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Hours passed with them working side by side. He didn't say a word about Boston. In fact, she'd probably have an easier time getting verbal answers from the horses. Every fiber of her being ached at the impending loss of him and perhaps their fantasy baby.
After dinner, he called her into the den. She wondered if he thought a business-like environment would make the awkward conversation easier. He went to his father's chair and sat behind the desk while she stood on the other side. A tremor ran through her.
“I can't stay here,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “And you can't live in Boston. I think we can agree on those two things. Correct?”
“Yes.” Hope deflated; her shoulders sagged. “What do you suggest we do?”
One of his eyebrows slowly went up. “Long-distance relationship?”
She sighed. “They never work.”
“For most people, no.” He grinned. “But we aren't most people, are we?”
Hope returned. He wasn't totally writing off their relationship. Smiling, she went around the desk to sit on his lap. “You are right about that. No one is like the two of us. So, if we try a long-distance relationship, how do we make it work?”
“Take turns. I'll visit you here once a month, and you'll visit me in Boston when it's your turn. Thanks to technology, we can talk to each other on my commute to and from work. It's not a permanent solution, but we can keep it up for a while.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “Sounds doable.”
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, nuzzling the sensitive spot just below her ear. She squeezed her thighs together against the dull throbbing between them. His touch made her burn for more. How could she possibly go weeks without seeing him?
As if reading her mind, he groaned. “I am going to miss this like crazy.”
His hot breath stirred her hair and sent a shiver of desire up her spine.
She gasped. “It's too bad technology can't help us touch each other when we're separated by half the country.”
“Maybe we should take advantage of our close proximity now.” He moved her shirt enough to bare one shoulder. His lips opened on her skin for a wet kiss. “How about I carry you up those stairs and make love to you all night long?”
In a breathless voice that was barely audible, she said, “Yes, please.”
He stood with her in his muscular arms as if she weighed less than a sack of potatoes. With her cradled against him, he probably couldn't see the floor. She prayed he wouldn't trip and also that Delta wouldn't come out of the kitchen. They were married, but seeing Delta might throw cold water on their burning desire.
Fortunately, they made it upstairs without mishap. He carried her to the master suite, which they now shared. Jared made love to her in a slow, haunting way that seeped into her soul and brought her to tears. There were tears of joy, but also tears of fear at what was coming her way like an invisible freight train. He made love to her as if it would be the last time.
Maybe he was trying to tell her something without saying the actual words. The mere thought of losing him broke her heart.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Beth threw herself into her work, keeping busy from dawn to dusk during the first three weeks of her life without Jared. Despite his promise to talk to her on his commute, he rarely called, which made her think she was right in doubting him. Now that he was in Boston, she was once again a forgotten part of his past. Refusing to feel sorry for herself, she worked to the point of exhaustion every night. Then she collapsed on her bed and slept hard. Her sleep was void of dreams, and she was grateful for that, knowing those dreams would center around her lost love.
Every morning she woke with one thought in her head: she wanted to be Jared's wife. Forever. How could she make it work if he didn't want it as much as she did?
On her way to the kitchen for breakfast, she heard a car pull up out front. Jared? Anticipation at seeing his face and being in his arms sent a tremor through her entire body. She ran outside to greet him with a tight embrace and a passionate kiss.
The rental car door popped open, and the wrong brother climbed out. Simon. He took the time to put on his cowboy hat before approaching her with a wide grin on his stupid face. When she didn't return the smile, his turned to a frown.
Standing at the bottom of the porch steps, he gazed up at her with narrowed eyes. “What can I say? I messed up.”
Messed up? She gaped at him, speechless.
“I'm sorry,” he added with a lame shrug.
“What are you sorry for, Simon? Are you sorry you slept with Trish behind my back? Are you sorry you got her pregnant? What? What are you sorry for?” She peered around him and tried to see into the dark car. Sunlight bounced off the windshield, blinding her. “Where is she?” Beth asked. “Did you leave her already?”
Simon came up the steps without waiting for an invitation and hustled her into the house. He made a show of acting like he was freezing to death, complete with chattering teeth. After shutting the door behind them, he said, “Trish was lying. She wasn't pregnant.”
Stunned, Beth shook her head in denial. “I saw the pregnancy test.”
