half-hearted chuckle. “I know what I want, and I have a pretty good idea what Grayson wants.”
They both wanted the other to disappear.
He turned her hand in his and laced their fingers together. “I love you and I don’t want to lose you. But I can’t tell you what to do, Mattie.”
She’d been convinced she had no tears left to shed, but her eyes filled with moisture, anyway. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Give it some time,” he said. “You’ve had a shock.”
“Time,” she muttered. Time would tell her a lot of things. Like whether or not she was carrying Trenton’s baby. Or whether her future was with Ford, or the man looking at her with so much love in his eyes, her heart ached.
She stood and turned away, unable to bear the pain she’d caused either of these men. Men, who were so different, but had one thing in common—their love for her. “I told him there was a chance I could be pregnant.”
He stood and moved in behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. “I heard. These walls aren’t as thick as you might think.”
She let her head fall back against him, and he rested his chin atop her head. “I know that hurt him,” she said. “But I thought he needed to know.”
He swept his hand down to her abdomen. “If you are pregnant,” he said, “it’s going to change everything.”
She moved her head to the side and looked at him. “You think I don’t know that?”
His eyes always reminded her of melted chocolate, warm, gentle, until now. There was a hard cast to his expression that had her wishing she could call back the words.
“I don’t want to win by default, Mattie.”
She stepped away from him. “Win? I’m not some pet cow at the state fair in the 4H competition.” Like it or not, that’s exactly how she was feeling, as if she were caught in the middle of an emotional tug-of-war and she was the prize.
“You have to make a decision. Me or Grayson,” he said. “He could walk if you’re pregnant. I didn’t hear him saying he’d raise a kid who wasn’t his, and I sure as hell don’t want you staying with me out of a sense of obligation.”
She stared at Trenton. During their courtship, he’d never made harsh demands on her. He’d waited patiently for her to return his feelings. Or had she mistaken patience for tenacity? “How can you even say that?”
His gaze narrowed. “There are going to be a lot of things said that you don’t want to hear over the next few days.”
Frustration made her edgy. She started pacing. “Why are both of you so willing to let me make this decision? This affects all of us.”
“Because you’re the only one who can,” he returned. “I’m not willing to let you go simply because Grayson has miraculously risen from the dead. And I know damned well he won’t voluntarily disappear anytime soon.”
She stopped and looked at him. “Unless I’m pregnant,” she said, hating that they were arguing.
“You won’t know that until you ask him if he’d be willing to raise my kid.”
“Would you let him?” She held her breath, waiting. Would he demand she divorce Ford? Or would he quietly slip out of their lives and allow her to resume her marriage? He could sue her for custody of the child, and she suspected he might. She knew he loved her, but would he fight her for their child?
“I don’t know,” he said.
She didn’t know, either, and maybe that was part of the problem. She released a short puff of breath and dropped into the chair. “I hate this.” She hated the tension between her and Trenton, and the mistrust between her and Ford. She hated being torn in two. She hated being the one they were both looking to for answers she wasn’t prepared to give.
He crouched in front of her. “Do you still love him?”
She wanted to scream with frustration. “I’ve always been honest with you about my feelings for Ford. That hasn’t changed.”
“So, you still love
They both wanted the other to disappear.
He turned her hand in his and laced their fingers together. “I love you and I don’t want to lose you. But I can’t tell you what to do, Mattie.”
She’d been convinced she had no tears left to shed, but her eyes filled with moisture, anyway. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Give it some time,” he said. “You’ve had a shock.”
“Time,” she muttered. Time would tell her a lot of things. Like whether or not she was carrying Trenton’s baby. Or whether her future was with Ford, or the man looking at her with so much love in his eyes, her heart ached.
She stood and turned away, unable to bear the pain she’d caused either of these men. Men, who were so different, but had one thing in common—their love for her. “I told him there was a chance I could be pregnant.”
He stood and moved in behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. “I heard. These walls aren’t as thick as you might think.”
She let her head fall back against him, and he rested his chin atop her head. “I know that hurt him,” she said. “But I thought he needed to know.”
He swept his hand down to her abdomen. “If you are pregnant,” he said, “it’s going to change everything.”
She moved her head to the side and looked at him. “You think I don’t know that?”
His eyes always reminded her of melted chocolate, warm, gentle, until now. There was a hard cast to his expression that had her wishing she could call back the words.
“I don’t want to win by default, Mattie.”
She stepped away from him. “Win? I’m not some pet cow at the state fair in the 4H competition.” Like it or not, that’s exactly how she was feeling, as if she were caught in the middle of an emotional tug-of-war and she was the prize.
“You have to make a decision. Me or Grayson,” he said. “He could walk if you’re pregnant. I didn’t hear him saying he’d raise a kid who wasn’t his, and I sure as hell don’t want you staying with me out of a sense of obligation.”
She stared at Trenton. During their courtship, he’d never made harsh demands on her. He’d waited patiently for her to return his feelings. Or had she mistaken patience for tenacity? “How can you even say that?”
His gaze narrowed. “There are going to be a lot of things said that you don’t want to hear over the next few days.”
Frustration made her edgy. She started pacing. “Why are both of you so willing to let me make this decision? This affects all of us.”
“Because you’re the only one who can,” he returned. “I’m not willing to let you go simply because Grayson has miraculously risen from the dead. And I know damned well he won’t voluntarily disappear anytime soon.”
She stopped and looked at him. “Unless I’m pregnant,” she said, hating that they were arguing.
“You won’t know that until you ask him if he’d be willing to raise my kid.”
“Would you let him?” She held her breath, waiting. Would he demand she divorce Ford? Or would he quietly slip out of their lives and allow her to resume her marriage? He could sue her for custody of the child, and she suspected he might. She knew he loved her, but would he fight her for their child?
“I don’t know,” he said.
She didn’t know, either, and maybe that was part of the problem. She released a short puff of breath and dropped into the chair. “I hate this.” She hated the tension between her and Trenton, and the mistrust between her and Ford. She hated being torn in two. She hated being the one they were both looking to for answers she wasn’t prepared to give.
He crouched in front of her. “Do you still love him?”
She wanted to scream with frustration. “I’ve always been honest with you about my feelings for Ford. That hasn’t changed.”
“So, you still love
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