Rather than being eager to agree, she found herself filled with caution.
“Why?” she repeated more emphatically, since he seemed to be ignoring the original question.
Patches of color darkened his cheeks. “Isn’t that what couples do?” he said defensively. “You always said you wanted a houseful of kids. Have you changed your mind?”
The last of her foolish eagerness fled at his tone. Kelly shook her head. “No. I love children,” she said dully.
“Well, then, that settles it.”
The man clearly didn’t have a clue about the fine art of holding a conversation, much less a discussion. He was much better at issuing edicts. “Do you really think it’s that simple?” she asked.
“I think it can be, if we’re both agreed.”
Exasperated, she waved aside the too quick answer. “Are we both agreed? What do you want?”
“A baby,” he repeated, clearly bemused by what he apparently considered her pigheadedness.
“Why?” she persisted, trying one more time to get to the real reason for this sudden interest in procreation.
Heaven knew, she would give anything to have Jordan’s baby, but not without exploring the subject in a little more depth. She’d been too eager once before and discovered too late that Paul had gone along with her only to get her off his back. That might not be the case with Jordan, but perhaps he was only anticipating her desires and trying to settle the matter before it became an issue between them. After all, he’d witnessed firsthand the way the same topic had affected her marriage to Paul.
In so doing, though, he was the one to make it an issue. She studied him intently and waited for his answer.
“The usual reasons,” he grumbled.
“And what would those be?” she inquired stubbornly, drawing a ferocious scowl.
“Dammit, do you or do you not want to have a baby?” he snapped.
I want you to love me, she cried to herself. I want a baby that is a product of our love. “I do,” she said finally, “but not until we’re sure we’re ready.”
“I’m sure.”
“You keep saying that, but you haven’t said why.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Not to me.”
He glowered at her irritably and stood. “I’m going for a walk.”
Kelly nodded curtly. “You do that. And while you’re gone, perhaps you’ll come up with an explanation for this sudden decision of yours.”
Judging from the way he slammed the door behind him on his way out, she had a feeling he was going to be too busy cooling off to think clearly about much of anything.
Blast it all, when was he going to learn that he couldn’t just make unilateral decisions for the two of them and expect her to fall into line? He’d done it when he’d decided on marriage. She was determined he wouldn’t get away with it when it came to electing to have a baby. They would not bring a child into this world until Jordan could say without reservations that he loved her.
She sighed at that and resigned herself to a long wait. He was as clueless now about what would really make her happy as he had been weeks ago.
“Mommy, where’s Jordan?” Dani asked sleepily as she wandered into the kitchen, once again wearing her favorite Dallas Cowboys T-shirt.
“Cooling off,” she said dryly, gesturing in the direction in which he’d gone.
Dani blinked. “Outside? Isn’t it hot out there?”
Not half as hot as it had been in the kitchen a few moments before, Kelly thought. “It is,” she said, and scooped her daughter up, tickling her until she convulsed with giggles. “That was just an expression.”
Dani seemed content with the explanation. She wound her arms around Kelly’s neck and delivered several smacking kisses to her face. “I really, really missed you, Mommy.”
“Not half as much as I missed you.”
Her daughter frowned. “Do you think Jordan missed me?”
“I know he did.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he bought you a present every single day,” she said, thinking of the pile of stuffed animals and dolls that had accumulated in the room that would be Dani’s for however long it took for Jordan to relocate the business.
“Where are they?” Dani demanded, scrambling down.
“Most of them are in your new room in Houston, but I think he did bring one thing back for you. As soon as you eat your breakfast, you can run outside and track him down. I know he’s very anxious for you to see it.”
Dani headed for the door. “I want to see it now.”
Kelly blocked her way. “After you eat and get dressed, young lady.” She handed her a glass of orange juice. “Drink this, while I make pancakes.”
“Can’t I have cereal?” Dani pleaded, bouncing up and down. “It’s faster.”
“Okay, fine.” She poured a bowlful of corn flakes, added milk and slices of banana. “Here you go.”
As she spooned up the cereal, Dani tried speculating on what Jordan had brought her. “I’ll bet it’s a dollhouse,” she said, her gaze fixed on Kelly’s face.
“I’m not saying,” Kelly said, forcing herself to remain expressionless. “It’s Jordan’s surprise.”
“Is it a new teddy bear, a great big one?”
Kelly grinned at her persistence. “I’m not saying,” she repeated.
“Please, Mommy, my tummy will get all inside out, if I don’t know really, really soon.”
“Then you’d better stop asking so many questions and finish that cereal,” Kelly advised.
Dani fell silent and concentrated on her breakfast. The instant she’d spooned the last bite into her mouth, she climbed down from her chair and raced for the back door.
“Whoa! Clothes, remember?”
Dani managed to exchange her T-shirt for shorts and a top in record time. She waved as she ran past Kelly. “’Bye, Mommy.”
On the other
