Page 107 of Stone

His lips thinned. “My business is highly profitable, but those kinds of men can’t be avoided. It’s a downside I hate, but I have to roll with the punches.”

“What do they do for you?” I inquired.

“Security mostly. Sometimes, some heavy work. My exports are sent worldwide and are worth a lot of money to me. Men like that are useful for getting my stock from A to B.”

“Right,” I whispered, eyes going to the scenery speeding past. “It’s good you’re building something.” Another thought hit me, and I turned back to Robert. “What did he mean when he said two due at the same time?”

“You’re not the only one with a secret, Elise.” A red stain appeared on Robert’s cheek, and he smiled ruefully. “How about we go somewhere nice for dinner? I missed lunch, and I could eat a horse. There’s a nice restaurant on the other side of Mapletree. I can tell you all about it while we eat,” he smiled kindly, “and you need some feeding up.”

I shook my head to refuse, but Robert cut me off.

“You’re eating for two now, Elise, and you need to do the best you can for your little girl. It’s what John would’ve wanted.”

My hand stroked lovingly over my stomach, and I nodded. “Okay.”

The dim lights of the restaurant cast a shadow over Robert’s face while he perused the menu.

He was pretty good-looking. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, and tall with sinewy muscle, like a track runner. His manners were impeccable, and he oozed confidence. More than one woman in the room glanced furtively at him from under their eyelashes, but he didn’t seem to notice.

He ordered salad, steak, and dauphinoise potatoes—whatever they were—before handing the menus back to the waiter and turning back to me.

“Are you okay?” I asked, taking in his forlorn expression.

The rueful smile he was so good at flashed across his face, and he shrugged. “You’re not the only one with a broken heart.”

My chest tightened. “I’m sorry, Robert.”

He waved a hand. “It’s okay, actually, it’s for the best. The girl I loved turned out to be somebody I didn’t know as well as I thought I did. I’ve been seeing her for a year, on and off, and… well… she’s pregnant with my son.”

My eyes widened. “So that’s what the doctor meant?”

He jerked a nod. “She’s due a little earlier than you. The problem is she doesn’t want me or the baby.”

A hand flew to my throat. “Why?”

His gaze lowered. “I thought we were building something, even wanted to marry. I offered. She laughed in my face and said she was giving the baby up for adoption and was leaving town. Her exact words were, ‘I don’t want to be tied down with your brat.’”

My heart went out to him. “I’m so sorry. What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to take my son and raise him,” he said, tone quietly determined. “I’m going to give him everything.”

I studied his expression, a mix of awe and pride, and I suddenly felt warm. It was a weird feeling. Warmth wasn’t an everyday occurrence anymore, not without John.

“I’m worried, though,” he murmured. “You know what the townsfolk of Hambleton are like. I worry they’ll stigmatize him before he’s even born. It’s why I’ve kept it quiet.”

I let out a quiet snort. “Tell me about it.”

His gaze wandered down to my stomach. “We’re in the same boat, it seems. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “Sometimes I want to pack a bag and leave everything behind, but Mom won’t move from the house, and I’m not sure I can do it alone. I’d have to work, of course, but who’d look after my baby?” My shoulders slumped.“Hambleton’s full of memories of John. Just walking down Main Street makes me remember, and it’s torture, but leaving and not having those memories anymore would be worse torture.” Tears welled up, and I swiped at my face. “I’ve always had John to lean on, but now I haven’t got anybody. Mom’s still wrapped up in losing Dad, and Bandit… well…” I rubbed the back of my neck trying to ease the tension there. “I don’t even have Stevie and Kelly. They’re so wrapped up in each other. Being around them’s just a reminder of what I’ve lost.” My throat thickened with tears again.

“I’ve got the same problem,” he mused. “Mom’s sick, and Dad’s the mayor, so he’s got responsibilities for the town, and so have I. It’s a shame we can’t magic a mother and father for our children out of thin air. Somebody who understands and won’t make demands on us.”

I nodded my agreement.

“Wait,” he muttered, his head snapping up to look at me. “That’s it.”

My eyebrows drew together. “That’s what?”

---