Page 89 of Lone Star Longing
He slammed the door closed and glared at her. “And what did you decide?”
She put a hand on her belly, taken aback by his vehemence. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you had to work out what you were going to do, you said. What did you work out?”
She shook her head, confused. “I—my dad and I are still working through the logistics.”
“So you’re keeping them.”
She was staggered by the words, the tone. “I’m—that’s my plan. It’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but...that’s the plan.”
“I had—Jesus, Lacey, I had something to talk to you about. A plan, I guess. But Jesus. You couldn't tell me?”
“I haven't exactly seen you a lot lately,” she pointed out, refusing to get defensive. Why was he so invested in her life? But if she was honest with herself, she knew he would be upset that she didn't confide in him right away. That made her hesitate in telling him, which delayed it longer. “You’ve been working, I’ve been working.”
“You could have made time. You could have told me you had something to tell me and we could have met up somewhere.”
“I thought you were avoiding me, that was why I hadn’t seen you.” The babies were moving now, agitated by her mood, apparently. She pressed her hand to her side, as if she could reassure them with her touch.
“Geez, Lacey, are you okay?” His expression shifted to one of concern instantly. He didn't touch her, but bent toward her, ready to support her.
“Babies are moving. Weird that just a couple of weeks ago I could barely feel them and now I feel them from both the inside and outside.” She took his hands and put them on her stomach.
He went still like he needed to concentrate to feel them, and then a smile spread across his face as one of the babies bumped against his hand.
“Jesus, Lace.” His gaze went to hers. “There’s two in there?”
“Two.”
“Does Jesse know?”
She drew in a breath, her first instinct to break contact. “He made it clear he doesn't want to have anything to do with us.”
“Yeah, but you’d think he’d want to know this. He’d want to know he’s the father of two kids.”
“Beck, you were there. You saw what happened.”
“I think you should try to tell him.”
She knew he was right, but wondered at his insistence. What did it matter to him if she told Jesse or not? She could already tell Beck what his answer would be.
“Not. My. Problem.”
And the idea that he’d see twins as a problem instead of, well, babies, told her everything she needed to know about the father of her children. He wasn’t going to come running back to her for two babies, when he’d cut her loose for one.
“Twins. Geez. I didn't expect that.”
Something in the way he said those words, that kind of hopelessness, had her breaking contact. “No, neither did I. They don't run in my family. But my dad and I have it covered.” She stepped backward over the parking block. “Look, I don't want to ruin today arguing. I’ve been looking forward to it for too long. So you blow up that inner tube. I’m going back in the water.”
Beck watched her walk away, and knew he couldn't tell her what was on his mind, not now.
Twins. Wow. He thought he’d thought of everything, but not that.
He wanted to tell her he was looking at building a house on his mom’s property. He knew she didn't like that property, because of what had happened on the bus, but he had weighed his options, and it was the best one for him, when he worked out the cost of property, putting in septic and water and electricity. No way could he get it all done by the time the babies were born, no matter how much he paid the guys from San Angelo to come and do it.
He wanted to tell her, but he wanted to make sure she was well and clear of Jesse first.
He tore open the box with Hailey’s inner tube, plugged his compressor into the lighter and got to work.
