Fancy Pants (Wynette, Texas #1)(143)

“Forget about Gerry!” she retorted. “He's Peter Pan. He won't ever grow up. Gerry's made it perfectly clear that he wants to marry me. But he's also made it clear that he won't give me any children.”

“You never told me anything about that,” Dallie said, obviously surprised at this revelation.

“You and Gerry have to start being open with each other,” Francesca insisted.

“I won't beg.” Holly Grace straightened, trying to keep her dignity. “I'm financially independent, I'm at least semi-mature, and I don't see any reason in the world why I have to shackle myself in marriage just to have a child. Only I need your help.”

“I'll do anything I can, you know that. After the way you helped me when—”

“Will you lend me Dallie?” Holly Grace asked abruptly.

Dallie shot up in bed. “Now, wait a minute here!”

“Dallie's not mine to lend,” Francesca replied slowly.

Holly Grace ignored Dallie's indignation. Without taking her eyes off Francesca, she said, “I know there are dozens of men I could ask, but it's not in my nature to have just anybody's baby. I love Dallie, and we still have Danny between us. Right now he's the only man I trust.” She looked at Francesca with gentle reprimand. “He knows I wouldn't try to cut him out like you did. I understand how important family is to him, and the baby would be his just as much as mine.”

“This is between the two of you,” Francesca said firmly. Holly Grace looked back and forth between Francesca and Dallie. “I don't think so.” She turned her attention to Dallie. “I realize it would be a little creepy getting back into bed with you after all this time—sort of like sleeping with my brother. But I figure if I had a few drinks and made up a fantasy about me and Tom Cruise...”

Her weak attempt at humor fell flat. Dallie looked as if she'd just punched him in the stomach. “That does it!” He reached down and snatched up a towel that was lying on the carpet next to the bed.

Holly Grace looked pleadingly at him. “I know you have something to say about all this, but just for a few minutes, do you think you could let Francie and me talk?”

“No, I do not,” he replied coldly. “I can't believe the two of you. This is a perfect example of how entirely out of hand the women in this country have gotten. You act like men aren't anything more than extraneous amusements, little toys to keep you entertained.” Under the covers, he wrapped the towel around himself. “And no matter what anybody says, I don't believe all this trouble started when women got the vote. As far as I'm concerned, it goddamn well got started when you taught each other how to read. “ He rose up out of bed, pulling the towel tighter at his waist. “And another thing—I'm getting a little tired of the two of you treating me like a walking sperm bank!” With that, he stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Unimpressed with Dallie's anger, Holly Grace looked back at Francesca. “Assuming I could bring Dallie around to my way of thinking, what would you have to say about that?”

The idea gave Francesca a lot more discomfort than she liked to admit. “Holly Grace, just because Dallie and I succumbed to a night of temporary insanity doesn't mean I have any decision to make in this. Whatever happens is between the two of you.”

Holly Grace looked at Francesca's underwear scattered over the floor. “Hypothetically speaking, if you really were in love with Dallie, how would you feel about it?”

There was such naked need in Holly Grace's face that Francesca decided she had to answer honestly. She thought for a few moments. “As much as I love you, Holly Grace—as much as I sympathize with your desire to have a child—if I really loved Dallie, I wouldn't let you touch him.”

Holly Grace didn't reply for a moment, and then she gave a sad sort of smile. “That's exactly what I'd say, too. For all your flightiness, Francie, it's moments like this that make me remember why we're best friends.”

Holly Grace squeezed her hand, and Francesca was glad to see that she had finally been forgiven for lying about Teddy. But as she looked at her friend's face, she frowned. “Holly Grace, there's something about this that doesn't ring true to me. You know very well that Dallie won't agree. I'm not convinced you even want him to.”

“He might,” Holly Grace said defensively. “Dallie's full of surprises.”

But not this kind of surprise. Francesca didn't believe for a minute that he would go along with Holly Grace's idea, and she doubted if Holly Grace believed it either. “Do you know what you remind me of?” Francesca said thoughtfully. “You remind me of someone with a bad toothache who's hitting herself in the head with a hammer to distract herself from the pain in her mouth.”

“That's ridiculous,” Holly Grace snapped, her reply coming so quickly that Francesca knew she had struck a nerve. It occurred to her that Holly Grace was frightened. She had begun to grab at straws, hoping to find some distraction to ease the ache in her heart from losing Gerry. There wasn't anything Francesca could do to help her friend except lean forward and give her a sympathetic hug.

“Now, isn't this a sight to warm a man's heart?” Dallie drawled as he came out of the bathroom buttoning his shirt. He looked like a man who'd been doing a slow burn for the past few minutes, and it was immediately apparent that his anger had shifted from righteous indignation into a serious, full-fledged forest fire. “Did the two of you decide what you're going to do with me, yet?”