was going to break.”
“It wasn’t as if I wanted to leave you, Evelyn.”
“No, I know but you were young and eager for adventure and I was so nervous about you going off to seek your fortune.”
“It was the only way we were going to get any serious money behind us.” He held out his palms.
“Maybe, Nate, but I’d have been happy as a farmer’s wife.”
He nodded. “I know that but I wanted you to have more than your folks, than my folks…”
She took one of his rough hands between hers and ran her fingertips over the palm.
“I didn’t need more.”
“Well maybe I did.” He frowned at his own comment.
Evelyn nodded. “I think maybe you did. And that’s all right, Nate. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a good life for yourself. I’ve never blamed you for that.”
“Not for me, Evelyn but for us.” He gestured at her chest then at his own. “Call it masculine pride but I wanted you to have the best of everything and I wanted to be the one who provided for you. I wanted you to be proud that I was your man.”
“Nate”—she squeezed his fingers—“I was proud that you were my man. Didn’t you know that? Didn’t I make it clear to you?”
He nodded. “You did but I wanted to give you more than just this…” He waved at his body and laughed self-consciously.
“Oh my darling!” Evelyn laughed too. “Of course I was proud to walk on your arm but I was also proud of you, who you were and how hard you worked the land!”
“So?” He raised his eyebrows. “What happened when I left?”
“I didn’t hear from you for over six weeks and I was sick with worry.”
“Time passed so quickly because I was so darned busy, up before dawn and working till way after sunset. By the time I made it back to my tent, I was good for nothing other than collapsing onto my bunk. But then I struck lucky.”
“But I didn’t know that…and…there were complications.”
She saw him stiffen, and he pulled his hand from between hers. The coverlet slipped down his chest and rested below his navel. Despite her apprehension, the sight of his naked torso with its dusting of dark hair and hard, flat stomach rekindled her lust. She forced herself to look away. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel never to look at his gorgeous body again or to feel it pressed against her own.
“Henry Campbell came round to see my Daddy and found me crying by the chicken coop.”
“I’ll bet he did,” Nate growled, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
“I had good reason to cry.”
He reached out and stroked her face. “I’m so sorry. I’d go back and tell myself to write to you if I could.”
She sniffed. “Nate, I was with child.”
“What?”
She reached out and took his hand again.
“What do you mean, Evelyn? He got you…”
She shook her head.
“Then who?” Fury blazed in his eyes.
“You!”
“But that’s not possible!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. “I was always careful.”
“It’s not a fool proof method, Nate,” she whispered, suddenly shy. “And once or twice…after some of Daddy’s homemade liquor…we did throw caution to the wind.”
“You mean?”
“Yes, Nate, Aaron is your son.” She dipped her head, afraid of the storm that would follow.
He jumped from the bed, oblivious to his nudity but Evelyn couldn’t tear her eyes away from his glorious form or his thick cock as it swung against his thighs.
“I have a son!”
She nodded, unsure if he was furious or ecstatic.
“I have a son!”
“Yes, Nate.”
“But I didn’t know. I would have returned, married you, brought him up…”
She watched as the enormity of the situation sank in and he sank onto the edge of the bed, reduced to the raw human emotion of grief.
“He’s ten. I’ve missed so much.” Then he looked up at her. “You married Campbell and let him bring up my son. You stole my child away from me!”
“Nate, it wasn’t like that! I didn’t know what else to do! My parents were
“It wasn’t as if I wanted to leave you, Evelyn.”
“No, I know but you were young and eager for adventure and I was so nervous about you going off to seek your fortune.”
“It was the only way we were going to get any serious money behind us.” He held out his palms.
“Maybe, Nate, but I’d have been happy as a farmer’s wife.”
He nodded. “I know that but I wanted you to have more than your folks, than my folks…”
She took one of his rough hands between hers and ran her fingertips over the palm.
“I didn’t need more.”
“Well maybe I did.” He frowned at his own comment.
Evelyn nodded. “I think maybe you did. And that’s all right, Nate. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a good life for yourself. I’ve never blamed you for that.”
“Not for me, Evelyn but for us.” He gestured at her chest then at his own. “Call it masculine pride but I wanted you to have the best of everything and I wanted to be the one who provided for you. I wanted you to be proud that I was your man.”
“Nate”—she squeezed his fingers—“I was proud that you were my man. Didn’t you know that? Didn’t I make it clear to you?”
He nodded. “You did but I wanted to give you more than just this…” He waved at his body and laughed self-consciously.
“Oh my darling!” Evelyn laughed too. “Of course I was proud to walk on your arm but I was also proud of you, who you were and how hard you worked the land!”
“So?” He raised his eyebrows. “What happened when I left?”
“I didn’t hear from you for over six weeks and I was sick with worry.”
“Time passed so quickly because I was so darned busy, up before dawn and working till way after sunset. By the time I made it back to my tent, I was good for nothing other than collapsing onto my bunk. But then I struck lucky.”
“But I didn’t know that…and…there were complications.”
She saw him stiffen, and he pulled his hand from between hers. The coverlet slipped down his chest and rested below his navel. Despite her apprehension, the sight of his naked torso with its dusting of dark hair and hard, flat stomach rekindled her lust. She forced herself to look away. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel never to look at his gorgeous body again or to feel it pressed against her own.
“Henry Campbell came round to see my Daddy and found me crying by the chicken coop.”
“I’ll bet he did,” Nate growled, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
“I had good reason to cry.”
He reached out and stroked her face. “I’m so sorry. I’d go back and tell myself to write to you if I could.”
She sniffed. “Nate, I was with child.”
“What?”
She reached out and took his hand again.
“What do you mean, Evelyn? He got you…”
She shook her head.
“Then who?” Fury blazed in his eyes.
“You!”
“But that’s not possible!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. “I was always careful.”
“It’s not a fool proof method, Nate,” she whispered, suddenly shy. “And once or twice…after some of Daddy’s homemade liquor…we did throw caution to the wind.”
“You mean?”
“Yes, Nate, Aaron is your son.” She dipped her head, afraid of the storm that would follow.
He jumped from the bed, oblivious to his nudity but Evelyn couldn’t tear her eyes away from his glorious form or his thick cock as it swung against his thighs.
“I have a son!”
She nodded, unsure if he was furious or ecstatic.
“I have a son!”
“Yes, Nate.”
“But I didn’t know. I would have returned, married you, brought him up…”
She watched as the enormity of the situation sank in and he sank onto the edge of the bed, reduced to the raw human emotion of grief.
“He’s ten. I’ve missed so much.” Then he looked up at her. “You married Campbell and let him bring up my son. You stole my child away from me!”
“Nate, it wasn’t like that! I didn’t know what else to do! My parents were
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