you to move over. I can swing from the chair to the couch on one
leg.”
She
moved and made room for him on the couch. Her body began to tingle at the
thought of him touching her. She wished that she knew the right words to say to
him. He was too down on himself but he didn’t want to hear it and besides, Dee
Ann was coming. It was just curiosity he was feeling but the butterflies in her
stomach wouldn’t go away.
Jonas
slid over onto the couch and took a deep breath. “Ouch.” Perspiration formed on
his brow and he sat very still for a moment.
“Are
you okay?”
“I’m
good. Slide toward me a bit and lean against me. I want to put both arms around
you.”
She
moved closer and leaned against him, sitting forward a bit until his hands were
both settled on her belly. Her heart beat so fast and she was certain that he
could hear it. Finally, she relaxed against him, enjoying his touch.
The
baby kicked and Jonas startled. “Wow. Does he do that all the time?”
“Yes,
the baby moves a lot.”
He
kissed the top of her head and began to stroke her stomach. “There’s something
magical about new life. New foals are the best.”
She
chuckled and shook her head.
“What?”
“You
just equated me with your livestock.”
“Oh,
it wasn’t meant that way. You have the most beautiful red hair. It’s vibrant
and long. Hell, Fall, just touching your belly is getting me worked up.”
“I’m
not hurting your leg am I?”
“It
hurts but this is taking my mind off it. The father must be an idiot to have
left or whatever happened.”
Autumn’s
heart sank. Here we go again and it will
never stop. Everyone wanted to know about the father but this was her baby
and she’d be damned if she’d let others pry.
“Hey,
I’m sorry. I can feel your whole body tensing. Don’t worry about some loser boyfriend
that ran.”
Shame
washed over her. How could she explain that it was a one night stand and she
wasn’t sure of the father’s name? One lapse in judgment and now she was
considered easy. Her mother had called her a no good whore. Tears started to
trail down her face.
“Don’t
cry. I’m sure everything will work out.”
Autumn
shook her head. “No it won’t. I don’t know who the father is.” She waited for a
reaction. She expected him to take his hands off her and move away. Instead he
kissed the side of her neck.
“Things
will be different for you in Carlston. No one knows your past and with a new
baby coming, you won’t have time to go back to your old ways.”
Her
heart skipped a beat and she a lump formed in her throat. Even sweet Jonas
thought her a whore. She pulled away from him and grabbed a tissue. Gulfed in
humiliation, she couldn’t look at him. No one ever thought the best of her.
Coming here was a terrible idea. Her dreams of Jonas crushed to pieces and it
wasn’t his fault.
“Autumn?”
The concern in his voice made her cry harder.
The
door opened and Richard entered. He immediately put the food he brought down
and grabbed up Autumn. He sat in the leather chair and settled her on his lap.
His arms went around her and he drew her head to his shoulder. “Let it out, Autumn.
Perhaps a good cry will do you good.”
She
held on to Richard for a minute, trying to get her bearings. She must look
awful. Why did her damn hormones have to go haywire? She took a deep breath and
let go of Richard. “I’m fine. I cry at the drop of a hat and that’s not me.”
Richard
put her on her feet and then stood up. “Here you sit and I’ll serve you guys
dinner. He frowned at Jonas. “What happened to you?”
Jonas
winced, trying to sit up straighter. “A collision with a mare. The usual.”
“The
usual? Well my usual is getting burned. All jobs have their hazards I guess.”
Richard carried the food into the kitchen.
She
kept her eyes focused on her clasped hands, not knowing what to do or say. It
wasn’t Jonas’ fault, it was her fault. Her heart squeezed and she put her hands
over her
leg.”
She
moved and made room for him on the couch. Her body began to tingle at the
thought of him touching her. She wished that she knew the right words to say to
him. He was too down on himself but he didn’t want to hear it and besides, Dee
Ann was coming. It was just curiosity he was feeling but the butterflies in her
stomach wouldn’t go away.
Jonas
slid over onto the couch and took a deep breath. “Ouch.” Perspiration formed on
his brow and he sat very still for a moment.
“Are
you okay?”
“I’m
good. Slide toward me a bit and lean against me. I want to put both arms around
you.”
She
moved closer and leaned against him, sitting forward a bit until his hands were
both settled on her belly. Her heart beat so fast and she was certain that he
could hear it. Finally, she relaxed against him, enjoying his touch.
The
baby kicked and Jonas startled. “Wow. Does he do that all the time?”
“Yes,
the baby moves a lot.”
He
kissed the top of her head and began to stroke her stomach. “There’s something
magical about new life. New foals are the best.”
She
chuckled and shook her head.
“What?”
“You
just equated me with your livestock.”
“Oh,
it wasn’t meant that way. You have the most beautiful red hair. It’s vibrant
and long. Hell, Fall, just touching your belly is getting me worked up.”
“I’m
not hurting your leg am I?”
“It
hurts but this is taking my mind off it. The father must be an idiot to have
left or whatever happened.”
Autumn’s
heart sank. Here we go again and it will
never stop. Everyone wanted to know about the father but this was her baby
and she’d be damned if she’d let others pry.
“Hey,
I’m sorry. I can feel your whole body tensing. Don’t worry about some loser boyfriend
that ran.”
Shame
washed over her. How could she explain that it was a one night stand and she
wasn’t sure of the father’s name? One lapse in judgment and now she was
considered easy. Her mother had called her a no good whore. Tears started to
trail down her face.
“Don’t
cry. I’m sure everything will work out.”
Autumn
shook her head. “No it won’t. I don’t know who the father is.” She waited for a
reaction. She expected him to take his hands off her and move away. Instead he
kissed the side of her neck.
“Things
will be different for you in Carlston. No one knows your past and with a new
baby coming, you won’t have time to go back to your old ways.”
Her
heart skipped a beat and she a lump formed in her throat. Even sweet Jonas
thought her a whore. She pulled away from him and grabbed a tissue. Gulfed in
humiliation, she couldn’t look at him. No one ever thought the best of her.
Coming here was a terrible idea. Her dreams of Jonas crushed to pieces and it
wasn’t his fault.
“Autumn?”
The concern in his voice made her cry harder.
The
door opened and Richard entered. He immediately put the food he brought down
and grabbed up Autumn. He sat in the leather chair and settled her on his lap.
His arms went around her and he drew her head to his shoulder. “Let it out, Autumn.
Perhaps a good cry will do you good.”
She
held on to Richard for a minute, trying to get her bearings. She must look
awful. Why did her damn hormones have to go haywire? She took a deep breath and
let go of Richard. “I’m fine. I cry at the drop of a hat and that’s not me.”
Richard
put her on her feet and then stood up. “Here you sit and I’ll serve you guys
dinner. He frowned at Jonas. “What happened to you?”
Jonas
winced, trying to sit up straighter. “A collision with a mare. The usual.”
“The
usual? Well my usual is getting burned. All jobs have their hazards I guess.”
Richard carried the food into the kitchen.
She
kept her eyes focused on her clasped hands, not knowing what to do or say. It
wasn’t Jonas’ fault, it was her fault. Her heart squeezed and she put her hands
over her
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