Protecting her.
Sighing, she leaned her head back on the sofa cushion. “It doesn’t matter what I wear. With you there, no one will touch me.”
“Touch you? Of course not, it’s a public party. You wouldn’t—”
“Come on, Cal! Do you expect me to marry someone without even kissing him? This is almost the twenty-first century, not the eighteenth.”
“I just want you to be careful. Some men don’t listen when you say no.”
“I know.” She’d had a frightening experience with such a guy in college. But she’d fought him off. That wasn’t a memory she was going to share with Cal, however.
But he could read her face even better than she thought.
“Did someone try that with you?” he demanded with a ferocious frown.
“It was a long time ago, Cal, and he didn’t succeed,” she hastily assured him.
“Someone from here? I’ll haul him into jail and—”
“No. He was from Texas Tech, someone you don’t know.”
Before she knew what was happening, Cal had pulled her out of her chair and up into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered.
“What could you have done, Cal? You would’ve insisted I come back home.”
“Damn straight! Going away to college all alone wasn’t a good idea.”
“You did it. Why not me?”
“Because you’re a girl. And I promised your mother.” His hold on her tightened.
She loved his strength, his warmth. One last time, she promised herself, and snuggled against him, her hands flat against his chest, sliding up to his neck. She let her lips touch his neck. “You’ve kept your promise, Cal, more than anyone could ask.”
He ran his big hands over her back, pressing her even closer, while his cheek rested on her hair. Taking a deep breath, he muttered, “I keep trying, but I worry about you all the time.”
She rested her face against his shoulder. “I guess that’s why you want to marry me off. So I’ll be someone else’s responsibility.”
Rearing back, he stared at her. “I’m not the one wanting you to marry. You said you wanted to, that you wanted to have kids. All this was your idea, remember?”
She remembered. Pushing out of his embrace, she paced the room, crossing her arms over her chest. She’d debated her behavior many a night.
“Jess? Have you really changed your mind?”
“I don’t know!” she wailed, spinning around to stare at the most obtuse man in the world.
“Baby, what’s going on? I’ve never known you to be so...so indecisive.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, unsure how to answer him. Finally she said, “I’m at a crossroads, Cal, and I don’t know which way to go.”
He gave a gentle smile, one that made her heart turn over. “Mom always says to follow your heart.”
She had to turn away. “I tried that, but it involves . . . other people. So it’s not so simple.”
Cal’s heart sank as he studied Jessica’s rigid back. She must be talking about a particular man. He hadn’t realized Jessica had a guy in mind for her future plans. Why had they developed a list? Unless the man was already on it....
“Is it someone you know?”
She turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “What?”
“Is the man you want to marry someone you know?”
“Of course he is!” she snapped. “I’d be pretty stupid to pine for a stranger.” Then her eyes widened even more and her hand covered her mouth, as if she regretted what she’d just admitted.
“Is he on the list?”
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
He strode to her side, but he managed to keep his hands to himself. “How can I help you if you don’t tell me who you want?”
She turned away from him. “You can’t help me, Cal.”
“Yeah, I could.” He cupped her shoulders and settled her warm body against him, burying his nose in her hair. “I could tell him you’re...a wonderful lady. I could point out what a good wife you’d make.”
Pulling away from him, she crossed the room before she faced him. “And you think those
Sighing, she leaned her head back on the sofa cushion. “It doesn’t matter what I wear. With you there, no one will touch me.”
“Touch you? Of course not, it’s a public party. You wouldn’t—”
“Come on, Cal! Do you expect me to marry someone without even kissing him? This is almost the twenty-first century, not the eighteenth.”
“I just want you to be careful. Some men don’t listen when you say no.”
“I know.” She’d had a frightening experience with such a guy in college. But she’d fought him off. That wasn’t a memory she was going to share with Cal, however.
But he could read her face even better than she thought.
“Did someone try that with you?” he demanded with a ferocious frown.
“It was a long time ago, Cal, and he didn’t succeed,” she hastily assured him.
“Someone from here? I’ll haul him into jail and—”
“No. He was from Texas Tech, someone you don’t know.”
Before she knew what was happening, Cal had pulled her out of her chair and up into his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered.
“What could you have done, Cal? You would’ve insisted I come back home.”
“Damn straight! Going away to college all alone wasn’t a good idea.”
“You did it. Why not me?”
“Because you’re a girl. And I promised your mother.” His hold on her tightened.
She loved his strength, his warmth. One last time, she promised herself, and snuggled against him, her hands flat against his chest, sliding up to his neck. She let her lips touch his neck. “You’ve kept your promise, Cal, more than anyone could ask.”
He ran his big hands over her back, pressing her even closer, while his cheek rested on her hair. Taking a deep breath, he muttered, “I keep trying, but I worry about you all the time.”
She rested her face against his shoulder. “I guess that’s why you want to marry me off. So I’ll be someone else’s responsibility.”
Rearing back, he stared at her. “I’m not the one wanting you to marry. You said you wanted to, that you wanted to have kids. All this was your idea, remember?”
She remembered. Pushing out of his embrace, she paced the room, crossing her arms over her chest. She’d debated her behavior many a night.
“Jess? Have you really changed your mind?”
“I don’t know!” she wailed, spinning around to stare at the most obtuse man in the world.
“Baby, what’s going on? I’ve never known you to be so...so indecisive.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, unsure how to answer him. Finally she said, “I’m at a crossroads, Cal, and I don’t know which way to go.”
He gave a gentle smile, one that made her heart turn over. “Mom always says to follow your heart.”
She had to turn away. “I tried that, but it involves . . . other people. So it’s not so simple.”
Cal’s heart sank as he studied Jessica’s rigid back. She must be talking about a particular man. He hadn’t realized Jessica had a guy in mind for her future plans. Why had they developed a list? Unless the man was already on it....
“Is it someone you know?”
She turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “What?”
“Is the man you want to marry someone you know?”
“Of course he is!” she snapped. “I’d be pretty stupid to pine for a stranger.” Then her eyes widened even more and her hand covered her mouth, as if she regretted what she’d just admitted.
“Is he on the list?”
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
He strode to her side, but he managed to keep his hands to himself. “How can I help you if you don’t tell me who you want?”
She turned away from him. “You can’t help me, Cal.”
“Yeah, I could.” He cupped her shoulders and settled her warm body against him, burying his nose in her hair. “I could tell him you’re...a wonderful lady. I could point out what a good wife you’d make.”
Pulling away from him, she crossed the room before she faced him. “And you think those
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