Free Seven-Year Seduction by Heidi Betts

wouldn’t have agreed to take a two-week honeymoon if it weren’t. Most of the deals we have going now are inside jobs, and our men can handle the work in my place for a few days. That’s the beauty of owning your own company,” he added with a self-assured smile.
    Seconds ticked by so slowly, they felt like hours. Her head ached. Her ears buzzed. If he hadn’t been holding her arm, she feared she might have fallen over.
    â€œI really need your help, Beth. I’m not sure I can do this without you, and I want to have it done before Nick and Karen come home.”
    Something in his eyes seeped past her resistance. She didn’t want to be involved. Oh, how she didn’t want to be involved. But it would mean the world to Nick and Karen, Connor was right about that. And she was going to be an aunt soon. It was time to start getting used to the idea of being around a baby, whether she liked it or not.
    Swallowing hard, she nodded. Her voice sounded rusty, but she forced the words past her dry lips. “All right. I guess I don’t have anything better to do while I’m in town, anyway.”
    He didn’t seem to take offense at her answer, even though she’d been half hoping he would. A nice ugly argument was exactly what she needed to drive away cold and painful memories.
    Instead, his expression brightened and he gave her a quick hug. Not enough to get her hackles up, but a light, friendly embrace to say thanks.
    â€œThe hardware store is closed on Sundays, and everywhere else will be closing soon, too, so we mightas well wait until tomorrow to go shopping for supplies. I’ll start making a list right now. Wanna help?”
    She shook her head. At the moment, she needed to be alone. She needed a drink and a hot bath and an hour or two to get her mind back on the present rather than wallowing in the past.
    â€œYou go ahead. I can add to it tomorrow if I think of anything you’ve missed.”
    â€œSounds good.” He gave her arm one last squeeze before heading out of the room.
    â€œOh, Connor,” she said, stopping him before he could disappear down the hall.
    â€œYeah?”
    She cleared her throat before saying more, not wanting him to hear the emotion in her voice. “Some friends of mine want to get together at the Longneck Wednesday night. Since I don’t have a car, while I’m in town, I was wondering if you’d mind driving me. If it’s too much trouble,” she hurried on, “don’t worry about it. I can always bum a ride from someone else, or rent a car between now and then.”
    She’d already thought through both of those ideas and knew they weren’t going to be the least convenient, but if he had other plans, she could do it.
    â€œNo problem,” he said with a shake of his head. Hitching his thumb into his front jeans pocket, he shot her a brief smile. “I haven’t been to the Longneck in a while myself. It might be nice to go in to have a drink and catch up. Just let me know what time you want to leave, okay?”
    She made her head move up and down in agreement, and after a moment, he left.
    Beth stood where she was for several minutes, fighting back tears.
    That hadn’t been as hard as she’d expected, not after the punch to the gut he’d given her by asking her to help fix up and decorate a nursery.
    She never should have come home. She knew it would be this way, knew bad memories and old wounds would be brought to the surface.
    If only she’d gotten out of town right after the reception instead of agreeing to stay a few extra days to please her parents. If only she’d left the house as soon as she realized Connor would be staying here, too. Sleeping on the street would have been preferable to dealing with this deep, throbbing ache that seemed to take over her entire body.
    And she had only herself to blame.
    Â 
    Beth waited until Connor was stretched out on the couch, feet