Derringer blinked and then drew back slightly and said, “Of course she loves you.”
Jason shook his head. “No, she doesn’t.” He paused for a moment and then said, “Our marriage was based on a business proposition, Derringer. She needed a husband to retain her trust fund and I wanted her land—at least co-ownership of her land—and Hercules.”
Derringer stared at him for a long moment and then said, “I think you’d better start from the beginning.”
IT TOOK JASON LESS THAN ten minutes to tell Derringer everything, basically because his cousin stood there and listened without asking any questions. But once he’d finished the questions had begun…as well as the observations.
Derringer was certain Bella loved him because he claimed she looked at Jason the way Lucia looked at him, the way Chloe looked at Ramsey and the way Pam looked at Dillon—when they thought no one was supposed to be watching.
Then Derringer claimed that given the fact Jason and Bella were still sharing the same bed—although no hanky-panky had been going on for almost a week now—had significant meaning.
Jason shook his head. “If Bella loves me the way you think she does then why hasn’t she told me?”
Derringer crossed his arms over his chest. “And why haven’t you told her?” When Jason couldn’t answer, Derringer smiled and said, “I think the two of you have a big communication problem. It happens and is something that can easily be corrected.”
Jason couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds like you’ve gotten to be a real expert on the subject of marriage.”
Derringer chuckled. “I have to be. I plan on being a married man for life so I need to know what it takes to keep my woman happy and to understand that when wifey isn’t happy, hubby’s life can be a living hell.”
Derringer then tapped his foot on the barn’s wooden floor as if he was trying to make up his mind about something. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this because it’s something I overheard Chloe and Lucia discussing yesterday and if Lucia found out I was eavesdropping she—”
“What?”
“Maybe you already know but just hadn’t mentioned anything.”
“Dammit, Derringer, what the hell are you talking about?”
A sly smile eased across Derringer’s lips. “The ladies in the family suspect Bella might be pregnant.”
BELLA WALKED OUT OF THE children’s hospital with a smile on her face. She loved kids and being around them always made her forget her troubles, which was why she would come here a couple of days a week to spend time with them. She glanced at her watch. It was still early yet and she wasn’t ready to go home.
Home.
She couldn’t help but think of Jason’s Place as her home. Although she’d made a stink with Jason about construction on her ranch, she didn’t relish the thought of going back there to live. She had gotten accustomed to her home with Jason.
She was more confused than ever and the phone call from her mother hadn’t helped. Now her parents were trying to work out a bargain with her—another proposal of a sort. They would have their attorney draw up a legal document that stated if she returned home they would give her the space she needed. Of course they wanted her to move back onto their estate, although she would be given the entire east wing as her own. They claimed they no longer wanted to control her life, but just wanted to make sure she was living the kind of life she was entitled to live.
Their proposal sounded good but she had gotten into enough trouble accepting proposals already. Besides, even if things didn’t work out between her and Jason, he deserved to be around his child. When they divorced, at least his son or daughter would be a stone’s throw away.