Hell’s Colony, where she knew a bunch of them resided. “We’re going to sit on the beach and stare at the ocean and—”
“You can sit. I’m going parasailing,” her mother said. “I laid in that bed long enough that I don’t want to do any sitting. I want to see the sky.”
Taylor laughed. “We’ll do it.”
The truck pulled up on their passenger side.
“Look! It’s Falcon Callahan!” Mary exclaimed. “He’s waving. I think he wants us to pull over.”
Nerves attacked Taylor like a cloud of mosquitoes. She carefully maneuvered the truck and Airstream onto a long lane at the next exit.
“It’s so romantic!” her mother said. “Don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what I think, other than I think he’s crazy,” Taylor muttered. “At least this will give us a chance to stretch our legs.”
Her mother laughed. “I assume Falcon’s here for more than exercise and a turn in the fresh air.”
“I’ve agreed to marry Benton, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Taylor said with determination.
“If you love him.” Mary looked eagerly out the window. “My, he is a handsome drink of water, isn’t he?”
Yes, he was. While she agreed with her mother’s comment, there was no reason to egg her on. Taylor got out, went around to help her mom out of the truck, but Falcon beat her to it.
“Hello, Mrs. Waters,” he said, just like Beaver Cleaver, Taylor thought sourly. “Hi, Taylor.”
“Falcon, what are you doing here?” she demanded.
“I’ve come to talk you out of your course of action,” Falcon said, and Taylor said, “You have a problem with Florida?”
Mary drifted away after patting him on the arm.
“I have a problem with you marrying another man,” Falcon said, “when you should be marrying me. I’m trying to save you from yourself, as it were.”
“Is that so?” Taylor gazed at him and crossed her arms. Darn it, he was sexy and confident, and it all just made her mad. All those months he hadn’t so much as called, and now he wanted to upend her life.
Just when she’d gotten over him.
Mostly.
Well, maybe not so much. She was crazy mad for him. But she’d already been down that road once, and at the end of it was heartache. “Thanks, Falcon, but I’m good with saving myself. I saved myself when you weren’t around, and I’m pretty happy with marrying Benton.”
“You’re happy with it?” He cocked an ironic brow. “Sounds like you’re buying a car.”
She flattened her lips, annoyed. “Butt out, Falcon. That’s the most polite way I know how to put it.”
He sighed. “Darling, you really don’t have to fight this hard. You know I make you happy in a way old Benton never will be able to.”
She felt herself blush. Okay, she’d considered the fact that she wasn’t all that attracted to Benton, not at all, actually. It wasn’t going to be a marriage of fire-and-ice like it would most likely be with Falcon. Passion was going to have to be sacrificed for common sense.
“I’m not going to discuss this with you anymore.”
He frowned. “Are you marrying him just because you’re having my baby?”
She walked away a bit farther so she could keep an eye on her mother. Mary had gone into the Airstream and pulled out a lawn chair and a cold drink. She looked happy enjoying the December day. It was much warmer in Texas than when they’d left New Mexico, and Mary couldn’t wait for the hot weather in Florida. The virus and resulting side symptoms she’d had for six months had kept her so housebound that Taylor thought her mother might become a permanent sun-seeker.
Taylor turned to face Falcon. “I’m marrying him because I want to.”
“If it’s about a name for our baby, you know the only name he should wear is Chacon Callahan.”
That was the sticking point Taylor could never get past. So in the end she’d made a different decision. “I’m moving to New York with Benton.”
Falcon shook his head, then shrugged. “All right. If
“You can sit. I’m going parasailing,” her mother said. “I laid in that bed long enough that I don’t want to do any sitting. I want to see the sky.”
Taylor laughed. “We’ll do it.”
The truck pulled up on their passenger side.
“Look! It’s Falcon Callahan!” Mary exclaimed. “He’s waving. I think he wants us to pull over.”
Nerves attacked Taylor like a cloud of mosquitoes. She carefully maneuvered the truck and Airstream onto a long lane at the next exit.
“It’s so romantic!” her mother said. “Don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what I think, other than I think he’s crazy,” Taylor muttered. “At least this will give us a chance to stretch our legs.”
Her mother laughed. “I assume Falcon’s here for more than exercise and a turn in the fresh air.”
“I’ve agreed to marry Benton, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Taylor said with determination.
“If you love him.” Mary looked eagerly out the window. “My, he is a handsome drink of water, isn’t he?”
Yes, he was. While she agreed with her mother’s comment, there was no reason to egg her on. Taylor got out, went around to help her mom out of the truck, but Falcon beat her to it.
“Hello, Mrs. Waters,” he said, just like Beaver Cleaver, Taylor thought sourly. “Hi, Taylor.”
“Falcon, what are you doing here?” she demanded.
“I’ve come to talk you out of your course of action,” Falcon said, and Taylor said, “You have a problem with Florida?”
Mary drifted away after patting him on the arm.
“I have a problem with you marrying another man,” Falcon said, “when you should be marrying me. I’m trying to save you from yourself, as it were.”
“Is that so?” Taylor gazed at him and crossed her arms. Darn it, he was sexy and confident, and it all just made her mad. All those months he hadn’t so much as called, and now he wanted to upend her life.
Just when she’d gotten over him.
Mostly.
Well, maybe not so much. She was crazy mad for him. But she’d already been down that road once, and at the end of it was heartache. “Thanks, Falcon, but I’m good with saving myself. I saved myself when you weren’t around, and I’m pretty happy with marrying Benton.”
“You’re happy with it?” He cocked an ironic brow. “Sounds like you’re buying a car.”
She flattened her lips, annoyed. “Butt out, Falcon. That’s the most polite way I know how to put it.”
He sighed. “Darling, you really don’t have to fight this hard. You know I make you happy in a way old Benton never will be able to.”
She felt herself blush. Okay, she’d considered the fact that she wasn’t all that attracted to Benton, not at all, actually. It wasn’t going to be a marriage of fire-and-ice like it would most likely be with Falcon. Passion was going to have to be sacrificed for common sense.
“I’m not going to discuss this with you anymore.”
He frowned. “Are you marrying him just because you’re having my baby?”
She walked away a bit farther so she could keep an eye on her mother. Mary had gone into the Airstream and pulled out a lawn chair and a cold drink. She looked happy enjoying the December day. It was much warmer in Texas than when they’d left New Mexico, and Mary couldn’t wait for the hot weather in Florida. The virus and resulting side symptoms she’d had for six months had kept her so housebound that Taylor thought her mother might become a permanent sun-seeker.
Taylor turned to face Falcon. “I’m marrying him because I want to.”
“If it’s about a name for our baby, you know the only name he should wear is Chacon Callahan.”
That was the sticking point Taylor could never get past. So in the end she’d made a different decision. “I’m moving to New York with Benton.”
Falcon shook his head, then shrugged. “All right. If
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