Page 51 of One Texas Night...
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Friday night Phillip joined her, and when Sloan brought his children in, Leah came with him. Sloan looked startled to see Phillip. Jake held his small arms out to Allison, and as soon as she had hugged both girls, she took Jake from Sloan.
“Phillip, if you’re staying, you’re a glutton for punishment,” Sloan said.
“I like kids. I have six nieces and nephews and I see them often. They’re all here in town, so this is nothing. It’ll be fun.”
“Crazy man,” Sloan said in fun to Leah, who smiled at Phillip and Allison.
“Pay no attention to him,” Leah said. “He’s great with the kids. Although today has been a little trying.” She said goodbye to the children and got ready to leave. “We shouldn’t be out late.”
Carrying Jake, Allison went with Phillip as they followed Sloan and Leah to the door while the girls ran for the toy box.
After pizza, later in the evening, Allison painted at the kitchen table with Virginia and Megan while Phillip sat on the floor playing with toy cars with Jake, who sat on a blanket with toys spread all around him.
“Phillip, if you get tired just tell me, and I’ll trade with you or just take him, and you can go watch television.”
“I’m fine. He doesn’t look as if he’ll wear out for another ten hours. When does this kid go to sleep?”
She laughed. “Jake’s a night owl.”
Virginia turned to Phillip. “Sometimes Jake stays up later than we do.”
“Does he now?” Phillip asked, rolling his eyes. “He may put me to bed.”
“I’ll play with him.”
“I’m kidding. We’re having a good time, aren’t we, Jake? I think he’s happiest crashing the cars. If I can just keep him from chewing on them....”
“You have teething rings there,” she said, watching Phillip run his car around Jake’s and play with her little nephew. It was obvious how much Phillip enjoyed kids. She thought how easily they could repeat this scene over and over if they married each other and had a family of their own.
She had made her decision to accept Phillip’s next proposal. But now she couldn’t help but wonder: Did she want to settle for a safe, loveless marriage?
And how long would it be before she forgot Jared?
Ten
On Monday morning, Jared entered his office after being in North Dakota for the past week on company business. He sat going through his mail, and then turned to listen to his voice mail. He frowned slightly when he discovered he had three calls from Sloan.
Jared thought about Allison. He missed her more than he’d ever thought it was possible to miss someone. Too often memories crept up on him and he couldn’t keep from getting lost in them. Any time he saw a tall blonde walking ahead of him, his attention was riveted until he was certain it wasn’t Allison, although common sense told him that he was not going to see her in a chance meeting.
Skimming over his list of appointments, he decided he had time now to return Sloan’s call. “Is the property available?” he asked his friend after they greeted each other. He figured that was why Sloan had left so many messages.
“No. I called because I want to see you. How about lunch today? I can’t talk on the phone.”
“Okay,” Jared said, because Sloan occasionally came up with a very good investment for him.
They made lunch arrangements, and then Jared forgot Sloan until his secretary thrust her head into his office and reminded him of his lunch appointment.
Shrugging into his charcoal suit coat, he left, going to a downtown restaurant that was beginning to fill with the lunch crowd. Sloan was waiting, and Jared joined him.
After they’d ordered burgers and got their drinks, Jared asked, “All right, what’s so urgent? Property? A building? Stocks? You must have something hot on your mind.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about my sister. And to apologize.”
Startled, Jared stared at his friend. “What about your sister? And what on earth would you apologize for? Well, maybe I can guess that one—sort of butting into others’ lives,” he said, grinning and giving Sloan a slight verbal jab.
“Jared, I’m worried.”
