fright.

" Answer me, damn it! " He seethed. " What the hell took you so long? "

" I don't know what to say, Jake," she babbled. " Please, can you tell me what's wrong? "

" What's wrong? " He gave a hard, barking laughter. " What's wrong, you say? This is what's wrong. " and he opened his drawers and brought out a pack of magazines. He flung it to the table. It landed with a loud splat. Then he pointed his finger at it. " This is what's wrong! "

Lisa dragged her eyes from his face to the table. Her mouth went dry, and she felt a sudden tightness across her chest when she saw the pregnant women's health magazines she had been reading and had been hiding conspicuously from Jake. He had found it! She thought. Now he knows!

" Jake…….." she began, but he raised his hand, cutting her off.

" Don't say anything; you'll be sorry for! " He gritted out. " For Christ's sakes, Lisa, what the hell is this? " He pointed to the magazines. " I mean, how could you do this to me? How could you do this to us? " His voice was trembling with rage now. " For the past few months, you've been lying to me. You've been deceiving me. "

Lisa wanted to talk, but her throat felt paralyzed. She had thought she would explain everything to him, but who would have thought he would find out before she told him the things she has been hiding.

" You know, I have this feeling all this while that you've been lying to me, " Jake continued. " But I only kept quiet. I didn't want to come off like a know-it-all guy. So, I kept my cool, knowing one day I would find out the truth. " He paused and said. " This morning, I followed you right after you left."

If Lisa was surprised by what she heard said, she did not show it. She stood there, staring at him, looking like a hypnotized rabbit.

" immediately you told me you wanted to check what's going on in your ranch; I had a feeling you weren't telling the truth, " Jake continued. " So, I followed you right after you left. Luckily enough, I saw your car stopped when you got to a two-way intersection. The one on your right leads to your ranch, while the one on your left leading to the outside of the town. " He paused and went on. ".You see, if you had turned to the right, I wouldn't have gotten suspicious. Hell, I would have called myself a fool and feel bad for not trusting you. But you took the road on our left. And that was when I got really suspicious. I wanted to see where you were going. So, I tailed you. It was when I saw you parking your car, at the hospital that I knew I had been right along. Of course, you might say you just recently found out you are pregnant and actually went to the hospital to confirm, but we but know that's bullshit. " He pointed at her. " You, Lisa Wolfe, have pregnant for a long time now. And you've been playing me for a fool all this time! I cried in the car; I mean, while the hell won't you tell me anything? " His voice was trembling now. " I treated you fair and square. There's nothing you ever wanted that I didn't give you. Nothing you ever wanted to know about me that I didn't tell you. I came back into this house and went through your stuff, and I found all these! " He pointed at the table. " You had painstakingly brought every issue of this magazine. And that's when I knew I had you boxed in. There's no way in hell you can tell me you ain't pregnant! But why Lisa? Why won't you tell me about you being pregnant? " He was looking at her now, his eyes cold and searching. " I know we had an agreement. You kept the end of your bargain, but you didn't give me the chance to let me know If I've fulfilled my end of the deal too. I mean, how was I to know I've impregnated you if you refuse to tell me anything? " His voice was trembling with rage now.

" I didn't mean to keep it away from you, Jake," she cried. " I swear on my life I didn't mean to! "

" If you didn't, then tell me why? Why would you hide something like this from me? " He barked at her.

" I can't tell you, Jake," she babbled. " I can't! " there was a pleading look in her eyes.

Suddenly, he shot up from the chair, flung the cigar between his hands into the astray, and grabbed her. Lisa shrieked in fright. His hands felt like steel hooks on her arms.

" If you don't tell me what the fuck you are hiding from me, I swear to God, I'm gonna bash you so hard you won't know what hits you " his voice was cold and menacing.

He looked so violent and wild. As she stared at him, fear begins to enter her body like the slow thrust of a knife.

" Jake, " she swallowed hard. " Please don't hurt me. Please, I'll talk "

" Talk! Damn you! " He yelled at her.

Lisa stared at him for a long, moment then she sighed heavily.

" I'm in love with you, Jake," she blurted out. " I'm in love with you."

Jake stared at her, his eyes almost bulging out their sockets.

" What? " He blurted out.

" I love you, Jake," Lisa said evenly.

Jake stared at her for a long moment; then, he pushed her away from him. He crossed the room to the cocktail cabinet and fixed a drink. He tossed the drink down his throat and sighed heavily as the drink stiffened his nerves. He turned to Lisa, who had been watching him, trembling with fear, and pointed his finger at her.

" You are crazy! " He seethed. " That's the only meaning I can fathom to all these. You are really crazy. " he spat the words at her.

His words hurt Lisa, but at that moment, she knew she could never bring herself to hate. He was angry and heavily drunk. More so, she had hurt his feelings. She knew the real Jake was loving and kind and would never talk to her this way, and for that reason, she was ready to forgive him for anything he might say to her.

" I love you, Jake! " She said evenly. " That's the only reason why I hide the pregnancy from you."

Jake stared at her bewildered.

" What the hell are you talking about? " He said to her. " You love me, and that's why you hide the pregnancy from me? " He glared at her. " What do you mean by that? "

Lisa moistened her lips with her tongue. Then she gave Jake the blow-by-blow account of everything concerning the pregnancy. She told him about when she had found out, the day she had carried out the PT test, the time she had bought magazines, how she had fallen in love with him, and how she had been scared that if she told him about her love for him he would reject her. She told him everything leaving out nothing. " So, you see….I've been madly in love with you for so long, Jake..……but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. More so, I wanted you to love the baby and me too. "

Jake stared at her for a long moment, his face expressionless. But she could see that the anger had gone out of him.

" What the hell are you talking about? " He said finally.

Lisa ran her lips over her tongue.

" I want you to marry me, Jake," she said. " I want my child to have your name. It will all make sense that way."

Jake stared at her, shocked.

" But that wasn't part of the agreement, Lisa," he whispered.

" Yes, I know! " Lisa said shrilled. " But look at me, now. How was I to know it would come to this? How was I to know I would fall in love with you? " She shrugged. " I love you, Jake, and there's nothing I can do about it. All I want is for you to love me back! Let's get married, Jake," and she came over to where he stood, raised her hand, and touched his face. " I love you, Jake Courtland " And she leaned forward to kiss him, her arms going around his neck, her lips crushing against his. He held her to him; her heart began to pound wildly. They were like that for some moments. Then he pulled away, his hands moving to her chest to push her back.

" You should have come clean with me, Lisa," he said unsteadily. " You shouldn't have lied to me. And I can never forgive you for that."

Lisa was trembling now, and there was a lost look in her eyes.

" I don't understand, Jake. " Her voice quivered. " What's that supposed to mean? "

" It means nothing can ever happen between you and me," he said calmly. " We are going ahead with the agreement we both signed. Since I've gotten the horses and you've gotten what you came for, then I think we are squared."

Blood drained out of Lisa's face. His words hit her like a violent punch in her belly.

" Are you saying you don't love me? She said in a voice above a whisper. " It's that what you are telling me? "

Jake stared at her for a long moment. Then he hunched his shoulders.

" That's what I meant! " He said evenly. " For me, everything we had is all about the deal. "

Lisa felt her legs suddenly go boneless. She collapsed into a chair, cold sweats beading on her forehead. Jake looked at her unperturbed. She opened her mouth to speak and tasted salt. That was when she knew she was already crying.

" I probably could have loved you, Lisa, if you had been truthful about the pregnancy. " Jake continued. " I know it might be quite difficult to love a person, but with everything we've had, things could have worked out between us. But you lied to me. You deceived me for months. " He came over to where she sat, pointed his finger at her chest, stabbing at it. " For Christ's sakes, you made me question my manhood! I was beginning to think something was wrong with me. You made me think I was fucking impotent while you kept mute all this while! I can never forgive you for that! " He said harshly.

" Please, Jake," she said hoarsely. " I can live with anything but not a rejection from a man. I love you, Jake. Please, my love. I need you to love me back. I can't handle you rejecting me."

Jake stared at her coldly. He was as hostile as a barbed wire fence.

" Then you should have thought of all that before deceiving me for months " he moved away from her and went to the door. He jerked it opened and gestured to it. " I want you to leave! " He said through locked teeth. " Everything between us ends tonight! Carl will drive you home! Please go! "

" You can't treat me like this, Jake! " Lisa cried, her voice suddenly shrill. " You can't treat me like a fucking nobody! " She got to her feet, her legs shaking, came over to where he stood and grabbed him by the front of his shirts. " I love you, damn you! You can't treat me like a girl you picked from the gutter! " She wailed, jerking his shirts now.

Jake ignored her. He turned his head towards the door.

" Carl! Carl! " He yelled into the passage.

There were scraping sounds of rushing feet, then Carl appeared, an anxious expression on his black face. Jake gestured to Lisa, who was sobbing violently now.

" You are taking her to her ranch this night. Pack all her bags. You can take any of the cars! " He peered his face so that he was staring directly into the valet's eyes. " Pack every damn thing that belongs to her. I don't want anything that would remind me of her. If I see anything that belongs to her in my room………I'll break your goddamned neck like a stick," he gritted out.

Carl nodded vehemently, a terrified expression on his face. He turned to Lisa.

" Miss Wolfe, I think we should go now," he said calmly.

" You bastard! You arrogant bastard! " Lisa screamed into Jake's face. " I hate you! I don't want to see you in my life again! " the scorn in her voice was like a whiplash. " I'm going to go! But don't ever let me see you," and with that, she stumbled out of the room, brushed past Carl, went down the stairs and out of the house.

Jake watched her go, fumbled his shirts into place, and slammed the study door shut.

Hiding her face in her hands as she cried, her body shaking, she waited for Carl inside the garage. A few seconds later, Carl walked into the garage, his hands filled with bags. His face was pale, and his eyes were glassy. It was obvious he was trying to stop himself from crying. He opened the back passenger door of the Porsche and gently guided the shaking Lisa into it. Then he slid behind the wheel, fired the engine, and whisked Lisa to her ranch.