Page 52 of Dirty Money
“West, I know you told me you’re going to Los Angeles and I know you told me it was best if I don’t know. But can you explain to me why that is?”
He was stumped for an answer. How could he tell her it would hurt her to know he was taking his ex-wife to visit the grave of their dead son? Who would take that well?
“How about we talk about that tomorrow when I get back?” he tried to stall her.
“I’d really like it if you could tell me now.”
“I’m about to get on the jet right now. I really must hurry.”
“West, do you really love me the way you say you do?” her question made his heart race.
“Of course, Aulora. Why would you ask such a thing?”
“I don’t know,” she said then sighed so heavily he heard it over the phone. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me why you’re going?”
He was positive he didn’t want to tell her why he was taking his ex-wife anywhere. He hadn’t even told her he had an ex-wife. And no present girlfriend can take hearing that their man is heading off anywhere with their ex. “Aulora, we can talk when I get back.”
“Are you sure?” she asked him and he could swear he heard tears threaded in her voice. “Will you tell me everything when you get back?”
Would he?
He didn’t know what to say. He’d told Hayley that he’d think about getting back together with her. He too wanted a baby in his life again. He loved Aulora but there was still a strand of love in his heart for Hayley too. And Hayley wanted to go for it. Hayley wanted to start a family right away.
They had been happy until the accident, he kept telling himself. And he had no idea if he’d be able to talk to Aulora about the son he lost and the wife he lost right along with him. “We’ll see.”
“We’ll see?” she asked, sounding hurt.
“Do you have something you’d like to say to me, Aulora?” he asked as he felt she too was hiding something.
“No,” she said, quietly. “No, Weston. I want you to know I love you. I want you to know that I can see a future with you. I want you to know that children are in that future. I’m not going to lie and tell you what I know you want to hear. It will be a few years before I start to get ready for them. If you truly love me, you can wait for that. If you don’t then you’ll move on. I just want to say this to you, love is what a relationship should be based on. Nothing else. Do you think the same way?”
He wasn’t sure about that. “I think love should be at the core. Then there’re are a number of other things to consider as well. Like what you both see in the future. You see, I don’t want to lie to you, either. I want a child. I want to start a family.”
“We’ve only been together for a week, Weston.”
Her words brought another round of chills to attack his body and he shivered. She was right after all. And it wasn’t her fault his ex had put the thought of seeing a baby with his eyes into his head. “You’re right. You are absolutely right.”
“So?” she asked.
“So, you are right. You and I have only been together, solidly, for one week. And it’s not even fair for me to ask you such a thing. I know this. I do. And when I get back, you and I can sit down and discuss things. For now, though I must get on the jet and attend to some business.”
“Are you coming back to me, West?” her words caught him off guard.
Was he?
Or was he seriously considering what Hayley was offering? “We can talk when I get back,” that was all he could say.
He knew he was keeping her dangling on the end of his line. While fishing off the other side of the boat too. But he didn’t know what else to do. He needed to be true to himself too, didn’t he?
It wasn’t anyone’s fault the women coincided in his life on the same damn night. Was it?
“I love you,” he said. “I’ll call you tomorrow when I get back.”
“I love you too,” Aullie said then ended the call.
Her heart was so heavy, she couldn’t think. She went to the back, took off her apron and hung it up then put her heavy coat on and left the bar without clocking out or saying a word to anyone.
The jet’s interior was small. But the leather chairs and the granite table tops made it seem much more glamorous than it really was. Weston took the last step into the cabin, finding Hayley already seated with a glass of wine in her hand. “Hi,” he said with a weak smile.
