AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I remember that evening. You slept in my arms the night before.”
“Earlier in the day, you and I talked about children, and you told me how looking into fertility issues was how you discovered Rosa was sick.”
He nodded.
“You asked me if my husband and I ever talked about having a family. I told you we hadn’t.” I took another deep breath. “I wasn’t honest with you.”
He studied me, but I saw no judgment in his eyes, only that he was paying attention.
“It wasn’t that we talked about it per se. More…God, this is really hard.”
“Take your time.”
“We were out for dinner the night of the accident, and I told him I was pregnant.”
Tryst nodded in the slow, wise way he often did.
“Later that night, I lost the baby.”
When his eyes closed, I could feel the pain he experienced on my behalf. “I’m so sorry, Jacy.”
“We hadn’t talked about it. We hadn’t planned to get pregnant. It just happened.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t know if I can have more children. I never asked.”
Tryst pulled me closer to him. “Thank you for telling me these things about your life. I am honored that you trust me to do so.”
“I dozed off while you were at the meeting and was awoken by a dream. I have nightmares about the accident all the time, but this was different. Edmund, my husband, looked much like he had at dinner. The difference was he was holding a little girl. Right before I jarred myself awake, she reached out for me. She called me Mama.”
“What pain you must’ve been in.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
Tryst shook his head. “You were not ready to share that part of your life with me. I understand.”
“You asked why I came, and I told you it was because of the fire. It’s true, but it was also just an excuse to see you. I wanted to see you. I want to see you, Tryst. Am I too late?”
He looked as though he was in pain, making me want to take back every word I’d said and catch the next flight to the UK.
“I have dreamed of the day you returned to the ranch. To me.”
“You haven’t answered me, Tryst. Am I too late?”
He kissed both my eyelids, then each cheek, then my lips. “You could never be too late.”
I waved my hand in the direction of the front door of the house. “What about this? Is there someone else in your life, Tryst? Someone you built this for?”
He shook his head. “I told you before I didn’t know why I was building it. Only that I had to.” He cupped my cheek again. “There is no one else, Jaicon. Only you.” When he leaned forward to kiss me again, I felt scorched, branded, as though he’d just claimed me as his. “It is all I can do not to…” He sighed and looked up at the night sky. “The first time you and I make love, I want it to be in this house. In a bed we share. Your naked body illuminated by the fire’s glow.”
I shuddered, and my eyes drooped. “I want that too, but I think we need a bed.”
He laughed out loud. “We need a lot of things, but mostly a bed.” His expression changed, and he stared into my eyes. “I do not want to rush this, Jacy. I want us both to be certain it is right. That we’re ready.”
“I understand. I know I just told you I want the same thing you do, but I also want to take things slow. I want to be certain. I don’t want to hurt you again.”
He pinched the skin on his wrist and grimaced.
