The Curvy Astronomer and the Cowboy (He Wanted Me Pregnant!) by Victoria Wessex
Authors: Victoria Wessex
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“There aren’t all that many women--”
My jaw dropped. “Is this one of those places where men mail order brides? That’s what you’re trying to tell me? You have a mail-order bride waiting for you at home?”
“No! I mean….” He ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to settle and have kids but...I hadn’t found the right person,” he said at last, looking right at me.
Hadn’t?!
Implying he had, now?
My stomach fell thirty feet, straight through the floor and down into the earth. Me?! Was that really what he was saying? That he really did have feelings for me, that he wanted.... babies with me? I stared back at him, feeling my face go pale. I was shocked, not horrified. It was way too sudden for me to even process--I couldn’t be terrified or elated or anything else.
But he misread my shocked expression. I saw the hope go out in his eyes, hope I’d been too stupid to see was there. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m a damn idiot.” He stood up, turning away from me. “Anyway, we’ll be out of here tonight.”
I was suddenly breathing fast. Was this really happening? Had he just clumsily declared his feelings for me? And I’d inadvertently pushed him away?
Part of me wanted to throw myself into his arms. But now, after worrying that he didn’t even like me and then worrying it was only about sex, we’d swung to the opposite extreme. My head spun at the thought of a life together. I needed thinking time. “We can’t go,” I said. “I don’t have the shots, yet.”
He turned around to look at me, then sighed. “We’re way out of town, here. If that snow comes down and blocks the roads, we’ll be stuck up here. No phone reception, no radio.”
There was a slow, deep pulse within me, scarlet and hot, as I thought to myself that being trapped up here with him didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. And staying here into the evening would give me some much-needed time to process all this. Maybe I could work up the courage to tell him how I felt.
On the other hand, the bear had reminded me that this was his world. If he said it was dangerous, he was probably right. On the third hand, I really did need to get those shots, or I’d be flat broke. “The snow’s coming from the mountains,” I wheedled. “We can stay ahead of it. As soon as I get the shots I need, we can get going.”
Troy ducked down so he could crane his head up and look out of the window at the sky. “How late?” he asked suspiciously.
“Oh...eight in the evening. Nine, tops,” I lied. “The snow won’t be here until midnight, right?”
He gave me a look. “Weather forecasts are that accurate, where you come from?” He stared at me. I could see the pain in his eyes--pain I’d caused by looking so shocked at his revelation. “I’m sorry, but it’s too risky.”
I looked up at him with my best puppy dog eyes. “ Please? I really need this.”
He stared at me. “Okay, fine. But we’re out of here at nine.”
***
Ten O’ clock.
I’d spent all day going over it and over it in my mind. First, I’d been unsure if he liked me. Then, after the bath, I’d been pretty sure he had, but I’d been worried he’d just use me and leave me. Now, I knew he was serious...and it was his very seriousness that was scaring me off. Babies? Why would he want me for that? Shouldn’t he want some local woman with aprons and recipe books and a sensible haircut? I was independent and restless and--
I hesitated. Was I independent? Or was I just lonely? Was I restless, or just running?
A week ago, the idea of falling for someone like this would have seemed crazy. When we’d met, we’d seemed like opposites. Maybe we were opposites. But he was so big and solid and real, next to my flightiness and my tendency to live inside my own head, that maybe that was a good thing. No one had ever made me feel like he had. Just being around him, even without us ever kissing, I felt safe and warm...and
My jaw dropped. “Is this one of those places where men mail order brides? That’s what you’re trying to tell me? You have a mail-order bride waiting for you at home?”
“No! I mean….” He ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to settle and have kids but...I hadn’t found the right person,” he said at last, looking right at me.
Hadn’t?!
Implying he had, now?
My stomach fell thirty feet, straight through the floor and down into the earth. Me?! Was that really what he was saying? That he really did have feelings for me, that he wanted.... babies with me? I stared back at him, feeling my face go pale. I was shocked, not horrified. It was way too sudden for me to even process--I couldn’t be terrified or elated or anything else.
But he misread my shocked expression. I saw the hope go out in his eyes, hope I’d been too stupid to see was there. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m a damn idiot.” He stood up, turning away from me. “Anyway, we’ll be out of here tonight.”
I was suddenly breathing fast. Was this really happening? Had he just clumsily declared his feelings for me? And I’d inadvertently pushed him away?
Part of me wanted to throw myself into his arms. But now, after worrying that he didn’t even like me and then worrying it was only about sex, we’d swung to the opposite extreme. My head spun at the thought of a life together. I needed thinking time. “We can’t go,” I said. “I don’t have the shots, yet.”
He turned around to look at me, then sighed. “We’re way out of town, here. If that snow comes down and blocks the roads, we’ll be stuck up here. No phone reception, no radio.”
There was a slow, deep pulse within me, scarlet and hot, as I thought to myself that being trapped up here with him didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. And staying here into the evening would give me some much-needed time to process all this. Maybe I could work up the courage to tell him how I felt.
On the other hand, the bear had reminded me that this was his world. If he said it was dangerous, he was probably right. On the third hand, I really did need to get those shots, or I’d be flat broke. “The snow’s coming from the mountains,” I wheedled. “We can stay ahead of it. As soon as I get the shots I need, we can get going.”
Troy ducked down so he could crane his head up and look out of the window at the sky. “How late?” he asked suspiciously.
“Oh...eight in the evening. Nine, tops,” I lied. “The snow won’t be here until midnight, right?”
He gave me a look. “Weather forecasts are that accurate, where you come from?” He stared at me. I could see the pain in his eyes--pain I’d caused by looking so shocked at his revelation. “I’m sorry, but it’s too risky.”
I looked up at him with my best puppy dog eyes. “ Please? I really need this.”
He stared at me. “Okay, fine. But we’re out of here at nine.”
***
Ten O’ clock.
I’d spent all day going over it and over it in my mind. First, I’d been unsure if he liked me. Then, after the bath, I’d been pretty sure he had, but I’d been worried he’d just use me and leave me. Now, I knew he was serious...and it was his very seriousness that was scaring me off. Babies? Why would he want me for that? Shouldn’t he want some local woman with aprons and recipe books and a sensible haircut? I was independent and restless and--
I hesitated. Was I independent? Or was I just lonely? Was I restless, or just running?
A week ago, the idea of falling for someone like this would have seemed crazy. When we’d met, we’d seemed like opposites. Maybe we were opposites. But he was so big and solid and real, next to my flightiness and my tendency to live inside my own head, that maybe that was a good thing. No one had ever made me feel like he had. Just being around him, even without us ever kissing, I felt safe and warm...and
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