Page 101 of Lone Star Longing
Maybe something she shouldn’t be thinking about while she was sitting in the stock tank with the man who had proposed to her.
“So now that Austin is back, are you going to be out of work?” he asked.
“That was something I worried about, and people will be getting more regular check-ups. But part of what I’m paid to do is clean house, like for those who can’t do for themselves, and make dinners. So I don't think I’ll be out of a lot of patients. In fact, with his referrals, I might get more.”
“And what’s going to happen when you’re on maternity leave? Who’s going to take your patients?”
“The company is sending a floater in for two months. I’ll show her the ropes for a week or two, depending on when the babies are born. Then she’ll take over for me until I come back.”
He shook his head. “Two months doesn’t seem very long to recover from having two babies.”
“Well, even if I was the wealthiest woman in town, I wouldn't abandon my patients for longer than that.”
He shifted in the tub, sending ripples through the water. “I’m sure they’d understand if you needed more time with the babies. From what I hear, some of them are pretty invested in your life.”
“Some of them are, and some, like your mom, won’t do well with whoever my replacement is. They like consistency. I need to think about that.”
“My mom, and whoever else, will be just fine. It’s not like you’re leaving town, or changing jobs, or abandoning them. You’re going to have to take care of yourself and your babies. You don't know what kind of recovery time you’re going to need.”
She did not want to get into a financial discussion with him, about needing to go back to work. Her company only gave six weeks of maternity leave, and she needed the money. She didn't know if he would press her to marry him, or if that was a one-time offer. She didn't want him to repeat the proposal out of pity.
“Beck. Just trust that this is something I worried enough about to figure out, okay?”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “I will shut up. And we will use this place for relaxing, not worrying, okay?”
He stretched his legs out so that she felt she had to shift hers away. She could feel the warmth of his legs in the gap of water between them.
“The water warmed up since I got out,” she said. “I guess the shade wasn't enough to keep it cool.”
“Remind me to help you empty it out,” he said. “We don't want scorpions or anything to find their way into it.”
She shuddered. “I hate those things. Creepiest animal ever.”
“You didn't see the nest of snakes under Mom’s house.”
She shuddered again, harder. “I wonder if actually seeing it would be worse than how I imagined it.”
“Yes,” he said definitively, which made her laugh.
“So let me ask you this. You’ve done all this work on your mom’s place. Why are you building your own place? You’ve made hers really nice.”
“But it will always be hers. And while my siblings are okay with me building on the land, since they’ll probably never come back here, they wouldn't be as excited about me taking over the house where we grew up. And while I’ve modernized hers, there are some limitations in a house that old. My house will be completely modern, and on a slab, so snakes can't get under it. New plumbing and wiring. Big porch, maybe with ceiling fans.”
“Aha. I knew you were pumping us for ideas when you started that conversation about dream houses the other night.”
“Yeah, well, a good idea is a good idea. Four bedrooms. Lots of space. What was Poppy’s? Big kitchen?”
“Which is ridiculous, because Poppy’s current kitchen is the size of a postage stamp, so she never goes in there.”
“All the more reason for her to want a big kitchen. Two bathrooms will be nice. It’s not easy sharing with my mom, especially since she’s used to living alone and doing her own thing.”
“And so are you,” Lacey pointed out.
“Yeah, it’s not been an easy adjustment. Nice to stay in one place, though. It’s been a while.”
Why were they talking like they didn't know each other? Did they, really? Enough for him to be in love with her? Her to be in love with him? She didn't think so.
“What do you know about planets? Stars?” she asked.
