Enticed by His Forgotten Lover (Pregnancy & Passion #1)(45)

Bryony frowned. “Am I being unreasonable to hold him to a promise he made? It seemed so simple then, but apparently he has business partners—close friends of his—and investors counting on him. This is how he makes his living. And I’m asking him to give all that up because we’re all afraid that our lives will change.”

Mamaw nodded. “Well, that’s something only you can answer. We’ve been lucky for a lot of years. We’ve been overlooked. Galveston gets all the tourists. We stay over here and no one ever comes calling. But we can’t expect that to last forever. If Rafael doesn’t build his resort, someone else will eventually. We’d probably be better off if Rafael builds it because he at least has met the people here and he knows where they’re coming from. If some outsider comes in, he won’t give a damn about you or me or anyone else here.”

“I don’t want everyone to hate me,” Bryony said miserably.

“Everyone won’t hate you,” Mamaw said gently. “Rafael loves you. I love you. Who else do you want to love you?”

Suddenly she felt incredibly foolish. She closed her eyes and slapped her head to her forehead. “You know what? You’re right, Mamaw. It’s my land. Or it was. Only I should have the right to decide who I sell it to and what they do with it. If the other people here wanted things to remain the way it was so badly then they could have banded together to buy the land. It was okay when they didn’t have to foot the tax bill. They were more than happy to tell me what I could or couldn’t do with my own land.”

Mamaw chuckled. “That’s the spirit. Get angry. Tell them to piss off.”

“Mamaw!”

Her grandmother laughed again at Bryony’s horrified expression.

“You’ve tied yourself in knots for too long, honey. First you were upset that he left. Then you were convinced he left you for good. Then you found out you were pregnant and you grieved for him all over again. Then he came back and you were happy. Don’t give it up this time. This time you can do something about it.”

Bryony leaned forward and hugged her grandmother. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, my baby.”

“Don’t think I’m not going to turn these words back on you about Silas.”

Her grandmother laughed and pulled away. “You leave Silas to me. He knows I’ll come around sooner or later and he seems content to wait until I decide to quit making him miserable. I’m old. Don’t begrudge me my fun.”

“I don’t want to be away from you. I want you to see your great-grandchild when he’s born.”

Mamaw sighed in exasperation. “You act like we’d never see each other anymore. Your Rafael is as rich as a man can get. If he can’t afford to fly you to see me, then what good is he? You should ask for a jet as a wedding present. Then you can go where you want and when you want.”

Bryony shook her head. “You’re such a mess. But you’re right. I’m just being difficult because I hate change.”

Mamaw squeezed her hand. “Change is good for all of us. Never think it isn’t. It’s what keeps us young and vibrant. Change is exciting. It keeps life from getting stale and predictable.”

“I suppose I should call Rafael and tell him to go ahead with the resort. It’ll be such a load off him I’m sure.”

“Better yet, why don’t you get on a plane and go see him,” Mamaw said gently. “Some things are better said in person.”

“I can’t leave you. I promised the doctor—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. I’ll be fine. I’ll call Silas over to drive you to the airport. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll have Gladys come over and stay with me until Silas comes back.”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Mamaw said in exasperation. “Now get on the internet and figure out when the first available flight is to New York.”

Twenty

Bryony got into the cab and read off the address to the driver. She was nervous. More nervous than she’d ever been in her life. How ridiculous was it that she had to get Rafael’s address from the papers from the sale of the land. She hadn’t known. It hadn’t been covered in ordinary conversation.

She was truly flying solo because Rafael hadn’t answered his cell phone or his apartment phone. A dreaded sense of déjà vu had taken hold but she forced herself not to descend into paranoia. He had every reason the first time not to answer her calls given that he was in the hospital recovering from serious injuries.

Still, old feelings of helplessness and abandonment were hard to get rid of and the more times she tried to call with no response, the more anxious she became.

The ride was long and streetlights blinked on in the deepening of dusk. The city took on a whole different look at night. It seemed so ordinary and horribly busy during the day. People everywhere. Cars everywhere. Not that there wasn’t an abundance of both at night, but the twinkling lights on every building lit up the sky and gave the skyline a beautiful look.

When the cab pulled up in front of Rafael’s building she got out, paid the fare and then stood staring at the entrance. She shivered. Of course she’d forgotten a coat. It still hadn’t been ingrained in her that while it was warm where she lived, it was cold in other places. And she’d been in such a hurry to get to Rafael, she hadn’t bothered with more than an overnight bag and a few necessities.