Read Online Forever Wishes (Montana Brides Book 4) by Leeanna Morgan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Leeanna Morgan
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dress up as Batman.”
Erin tried not to smile at the hopeful expression on his face. “It doesn’t fit with the professional image I’ve developed.”
“You don’t have to wear it to work,” he grinned. “It could be a little after hours outfit.”
Heat scorched Erin’s face. They’d gotten into enough trouble with a perfectly half-decent satin dress and a pair of red high heels. Lord knew what would happen if she wore tight black leather pants, a whip and pointy black ears.
“I’ll take your silence as a definite maybe.”
Erin knew he’d take anything she said or did as a definite maybe. Especially if it involved getting naked. She took another sip of chocolate. Thinking about getting naked brought up a whole lot of other issues she needed to sort out.
She looked down at her drink, swirling the last dregs of her hot chocolate into a mini whirlpool. “How do you feel about kids?” She hoped that didn’t sound as crazy as she thought it did. She should have softened the beginning, made it sound more discreet, more of something that it wasn’t.
Jake smiled at a family of ducks splashing in the water. “Great when they belong to someone else, but not for me.”
“Oh.”
His head turned in her direction. After a few seconds he quietly asked, “What do you think about kids?”
A heavy sinking feeling lodged in the pit of Erin’s stomach. Putting her cup on the grass, she rested her arms on her bent knees. “Last year I got engaged. A few weeks before the wedding I found out my fiancé didn’t want children. We broke up. That was nearly a year ago.” She glanced at Jake. He kept his eyes on the river.
Another few minutes of silence went by before he asked, “Why do you want kids so much?”
This time around she wasn’t going to careful. She wouldn’t gloss over the one thing that had always been important to her. Jake needed to know the truth and if that made him run a mile, then he wasn’t the man for her.
“I’m an only child. When I was growing up I always wanted to be a mom and have a house full of kids. I’m all grown up now, and I don’t have children. When my parents died it made me realize how short our lives are. The whole circle of life thing kept me awake at night.”
She pulled her knees against her chest. “I need to start trying for a baby pretty soon or the chances of ever getting pregnant will be zilch.”
Jake frowned. “You’re not that old. What’s the rush?”
She could have sworn she heard a loose screw flicking around inside his brain. “I’m twenty-eight-years-old. Unlike the males of the species, I don’t have the luxury of time on my side. If I want to have children it’s going to have to happen soon.” Staring at his blank expression didn’t do a lot for her confidence. He was either good at hiding his feelings, or didn’t care about what she’d told him.
He put his coffee down and held her hand. The heat from his fingers melted the ice running through her veins. His eyes were serious, his mouth set in a grim line.
She took a deep breath, dreading what might come next.
“I don’t want children. Not now and not in the future.”
“Why not?” Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She couldn’t believe how disappointed she felt.
He let go of her hand and stared moodily at the slow moving water. “I was ten-years-old when my brother was born. I got over the whole baby thing really fast, watching what my parents went through with Scott. I don’t want to risk the same thing happening to me.”
A glimmer of hope warmed her heart. “But there are tests the doctors can do to see if the baby has Down syndrome.”
Shaking his head, he said softly, “I don’t need to worry about that because I don’t want children.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear. I really enjoyed Saturday night and I want to see you again. I know this could be a deal breaker for
Erin tried not to smile at the hopeful expression on his face. “It doesn’t fit with the professional image I’ve developed.”
“You don’t have to wear it to work,” he grinned. “It could be a little after hours outfit.”
Heat scorched Erin’s face. They’d gotten into enough trouble with a perfectly half-decent satin dress and a pair of red high heels. Lord knew what would happen if she wore tight black leather pants, a whip and pointy black ears.
“I’ll take your silence as a definite maybe.”
Erin knew he’d take anything she said or did as a definite maybe. Especially if it involved getting naked. She took another sip of chocolate. Thinking about getting naked brought up a whole lot of other issues she needed to sort out.
She looked down at her drink, swirling the last dregs of her hot chocolate into a mini whirlpool. “How do you feel about kids?” She hoped that didn’t sound as crazy as she thought it did. She should have softened the beginning, made it sound more discreet, more of something that it wasn’t.
Jake smiled at a family of ducks splashing in the water. “Great when they belong to someone else, but not for me.”
“Oh.”
His head turned in her direction. After a few seconds he quietly asked, “What do you think about kids?”
A heavy sinking feeling lodged in the pit of Erin’s stomach. Putting her cup on the grass, she rested her arms on her bent knees. “Last year I got engaged. A few weeks before the wedding I found out my fiancé didn’t want children. We broke up. That was nearly a year ago.” She glanced at Jake. He kept his eyes on the river.
Another few minutes of silence went by before he asked, “Why do you want kids so much?”
This time around she wasn’t going to careful. She wouldn’t gloss over the one thing that had always been important to her. Jake needed to know the truth and if that made him run a mile, then he wasn’t the man for her.
“I’m an only child. When I was growing up I always wanted to be a mom and have a house full of kids. I’m all grown up now, and I don’t have children. When my parents died it made me realize how short our lives are. The whole circle of life thing kept me awake at night.”
She pulled her knees against her chest. “I need to start trying for a baby pretty soon or the chances of ever getting pregnant will be zilch.”
Jake frowned. “You’re not that old. What’s the rush?”
She could have sworn she heard a loose screw flicking around inside his brain. “I’m twenty-eight-years-old. Unlike the males of the species, I don’t have the luxury of time on my side. If I want to have children it’s going to have to happen soon.” Staring at his blank expression didn’t do a lot for her confidence. He was either good at hiding his feelings, or didn’t care about what she’d told him.
He put his coffee down and held her hand. The heat from his fingers melted the ice running through her veins. His eyes were serious, his mouth set in a grim line.
She took a deep breath, dreading what might come next.
“I don’t want children. Not now and not in the future.”
“Why not?” Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She couldn’t believe how disappointed she felt.
He let go of her hand and stared moodily at the slow moving water. “I was ten-years-old when my brother was born. I got over the whole baby thing really fast, watching what my parents went through with Scott. I don’t want to risk the same thing happening to me.”
A glimmer of hope warmed her heart. “But there are tests the doctors can do to see if the baby has Down syndrome.”
Shaking his head, he said softly, “I don’t need to worry about that because I don’t want children.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear. I really enjoyed Saturday night and I want to see you again. I know this could be a deal breaker for
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