Page 18 of The Bride's Desire

“H-hey,” she said.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Was there anything you needed?”

“I need you to look at me so we can talk.”

“It’s late, Joe. Can we do this another time? I just want to clean up and go to bed.”

He walked closer to her, and she saw him reach out a hand toward her before he stopped.

“Have you been crying?”

She turned her back on him. “No, don’t be silly. I’m just tired.”

He stood behind her for a long time, and she thought he’d keep pushing, but she finally heard his sigh.

“I’m going up. If you need me, just call out.”

She nodded and started rinsing the bowl as he walked away. When she heard his bedroom door close, she turned off the water and leaned against the counter.

She could not live with him, knowing she was making him uncomfortable. This was his home.

Several hours later, she lay awake trying to come up with a plan, and the sooner, the better. It didn’t matter that her heart was breaking. She’d live and go on and be the best mom she could be.

Chapter Eleven

The back door slammed shut the next morning.

“Good morning,” Joe said.

“Good morning.”

“I’m heading into town. Is there anything you need me to get?”

The last thing she wanted to do was spend time alone with him, but she needed to take that test.

“Can I ride with you? I have to go to the drugstore.”

“Uh, sure.”

She heard the hesitation in his voice. “I can wait for one of the hands to go in.”

“No, come with me.”

If she didn’t need the test so badly, she’d wait, but she knew someone wouldn’t go in again for several days. “Let me get my purse.”

“Whatever it is, I can pay for it.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s personal.”

She didn’t wait but headed toward her room to grab her purse.

The ride there was silent and tense. By the time they got to town, her stomach was so twisted, she was becoming nauseous with the stress.

“Where do you need to go?” Joe asked.

“The drugstore, please.”

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