Free Front Page Affair by Mira Lyn Kelly Page B

and out of her life or be her daddy just because she doesn’t have one. It would never work with her mother. So I made sure she was taken care of and I let her go.”
    That kind of emotional toll was unfathomable.
    He seemed to have followed her train of thought. “I’d never planned on having a family. I didn’t want one thrust upon me. So in that regard it was a relief.”
    â€œBecause if she’d been yours?”
    He met her gaze, steady and unwavering. “I would have married her mother and played the hand life dealt me.”
    A nervous alarm sounded deep within her. It had been too close. He would have given everything up and she never would have had him back in her life. “Even though you didn’t love her?”
    â€œIt wouldn’t have mattered. If Bella was mine, I would have made us a family. I would have made it work. No issue. But that’s the only way I’d make a trek down the aisle.”
    It wasn’t the first time he’d said he didn’t want to marry. Though this time she sensed more distaste behind his words. “Pretty adamant about that, huh?”
    Nate caught her sidelong glance. “Yeah.”
    â€œWas it always like that with you?” She never would have guessed it from the way he’d been in high school; of course,she wouldn’t have wanted to see something that didn’t support her fantasy that someday he’d marry her!
    â€œI didn’t think a lot about it, but probably. My parents’ marriage—” He shook his head, squinting off into the distance before letting the rest drop as though it didn’t merit voicing. “In college and after, I was working so hard there wasn’t time for much more than a quick— There wasn’t time for anything involved.”
    He caught himself in time, though the crinkling around his eyes and a tilt to his lips told her it had been a close thing.
    â€œSo kind of you to look out for my delicate sensibilities,” she teased.
    â€œDon’t be disappointed. I’ll slip up another time. Anyway, the romance thing didn’t really become an issue until I’d started making a name for myself. And suddenly I couldn’t buy a woman a drink without some jerk sticking a mic in my face to ask when the wedding was. It bugged the hell out of me.”
    She remembered what it was like when his name hit the papers. The constant speculation about how long he’d be able to dodge the gold band. Nate was so good-looking. So charming and charismatic. His success and wealth growing exponentially, it seemed. The press was forever trying to marry him off, practically placing bets as each new female graced his arm.
    â€œI’m sure your dates loved that. It must have been very awkward.” It certainly had been when she and Clint faced similar speculation.
    â€œSome of them got the wrong idea.” He laughed at the sky and then turned a wry smile on her. “Some had the wrong idea from the start. Honestly, that kind of constant speculation…” He let out a grunt. “It’s not like I had a mind for love and marriage before all that, so it didn’t take much to turn me off completely.”
    â€œBut…the right girl?”
    â€œPayton, there are a million ‘right’ girls. Right for right now. But it doesn’t last with me.”
    â€œAnd you still would have married Annegret? You could have lived like that?” She shook her head, fighting the urge to press her hand against the center of his chest. “Without love?”
    Nate let out a short laugh. “It’s called responsibility. It’s not always fun. But it’s necessary. Besides, I’ve lived without falling in ‘love’ this long,” he said, making the taboo emotion sound like something toxic. “I don’t want it.”
    That much was clear. Even so, she couldn’t help but wonder… How many women before her had