Page 18 of Bryson

"What?"

"Julianne, you're starting to worry me. Am I boring you with talks of the ranch? I know it's not your favorite topic-"

"It's work. I was working on a complicated contract and it's still on my mind." She made an effort to smile at him even though her heart was breaking. She had called Brian to confirm her return date and told him of the visit from the old crone.

He had been furious and had advised her to tell Bryson. "Honey, let him know what that bitch said to you. He has a right to know."

But she had disagreed. The woman's husband had treated her like crap, and she had obviously spent her life pouring her rejected love into her son. She wasn't going to be the one to come between them.

She might not agree with her methods, but now that she was going to be a mother, she could understand the need to protect her child.

"Thanks for supper," she added. He had brought her something from the kitchen, a delicious and filling vegetable soup that had done the trick for her empty and raw stomach. After Barbara had left, she had sat on the bathroom floor, curled up in a heap, feeling sorry for herself. She had picked up the phone and almost called Bryson, before deciding against it.

She was leaving and there was no need to make things more difficult than they were going to be.

She was preparing herself for the big showdown that would be coming when he realized that she had not changed her mind. She was leaving the day after tomorrow first thing.

"You're welcome." He studied her lovely face for a moment, wondering at the drawn look.

"How was your day?"

"I was sick this afternoon."

His brow creased. "Why didn't you call me?"

Pushing away from the table, she picked up their bowls and went to put them in the sink. "I don't believe in calling you every time I am nauseous, Bryson, that wouldn't be practical."

"I already told you I want to be there for everything." He came up behind her and clamped his hands on her shoulders. "What part of that don't you understand?"

Running the water in the bowl, she avoided turning to face him. It would be so easy to just wrap herself in his arms and not think about the problems facing her, but she did not have that luxury.

"How would that work?" she asked lightly. "I pause in the middle of vomiting and make the call? You'd what? Come running to hold my hair?"

"Something like that." He turned her to face him and tipped her chin up, so he could study her face. "Something is wrong. Why won't you tell me?"

"How's your girlfriend?" she asked instead, desperate to throw him off. She had completely forgotten that in the past, they had been so attuned to each other that they could pick up on the other's mood.

"She's no longer my girlfriend," he told her tightly. "And why the hell would you see the need to bring her up?"

"Because I can just imagine how used she must be feeling. I came back to town and suddenly you decided that you no longer want to be with her."

His fingers tightened on her chin. "I thought I'd lost you."

Shoving at him, she stepped around him. "You don't have me."

Grabbing her arm, he spun her around, eyes glinting dangerously. "We're not doing this again."

"You're right." She held up a hand and shook her head. "I'm just tired and cranky." She forced a smile. "Hormones, I guess. Can we go to bed?"

"To sleep?" He knew he should persist in finding out what was wrong with her, but after the day he had, he just wanted to be with her without an argument.

"No." A smile played around her lips. "Sleep is the farthest thing from my mind."

"The farthest thing from mine as well." Swinging her into his arms, he headed towards the bedroom.

******************

After a tumultuous lovemaking where he held her tight, his mouth roaming over her body and kicking her heart into overtime and making her weak with need, she pretended to drop off into sleep so that he could follow her.