A Marriage Made in Texas (The Brothers Kincaid) by Eve Gaddy Page B

you turned him down.”
    “Of course I’m not!”
    “You’re still tied up with him. Because of your daughters, you always will be.” Gail and Barry shared a bond that would never break. Because Barry was her children’s father. “A part of you is bound to be thinking how much easier your life would be if you just went back to him.” He closed his eyes and added, “Roxy would be happy. I’m sure Mel would be too.”
    Gail took his hand and squeezed it. “Jay, look at me.”
    He opened his eyes. Her eyes were blue, and troubled. Earnest. Honest. He touched her hair, so blond, fair and pretty, skimmed his fingers over her cheek before his hand dropped away. “Why is it I can’t look at you without wanting you?”
    She smiled ruefully. “I don’t know, but I’ve wondered the same thing about you.”
    “Barry wants you back.”
    “I know he says he does. But I don’t want him back, Jay. I don’t trust him, and I don’t love him. I made sure he believed me. Do you?”
    “I don’t know.” He wasn’t thinking clearly, and with Gail so close, smelling so good, looking so…sweet, damn it, he didn’t know what to do. “I want to.”
    “Then believe me.” She kissed him, slid her tongue inside his mouth, put her arms around him. Pulled him to the floor with her.
    “I want you,” she said, her voice low and husky, tempting. “Only you. Make love to me, Jay.”
    So he did. And he buried his reservations, just as he buried himself in that soft, yielding body.

CHAPTER NINE
    G AIL STARED AT THE WAND in her hand, the plus sign glowing like a neon sign. Positive. She was pregnant. Which, since she’d been throwing up every morning for the past four days, shouldn’t have come as such a shock to her. Yet it had.
    How could she be pregnant? They’d used birth control faithfully. The condom hadn’t broken. No possible way should she be pregnant.
    She looked at the wand again.
    Still positive.
    What was this, some kind of cosmic joke? Surely once in a lifetime had been enough.
    Thank God she’d taken a sick day. She couldn’t possibly have concentrated on work. Not when her world was busy falling apart. She told herself not to be overly dramatic, but the lecture didn’t help much.
    Barry had the girls this weekend. Gail had a date with Jay tonight. He’d told her he had a surprise for her and to come to his house. She’d bet her surprise topped his.
    She crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over her head. Maybe if she went back to sleep, some brilliant answer to her problem would occur to her.
    Yeah, right, she thought as she dozed off. If I was that lucky, I wouldn’t be pregnant.
     
    L ATER THAT EVENING , Gail stood on Jay’s doorstep for a solid ten minutes, trying to get up the nerve to ring it. She’d considered telling him she was sick and canceling, but first off, he’d have come over to see her regardless, and secondly, there was no point putting off telling him the news. Waiting wouldn’t make her any less pregnant.
    He’s a decent man, she reminded herself. He’s not going to murder you. Sucking in a deep breath, she jabbed her finger on the bell.
    Jay opened the door, pulled her inside and kissed her before she could say a word. Just like every time he kissed her, her knees wobbled, her blood heated, and her mind turned to mush. Before she could weaken, she put her hand on his chest and turned her head. “Jay, we have to talk.”
    His arms encircling her waist loosely, he kissed her cheek. “Okay, but can’t I kiss you first?”
    “No, because then we’ll wind up in bed, and we have to talk.”
    He let her go, then put his fingers under her chin and tipped it up, studying her. “You look a little pale. Is something wrong?”
    “Nothing. I’m fine.” Just pregnant, that’s all.
    “Are you hungry?” He took her hand, pulled her with him into the kitchen. “I thought I’d cook for us. I’ve got chili simmering. It should be ready in a little while. Do you want a beer or