The Texan's Tiny Dilemma. Judy Christenberry

sound so mysterious,” Jim said. He followed Pete to the kitchen where Tommie had put on the coffee and set out three mugs. Jim slid the box of brownies toward her. “I hope you like these.”

      “Oh, I love them, and so do my hips.”

      Jim drew a deep breath after he was seated. “Teresa went to the doctor today.”

      Tommie exclaimed, “Oh, I forgot about that. I need to call her.” She moved toward the phone.

      “She’ll be asleep,” Jim pointed out.

      Tommie automatically looked at her watch. “You could be right. I’ll call her in the—Wait a minute. How do you know so much about Teresa?”

      “I went with her to the doctor’s office.”

      Pete stared at his brother. “Why?”

      Jim swallowed. “I—I thought she was apprehensive about the sonogram, so I went with her.”

      “She agreed to that? She told me I couldn’t come with her, that she could manage on her own.”

      “She wasn’t thrilled about having me come along, but I did, and she let me come in while they did the sonogram.”

      “Wait,” Tommie ordered. She poured the coffee and carried the mugs to the table. After she sat down, she looked at Jim. “She agreed to your staying in the room with her while they did the sonogram?”

      “Yes. She felt the baby move on Monday for the first time and it made her a little nervous.”

      “But everything was all right?” Tommie asked urgently, leaning forward.

      “Yes.” Jim stopped, trying to think what he should say. Finally, he blurted out, “She’s having twin boys.”

      Excitement lit up Tommie’s face for a moment. Then she said, “Don’t you think you should’ve let Teresa tell us?”

      Pete took Tommie’s hand. “I think my brother has more to tell us, honey.”

      Tommie looked from her husband’s face to Jim’s. “What?”

      “I know who the father is,” Jim confessed, staring at his coffee.

      Pete said nothing, but Tommie demanded to know at once.

      Jim raised his gaze to the woman, prepared to take his medicine. “Tommie, I’m the father of Teresa’s babies.”

      Tommie stared at him. Then in a low voice, she said, “You bastard! You get my baby sister pregnant and then abandon her? How dare you!”

      “I didn’t know she was pregnant. I mean, not until Saturday night. I only figured out I was the daddy on Monday. I thought it was the guy at her school. The one that was all over her at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. I confronted him. But it wasn’t him. He said Teresa asked him to act that way for those two events, then refused to see him again.”

      “Why would she do that?” Tommie asked.

      “Because she wanted to make sure no one would know that I’d hurt her. We…we had sex before I told her I couldn’t date her anymore because of what had happened to me before.”

      Pete stared at his brother this time. “Don’t you think that’s a little cold?”

      “Yes, damn it, I do. But I wasn’t prepared—She didn’t—I panicked.”

      “Couldn’t you have panicked before you made love to her?” Tommie asked in an icy voice.

      “I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me, Tommie, but she took me by surprise. I was trying to get my nerve up to tell her my decision. We went back to her house and—and she seduced me.”

      “Teresa? No, I don’t believe you!” Tommie exclaimed.

      “That is a little far-fetched, bro,” Pete agreed.

      “I know. That’s why I was totally unprepared. She’s beautiful and sweet and—and that’s the last thing I thought she would do. And I was weak. I took what she offered.”

      There was silence around the table for several minutes. Then Tommie said, “Now what?”

      “I’m willing to marry her. I’m certainly not going to ignore my responsibilities. And I want to play a role in my sons’ lives. But I’m afraid she’ll turn me down and refuse to let me have anything to do with the pregnancy if I confront her now.”

      “Do you love her?” Tommie asked sharply.

      “I respect her, and I like her, too. I can’t say I’m in love with her,” he said, being as honest as he could.

      Tommie jumped up from her chair before her husband could stop her and started pacing the floor, her arms wrapped around her middle.

      “Tommie?” Pete called softly.

      She spun around and glared at him. “What?”

      “What are you thinking?”

      “I’m thinking about poor Teresa. She won’t accept an offer like that, based on him wanting his sons and agreeing to take Teresa, too. And I don’t want her to. I want her to have what we have, a marriage filled with love.”