The Heart of Christmas

“And you didn’t know that?”

He threw up a hand. “Maybe I was mentally avoiding the possibility of...consequences by assuming they were all one time.”

She bit her lip. “Oh, boy.”

“So I take it you’re not on birth control or anything—” He cut himself off. “Never mind. I don’t even have to ask. If you haven’t been sleeping with anyone, you wouldn’t need to.”

He rubbed his forehead. “So where are you at with your...you know...your cycle? Is there any chance you might have been fertile?”

She’d already counted the days. She’d wanted to be prepared before she spoke with him. “I’m afraid we couldn’t have planned it any better if we’d been trying to conceive.”

At that, he went pale. “I see.”

“That doesn’t mean I am pregnant,” she said. “Chances are just as good that I’m not. We’ll hope for the best. But if I am...I won’t have an abortion or put the baby up for adoption.”

“Okay,” he said, as if that news was as unwelcome as the possibility of a pregnancy.

“I’m sorry that disappoints you.”

“I’m not sure it does. I just...I don’t know what to say to all this.”

“You don’t have to say anything until we find out. If I’m pregnant, I’ll have and raise the baby alone. But...since you’re in a situation where you’ll be leaving soon, I’d like to know exactly who I’m dealing with.”

He began to pace, head down. “I showed my ID when I checked in,” he muttered, but that was hardly convincing.

“So you’re Brent Taylor? Or are you Taylor Jackson?”

He stopped to look at her, his jaw hard. “You’ve been snooping through my things?”

“Not like you think. But someone had to clean your room, and I noticed the luggage tag.”

“I borrowed a suitcase from a friend.”

“Brent Taylor is your real name, then.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Can I get some contact information, too? Just in case.”

He rubbed his forehead again, as if he needed a moment to regroup, or didn’t like the thought of giving her what she’d asked. That was more than slightly off-putting.

“I promise I won’t contact you unless absolutely necessary,” she added, her voice showing her irritation.

“You don’t understand,” he started, but then he stopped. “Never mind. I don’t have any good contact information right now. I’m in a...transitional period. I’ll have to check back with you. But I’ll do my part. Don’t worry about that.”

Did he expect her to rely on his integrity when she didn’t even know if he had any? She opened her mouth to tell him that was asking a bit much, but he didn’t let her get that far.

“I realize that requires a great deal of trust,” he said. “But I’m hoping you can manage it if...if I’m also trusting you.”

Feeling a chill, although it wasn’t that cold in the room, she rubbed her arms. “In what way?”

He seemed to be thinking fast, trying to come up with an arrangement that would be fair. “Do you have medical insurance?”

“I do. I provide it for all my employees, too,” she said. That was partly what made it so difficult to stay afloat.

“The birth would be covered, then?”

“Yes.”

“There’s that, at least. But still...there’ll be plenty of other expenses. What if I leave you with some money? If you’re pregnant, you can keep it for the baby. And I’ll send more, of course. Like I said, I’m not trying to dodge my responsibilities.”

Eve hated that she’d screwed up so badly that her life, in a matter of twenty-four hours, had been reduced to this kind of negotiation. “Does that mean you wouldn’t want contact with the...um, child?”

He closed his eyes. “I can’t even think about, I mean that right now—what I want. I just need to take care of what you want. We’ll worry about the rest later, if there is a baby.”

“Then how much are you planning to leave?”

“Enough that you’ll feel confident, or optimistic if not quite confident, that I’ll follow up. You name the amount.”

She had no idea how much to request, but there was something very odd going on with Brent Taylor. This proved it, and made her raise the figure that came into her head by several grand. “Five thousand?”

To her surprise, he didn’t argue. He just got the money—stacks of hundred-dollar bills separated by paper clips—out of his duffel bag. After handing her two of those piles, he counted out the final thousand. “Here you go.”

“I can’t believe you happened to have this on hand!” She couldn’t begin to guess how he was going to explain that, but she stopped him before he could even try. “Never mind. I don’t want you to lie to me.” He had to be a drug dealer or something, not exactly the type of person she’d want as the father of her baby, so maybe it was a good thing he’d be leaving. She could only hope he wouldn’t want contact.

After she slipped out of his room, she hid the money under her waistband so no one would see it and hauled in a deep breath. She might be looking at an entirely different future than the one she’d been contemplating when she was thinking about traipsing off to Europe. But worrying about what might or might not be wasn’t going to change anything. She might as well go by the bank and deposit what he’d given her for safekeeping, then get ready for the trip to San Francisco. Because of her birthday celebration, she had the night manager coming in early. Once the evening got under way, maybe she’d be able to enjoy dinner and dancing and, at least for a few hours, forget Brent Taylor and the changes that might be taking place inside her own body.

If she was pregnant, she’d deal with it. She could be a single mother. She’d longed to move on to the next stage of life for some time now; she’d just never dreamed she might do it without a husband.

* * *

That night Rex was more restless than usual. He attempted to do some work on his computer. He’d made all the arrangements for Scarlet to join him tomorrow—rented them each a room at that house he’d seen advertised at Black Gold Coffee. Their new landlady, an elderly widow, was willing to let them move in right away. But, as the minutes ticked slowly by, tomorrow and his impending move across town seemed like a long way off. His mind kept straying back to Eve.

Could she be pregnant with his child? And what would he do if she was?

He’d send money, of course. Like he’d promised. But he couldn’t imagine having a son or daughter, especially when he wouldn’t be able to know that child—not without putting him or her in jeopardy.

Thirty minutes before Just Like Mom’s closed, he went over to grab a bite to eat. The gal who served him had a nametag on her shirt that read Tilly. She blushed every time he looked at her, but she was young. Too young for him. He guessed she was about...twenty-one.

“Where are you staying?” she asked, showing him her dimples when she brought his check.

“Little Mary’s.”

“Oh, Eve’s place. That’s a great B and B.”

He toyed with the salt and pepper shakers as he asked, “How well do you know Eve?”

“I didn’t go to school with her or anything. She’s ten years older than I am, but I often see her around town. She’s a supernice person.”

“Is she?”

“Definitely! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like her. Have you met her?”

“I have.” He suddenly realized that Eve reminded him of Laurel, even though their coloring was opposite. And God knew how much he’d loved Virgil’s sister. That had to be the reason he’d been so attracted to Eve last night. “She seems like a good person.”

“She is.”

“Why do you think she hasn’t married?”

She twisted her mouth as she searched for an answer. Most people would consider this an odd question—too intrusive coming from a stranger—but she was trying too hard to be helpful to consider it critically. “I’m not sure. I think she’s the prettiest in that group.”

“Group?”

“She’s part of a tight-knit bunch of friends who grew up here. Most of them are married now so...I have no idea why she hasn’t found someone.”

“She could be difficult to get along with,” he suggested, just to see what kind of response he’d get.

Tilly shook her head firmly. “No way. If anything, I’m guessing it’s because she’s still stuck on Ted.”

“Ted’s an old boyfriend?”

“They dated last year, briefly. But he wasn’t over Sophia, a girlfriend he had years before. So after Eve got Sophia a job working for Ted—she was just trying to help—Ted decided he wanted Sophia instead.”

Rex had never met Sophia or Ted, but he couldn’t imagine anyone passing over Eve. He took a long drink of his Coke so his next question would seem as casual as he wanted it to. “Was she torn up about it?”

“She pretended she wasn’t, but everyone pretty much understood that he’d broken her heart.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Ted would’ve been quite a catch,” she said. “He’s a famous suspense writer, you know.”

“He is?”

“Has ten books out. Or maybe more. I’m losing track.” She noticed that he’d finished his Coke and picked up the glass. “Can I get you a refill?”

“No, thanks. I’m ready to go.”

She hesitated, shifted on her feet, then cleared her throat. “You new in town?”

“Just passing through.”

“I see. Well, if you’re looking for something to do tonight, I’m partying at the local bar with some girlfriends after I get off. You should join us.”

He wished she appealed to him half as much as Eve, but she didn’t. He had enough problems, anyway.

Smiling with a hint of regret so he could let her down easy, he said, “That sounds like fun, but I’m afraid I have to be up early.”

“Okay. No problem. If you change your mind, anyone can tell you how to get to Sexy Sadie’s. And if I don’t see you, I hope you enjoy your stay in Whiskey Creek. Come back soon.”

“Thanks.” He tossed a twenty on the table to cover his meal and her tip and walked out.

When he climbed into his Land Rover, Rex intended to head back to the B and B and get some sleep. But that wasn’t what he did. He drove past the turnoff and kept on driving, out into the country where he’d been that morning.

7

Since Eve lived the farthest from town, the limo dropped her friends off first. It was raining by the time they pulled into her drive, but at midnight it was early yet, considering how late they used to stay out for special events.

A night on the town with the gang wasn’t what it used to be. Now that Cheyenne was pregnant and couldn’t stand for very long, Addy had a newborn she didn’t like to leave for more than a couple of hours and Ted and Sophia had a fifteen-year-old who was home alone, the fun ended a lot sooner than it would have a couple of years ago. Much to Baxter’s consternation, they’d left San Francisco before all the good parties had even started.

But Eve couldn’t blame her friends. If she were in their shoes, she’d want to get back, too. She just didn’t have anything to rush home for—unless she wanted to continue worrying about last night. And she really didn’t. She’d told herself she wouldn’t even think about it until she knew whether or not she was pregnant. But she’d thought of little else all evening.

Her phone pinged, signaling an incoming text message.

So much for your big birthday bash.

It was from Baxter. She’d texted him to thank him for the earrings he’d given her.

It’s fine, she wrote. We’re all getting older. Our lives are changing.

Screw that! The others can get old without us, he responded. Come stay with me next weekend. I’ll show you a good time.

He said that as if his life hadn’t changed, too, but he had a partner these days, and Eve got the impression that Scott wasn’t particularly interested in Baxter’s “old” friends. Bax had built a separate life in the city. But as sad as Eve was to lose so much of his time and focus, she was happy for him. He’d struggled to get over Noah, who didn’t have the slightest gay tendency and was now married to Addy. Eve hoped that with Scott, Baxter had found someone who could return his interest on all levels.

Weekends are hard during the holidays, she wrote. The B and B gets busy. But I’ll see you when you’re home for Christmas. I like Scott, by the way. You did well.

Scott likes you, too.

“Sure he does,” she grumbled. He’d barely acknowledged any of them....

A second text came immediately, and it sounded as if Bax was signing off, so she didn’t text him back. Happy birthday! it read. And call me if you need anything, even if it’s just to bitch about life.

She smiled at her phone. He’d clued in to how she was feeling, but she was pretty sure she’d fooled everyone else.

The limo driver put the transmission in Park and came around to open her door.

Her friends had tipped him when they got out—they said they didn’t want her paying for anything—so she merely thanked him and sighed as she watched him pull away. She was about to remove her high heels so she wouldn’t twist an ankle on the gravel drive when she noticed a Land Rover parked beside her parents’ RV.

“Whose is that?” No one she knew owned a Land Rover.

She’d worn only a light sweater to the Bay Area because it looked better with her dress than her big wool coat. She regretted that decision now that it was wet and cold, but she was too curious to let the weather drive her inside quite so soon. This Land Rover didn’t belong at her house....

She was making her way over when the driver’s-side door opened. Brent Taylor got out, but he didn’t come toward her. He didn’t even step away from the vehicle so he could close the door. He simply stood there, waiting to see if he’d be welcomed.

“What...what are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.

“I wish I knew exactly,” he replied.

“You must have some idea.”

He didn’t respond; he just gave her a look that said it should be obvious.

“You’re back for more....”

“Why not? We both enjoyed last night.”

“You were drunk. We both were. And I thought you didn’t want to see me again, that you wanted what happened between us to be over. You grabbed your clothes and ran out of my house this morning as if I might try to tie you to the bed.”

“I know. I did want it to be over.”

She thought he should be a little more contrite and embarrassed after making it so clear that he didn’t want her contacting him. This guy didn’t do contrite or embarrassed, though. He was far too bold for that. “But...” she prompted.

He rested one arm on the door and the other on the top of his vehicle. “I can’t quit thinking about you.”

She took off her shoes. The rocks cut into the bottoms of her feet, but at least she wouldn’t trip and fall. “We’re already worried about a possible pregnancy.”

“I’m prepared this time.”

“So...you want to be with me. You just don’t want it to mean anything.”

He glanced away and rubbed his forehead. “I won’t be around for long.”

No strings attached. He’d said that earlier. Would she never meet a man who was willing to fall in love?

The same old disappointment welled up, making her want to tell him what she thought of the meaningless encounters he seemed to prefer. But she didn’t have any right to judge him. She was the one who’d started this by bringing him home last night. They were different people who wanted different things. In any event, she was determined to continue to be polite. “Thanks for going to the trouble of coming all the way out here. I can see why you would. I probably sounded like a desperate fool last night when I was telling you about my birthday and...all of that. But there are other women who can give you what you’re looking for, and I think you’ll have a much better time.”

He straightened. “You’re saying I should seek out someone else?”

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.