Page 60 of Rhett

“Well, it’s not anymore. Please leave.”

“No.”

“No? This is my home, Rhett, and I want you to go.”

Their eyes locked until she glanced away. He knew he had to do as she asked and leave. He strode angrily to the kitchen, grabbed his hat and coat, then opened the door. He turned back to face her.

“This is not over. You owe me an explanation.”

She shook her head. Rhett huffed, stepped onto the porch, but looked back at her before closing it.

“I love you, Cin. You have to know that, and if I thought it broke me when Heidi left me, this is killing me.” He closed the door, ran down the steps, and entered his vehicle. After one last look at the door, he fired it up and drove home. He swore the entire way.

He drove home, sat in the truck, and stared at the cabin. God! He hurt. What the hell happened? He thought she had a good time with his family.

Opening the door, he stepped out and then entered the house. He absentmindedly petted his dogs. Matt had taken care of them while Rhett was away.

He sat in the recliner staring at the empty hearth and tried to figure out where it went wrong, but he saw nothing wrong. Damn, he loved her and had lost her already.

“What a great new year this will be,” he muttered.

****

“He loves me,” Lucinda whispered as she sat on the bench. She shook her head. He wanted kids.Hiskids. She should have known. He’d be a wonderful father, too, because he seemed to love playing with his niece and nephew.

Rhett had no idea how he had hurt her when she heard him tell Nate he wanted kids, and she wished she could give them to him, and it didn’t mean she didn’t want them. She did. She’d just have to find a man willing to adopt.

“I love him too,” she said.

She sighed, stood, picked up her suitcases, and carried them upstairs to her room. When she entered her bedroom, she set the cases on the floor, walked to the bed, and then collapsed onto it.

Lucinda knew he had to be wondering what was happening, and she had to tell him. She couldn’t leave him in the dark about why she wouldn’t see him anymore. How would she look at that handsome face and tell him she knew how he felt about having kids.

After checking the dogs, she bathed and went to bed. Sleep would not come easy, and she knew Rhett would have a sleepless night too.

She placed her hands over her face as tears rolled down her temples and into her hair. She sobbed thinking about what could have been. She never thought she’d fall in love again, especially with Rhett. He never seemed interested, but he said he always had been.

Why had he lied about not caring if she couldn’t have kids? Was it to get her into bed? She frowned. Some men would say anything to get a woman into bed. Even telling them they loved them when they didn’t.

Lucinda couldn’t see Rhett doing that. He probably had no problem getting a woman into his bed. She sure went willingly enough.

On Monday, Lucinda opened the kennel door and entered the building. She smiled when she heard the dogs barking.

Striding along the hallway, she entered the lobby, unlocked the main door, and checked the day’s appointments. It looked like a busy day, and for that, she was thankful. Maybe it would keep her mind off Rhett.Yeah, sure, it would.

Erin and Tiffany arrived an hour later, and everyone got to work.

At lunchtime, Lucinda sat in her office trying to eat a sandwich, but her appetite disappeared. She looked at the doorway to see Erin standing there.

“How was your Christmas? We’ve been so busy, and I haven’t had a chance to ask.”

“Nice,” Lucinda said.

Erin walked to a chair and sat. “Just nice?”

“I had a great time. Rhett’s family is wonderful.”

“But?”

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