was in
the air all around town.
As
she set her coffee cup on the counter and glanced around her kitchen, she felt
lower than low. She hadn’t seen or talked to Dalton since the other night, and
that hadn’t been a good time for either of them. Certainly not her. She’d slept
on her stomach and grumpily cursed him as she cried herself to sleep. He’d
spanked her and then taken her from behind, fast and quick. Sex. Not making
love. Worse, it had been unprotected sex. She’d also realized that
hadn’t been the only time they hadn’t taken precautions.
Tears
threatened again and she blinked them away. She didn’t have time for them. She
didn’t have time for worrying about the slim possibility that Dalton had
managed to get her with child. Something he had wanted for a long time. He
would no doubt be ecstatic if it were true. In truth, she didn’t hate the idea, but she’d rather have been involved in the decision to make a baby
together. Okay, maybe she had been, because she’d been fully aware of what they
were doing. She could have stopped him.
Why
didn’t you?
She
couldn’t think about that now. She was expected to be at Halley’s Hardware in a
half hour to ooo and ahhh over all of the floats before they
headed down the parade route on Main Street. This parade would be the last of
the town’s events that she would participate in. She’d talked with the town
council yesterday, something that had been difficult to do, but necessary.
She’d changed her mind about running again, partly because of the problem
between her and Dalton, partly because maybe he was right. While she liked
doing things for the community, she had taken on way too much and it was
wearing her down. After being kept so long from doing anything that her ex
hadn’t approved of—which had been nothing that didn’t make him happy, she had
wanted to do everything. She’d felt needed by the community, really needed for
the first time in her adult life.
But
the community didn’t particularly need her ; they just needed someone who could be a leader, someone who cared about the town. Jim McAdams cared and
was willing to give his time. They might not agree on everything, but he would
be good for the town. It was time she moved on, focused on her life. And
it was time she made a firm decision about Dalton.
She
picked up the cup and took another sip of coffee. Dalton had patiently stood by
her all this time. Even though he grumbled and complained a lot about her being
the mayor, he had actually supported her. He’d listened to her and given his
opinion on matters. Yes, they often hadn’t agreed, but he’d been there for her.
Her
heart pinched as she admitted to herself that he’d been there for her, but she
hadn’t really been there for him. Not like he wanted and needed her to be. At
this point in his life, he was tired of dating around. He was ready to get
married and start a family.
A
tear trickled down her cheek and she dashed it away with one hand and set the
cup down again with the other. Dalton deserved better than a woman who had
burst free of an abusive marriage and been running scared from taking a chance
on another marriage. She wasn’t sure she would ever stop having the occasional
nightmare about what she’d endured. But Dalton had held her and comforted her
as she’d cried out in terror from one awful memory or another when they’d slept
together. She hadn’t wanted to burden him with her emotional baggage. She’d
told him time and again that if he found someone else…
Her
bottom clenched and unclenched. She remembered how he’d glowered at her for
even saying such a thing. A time or two he’d even spanked her for it. Her big,
sometimes gruff cowboy had one hard hand and he definitely knew how to use it. Her
cowboy . Yes, darn it. Dalton Reede was hers. Could be hers. If she
dug up the courage to fight for him. If she stopped running away from what she
really wanted.
A
glance at the clock on the stove warned
the air all around town.
As
she set her coffee cup on the counter and glanced around her kitchen, she felt
lower than low. She hadn’t seen or talked to Dalton since the other night, and
that hadn’t been a good time for either of them. Certainly not her. She’d slept
on her stomach and grumpily cursed him as she cried herself to sleep. He’d
spanked her and then taken her from behind, fast and quick. Sex. Not making
love. Worse, it had been unprotected sex. She’d also realized that
hadn’t been the only time they hadn’t taken precautions.
Tears
threatened again and she blinked them away. She didn’t have time for them. She
didn’t have time for worrying about the slim possibility that Dalton had
managed to get her with child. Something he had wanted for a long time. He
would no doubt be ecstatic if it were true. In truth, she didn’t hate the idea, but she’d rather have been involved in the decision to make a baby
together. Okay, maybe she had been, because she’d been fully aware of what they
were doing. She could have stopped him.
Why
didn’t you?
She
couldn’t think about that now. She was expected to be at Halley’s Hardware in a
half hour to ooo and ahhh over all of the floats before they
headed down the parade route on Main Street. This parade would be the last of
the town’s events that she would participate in. She’d talked with the town
council yesterday, something that had been difficult to do, but necessary.
She’d changed her mind about running again, partly because of the problem
between her and Dalton, partly because maybe he was right. While she liked
doing things for the community, she had taken on way too much and it was
wearing her down. After being kept so long from doing anything that her ex
hadn’t approved of—which had been nothing that didn’t make him happy, she had
wanted to do everything. She’d felt needed by the community, really needed for
the first time in her adult life.
But
the community didn’t particularly need her ; they just needed someone who could be a leader, someone who cared about the town. Jim McAdams cared and
was willing to give his time. They might not agree on everything, but he would
be good for the town. It was time she moved on, focused on her life. And
it was time she made a firm decision about Dalton.
She
picked up the cup and took another sip of coffee. Dalton had patiently stood by
her all this time. Even though he grumbled and complained a lot about her being
the mayor, he had actually supported her. He’d listened to her and given his
opinion on matters. Yes, they often hadn’t agreed, but he’d been there for her.
Her
heart pinched as she admitted to herself that he’d been there for her, but she
hadn’t really been there for him. Not like he wanted and needed her to be. At
this point in his life, he was tired of dating around. He was ready to get
married and start a family.
A
tear trickled down her cheek and she dashed it away with one hand and set the
cup down again with the other. Dalton deserved better than a woman who had
burst free of an abusive marriage and been running scared from taking a chance
on another marriage. She wasn’t sure she would ever stop having the occasional
nightmare about what she’d endured. But Dalton had held her and comforted her
as she’d cried out in terror from one awful memory or another when they’d slept
together. She hadn’t wanted to burden him with her emotional baggage. She’d
told him time and again that if he found someone else…
Her
bottom clenched and unclenched. She remembered how he’d glowered at her for
even saying such a thing. A time or two he’d even spanked her for it. Her big,
sometimes gruff cowboy had one hard hand and he definitely knew how to use it. Her
cowboy . Yes, darn it. Dalton Reede was hers. Could be hers. If she
dug up the courage to fight for him. If she stopped running away from what she
really wanted.
A
glance at the clock on the stove warned
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