“I don’t have money for that,”shesaid.
“You were a doctor,”hesaid.
“Yes. But he had control of the bank account. He took everything the day after I told him I wanted adivorce.”
“How have you been getting by without money?” heasked.
“My parents. They’ve been sending money when I need it. But they’re running out too.” She gazed at him with shimmering gray eyes. “I don’t want to runanymore.”
“I don’t see how it can work between us,” he said. “A relationship can’t be builtonlies.”
“It wouldn’t be,” she said. “Not if we started overtogether.”
“And what about your daughter?” heasked.
“Well, I’d want her to livewithme.”
“You have a life back in LA. Friends,family.”
“I alienated all of my friends. Now that I look back on it, I realize he manipulated me into cutting ties witheveryone.”
“What about your family?” heasked.
“My parents will always love me, but I can tell they’re getting sick of dealing with my problems. My mom warned me about Liam. She said something wasn’t right with him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. I should have listenedtoher.”
He withdrew the marshmallow from the fire. He waited a few seconds before pulling it off and popping it into his mouth. His bear bounced in approval. And of course, hewantedmore.
“We can all look back on our mistakes and think we should have done things differently,” he said as he skewered another marshmallow. “But at the time, you did the best you could with the information thatyouhad.”
“Iguess.”
Night fell, cloaking them in silence. Drew stared into the flickeringflames.
“Would you really pick up everything and move for me?” heasked.
When she hesitated, his heart dropped. They were worlds apart. She was highly educated and used to big-city life. He was just an average guy, a rancher. It wouldneverwork.
“I would have to be sure that you’d accept my daughter,”shesaid.
His head whipped up. A balloon of hope inflated hischest.
“I’d have to meet her. You know, to make sure she isn’t like Rosemary’s Baby or something.” He cracked asmile.
“I can assure you that her father’s evil didn’t end up in her. She’s the sweetest, most preciouschild.”
He held another skewer over the fire. He’d never pictured himself raising another man’s child. Would it be worth it? It would be an instantfamily.
A cloud of uncertainty descended over his heart. He couldn’t rush into this. He needed more time to think everything through. Making a rash decision could have catastrophic consequences. He wasn’t ready to bring an innocent child into this mess.Notyet.
“I need time,”hesaid.
“I can give you that,”shesaid.
“I don’t know how to make thisdecision.”
She leaned toward him and placed her hand on hischest.
“Make it with your heart,” shewhispered.
