Page 41 of Lone Star Longing
“Not a chance.” And this grin was something different.
She wouldn't let herself think about it when she hurried to the other room.
*****
SHE DIDN'T WANT HIMto go into the shops with her, said she’d just be a minute, and that she was worried about the supplies in the car getting stolen, so he sat in his truck listening to the radio and blasting the AC, scrolling through his phone.
And yeah, he looked up Riley on Google to see his standings. He was doing well, but not as well as he would have been doing if Beck was still on his team.
Yes, that was arrogant, but true.
So he wouldn't dwell on it, he flipped over to another social media site to distract himself.
But nothing held his attention. His thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation at lunch.
Lacey’s strength had drawn him, and of course the connection they had because of the bus accident. But he’d watched her just light up talking about, of all things, Halloween and scary movies. She was funny and animated and he really liked her a lot.
And she was pregnant with another man’s child. No matter how much courage he had, he hadn’t worked up enough to ask what she was going to do about that, if she was going to keep him in her life, get married.
Those were important things to find out before he started letting his mind go down that road.
Damn, he should be in the store with her. Someone should be with her. He didn't want her to think she was inconveniencing him. She wasn’t. He wanted to be here.
But before he could make the decision to go inside, she was at the truck, holding a couple of bag, waving at him to unlock the door.
“That doesn't look like very much,” he said when she leaned the seat forward to toss her bags in the back seat.
“Oh, I got some versatile stuff, stuff that will grow with me, until I get really big, but I didn't want to get too much, you know, and it doesn’t matter all that much since I’ll be coming to town once a month for appointments.”
“Until Austin comes back.”
“No offense, but I do not want Austin in my personal business, if you know what I mean. I mean, I know him too well, and I don't want him to know me more than I know him.”
“It’s a long drive once a month.”
“I know. But I really like this doctor.”
“She probably won’t deliver the baby, though, will she? I mean, you go into labor, you’re not going to make this drive.”
“That’s probably true, unless we can schedule it.”
“What do you mean, schedule it?” He pulled to the exit, then into traffic.
“She can induce labor, if she thinks the baby is getting too big. Or a c-section.”
He glanced over in surprise. “You don't want a c-section, do you?”
“No, not if I can help it, but it’s an option I have to think about. And I have to think about childbirth classes. There aren’t any in Broken Wheel, but I’ll have to look to see if any are offered in Kimmel. Otherwise, I don't know what. Maybe I can do it online.”
He laughed, but realized she was serious.
“You know, Skype or something. So I’ll be participating, but not have to drive.”
“Ain’t technology grand.”
“Well, we’ll see if it’s even an option.” She rubbed her hand on her forehead. “I didn't think it would be so hard to be so far away. Maybe I need to think about moving.”
He heard the surprise at her own conclusion in her voice, the sorrow.
