Holding Haley (The West Contemporary Romance Series) by Jill Sanders Page B

instead of the scenery.
    “ Yes, it’s a lovely spot.” He smiled when she looked up at him.
    “ Why are you staying here?” She turned and leaned on the railing, facing him.
    “ Because Chase and Lauren invited me to.” It was simple enough to him, but he saw her frown a little at his statement.
    “ Why here? On my land?”
    “ You know why.” He reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “You.”
    She shook her head, dislodging the hair again. When she tried to take a step back, he took hold of her shoulders. “Haley, I know what happened in the past, how I hurt you. I’m not the same man I used to be. You’re not the same woman either.” He pulled her closer, until he felt her heart skip against his. Her hands had gone to his shoulders, but so far, she hadn’t tried to push him away.
    When he looked into her green eyes, he felt something return that he thought had been long gone. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. Meaning to go slow, he felt a jolt when her hands went to his hair and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. Her hands roamed down his neck to his shoulders and arms. He felt himself start to shake and wrapped his arms around her more tightly. Her tongue explored his mouth until he moaned and felt himself stir. When it became almost painful, he slowly pulled back and smiled down at her.
    “ I told you I would explain.” He ran his hands over her soft shoulders. “Let’s eat; I’m sure the food is ready.” He watched her green eyes clear a little. She nodded and leaned against the railing again.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Six
    W es had made one of her favorite dishes. The Greek chicken was so juicy and spicy, she found it hard to concentrate on anything but eating every bite. When her plate was empty, she leaned back and smiled at him.
    “ I’ve missed this.” She nodded to her plate.
    “ I figured you’d like it.” He smiled as he finished the last bite of his plate. “I didn’t get to cook as much as I would have liked overseas.”
    “ I tried making this once.” She shook her head. “I failed miserably.”
    He laughed at her and she couldn’t help but smile. She’d miss the sound of his laughter as well as his cooking.
    She waited until he took another sip of his beer, knowing that his mood had changed, that he would attempt to explain why he’d done what he had years ago. Why he had, in her mind, betrayed their friendship.
    He looked up at her and, reaching across the table, took her hand in his. “Let’s walk for a while.”
    He pulled her up from the chair. The sun was just starting to sink below the hills, making the sky light up with some of her favorite colors. The hay in the fields had just been cut the week before and was being dried in large piles until they could be baled. The smell and sights were that of home, and she realized she didn’t want to be anywhere else on Earth.
    They started walking towards the creek, but instead of stopping by the water, he turned and started walking along the sandy shore.
    “When you told me that you thought you were pregnant”—he paused and looked over at her—“I went through a slew of emotions before I settled on excitement.” He stopped and turned towards her. “I wanted you to be pregnant. I wanted our child.”
    She heard herself gasp as she realized she’d never once considered that option. She’d always thought that he was scared, never that he would want her to be pregnant.
    “We never talked about it,” he continued. “Never talked about having kids.” He shook his head. “We were too young to even give it a thought, other than protection against it. When I sat down and thought about it, after the night you’d told me, I realized I was more excited than scared. I could imagine our son or daughter.” He smiled and brushed his finger down her chin. “They would have your green eyes.” He ran his hand down her hair. “We would have a small