don’t you?”
“What?” He looked at Maggie before glancing at his plate. He’d gulped down half his steak yet hadn’t tasted any of it. “Sorry. I’m preoccupied.”
“If you’re preoccupied because you’re mad at me, don’t bother. If you hadn’t come along, I might have gone upstairs with Sam, and I know I would have felt horrible afterward. I’m so disappointed in myself. I thought I was tougher than I am. You were right. I’m going to have to rethink my plan.”
His dark mood lifted. “Have you thought about adoption?”
“Maybe it’s selfish, but I want to know what it feels like to be pregnant.” She leaned across the table. “I think, you know, to have your own child growing inside you . . . well, you can’t beat that. That’s a miracle.”
Maggie pregnant with his child. Holy Christ . Now he was going to cry. He cleared his throat. “You could always go to a sperm bank.”
Maggie cocked her head and regarded him. “You and your wife never considered having children?”
He tossed his napkin on the table. He wasn’t having this conversation. Not now. Not ever.
“Come.” He held out his hand. “There’s something I want to show you.”
He raced out of the hotel with Maggie in tow. It was a cool night, but the valet brought his car around right away. JD jacked up the heat and started talking about the young couple he’d met who wanted the house of their dreams.
“They have money,” he explained as he drove down one street after another. “Not enough for what they want, but with a few modifications, I might be able to come close to their dream house.”
“It must be so satisfying to take an idea and make it a reality.”
Like having a baby. Goddamn it . He didn’t want to think about babies or children. He couldn’t if he wanted to hang on to his sanity.
“Building a house is engineering, pure and simple.”
“Like your house, you mean. I look at your house and I think, wow, there must be a lot of two-by-fours and nails in it,” she said dryly.
He glanced at her. She’d stared at him the whole drive, as if trying to decipher his mood. Good luck with that one. He was all over the board, excited about building this house, terrified she’d ask him more about his relationship with Lydia. What they’d done.
What he didn’t do.
“Perhaps I incorporate a few more concepts, like space and line. Shadow. Light.”
“Really? I’d never have guessed.”
He pulled into an empty lot at the top of the steep street. “This is the lot the Mullers have bought. I wanted to have another look at it.”
“It’s not very interesting.”
Maggie was right. It was just an empty building lot. “It’s on a hillside. That could be fun to play with.”
“You mean build into the hill?”
He frowned. “Or build a one-level house with lots of windows facing east. The next house”—he pointed toward the neighbors—“is far enough below them that they could maintain their privacy. Then design a hanging garden in the back of the house. Use the hill to create waterfalls. Have the entire back wall in windows.”
“Bringing the outside in.”
JD grinned at her. “Exactly.”
“How much does it cost to hire you to design a house?”
His smile faded. “Why?”
“Say I somehow managed to get pregnant, I’d want to settle in one place, have my own home.”
His stomach rolled. Was she asking him to build her a house she’d someday share with another man? Maggie wouldn’t remain single for long. It amazed him she was walking around free now. Her husband had been an idiot not to fight for her.
“You can’t afford me.” He started the car and backed out of the driveway. Maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea to bring her here and talk about his work. But he was excited about designing again, and he’d wanted to share that feeling with someone. Wanted to share it with Maggie.
And he’d do anything to avoid the conversation he knew was becoming inevitable. Tonight
“What?” He looked at Maggie before glancing at his plate. He’d gulped down half his steak yet hadn’t tasted any of it. “Sorry. I’m preoccupied.”
“If you’re preoccupied because you’re mad at me, don’t bother. If you hadn’t come along, I might have gone upstairs with Sam, and I know I would have felt horrible afterward. I’m so disappointed in myself. I thought I was tougher than I am. You were right. I’m going to have to rethink my plan.”
His dark mood lifted. “Have you thought about adoption?”
“Maybe it’s selfish, but I want to know what it feels like to be pregnant.” She leaned across the table. “I think, you know, to have your own child growing inside you . . . well, you can’t beat that. That’s a miracle.”
Maggie pregnant with his child. Holy Christ . Now he was going to cry. He cleared his throat. “You could always go to a sperm bank.”
Maggie cocked her head and regarded him. “You and your wife never considered having children?”
He tossed his napkin on the table. He wasn’t having this conversation. Not now. Not ever.
“Come.” He held out his hand. “There’s something I want to show you.”
He raced out of the hotel with Maggie in tow. It was a cool night, but the valet brought his car around right away. JD jacked up the heat and started talking about the young couple he’d met who wanted the house of their dreams.
“They have money,” he explained as he drove down one street after another. “Not enough for what they want, but with a few modifications, I might be able to come close to their dream house.”
“It must be so satisfying to take an idea and make it a reality.”
Like having a baby. Goddamn it . He didn’t want to think about babies or children. He couldn’t if he wanted to hang on to his sanity.
“Building a house is engineering, pure and simple.”
“Like your house, you mean. I look at your house and I think, wow, there must be a lot of two-by-fours and nails in it,” she said dryly.
He glanced at her. She’d stared at him the whole drive, as if trying to decipher his mood. Good luck with that one. He was all over the board, excited about building this house, terrified she’d ask him more about his relationship with Lydia. What they’d done.
What he didn’t do.
“Perhaps I incorporate a few more concepts, like space and line. Shadow. Light.”
“Really? I’d never have guessed.”
He pulled into an empty lot at the top of the steep street. “This is the lot the Mullers have bought. I wanted to have another look at it.”
“It’s not very interesting.”
Maggie was right. It was just an empty building lot. “It’s on a hillside. That could be fun to play with.”
“You mean build into the hill?”
He frowned. “Or build a one-level house with lots of windows facing east. The next house”—he pointed toward the neighbors—“is far enough below them that they could maintain their privacy. Then design a hanging garden in the back of the house. Use the hill to create waterfalls. Have the entire back wall in windows.”
“Bringing the outside in.”
JD grinned at her. “Exactly.”
“How much does it cost to hire you to design a house?”
His smile faded. “Why?”
“Say I somehow managed to get pregnant, I’d want to settle in one place, have my own home.”
His stomach rolled. Was she asking him to build her a house she’d someday share with another man? Maggie wouldn’t remain single for long. It amazed him she was walking around free now. Her husband had been an idiot not to fight for her.
“You can’t afford me.” He started the car and backed out of the driveway. Maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea to bring her here and talk about his work. But he was excited about designing again, and he’d wanted to share that feeling with someone. Wanted to share it with Maggie.
And he’d do anything to avoid the conversation he knew was becoming inevitable. Tonight
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