Page 48 of The Honorable Texan
“She was young, once.”
“So she was.”He drew her into his arms and held her for a long moment, his expression worried.He’d only just thought about the baby and how rough he’d been.It was a protective impulse that had just started.She was carrying his child…
“I didn’t mean to be that rough,” he said suddenly.“I just…lost it when I started kissing you,” he confessed quietly.“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Of course not,” she said, and thought immediately of the baby.Would sex hurt her child?Surely not.Lou had said not to lift.She hadn’t said anything about sex.It would be all right.Of course it would.
She followed Blake silently to the front of the office and waited while he turned out the lights and locked up.
“Go straight home,” he said softly.“I’ll follow you to the turnoff.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said, surprised by his concern.
“I know.Come on.”
He helped her into her car and then got into his.She saw him in her rearview mirror until she turned off on the short road that led to the house she shared with her mother.She felt warm and secure until she pulled into her driveway and remembered that he hadn’t said one word about seeing her again during the weekend.
* * *
He didn’t call, either.She drove up to Victoria Saturday to get her prenatal vitamins and spent the weekend making an afghan while she kept her mother company.She’d been sure that Blake would at least phone her.But he didn’t.
She felt oddly used by Sunday evening.He’d needed her Friday night.It had been sweet, but completely physical on his side.She could feel that he had no strong emotional bond with her.It was physical, and that wasn’t going to last.She wondered why he’d asked her to be engaged to him.He couldn’t know she was pregnant.
At least, that’s what she thought until Monday morning.Mabel and Libby were hard at work on documents for court.Violet had gone back to Blake’s office to carry him a message from a caller, because he was on the other line and she didn’t want to interrupt him in what might have been a private conversation.
She hesitated outside the door, which had been left cracked.What she heard caused the written message to fall to the floor.It broke her heart.
“What else could I do?”he was asking someone in a heavy, hunted tone.“Her mother is in seriously bad health and she’s already upset about the manner of her husband’s death.If she knew that Violet was pregnant out of wedlock, it might kill her.Besides all that, it’s a small community and everybody knows us.There’s no way Violet would agree to a termination, so marriage is the only possible resolution.”
He paused for several seconds before he spoke again, obviously listening to the person on the other end of the line.“I know,” he said, and sounded worn.“I know.But she won’t find out.I’ll never tell her.I can give her enough to make her happy.She and her mother willnever want for anything.After the child is born, we’ll make whatever decisions have to be made.I’ll make sure she’s taken care of, whether or not the marriage continues.Yes.Yes, I know.”
Violet bent to pick up the fallen piece of paper.His voice droned on.Whoever he was talking to seemed long-winded.
She turned and went back down the hall to the waiting room.She wasn’t thinking clearly at all.It was impossible to make any rational decision until she could sort out her priorities.
She sat down at the computer and put the phone call memo on top of a stack of papers beside the printer tray.She felt numb for the moment.That was good, because she was going to have hysterics when she could reason again.
The front door opened and Libby came in.She glanced at Violet and hesitated.
“Are you okay?”she asked at once.“You’re white as a sheet!”
Violet swallowed hard and then swallowed again.“I feel a bit woozy,” she confessed, feeling her forehead.“There’s some sort of bug going around.I’ll bet I’ve caught it.”
“Can I get you anything?”Libby asked, concerned.
“What’s wrong?”Blake asked, coming into the room, frowning.
“Violet’s feeling ill,” Libby said.“Maybe you should go home,” she told her co-worker.
“Not a bad idea,” Blake agreed.“Do you want me to drive you?”he added.
“I can drive,” Violet managed in a husky, soft tone.She didn’t meet his eyes.“I’m just a little sick.It’s nothing.Really.”
Blake helped her up and walked outside with her.“Call me when you get home,” he said firmly.He hesitated.“On second thought, I think I should go with you.”
“No, there’s no need for that,” she said at once.“I’m fine,” she repeated.“I just need to lie down.”
He looked uncertain, and he frowned.“You look pale.”
