Page 38 of Texas Splendor
His child.
His knees felt like a couple of strawberries left too long on the vine, until they were soft and worthless. Her note had asked nothing of him. She expected nothing from him. She had simply wanted him to know that she was carrying his child.
He’d gathered up his belongings at the hotel, saddled Black Thunder, and ridden hard, every word of her letter emblazoned on his mind, echoing through his heart. He wished he could offer her more than an uncertain future and broken dreams.
He shoved himself away from the doorjamb. His boot heels echoed through the room as he walked toward her, his stomach knotted as though someone had lassoed it and given the rope a hard tug. She jerked her head around, the wariness in her golden eyes remaining as he neared. Sweeping his hat from his head, he hunkered down beside her. “Howdy.”
She gave him a tentative smile, her fingers wrinkling the tiny gown she’d just smoothed across her lap. “Hello.”
“Dewayne gave me your letter.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
A shaft of deep sadness pierced his soul. “You don’t know me at all, Loree, if you believe that.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she dropped her gaze to the delicate clothing in her lap. Reaching out with his thumb, he captured a teardrop that slowly rolled from the corner of her eye. “I’m going home, Loree.”
She snapped her gaze up to his. “You found the man you were looking for?”
“No, but I think it’s unlikely that I ever will, after all this time. I spent the past five years dying. I want to start living again.”
She gave him a hesitant smile. “I don’t even know where your home is.”
“West Texas. My brother has a ranch. For as long as I can remember, I’ve helped him work his spread, herd his cattle.”
Her smile grew. “I guessed that you were a cowboy.”
Not by choice. He’d always hated ranching, had always dreamed of leaving, but the places life had taken him weren’t exactly what he’d had in mind. His gaze drifted to her stomach, flat as a board. He was about to travel another trail he hadn’t knowingly chosen, but oddly, he had a feeling this one would leave him with no regrets.
“I’d be real honored if you’d marry me,” he said, his voice low.
More tears filled her eyes just before she averted her gaze. He wished the blue flowers hadn’t disappeared from the hills. He would have liked to have brought her some. Maybe he should have settled for the red and yellow flowers that remained. Or maybe he should have brought her a bright yellow ribbon for her hair, anything to accompany the words that sounded as cold as a river in January. He watched helplessly as she swiped the tears from her eyes, knowing he was the cause.
She peered at him and gave him the saddest smile he’d ever seen. “No.”
He felt as though she’d just hit him in the chest with an iron skillet. “What do you mean no?”
“I mean I don’t want to get married.”
“Then why did you send me the note?”
“I just thought you had a right to know about the child.”
“I have more than the right to know. I have the responsibility to care for it. I’m not gonna have him labeled a bastard.”
She flinched and angled her chin. “Her.”
“What?”
“I think it’s a girl.”
That made sense to him since it seemed the Leigh men were only capable of producing girls. “All right, fine. It’s a girl. You want her whispered about ‘cuz that’s what’ll happen.” He softened his voice. “And they’ll whisper about you, too, and don’t tell me that there’s nobody around to notice. You can’t live like a hermit with a child. You can’t deny her the world just because you’ve seen the ugliest side of it. Marry me, Loree.”
“Do you love me?”
Her quietly spoken question was like a fist closing around his heart. “I like you well enough,” he answered honestly. “Don’t you like me?”
“I like what I know of you, but what do I really know? Until a few minutes ago, your home could have been on the moon as far as I knew.”
