Page 48 of The Texan's Baby Proposal

“Sure, Mom. You take care of yourself,” he said, kissing her cheek. He wasn’t going to tell her yet about the divorce. He was in no hurry to get it and evidently Lara wasn’t, either.

When he got into his car, he sat staring into the distance and seeing only Lara, remembering waking with her in his arms. How long would it take to forget her? Maybe a lifetime was the first answer that popped into mind. He grimaced and then realized he was still sitting in his car in front of his mother’s restaurant. He started the car and drove away. It was a wonder she hadn’t come out to see why he was still there.

Too many times during the day he was lost in thought about Lara. In her quiet way, she had wiggled into his life, and memories of her were everywhere at the ranch. He thought about spending the next week in Dallas at the office because it would get his mind off her. She didn’t work there anymore. Whatever memories he had of her there were good memories of her as his secretary, quiet, in the background and not in his arms or in his bed. Maybe if he worked in the office, he could shake Lara the woman out of his thoughts.

He drove to the office and spent the day trying to catch up and get back into things there. To his dismay, too many times during the day he would realize he had stopped working and was lost in thought about Lara. Twice he got out his phone and looked at her number, wanting to call her and hear her voice.

Why was he missing her more instead of less, the longer she was gone?

He stood and went to the window to gaze out over the city of Dallas. She was out there somewhere, going to class or going to the doctor or at home studying. He pulled up his phone again and stared at it. What would it hurt to ask her to dinner? That was a simple thing. He was in town and he could catch up on what she was doing and how she was. What was the harm in sharing dinner?

He called her but she didn’t answer. Was she out on a date? That thought made him unhappy and he knew that was ridiculous. He was going to divorce her. Of course she would go out with other men. But he didn’t like that idea, no matter how he rationalized it.

Finding no peace at the office, he drove home to his Dallas mansion. But he didn’t want to stay in a big empty house. Since when was he unhappy in his own home?

It was a chilly fall night with dark coming earlier now. He left and went to a drive-in and got a burger, taking a bite and then losing his appetite.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her, but he had to. Either that or get her back into his life.

Could he live with her career if she was a doctor? Could he live with her work ethic? If it meant getting her back into his life, he could. He had made big mistakes, but that could change. For better or for worse, he was in love with his wife and he was wrong to try to get her to give up her career goals. She had unselfish, wonderful reasons for wanting the training she was trying to get. Far more lofty reasons for her hard work than he had.

He thought about himself and his own career. Was he happier at the ranch, as Lara said? He liked the competition and making deals in the corporate world, but was it worth it if he was uptight and not as happy?

With his inheritance and the money and business he already had, he could get someone to run the office while he settled on the ranch and had a very good life. A good life if Lara was in it.

Why had he let her go? Why hadn’t he realized he loved her?

The cattle ranch was a success, plus there was oil on his land. Could he rethink everything he thought he’d believed so he could have the woman he loved?

And he was in love. No doubt about it.

He groaned out loud and thought there was an old man in heaven chuckling about getting his grandson married off and settled on the ranch.

Now it was up to him. What was he going to do to win her back?

* * *

Marc stopped in Downly to see his mother. As he left the restaurant a pickup passed, stopped and backed up. Gabe Callahan got out of his truck and came striding toward him.

“Hey, buddy. What goes? You look like a man on a mission,” Marc said, noting his friend’s tight look and hooded eyes.

“I just saw you so I thought I’d stop. I ought to slug you.”

“What the hell have I done? This sounds serious.”

“When Meg is bothered about something, everyone is bothered about something.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She told me that you and Lara have separated.”

“I don’t see that that’s really much of your business.”

“It’s not, except it makes me angry. Lara’s pregnant with your baby and you’ve left her.” Gabe looked away and clenched his fists. “You know who that reminds me of, don’t you?”

For the first time, Marc realized everyone would think exactly like Gabe—that he had left Lara when she was carrying his baby. And he wasn’t going to deny it because of the promises he’d made to her.

“Don’t even say it,” Marc replied. “I know Lara didn’t send you over here to get us back together.”

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