Trail of Secrets(91)

                “Is that why you wouldn’t marry me? So I could have a good life?”

                “Yes.”

                He’d expected her to deny it, and her answer stunned him. “That makes no sense. The reason you didn’t marry me is because you didn’t want to be married to a policeman.”

                She sighed and bit down on her lip for a moment. “I knew you thought that, and I let you believe it. But there was another reason.”

                “Then tell me what it was.”

                She took a deep breath. “I thought someone else could give you the life you deserved. I couldn’t do that.”

                “Why?”

                “Because...”

                “Answer me, Callie.” She flinched from his stern tone.

                “Because I...I...”

                His head pounded, and he groaned. This had dissolved into a repeat of what had happened between them two years ago. He had pressed her for an answer, and she had refused to give him one. He’d promised himself he’d be patient with her, but he was exhausted and strained to his last nerve. Unable to stop himself, he pushed to his feet and glared down at her.

                “I told you last night at the farm how I feel about you, and I had hoped that you might feel the same way. I’m not going to go through this again. Tell me now what is so hard for you to say or I’m out of here for good.”

                Tears gushed from her eyes. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

                Seth whirled and strode across the room, needing to leave before he said something he’d really regret. He’d just grabbed the doorknob when her agonized cry stopped him in his tracks.

                “I can’t have children!” she sobbed.

                For a moment he couldn’t move, then he thought he must not have heard her right. He turned, walked back and dropped into the chair. “What did you say?”

                Her shoulders shook. “Two weeks before you asked me to marry you, I went to the doctor and found out I can never have children.”

                “B-but why?”

                Fresh tears slid down her face. “I told you about the car hitting me on my bicycle when I was a child. I had severe pelvic injuries, and the scar tissue that developed makes it impossible for me to get pregnant.”

                A box of tissues sat on the table beside her. He reached for one and wiped at the tears on her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

                She looked up, a stricken expression on her face. “Because I knew you’d insist it didn’t make a difference, but it did—it does. You deserve to be a father, and I couldn’t steal that from you.”

                He leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “So you decided to make a decision for me that should have been mine to make.”

                “No, I wanted to help you. I wanted you to find a woman who could give you children. It’s what would make you truly happy—happier than I could ever make you. I saw you at the hospital the other day with that boy you coach, and I saw how you acted with Brad and Laura’s son. If we had married, you would have come to hate me because I can’t give you what you deserve.”

                She shoved her clenched fists into her lap and stared down at them. “Callie,” he said. “Look at me.” He waited, but she didn’t look up. He spoke louder. “Callie, I said look at me.”