Page 41 of The Forbidden Texan
“How so? What about my family?”
“You don’t have Dwight Ralston’s blood in your veins. He wasn’t your dad. Your dad has been married only once and he still is married to the same woman, even if he did have an affair and had you out of wedlock. Your dad married for life and he was a good father. Your half brother Thane was happily married and loved his wife deeply. Have you stopped to think about that?”
“No, I didn’t, because I wasn’t raised in their family with their values.”
“Whose idea was it that your two families live only two houses apart?”
“I don’t know. I just figured that was coincidence,” he answered. Hadn’t it been?
And what did it mean that he had none of Dwight Ralston’s blood in his veins? Not one drop. Since finding out the truth, he hadn’t had much time to think about the implications.
Nor did he now.
The only thing that processed in his brain was the ominous warnings about marriage that his siblings had given him all his life.
“I’m not meant for marriage, Emily. My family isn’t close. They don’t enjoy each other’s company and the kids haven’t had the home life they should have had. That’s the environment I’ve grown up in and I think that’s the bigger influence than blood ties. So, nice try, but marriage and family—not for me.”
She nodded, as if she accepted his response, but he could see the light dim in her eye. Then she quietly slipped out of bed. “I’m going to get dressed, Jake. It’s time for me to go.”
He had told women goodbye too many times. In the past, it had never bothered him, but now... Was he losing the best person he would know? And the best person to share his life with? When he asked himself that question, he knew marriage wasn’t for him. He had known that since his mother’s third marriage and all the upheaval her divorces caused.
He got up to shower and dress in the other bathroom so he could tell Emily goodbye when she was ready to leave. But as the water beat down on him, all he could think about was how much he was going to miss her. For the rest of his life, would he look back with regret for letting her go?
Ten
Jake waited in his living room until she came out of the bedroom. She wore tight jeans, a pink sweater that had an open V-neck and revealed her curves, and black boots that gave her more height, making her long legs look even longer. He wanted to cross the room, toss the bag in her hand into a corner and kiss her until she would let him carry her back to bed.
Instead, he took the bag from her. “The rest of your things are in the limo. I’ll walk down with you, but I’m not riding to your house with you. We’ll say goodbye at the limo. My driver will chauffeur you and carry your things in.”
She nodded without saying anything. Her brown eyes were wide and she was quiet. He placed his hands on either side of her face to look at her. Her hair was soft on his fingers and he hurt.
“I don’t want you to go, Emily. If you ever change your mind and want to go out or come back and move in for a while, call me.”
She smiled. “And get a new lady friend on the phone? I don’t think you really want that.”
He couldn’t return her smile. He didn’t want her to go. This was a first in his life and the pain in his heart was unfamiliar. “Emily, I want you. I can’t marry and settle down and do Sunday night dinners, but have you thought that you might be happy with a man who loves you and comes home to you and wants to be with you?”
“Jake,” she whispered and for a moment he thought maybe she was going to change her mind and accept his invitation to move in and stay longer. As he gazed into her eyes, she shook her head. “I just can’t.”
Nodding, he walked down to the limo with her and opened the door for her. Jake faced her, touching locks of her hair and letting his hand rest on her shoulder. “I’ll look up your art gallery when you open one in Dallas. Better yet, send me an invitation and I’ll come,” he said and she nodded.
“Sure, Jake. I’ll probably see you when the decorator works at the ranch, though I may be able to turn it all over to her with the plans I’ve drawn. If I don’t see you again, I hope your ranches work out the way you want. Good luck with whatever you do. The old ranch house was interesting and I feel so fortunate for all that Thane has done. You take care of yourself,” she said, stepping close and brushing a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll miss you,” she said. “Just remember your heritage.”
“Sure. And if you want me, call me.”
She just nodded. “Thanks for everything. I think you did a great job keeping the promises you made to Thane.”
“I’ve tried and I’ll keep trying and I appreciate your brothers’ cooperation. Of course, you gave them an incentive.”
When she made a move to enter the limo, he stopped her with a hand to her waist. She turned back to him and he felt as if his heart were cracking in two. “Emily, I...I’m going to miss you.”
She shook her head. “No, you won’t, Jake. You’ll find a beautiful model or starlet and go on your way. Have a happy life, Jake. You’ve been very special,” she added. Then she turned and climbed into the limo, stepping out of his life for good.
* * *
The limo pulled away from the curb and she glanced out the back and saw Jake standing there watching them drive away.
Hurting, she couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks and blurred her vision. She tried to control her crying until she got home, but she had to get a tissue and dab at her eyes. She loved Jake and thought he was wonderful. She hurt terribly and her gut said the pain was going to take a long time to get over. She had a feeling she would love him the rest of her life.
