No, he said firmly. I did.
She stared at him. Oh, no. What happened? Im sorry.
He looked at her. No one died. It wasnt like that.
She didnt understand. If no one had died... She waited, not sure what to ask, or if she should. His expression was tightboth pained and angry, she thought.
High school was easy, he said with a shrug, his gaze once again looking past her. I liked girls and they liked me. I was in and out of what I called love every couple of weeks.
Sounds like fun.
He glanced at her and smiled. Yeah. Fun is a good word for it. The smile faded. In college, I got a little more serious. The girlfriends lasted months instead of weeks. But no one stuck. Natalie was one of them. We dated for a few weeks. It was great and then it ended. When I ran into her the following spring, it was obvious that she was pregnant.
Bailey stiffened. She hadnt seen that coming.
Shed never tried to get in touch with me, which pissed me off, he continued. I could count as well as the next guy. She was about five months along. The kid was mine. I proposed and she refused. She said she didnt want to get married that way. So we moved in together.
He shifted a little, then looked at Bailey. Id been drafted at that point. I was excited about graduating and starting my NFL career. I didnt take as much time with Natalie as I should have. I wasnt home much. I didnt run around with other women, but there were a lot of things to do.
She nodded, not sure what he wanted to hear. Or where the story was going.
The babya boywas born while I was playing. Natalie didnt call to tell me she was in labor. I rushed home as soon as I found out, but Natalie wasnt all that eager to keep me at home, so I went back to work. Time passed. We still werent married, but we had James and that was enough for me.
He drew in a breath. I spent all my free time with him. He was a great kid. Smart and loving. I was so damned proud. Things with Natalie were up and down, but I figured thats what happened when you were in a serious relationship. When James was three, everything changed.
She looked at him, wanting desperately to hear and almost afraid of what he was going to tell her.
How? she asked softly.
I got hurt. My first serious injury. I missed five games. While I was recovering, Natalie came to me. She said that the reason shed never wanted to marry me was that she was in love with another man. A married man. He kept promising to leave his wife for her and he finally did. Natalie was leaving me to go be with him.
His expression turned fierce. It wasnt good news, but I was okay with that. We definitely werent in love then. I told her I wanted custody of James. Thats when she said he wasnt mine. The other guy was the father.
Bailey sucked in a breath. Was she telling the truth?
Yeah. Thats the hell of it. I got an attorney and we arranged for a DNA test. But when it came back...I had no legal claim on him. She took him and walked out and I never saw him again.
Bailey wanted to go to him, to hold him and offer comfort. Only there wasnt anything she could say.
She tried to imagine what it would be like if she lost Chloe. But even thinking it was possible was too painful to consider.
Im sorry, she whispered.
Me, too. The thing is, youre great and I like you a lot.
An unexpected statement that should have thrilled her. Except for the single word at the end.
But.
He didnt have to say it. She heard it loud and clear. She was the woman with a kid who wasnt his. Kenny had been burned that way once before. He wasnt going to risk it again.
I understand, she told him, feeling disappointed and more than a little hurt. It makes perfect sense.
I understand, she told him, feeling disappointed and more than a little hurt. It makes perfect sense.
I wanted you to know why, he said.
She stood. And now I do. Thank you. Chloe and I had a great time today.
I did, too.
He rose and there was an awkward moment as they both stared at each other. He gave her a half smile and reached for his coat.
Bailey held open the front door, briskly wished him good-night, then shut it behind him. When she was alone, she leaned against the door and told herself it was for the better.
Only she didnt feel better. She felt a little sick to her stomach. Because she thought maybe what hed been saying was that under other circumstances, he might have been interested in her. That he might have thought she was his type. And knowing that made not having any chance at him just a little more difficult to take.
CHAPTER FIVE
ONE OF THE advantages of living in Fools Gold was that no matter what horrible thing might be happening in your personal life, there was also something in town to serve as a distraction.
Despite having not slept much the night before, Bailey greeted the morning with as much optimism as she could muster. For one thing, she had a great life. She had her daughter, friends and a job she loved, and in less than two weeks, she would be moving into her first ever, very own home. It was enough, she told herself firmly. She didnt need a mannot even one as tempting as Kenny.