The Cowboy's Secret Baby: BWWM Cowboy Pregnancy Romance (Young Adult First Time Billionaire Steamy African American) by Christin Jensen Page B
Authors: Christin Jensen
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immediately.
“Mrs. Saxe,” young Croxton sounded calm and businesslike, “my next call now I’ve gotten home will be to apologize to Clarice and see if there’s any way I can help her.”
“You could have the decency to marry her,” Marion sniped.
“I would have done just that two months ago,” Farris exploded, “except that she told me you were just waiting for the excuse to retire and come up here and mind my business for me. - I knew almost from the first time I met her that Clarice was living under somebody’s thumb, and the two of us agreed together that she needed to take care of her own problem. From the reports I’m getting, she’s trying to do that.”
“You put a detective on me!” Marion’s hiss was quite effective over the phone.
“Yes, I realized soon enough that I needed to know what was going on in Clarice’s life down there.” Almost against his will, Farris matched anger for anger. “You’re a bully, you know, and always have been. Clarice deserves a real life, whether it has me in it or not.” He hung up.
Farris’ next phone call was to Clarice. He had already been to the psychiatrist Todd Blake had recommended, and he felt like his soul had been scoured. “I’m sorry,” were the first words he said into the telephone.
“Don’t be,” Clarice’s voice was calm. Though he could not see her, Clarice’s hands were shaking, and she was glad she had taken a break from painting. “It takes two to tango,” she continued. “Both of us are to blame on this one. We were such children. – Anyway, I’ve planned what I wanted to say to you.” Clarice took a deep breath. “Thanks partially to the publicity you’ve gotten me, I’m well fixed to raise this child on my own. He (she was far enough along that she knew the sex of the baby) can decide on his own whether or not to have a relationship with you. In the meantime, all I’ll accept from you is any artwork commission you might happen to give me.” She pressed the ‘off’ button, afraid to speak any further.
Chapter 10
Sitting there on her unfashionable sofa, Clarice broke down. The sound of Farris’ voice had brought everything back so clearly. She could see him as though he stood in front of her, those grey eyes all red-rimmed and ghastly. She could almost feel him beside her, with that scent of horse and the peculiar, rich man’s aftershave he always affected.
God, how could she ever begin to deserve such a man? Clarice was well aware now of her own weaknesses. Sometimes, and always at the most awkward moments, she still found herself wanting to run home to Mother and forget everything she’d ever learned.
Farris cut off the dead phone line, crushed. He was going to have a son, and he might never see him. Didn’t Clarice realize what a horrible fate this was? Hadn’t she been happy to find her own father? – Farris could set up a trust fund, of course; that was what fathers of illegitimate children did.
And Clarice herself, how would he ever forget her? Did she think he could ever look at a painting of hers without wanting to hear her husky voice explaining it? Farris tried to cut off his memories, the ones that still woke him at night, erect and needful.
“Calm down, son.” Farris felt Terry McGee’s hand on his shoulder. “I know things are going hard right now, but you can get through this.”
Farris turned to the man who had been like a father to him. Nobody else on the place would dare approach him at a time like this, when he had retreated to the business office for privacy. Now he looked up at Terry’s lined face. “I suppose you could say I’m having rich boy growing up pains.”
Terry sat down in the other office chair. “I know you must hurt like hell now, Farris, but you’ll get through this. You don’t even have to grin while you bear it.”
“You know I really drove Clarice away from me,” Farris confessed
“Mrs. Saxe,” young Croxton sounded calm and businesslike, “my next call now I’ve gotten home will be to apologize to Clarice and see if there’s any way I can help her.”
“You could have the decency to marry her,” Marion sniped.
“I would have done just that two months ago,” Farris exploded, “except that she told me you were just waiting for the excuse to retire and come up here and mind my business for me. - I knew almost from the first time I met her that Clarice was living under somebody’s thumb, and the two of us agreed together that she needed to take care of her own problem. From the reports I’m getting, she’s trying to do that.”
“You put a detective on me!” Marion’s hiss was quite effective over the phone.
“Yes, I realized soon enough that I needed to know what was going on in Clarice’s life down there.” Almost against his will, Farris matched anger for anger. “You’re a bully, you know, and always have been. Clarice deserves a real life, whether it has me in it or not.” He hung up.
Farris’ next phone call was to Clarice. He had already been to the psychiatrist Todd Blake had recommended, and he felt like his soul had been scoured. “I’m sorry,” were the first words he said into the telephone.
“Don’t be,” Clarice’s voice was calm. Though he could not see her, Clarice’s hands were shaking, and she was glad she had taken a break from painting. “It takes two to tango,” she continued. “Both of us are to blame on this one. We were such children. – Anyway, I’ve planned what I wanted to say to you.” Clarice took a deep breath. “Thanks partially to the publicity you’ve gotten me, I’m well fixed to raise this child on my own. He (she was far enough along that she knew the sex of the baby) can decide on his own whether or not to have a relationship with you. In the meantime, all I’ll accept from you is any artwork commission you might happen to give me.” She pressed the ‘off’ button, afraid to speak any further.
Chapter 10
Sitting there on her unfashionable sofa, Clarice broke down. The sound of Farris’ voice had brought everything back so clearly. She could see him as though he stood in front of her, those grey eyes all red-rimmed and ghastly. She could almost feel him beside her, with that scent of horse and the peculiar, rich man’s aftershave he always affected.
God, how could she ever begin to deserve such a man? Clarice was well aware now of her own weaknesses. Sometimes, and always at the most awkward moments, she still found herself wanting to run home to Mother and forget everything she’d ever learned.
Farris cut off the dead phone line, crushed. He was going to have a son, and he might never see him. Didn’t Clarice realize what a horrible fate this was? Hadn’t she been happy to find her own father? – Farris could set up a trust fund, of course; that was what fathers of illegitimate children did.
And Clarice herself, how would he ever forget her? Did she think he could ever look at a painting of hers without wanting to hear her husky voice explaining it? Farris tried to cut off his memories, the ones that still woke him at night, erect and needful.
“Calm down, son.” Farris felt Terry McGee’s hand on his shoulder. “I know things are going hard right now, but you can get through this.”
Farris turned to the man who had been like a father to him. Nobody else on the place would dare approach him at a time like this, when he had retreated to the business office for privacy. Now he looked up at Terry’s lined face. “I suppose you could say I’m having rich boy growing up pains.”
Terry sat down in the other office chair. “I know you must hurt like hell now, Farris, but you’ll get through this. You don’t even have to grin while you bear it.”
“You know I really drove Clarice away from me,” Farris confessed
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