Page 46 of The Texan's Baby Proposal

“I’m ready,” she managed to say. “I don’t really have that much here at the ranch.”

He crossed the room to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I know you have to go. I’d like to be around when your baby is born, but life may change a lot by then.”

She nodded, because she couldn’t speak. Tears had blocked her throat.

“I’ll miss you, Lara.”

She looked up into his stormy dark-brown eyes and wondered what he was really feeling. Would he just miss her in bed? She had to get away from him before she started crying and couldn’t stop.

“I’ll miss you, too,” she choked out. She brushed past him and hurried to her suite, leaving him standing there. He was letting her go, just as he had told her he would from the very first.

Even in her suite she fought back her tears. She wouldn’t cry until she could get away from the ranch.

His words hurt because he didn’t sound as if breaking up their marriage disturbed him. And why would it? She was the one who had lost her heart—just what she didn’t want to do.

It was noon before the limo and her car were packed and ready. She stood looking at herself in the mirror in her suite. She wore her red dress and let her hair fall around her face. She wondered when she would see him again—in divorce court?

Leaving him hurt her more than she had dreamed possible, but she straightened her shoulders, drew in a breath and walked out of her room.

Marc sat on the back porch by the portico, waiting for her. When she stepped out, he came to his feet. The limo was ready and Randall, one of his ranch hands, waited by the passenger door with his back to them.

She turned to Marc. “I’ll see you in Dallas.”

“Yeah, I’ll call you. We’re not saying goodbye yet. I’ll see you in the city and I’ll take you to dinner soon.” He walked closer. “We don’t have to rush this divorce, Lara. I still want to be there when you have your baby. Mom will want to be there, too. She’ll help you with your baby if you’ll let her.”

“You know that’s wonderful for me. I’d like for both of you to be with me,” she said, surprised that was still what he wanted to do.

“I want to stay in your life when you have your baby.”

“Sure, Marc,” she said, doubting if he would continue to feel that way next spring.

“We’ll see each other and stay in touch,” he said.

She nodded. She couldn’t talk because she would start crying. “Bye, Marc,” she said. She couldn’t kiss him either. She merely turned and rushed for the limo, hurrying around to climb inside while Randall closed the door behind her. She didn’t look back as they drove away. She turned in the seat so Randall wouldn’t see her face and finally she let the tears come. Marc had let her go and her heart was breaking.

* * *

As the limo disappeared down the drive, Marc watched her go. She was unhappy and he wasn’t happy, either, but he figured a lot of his sorrow was caused by the loss of his grandfather. He hated to see Lara go out of his life, but they had planned this from the beginning. He’d always intended to let her go, so why—he pulled up short as he corrected his thought. He never even had her to let her go.

He told himself that, given time, he’d settle back into the life he had before this crazy marriage of convenience, but right now, he wasn’t happy. Lara had brought him joy and happiness. He hadn’t stopped to think about the changes she had made in his life. Truthfully, he didn’t want her to go, but there wasn’t a choice. She wouldn’t change and he didn’t want to change. From the beginning they had planned this split. That’s why she had been the perfect selection for his wife.

He walked back to his office, but he couldn’t work. When he looked out the window all he saw was Lara in his arms, smiling and gazing up at him. “Dammit,” he said aloud and stood impatiently. Maybe he just needed a few hours, a few days, and then he’d go back into his routine and go on with his life. He better, because she didn’t have room in her plans for him. Right now, he hated to admit that he hurt. It shocked him, but he expected the pain of separation to go away.

Nine

Lara tried to keep busy, seeing her doctor, making appointments to talk to a counselor at the university about a doctorate. She still thought it would be best to put off starting medical school until her baby was six months or a year old. She needed a nursery in her house and needed to decide if she wanted to stay in the house she was in now.

She missed Marc every day, but she missed him at night even more. Her nights were empty, lonely, and it was difficult to sleep without him by her side. She knew that wasn’t good for her or the baby.

She had another month to go on the courses she was currently enrolled in and then she would have papers to write. She wanted to keep so busy she didn’t think about Marc, but that hadn’t happened. She thought about him constantly.

After being in her life each day and night, he was suddenly gone out of it and she was having a difficult adjustment even though she was constantly busy. Even if he had asked her to give up her career, which he hadn’t, could she? Absolutely not, because it was too important to her. She might compromise, but she still wanted to help people. Besides, Marc didn’t love her enough to ask. He didn’t love her at all.

Soon he would be back, working at the office in Dallas. Would she see him when he was in town? She doubted it. They had gone their separate ways, yet her heart had gone with him. She had known from the first that she should guard her heart, but how could she guard her heart against a man who excited her more than anyone else ever had? Who was sexier than any other man? Who was more fun and considerate and a thousand other things that she loved about him?

She couldn’t. She hadn’t. She’d fallen for him, hard.

And the worst part was that she knew she’d love him the rest of her life.

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