Page 115 of Lone Star Longing
“Because,” he dragged the word out, not looking at her, and she thought she saw color suffuse his face in the dim light. “Because we don't want people talking.”
Like they talked about her, she wanted to ask, but she didn’t. “What does it matter?”
“It doesn’t, of course, except we’re both on the town council and people might think we start voting the same way because we’re in a relationship, when really we’re in a relationship because we both think the same way, if that makes sense.”
“But she’s the hostess of the shower. Won’t people know?”
“I think people know we’re dating, but they don't know we’re serious. My term is up at the end of the year. We’ll get married then.”
“You’ll...get married.” She dropped to the couch and stared up at her father. “I didn't know. Have you proposed?”
In the dim light, his face heated. “No. I haven't even talked about it with her. I haven't even said it out loud until right now.”
“Dad, I had no idea.” Her brain raced. Her father moving forward—about time, but everything she’d thought about her future was shifting. Her father and her working together to raise her babies. She hadn’t factored Marianne in, no matter how kind she was. Now she was going to have to. She wasn't going to want to interfere in the life they needed to build together, if they were going to have a future together.
She had to find her own way of doing this.
The temptation was to think about accepting Beck’s proposal. But no, that wasn't fair to him, either. She’d gotten herself into this mess, and she had to find her own way out of it.
“Lace? What are you thinking?”
“I am so happy for you. I like her a lot. But what’s important is that you like her a lot. That you love her.”
His expression softened. “I do love her.”
“I’m glad.” But boy, she and her father had been leaning on each other so long. Now he would have someone else to lean on.
“I want to see you happy, too. Beck seems like he wants to be that guy.”
“Beck feels sorry for me, and that’s not the kind of relationship I want.”
“I think it’s more than that, but you need to come to that conclusion on your own, not hear me tell you you’re wrong.”
A strange little bubble rose up in her chest. “Do you think I’m wrong?”
“I do. But maybe it’s just my perspective, you know. More hopeful.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to sleep. You need to do the same.”
She nodded as he walked away to head to his room down the hall.
But she couldn't sleep, not for a long time.
