Night Heat (Forged of Steele 2)

“It looks nice, doesn’t it?”

Jocelyn turned and smiled at Reese. “Yes, it does, and from the look of things, we’ll finish on time. That marble tile came this morning and Harry and his crew have already put it down. They’ll be back tomorrow to grout it.”

She then studied Reese with concern in her eyes. She hadn’t seen him yesterday and wondered if he was okay. “And how are you, Reese? Leah told me you saw each other yesterday.”

Jocelyn watched as bitterness lined his lips. “Yes, we did. I should have been prepared but I wasn’t,” he said quietly.

“And I don’t think she was prepared, either.”

Reese’s dark eyes flashed. “Then that’s tough for her, isn’t it?” He inhaled deeply and said, “Look, Jocelyn, I’d rather not discuss Leah, but there is something I need to know. If you can’t tell me, then I’ll understand.”

“What?”

Reese hung his head and studied the gleaming wood floor for a second then met Jocelyn’s gaze again. “Is Leah pregnant? Is that the reason she’s not in a hurry to leave here?”

Of all the questions she had expected him to ask that sure wasn’t one. “What gave you an idea like that? She definitely doesn’t look pregnant.”

“No, but yesterday morning I walked up on her staring into the display window of that baby store in town…and she was crying.”

“Oh.” Jocelyn pressed a hand to her chest as if she could feel her sister’s pain. Poor Leah. She hadn’t been crying for what she had, but for what she thought she could never have—Reese’s child.

“Well, is she pregnant?”

She heard the anger in his voice and the pain. The thought that Leah might be pregnant with another man’s child had to be hurting him deeply. At least that was one pain Jocelyn could take away. “No, she’s not pregnant.”

“How do you know for sure? She might be and just hasn’t told you.”

“Because I know,” she snapped, feeling the need to come to Leah’s defense, considering everything. “She can’t be pregnant.”

Reese frowned deeply. “You don’t know that.”

“I do know that,” she said, rounding on him angrily. “She hasn’t been involved with anyone since you and—” Jocelyn stopped abruptly, fearing she might have said too much.

“What the hell do you mean she hasn’t been involved with anyone since me? Do you actually believe that lie?” he asked incredulously. “I never thought you of all people would be that gullible.”

Jocelyn’s eyes flashed fire. “Yes, I believe it because…”

He lifted a brow. “Because what?”

Disgusted with herself and the entire situation and knowing if Neil Grunthall wasn’t dead already he would have been by the end of the day, she released a frustrated sigh. “Look, Reese, forget I said anything.”

“What are you not telling me, Jocelyn?” he asked, grabbing her arm.

She snatched it back, although it cost her to do so. She would love for him to know what she wasn’t telling him. “Look, let it be, okay? All you need to know is that Leah isn’t pregnant.” She turned to leave but Reese called out to her and she turned back around. “What?”

“Just in case I don’t see you in the morning, I’m cutting out a little early tomorrow. Two of Bas’s brothers are coming in and I plan to take them up to Cedar Springs for the weekend to do a little fishing.”

“Fine,” she said, shoving both hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Enjoy yourselves.”

Then she turned back around and continued walking.

“Thanks for a great weekend, Reese,” Bas said on Sunday afternoon as he got out of Reese’s truck and gathered his belongings. “There were good lodgings, good company, good fishing and damn good beer. What more can a man ask for?”

“Nothing’s wrong with a good woman every now and then,” Reese answered, grinning.

“Hell, but not on a fishing trip. They get too squeamish and want you to have pity and throw your catch back. Women and fishing don’t mix.”