Chapter 6
Barbara stared her down. She had learned the art of making people do what she wanted.
Living with her husband had eroded her self-esteem and made her question her ability to be herself.
He had derided her at every turn. Nothing she did was ever good enough.
He had called her performance in bed "lackluster at best."
"I know you're inexperienced, darling, but if you would only learn to please me in regards to lovemaking, I would not have to stray."
He had been cruel and debasing, and she had lost herself.
And the worst part of it was that she had loved him.
Even when she knew he was taking other women, she had loved him and hoped that he would love her back.
She had privately cried for him when he died, even though he had humiliated her even then.
That was when she decided that she would grow some backbone.
He had taken a lot from her, and she was determined to take some of it back.
"You dare to question my love for my son?
" Green eyes stared at her coldly, shoulders erect, delicate hands clasped on her lap.
"I went through twelve hours of labor to bring him into this world.
From the moment I held him in my arms, I knew perfect and complete love.
I want the best for him, and I knew from the moment I saw you, that you were not good enough for him. "
Her eyes swept over Julianne with freezing scorn. "You with your career and aspirations would never make a good wife. He knows it too, but he's so blinded with lust, he cannot see the truth that is right in front of his eyes. He deserves so much better."
Julianne's eyes flashed fire. "I would have stayed.
I wanted to stay, to be here with him, to learn to adjust to a life I'm not familiar with.
But you made it impossible for me. To you, I represent what your husband put you through.
I'm not that type of woman. I've never slept with a married man in my life. "
"I value myself better than that." She rose, chest heaving with the effort to keep as calm as she could. She was feeling the twinges again. Her stomach was acting up and she was feeling sick. But she wasn't going to give this hateful woman the satisfaction of seeing her rushing to the bathroom.
"You offered me money before and I kept that from Bryson; he certainly did not need to know that his mother tried to buy me off. Now, if there's nothing else, I really would like to catch up on some work. Mrs. McNab? You don't have to worry about me staying. I'm leaving in the next two days."
The woman rose gracefully, her eyes skimming over the skimpily clad young woman, lips turned up in derision.
She could see why her son was so smitten.
Men were so fickle and completely obvious.
The girl had a certain charm about her that was too obvious.
Her husband had fallen prey to a woman like her and had been prepared to destroy his life and theirs just to be with the woman.
She was not going to allow it to happen to her boy. Her husband had chosen his path; Bryson had to choose a better one.
"I will try and persuade my son not to go after you this time. He did, you know, and came back heartbroken and shattered. He said you were with another man." Her lips curled in disgust.
"I tried to tell him that women like you are never satisfied with just one man and he would not listen.
He had to learn the hard way. I hope you don't mind that as soon as that baby you're carrying is born, we reserve the right to do a DNA test. One can never be too careful and with a name like McNab, women will do anything to be part of the family. "
Julianne had to tamp down the rage that threatened to boil over. Taking a deep breath, she headed towards the doorway with Barbara following behind her.
"I hope I never have the displeasure of seeing you again," she told the woman coldly.
"You're a used-up old prune who believes in spreading your misery around.
If I have my way, my child will never be part of your life.
" Without waiting for a response, she slammed the door in the woman's face and locked it for good measure.
Pressing her hand to her heaving stomach, she barely made it to the bathroom before she started hurling.
Barbara stood there on the porch, her brow lowered as she stared at the closed door, and found herself admiring the girl's spunk. No one had ever dared to stand up to her like that before. Shaking her head, she walked towards her car and considered her duty completed.
******************
"Are you listening to me?" Bryson stared at her with a slight frown. Something was up with her, and he had no idea what it was. Ever since he arrived, she had been preoccupied and barely responding to the conversation.
"What?"
"Julianne, you're starting to worry me. Am I boring you with talks of the ranch? I know it's not your favorite topic-"
"It's work. I was working on a complicated contract and it's still on my mind." She made an effort to smile at him even though her heart was breaking. She had called Brian to confirm her return date and told him of the visit from the old crone.
He had been furious and had advised her to tell Bryson. "Honey, let him know what that bitch said to you. He has a right to know."
But she had disagreed. The woman's husband had treated her like crap, and she had obviously spent her life pouring her rejected love into her son. She wasn't going to be the one to come between them.
She might not agree with her methods, but now that she was going to be a mother, she could understand the need to protect her child.
"Thanks for supper," she added. He had brought her something from the kitchen, a delicious and filling vegetable soup that had done the trick for her empty and raw stomach.
After Barbara had left, she had sat on the bathroom floor, curled up in a heap, feeling sorry for herself.
She had picked up the phone and almost called Bryson, before deciding against it.
She was leaving and there was no need to make things more difficult than they were going to be.
She was preparing herself for the big showdown that would be coming when he realized that she had not changed her mind. She was leaving the day after tomorrow first thing.
"You're welcome." He studied her lovely face for a moment, wondering at the drawn look.
"How was your day?"
"I was sick this afternoon."
His brow creased. "Why didn't you call me?"
Pushing away from the table, she picked up their bowls and went to put them in the sink. "I don't believe in calling you every time I am nauseous, Bryson, that wouldn't be practical."
"I already told you I want to be there for everything." He came up behind her and clamped his hands on her shoulders. "What part of that don't you understand?"
Running the water in the bowl, she avoided turning to face him. It would be so easy to just wrap herself in his arms and not think about the problems facing her, but she did not have that luxury.
"How would that work?" she asked lightly. "I pause in the middle of vomiting and make the call? You'd what? Come running to hold my hair?"
"Something like that." He turned her to face him and tipped her chin up, so he could study her face. "Something is wrong. Why won't you tell me?"
"How's your girlfriend?" she asked instead, desperate to throw him off. She had completely forgotten that in the past, they had been so attuned to each other that they could pick up on the other's mood.
"She's no longer my girlfriend," he told her tightly. "And why the hell would you see the need to bring her up?"
"Because I can just imagine how used she must be feeling. I came back to town and suddenly you decided that you no longer want to be with her."
His fingers tightened on her chin. "I thought I'd lost you."
Shoving at him, she stepped around him. "You don't have me."
Grabbing her arm, he spun her around, eyes glinting dangerously. "We're not doing this again."
"You're right." She held up a hand and shook her head. "I'm just tired and cranky." She forced a smile. "Hormones, I guess. Can we go to bed?"
"To sleep?" He knew he should persist in finding out what was wrong with her, but after the day he had, he just wanted to be with her without an argument.
"No." A smile played around her lips. "Sleep is the farthest thing from my mind."
"The farthest thing from mine as well." Swinging her into his arms, he headed towards the bedroom.
******************
After a tumultuous lovemaking where he held her tight, his mouth roaming over her body and kicking her heart into overtime and making her weak with need, she pretended to drop off into sleep so that he could follow her.
She had noticed that he stayed awake if she did, as if to make sure she was all right. It was not just now because she was pregnant; it had always been the case.
She had teased him about it once, accusing him of being weird, and he had lightly told her that he liked to watch her sleep.
So, after making sure his breathing was even, indicating slumber, she opened her eyes and turned her head to stare at him.
He hadn't shaved, she thought whimsically.
He needed to shave at least once a day. The shadows on his cheeks were dark, a startling contrast against his tanned skin.
He was tanned all over, his body lean and muscular and very strong.
He had incredibly long lashes, something she had teased him mercilessly about several times.
The only thing that saved him from being downright pretty was the slight hump to his nose where it had been broken.
His forehead was high, his hair growing to a peak and now falling over his forehead and brows. Lifting a careful hand, she brushed it back, letting her touch linger.