The Proposal & Solid Soul - Brenda Jackson [48]
“Westmoreland?”
“Yes.”
“I went to schools with some Westmorelands. Their land was connected to ours.”
“Probably his parents. They’re deceased now.”
“Sorry to hear that, but I hope you know why he married you. He wants that land. But don’t worry about it, dear. It can easily be remedied once you file for an annulment.”
She shook her head. Her parents just didn’t get it. “Jason didn’t force me to marry him, Dad. I married him of my own free will.”
“Listen, Elizabeth, you haven’t been living out there even a full month. You don’t know this guy. I will not allow you to marry him.”
“Dad, I am already married to him and I plan to send your attorney a copy of our marriage license so the hold on my trust fund will be lifted.”
“You think you’re smart, Elizabeth. I know what you’re doing and I won’t allow it. You don’t love him and he can’t love you.”
“Sounds pretty much like the same setup you and Mom have got going. The same kind of marriage you wanted me to enter with Hugh. So what’s the problem? I don’t see where there is one and I refuse to discuss the matter with you any longer. Goodbye, Dad. Give Mom my best.” She then clicked off the phone.
“I take it the news of our marriage didn’t go over well with your father.”
She glanced over at Jason who was lying beside her and smiled faintly. “Did you really expect that it would?”
“No and it really doesn’t matter. They’ll just have to get over it.”
She snuggled closer to him. That was one of the things she liked about Jason. He was his own man. “What time do we have to check out of here?”
“By noon. And then we’ll be on our way to Jason’s Place.”
She had to restrain the happiness she felt upon knowing they would be going to his home where she would live for at least the next twelve months. “Are there any do’s and don’ts that I need to know about?”
He lifted a brow. “Do’s and don’ts?”
“Yes. My time at your home is limited. I don’t want to jeopardize my welcome.” She could have sworn she’d seen something flash in his eyes but couldn’t be certain.
“You’d never jeopardize your welcome and no, there are no do’s and don’ts that will apply to you, unless…”
Now it was her turn to raise a brow. “Unless what?”
“You take a notion to paint my bedroom pink or some thing.”
She couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. She calmed down enough to ask, “What about yellow? Will that do?”
“Not one of my favorite colors but I guess it will work.”
She smiled as she snuggled even closer to him. She was looking forward to living under the same roof with Jason.
“Bella?”
She glanced up. “Yes?”
“The last time we made love, I didn’t use a condom.”
She’d been aware of it but hadn’t expected him to talk about it. “Yes, I know.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“I know that, too,” she said softly. There was no reason he would want to get her pregnant. That would only throw a monkey wrench in their agreement.
They didn’t say anything for a long moment and then he asked, “Do you like children?”
She wondered why he was asking such a thing. Surely he had seen her interactions with Susan and Denver enough to know that she did. “Yes, I like children.”
“Do you think you’d want any of your own one day?”
Was he asking because he was worried that she would use that as a trap to stay with him beyond the one year? But he’d asked and she needed to be honest. “Yes, I’d love children, although I haven’t had the best of childhoods. Don’t get me wrong, my parents weren’t monsters or anything like that but they just weren’t affectionate…at least not like your family.”
She paused for a moment. “I love my parents, Jason, although I doubt my relationship with them will ever be what I’ve always wished for. They aren’t those kind of people. Displaying affection isn’t one of their strong points. If I become a mother I want to do just the opposite. There will never be a day my child will not know he or she is loved.” She hadn’t meant to say all of that and now she couldn’t help wondering if doing so would ruin things between them.
“I think you would make a