“Jenna. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Elizabeth touched her hand. Jenna rarely talked about her infertility, which was a sensitive issue. “I didn’t mean to rattle on like that about my kids.”
“No, it’s not your fault.” Jenna played with a strand of her auburn hair.
“I’m still sorry.”
“And like you, I’d probably be going stir-crazy without our twins,” Jenna murmured. “At some point I’ll have the chance to miss them too. I won’t look forward to that.” She studied Elizabeth for a moment. “It can’t be fun for you alone in the house—how could it? Is that why you had dinner with Dallas Maguire?”
Elizabeth startled. Other than from a distance when she’d watched Dallas drive off early in the morning to work, Elizabeth hadn’t seen him much since that night. And what other answer could she have given him about his local rodeo? It wasn’t in her to brave more public scrutiny. She couldn’t afford another disaster. Her spine stiffened. “How did you know?”
“Jack told Mom, who told my sister. Shadow told me over coffee this morning. I thought I should warn you.”
Elizabeth felt the color climb in her cheeks. At least Jenna’s sister, another member of their Girls’ Night Out group, had kept the talk within their family. Jack, the chef at the Bon Appetit, was now married to Jenna’s and Shadow’s mom. But word might soon get out somehow. Elizabeth toyed with the strap of her bag. Good grief, news traveled in this town, even among her closest friends, and in the past months she’d endured way too much gossip. She swallowed. “Dallas and I are neighbors, that’s all.”
Elizabeth wouldn’t seriously reconsider his notion about a rodeo, even for charity. Besides, if his rodeo didn’t work out, Dallas might be back on the circuit before her children came home. In either case, she’d made one mistake with him and wouldn’t risk another. “Harry may be free now to explore a new relationship, but I’m not. Especially with a guy who spends most of his time on the back of a bull or in his pickup.” The conversation with Jenna had gotten way too personal. “Why would I choose another man like that?” As if he wanted to be roped and tied. “Dallas loves rodeo. It’s like he’s married to the sport. I have no interest in spending my nights watching sweaty men try to ride nasty bulls on TV.”
“Is that what he did? Watched rodeo?”
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you know that too?” she teased. “Yes, he wanted to watch the bull riding, so what could we possibly have in common?”
But she couldn’t help thinking of the time they’d shared after her divorce became final.
Until that afternoon, her natural reserve—even caution—had sustained her. She’d felt that reserve ever since her father left home when she was only six, the same age Seth was now. Elizabeth remembered the stares, the whispering and the finger-pointing years ago after her dad abandoned their family. Although Harry hadn’t left like Elizabeth’s dad had, Seth’s obvious pain caught at her soul. She supposed she felt an even stronger need to protect him than she had Jordan or Stella when they were about-to-be first graders before the divorce. Today on the phone Elizabeth’s heart had broken for Seth all over again.
Still, that remembered afternoon with Dallas troubled her—maybe that was why she couldn’t sleep—and prompted her now to confide in one of her dearest friends. “Jenna, may I tell you something? I think I need to get this off my chest.”
“Of course.” She bent to catch Elizabeth’s gaze. “What’s wrong?”
She assumed her face showed every sign of remorse. “I did such a foolish thing.” She told Jenna about her unplanned tryst with Dallas, her tears, his comforting touch and then... “We, um, started kissing and had...sex.” The last word came out as a whisper.
Jenna’s eyes widened.
“I know,” Elizabeth said, “I couldn’t have done anything more stupid. All my fault.”
“I doubt that,” Jenna murmured.
“And now, it’s just...awkward seeing him, which I’ve tried to avoid.”
“I hope you avoided something else.” Jenna’s sympathetic gaze held hers. “I mean, he’s a great-looking guy, I can’t blame you if you’ve noticed, and Hadley says he’s a hard worker. He seems very nice too, but what if, all at once... How can I put this delicately? You find yourself about to become a mom again?”
Elizabeth’s heart stopped. Her thoughts flew back to the day of her divorce, Dallas coming to see how she was coping, then Elizabeth going upstairs with him... “No, not possible. We were careful—at least about that.”
Jenna’s face cleared. “Then if I were you, I’d try to forget what happened. He won’t be living next door for long, will he? You don’t have to interact if you don’t want to.” She paused. “He’s not a talker, is he? He wouldn’t tell other people?”
“No. I’m sure he won’t,” she said. “And he knows how I feel about the gossip after Harry’s affair became public.” Elizabeth mentally crossed her fingers. Did she know him well enough to trust his silence? “The only time I’ll probably see Dallas again is when he mows the lawn next door.” He’d started to do just that yesterday, but then he’d stopped and gone back into his house. “We made an error in judgment. My kids are my focus now. Before they come home, I need to get myself in order.”
For another moment, she considered her choices. She wasn’t about to take a cruise or sign up for some course, as Dallas had suggested. With the divorce, though, her situation had changed, not for the better. Elizabeth had refused alimony. She didn’t want anything personally from Harry, but even with
