Forged of Steele Bundle (Books 1-4) - Brenda Jackson [143]
“Well, is she pregnant?”
She heard the anger in his voice and the pain. The thought that Leah might be pregnant with another man’s child had to be hurting him deeply. At least that was one pain Jocelyn could take away. “No, she’s not pregnant.”
“How do you know for sure? She might be and just hasn’t told you.”
“Because I know,” she snapped, feeling the need to come to Leah’s defense, considering everything. “She can’t be pregnant.”
Reese frowned deeply. “You don’t know that.”
“I do know that,” she said, rounding on him angrily. “She hasn’t been involved with anyone since you and—” Jocelyn stopped abruptly, fearing she might have said too much.
“What the hell do you mean she hasn’t been involved with anyone since me? Do you actually believe that lie?” he asked incredulously. “I never thought you of all people would be that gullible.”
Jocelyn’s eyes flashed fire. “Yes, I believe it because…”
He lifted a brow. “Because what?”
Disgusted with herself and the entire situation and knowing if Neil Grunthall wasn’t dead already he would have been by the end of the day, she released a frustrated sigh. “Look, Reese, forget I said anything.”
“What are you not telling me, Jocelyn?” he asked, grabbing her arm.
She snatched it back, although it cost her to do so. She would love for him to know what she wasn’t telling him. “Look, let it be, okay? All you need to know is that Leah isn’t pregnant.” She turned to leave but Reese called out to her and she turned back around. “What?”
“Just in case I don’t see you in the morning, I’m cutting out a little early tomorrow. Two of Bas’s brothers are coming in and I plan to take them up to Cedar Springs for the weekend to do a little fishing.”
“Fine,” she said, shoving both hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Enjoy yourselves.”
Then she turned back around and continued walking.
“Thanks for a great weekend, Reese,” Bas said on Sunday afternoon as he got out of Reese’s truck and gathered his belongings. “There were good lodgings, good company, good fishing and damn good beer. What more can a man ask for?”
“Nothing’s wrong with a good woman every now and then,” Reese answered, grinning.
“Hell, but not on a fishing trip. They get too squeamish and want you to have pity and throw your catch back. Women and fishing don’t mix.”
Reese gave a smooth laugh. “You must have never gone fishing with the right woman. Leah could handle just—” He stopped suddenly, then said. “Oh, hell, dammit to three degrees. I promised myself that I wouldn’t mention her name, much less think about her this weekend. She’s not worth the effort.”
Bas shook his head. “Evidently she is. What has it been? Five years? And you’re still carrying a torch? That was some kind of love.”
Reese’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. It would be useless to deny he was still carrying a torch. “Yeah, and she didn’t deserve any of it.”
“Seems you haven’t convinced your heart of that yet. See you around, buddy.”
Moments later Bas entered the cabin he had purchased with his brothers’ blessings as investment property for the Steele Corporation. Reese, Morgan and Donovan had helped him to move in Friday afternoon then they had left to go fishing Saturday morning.
He couldn’t help but ponder the fact that Reese was still in love with a woman who had torn out his heart and stomped on it. Bas was damn grateful he had never been in love. Even when he was engaged to Cassandra, he’d liked her, been fond of her, but not once did he think he loved her. Their marriage would have been a sort of business arrangement. With thirty staring her in the face, she wanted a husband who could keep her in the lifestyle she was accustomed to, and he’d wanted a proper lady who was refined as well as beautiful. What he hadn’t been looking for but what he’d found in Cassandra had also been snobbery to a degree he just couldn’t tolerate.
A half hour later, after taking a very relaxing shower, Bas walked out of the bathroom. Wrapped in a towel, not yet ready to put on any clothes, he crossed the room to look out the window, liking