Page 25 of Harrison Hyde and the Runaway Bride

Everything in him was urging him to move closer. What was he thinking? There couldnotbe a relationship here. This state, this town was not where he lived. Hislifewas in New York.

Maria opened the fridge, but it was barren other than a six pack of pop. She took out two cans and handed one to him. “Cat keeps a few things around for potential buyers. I’ll restock for her, if I don’t get the loan.”

She opened a cabinet and grabbed down a bag of potato chips. “Livin’ here was the only part of my plan Billy Bob argued with me about. But it was a deal-breaker for me.”

See, he thought. Deal-breaker.

She led him through an empty dining room still bearing wallpaper from the previous resident. It was ivory with vertical stripes made of pale blue flowers. Oh, wait…

“Are those bluebonnets? On the wallpaper?”

“Yes! That’s why I don’t want to strip it.”

“You can’t strip it. It’s perfect.”

“I know.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the wall, then pressed his palm to the wallpaper. Her hand covered his, to move it slowly up the wall. “Feel that?”

“Yeah.” He knew she was referring to the satiny texture of every flower. He was not. She lingered a moment, and he almost turned around, knowing if he did, he was going to kiss her. And that would just be heartless. Why start anything with her? She was an amazing person; she didn’t deserve to get her heart broken. Again.

She sighed behind him and moved away, leading him into a fully furnished living room with overstuffed brown furniture, pale-blue walls, and sheer white curtains in its tall windows. “Furniture’s all new and comes with the place, if I want it. Catthinks staging is most important in the living room. I’d say kitchen, but I’m no expert.”

He looked at her for a long moment. She looked back. “I want to ask you something personal,” he said. “If it’s okay.”

She nodded.

“Why’d you ever say yes to that guy? Your plan, I know, but…thatguy?”

Sighing, she sank onto the sofa, but only on its edge. She opened the bag and handed it to him. He took out a few chips and handed it back.

Maria ate some potato chips and thought about her answer, but mostly she was still wondering if Harry had felt the way she had when their hands had been pressed together and their bodies so close a minute ago. Her heart hadn’t yet resumed its normal rate. But he’d asked a question, and she wanted to give him a real answer. For some reason it felt important to be real with him.

“Like I said, I’ve been asking myself that for a while now. There are expectations out here, you know? I got my license to practice. My career is set, the business is great, and it’s part of the fabric of Quinn. People depend on the clinic. Our patients are like family.”

“I’ve lost the thread,” he said, but he was paying attention. He looked at her when she spoke, with keen interest in his blue, blue eyes.Gosh, they were blue.

“Expectations,” she reminded him and herself. “So like I told you, my next steps were to choose a husband, marry him, and have a couple of kids. That’s what you do out here. That’s what’s expected. And the clock’s tickin’. I spent years on my education.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re what, twenty-five?”

“Good guess. I want a husband and two kids within the next five years.”

“Five years?”

She could see he was doing math in his head.

“So including nine months for each pregnancy you’ll need to get the husband within three-and-a-half years.”

“Two-and-a-half. I’ll wait six months between baby one and baby two. And you don’t always get pregnant right away, so you have to allow a couple month’s worth of tryin’. So now we’re down to two years, give or take. And honestly, don’t you think there should be a honeymoon period for a couple before they reproduce? What if you aren’t compatible?”

“So that means?—”

“That means, the clock inside my head was tickin’ loud and messin’ with my common sense, I think. Billy Bob was more or less local. Grew up nearby. I’d never heard anything bad about him. We dated for a couple of months and seemed to get along okay. He’s gainfully employed, and agreeable to my plan, and, well, he asked.”

Harrison shook his head. “And yet you’re so smart about so many things.”

“Ouch.”

He held out his hand, and she tipped the bag his way. He took a handful this time.

---