He finished his drink and poured one more, capping the bottle. Then he stood up and put it away. He started to pocket his billfold, but he paused to open it and look once more at the picture of his baby son. As always, he felt a hollow emptiness, as if his insides had been ripped out. Now he was going to have another baby—another little child, his child. It was a miracle to him, thrilling.
Stella had to let him be a part of his child’s life. It was a chance to be a dad again, to have a little one, a son or daughter to raise. In that moment, he cared. He wanted Stella to marry him or let him into the life of his child in some way. He wasn’t giving up a second child of his. One loss was too many. He sure as hell didn’t plan to lose the second baby. He would have to court Stella until she just couldn’t say no. He had to try to win her love.
As much as he hurt, he still had to smile. Stella wouldn’t go for any insincere attempt to fake love or conjure it up where it didn’t exist.
He had to make her fall in love with him and that might not be so easy when he didn’t know whether he could ever really love her in return.
* * *
The next morning Stella was supposed to have breakfast with Aaron, but he called and told her to go ahead because he’d be late. A few minutes after she’d settled in and ordered, she watched him cross the dining room to her table. He was dressed for a day of helping the cleanup effort in jeans, an R&N sweatshirt and cowboy boots. Even in the ordinary clothes, he looked handsome and her heart began racing at her first glimpse of him. The father of her baby. She was beginning to adjust to the idea of being pregnant even though she had slept little last night.
“Sorry. You shouldn’t have waited. Did you order from the menu or are you going with the buffet?”
“I’ve ordered from the menu and I didn’t wait,” she said, smiling.
“I’ll get the buffet and be right back.”
While they ate, Aaron sipped his coffee. “So, did you sleep well last night?” he asked.
“Fine,” she replied, taking a dainty bite of yellow pineapple.
“Shall I try again? Did you get any sleep last night?”
She stared at him. “How do you know I didn’t?”
“You’re a scrupulously honest person so prevarication isn’t like you. You were a little too upset to sleep well.”
“If you must know, I didn’t sleep well. Did you?”
“Actually, pretty good after I thought things through.”
“I’m glad. By the way, today after work, I’ll try to get something together for the presentation in Lubbock tomorrow. Please tell me this is a small group.”
“This is a small group,” he said, echoing her words.
She wasn’t convinced. “Aaron, is this a large or small group?”
“It’s what I’d call in-between.”
“That’s a real help,” she said. He grinned and took her hand in his to squeeze it lightly.
“All you need is an opening line and a closing line. You know the stuff in between. You’ll be fine. I know what I’m talking about. And so will you, so just relax,” he said, his eyes warm and friendly. She would be glad to have his support for the afternoon.