Page 48 of Pregnant by the Texan
“That is wonderful,” she said. “It should be a happy time for people,” she said. “For a little while that evening, maybe they can all forget their losses and celebrate the season. I know it’s fleeting, but it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s a lot better than nothing. It will help people so much and kids will have a great time. Some of the women are beginning to plan games and things they can do for the kids. It’ll be an evening to look back on when we all pulled together and had a great time.”
“That’s good,” she said, and then thought of his loss, sorry that Christmas was probably a bad time for Aaron.
She felt responsible for him staying in Royal for the holidays. She didn’t think he would be if she hadn’t talked about how it would help others if he would stay and do things for people who needed something at holiday time.
She didn’t want to deliberately hurt him. But it had ended between them as far as she was concerned. She had to get over him even though she had fallen in love with him.
How long would it take her to get over Aaron?
“Did you buy a dress for the Christmas festival?” he asked.
“Aaron, I already had a dress,” she said, beginning to wonder if he was wound up in her new persona and really didn’t have that much interest in the former plain Jane that she was. It was a little annoying. Was he not going to like her if she reverted to her former self? She suspected it didn’t matter, because after the Christmas festival she didn’t expect to continue the intimate relationship they had. She would see him because of their baby, but it would be a parental relationship and not what they had now. She might be with him a lot where their child was concerned, but they wouldn’t be having an affair and she wasn’t going to marry a man who was still in love with his deceased wife. Aaron couldn’t even talk to her about his wife and baby, so he hadn’t let go at all.
“I think you should have something new and special,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.
“Don’t go shopping for a dress for me,” she said. “I have a new dress for the festival I got at Cecilia’s shop.”
Three people stopped by their table to talk to her and tell her what a great job she had done on television Saturday. As the third one walked away, Aaron smiled at her. “I can see the butterflies are completely gone to another home.”
“Yes, they are. Thanks to you.”
“No, Stella. You did that yourself. You’re the one who’s developed poise to deal with people. You’re the one who’s talking to people, telling them what happened, telling people here how to get help. Oh, no. This isn’t me. It’s you. You have more confidence now and you’re handling things with more certainty. You’ve brought about the changes in yourself. Maybe not hair and makeup, but confidence and self-assurance, making some of the tough decisions that have to be made about who gets help first. No, this is something you’ve done yourself.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’ve had several people ask me if I would talk to you about stepping in as acting mayor. They’re going to have to find someone soon.”
“Now that position I’m not qualified for,” she said firmly.
“Of course, you are. You’re already doing the job. Take a long look at yourself,” he said, and his expression was serious, not the cocky friendliness that he usually exhibited.
“I see an administrative assistant.”
“Look again, Stella. The administrative assistant disappeared the afternoon of the storm. You’re all but doing Mayor Vance’s job now. And I checked. The role will end before you have your baby next summer, so that won’t be a problem.”
She was thinking half about the job and half about Aaron, who looked incredible. How was she going to break things off with him?
All she had to do was remember than he had not recovered from his loss enough to even talk about it. He could not love anyone else and she hadn’t changed her views of marrying without love. She wasn’t going to do it.
They ate quietly. She listened to him talk about Royal and the things that had happened in the past few days. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, setting down his glass of water while he gazed at her.
“You’re quiet. You’ve hardly said two words through dinner.”
“Part of it was simply listening to you and learning what happened while we were in Dallas. I’m worn-out from the whirlwind week coming on top of everything else I’ve been doing.”
“I think it’s more than that. You weren’t this quiet yesterday.”
They stared at each other and she then looked down at her lap. “Aaron, tomorrow I move back to my town house. We have the festival coming up and we’re going together. I want to get through that without any big upsets in my life.”
“Why do I feel I’m part of what might be a big upset in your life? I don’t see how I can be, but I don’t think you’d be so quiet with me if I wasn’t.”
“I think it would be better if we talk when we’re upstairs. This really isn’t the place.”
“I’d say that’s incentive to get going,” he said. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she said. When she stood up, he held her arm lightly and led her from the dining room, stopping to say something to the maître d’ and then rejoining her.
