Read Online ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (BLUEBONNET, TEXAS Book 2) by Amie Stuart - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amie Stuart
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gripping his heart ease up just a bit.
"It’s fine, Ty. Gimme five or ten minutes to finish up and I’ll be back. There’s drinks in the ‘fridge."
After she closed the door, he got a Dr. Pepper and popped the can open, looking around at the blue walls, the tidy oversized desk and thick blue carpet. It was as cushy as Dr. Ritter’s office.
The salon’s office was just as plush as the rest of the place. Colorful and tasteful were the two words that came to mind. Whoever had decorated the place had better taste than his ex-wife. He shuddered, thinking of the money he’d been tucking away to replace or dye the white carpet in his own house.
Which brought him full circle to thoughts of Rhea. His heart picked up speed again. He sank into a couch comfortable enough to nap on, leaned back and slowly counted to ten, refusing to give in to the panic attack that nudged him. His heart slowed, but his palms were still sweaty. He lightly grasped the soda can with both hands, then yanked a tissue from a box on the table to dry them with.
Bottle of water in hand, Bettina finally joined him, closing the door behind her, and plopped down next to him.
"What’s up?" She looked exhausted, and it wasn’t even noon. Ty eyed the curve of her belly, trying to decide if the slight rounding was natural or from a baby. She kicked off her clunky heels and looked up at him.
Ty’s nerves returned full force and he struggled not to crush the can between his hands. He turned to study her, and hard on the heels of his worry came more memories of their night together.
Her lively green eyes searched his face in return. He wanted to lean over and brush his lips against her full pink ones, find out if they were as soft as he remembered. The words "Are you pregnant," seemed stuck somewhere near his Adam’s apple. Instead he blurted out, "Did you hit Rhea?"
"Is that why you came here making a scene and scaring poor Tara to death?" she demanded with a frown. Even her curls seemed to quiver with anger. "Because I hit your ex-wife? If so, I’m not apologizing and I’m not gonna play these bullshit games, Ty! Did you cut my grass?!"
He’d regretted his harsh tone the minute the words left his mouth. And now she was angry at him. "No."
"No?" That quieted her down but didn’t remove the frown from her face.
"No...Yes! I mean, yes to the grass. No, Rhea isn’t the reason I’m here." He cleared his throat and tried again. "Jessa saw you yesterday." That was the best he could do.
The anger and confusion disappeared, taking the frown lines between her eyebrows with it. Her face had become smooth and calm. "I was wondering if she’d recognize—"
"So it’s true? You’re—"
"Pregnant." Her eyes softened but never strayed from his, and her chin rose just the tiniest bit. "Yes, Ty. I am."
Ty turned away, unable to meet her almost defiant gaze while he asked the toughest question of all. Instead he kept his eyes focused on the surface of the coffee table. "I-is, um. Is it...mine?"
After what seemed like the longest, quietest year of his life she sighed.
"I don’t need your help, Ty. Or your money. I have health insurance—"
"I wasn’t gonna offer you any. I mean, ah hell. Shit!" The bottom fell out of his stomach as he turned to face her. Now I really sound like a lowlife.
"You’re not taking my baby! I don’t give a damn if you are a Boudreaux and I’m just Bad Betti!"
Jesus he was battin’ a thousand here.
"Where the hell...I would never...were you even planning to tell me?" He couldn’t seem to keep up. Her train of thought hopped around more than a bumble bee in springtime.
"Of course! I was gonna try to call you this weekend, or something, but we didn’t exactly part on good terms. I hated just calling you up and saying ‘Guess what? I’m pregnant! Oh happy day!’ And then you come in here..." Bettina’s face crumpled as she sank against the couch cushions.
He had brushed her off back in July. He felt like a heel
"It’s fine, Ty. Gimme five or ten minutes to finish up and I’ll be back. There’s drinks in the ‘fridge."
After she closed the door, he got a Dr. Pepper and popped the can open, looking around at the blue walls, the tidy oversized desk and thick blue carpet. It was as cushy as Dr. Ritter’s office.
The salon’s office was just as plush as the rest of the place. Colorful and tasteful were the two words that came to mind. Whoever had decorated the place had better taste than his ex-wife. He shuddered, thinking of the money he’d been tucking away to replace or dye the white carpet in his own house.
Which brought him full circle to thoughts of Rhea. His heart picked up speed again. He sank into a couch comfortable enough to nap on, leaned back and slowly counted to ten, refusing to give in to the panic attack that nudged him. His heart slowed, but his palms were still sweaty. He lightly grasped the soda can with both hands, then yanked a tissue from a box on the table to dry them with.
Bottle of water in hand, Bettina finally joined him, closing the door behind her, and plopped down next to him.
"What’s up?" She looked exhausted, and it wasn’t even noon. Ty eyed the curve of her belly, trying to decide if the slight rounding was natural or from a baby. She kicked off her clunky heels and looked up at him.
Ty’s nerves returned full force and he struggled not to crush the can between his hands. He turned to study her, and hard on the heels of his worry came more memories of their night together.
Her lively green eyes searched his face in return. He wanted to lean over and brush his lips against her full pink ones, find out if they were as soft as he remembered. The words "Are you pregnant," seemed stuck somewhere near his Adam’s apple. Instead he blurted out, "Did you hit Rhea?"
"Is that why you came here making a scene and scaring poor Tara to death?" she demanded with a frown. Even her curls seemed to quiver with anger. "Because I hit your ex-wife? If so, I’m not apologizing and I’m not gonna play these bullshit games, Ty! Did you cut my grass?!"
He’d regretted his harsh tone the minute the words left his mouth. And now she was angry at him. "No."
"No?" That quieted her down but didn’t remove the frown from her face.
"No...Yes! I mean, yes to the grass. No, Rhea isn’t the reason I’m here." He cleared his throat and tried again. "Jessa saw you yesterday." That was the best he could do.
The anger and confusion disappeared, taking the frown lines between her eyebrows with it. Her face had become smooth and calm. "I was wondering if she’d recognize—"
"So it’s true? You’re—"
"Pregnant." Her eyes softened but never strayed from his, and her chin rose just the tiniest bit. "Yes, Ty. I am."
Ty turned away, unable to meet her almost defiant gaze while he asked the toughest question of all. Instead he kept his eyes focused on the surface of the coffee table. "I-is, um. Is it...mine?"
After what seemed like the longest, quietest year of his life she sighed.
"I don’t need your help, Ty. Or your money. I have health insurance—"
"I wasn’t gonna offer you any. I mean, ah hell. Shit!" The bottom fell out of his stomach as he turned to face her. Now I really sound like a lowlife.
"You’re not taking my baby! I don’t give a damn if you are a Boudreaux and I’m just Bad Betti!"
Jesus he was battin’ a thousand here.
"Where the hell...I would never...were you even planning to tell me?" He couldn’t seem to keep up. Her train of thought hopped around more than a bumble bee in springtime.
"Of course! I was gonna try to call you this weekend, or something, but we didn’t exactly part on good terms. I hated just calling you up and saying ‘Guess what? I’m pregnant! Oh happy day!’ And then you come in here..." Bettina’s face crumpled as she sank against the couch cushions.
He had brushed her off back in July. He felt like a heel
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