Pregnant by the Texan(8)
When it was time to go meet Aaron, she picked up a small purse that only held necessities, including her card key, wallet and a list of temporary numbers that people were using because of the storm. She wouldn’t need a coat because they wouldn’t be leaving the Cozy Inn.
When she stepped off the elevator, she saw him. She tried to ignore the faster thump of her heart. In an open-neck pale blue shirt and navy slacks, he looked handsome, neat and important. She thought he stood out in the crowd in the lobby with his dark blond hair, his broad shoulders and his air of authority.
Why did she have such an intense response to him? She had from the first moment she met him. He took her breath away and dazzled her without really doing anything except being himself.
He spotted her and her excitement jumped a notch. She felt locked into gazing into his eyes, eyes the color of caramel. She could barely get her breath; realizing how intensely she reacted to him, she made an effort to break the eye contact.
When she looked again, he was still watching her as he approached.
“You look great. No one would ever guess you’ve been working since before dawn this morning.”
“Thank you,” she answered, thinking he was just being polite. Nobody ever told her she looked great or gorgeous, or said things she heard guys say to women. She was accustomed to not catching men’s attention so she didn’t give it much thought.
“I have a table in the dining room,” he said, taking her arm. The room had been transformed since they’d left it. Lights had been turned low, the tables covered in white linen tablecloths. Tiny pots wrapped in red foil and tied with bright green satin bows held dwarf red poinsettias sprinkled with glitter, adding to the festive Christmas atmosphere.
A piano player played softly at one end of the room in front of a tiny dance floor where three couples danced to a familiar Christmas song. Near the piano was a fully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights.
Aaron held her chair and then sat across from her, moving the poinsettia to one side even though they could both see over it.
“I haven’t seen many Christmas trees this season,” she said. “It’s easy to even forget the holiday season is here when so many are hurting and so much is damaged.”
“Will you be with your family for Christmas?”
“No. My parents don’t pay any attention to Christmas. They’re divorced and Christmas was never a fun time at our house because of the anger between them. It was a relief when they finally ended their marriage.”
“Sorry. I know we talked about families before. Earlier today you said you are going to see your sister in Austin tomorrow. Do you see her at Christmas?”
“Some years I spend Christmas at her house. Some years I go back and forth between my parents and my sister. Mom has moved to Fort Worth. She’s a high school principal there. After the divorce my dad moved his insurance business to Dallas because he had so many customers in the area. I see him some, but not as much as my mom. My grandmother lives with her and my grandfather is deceased.”
“So this year what will you do at Christmastime?”
“I plan to stay here and keep trying to help where I can until the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Then I’ll fly to Austin to be at my sister’s. I have a feeling the holidays will be extremely difficult here for some people. I’m coming back Christmas afternoon and I’ve asked people here who are alone to come over that evening—just a casual dinner. So far there are about five people coming.”