Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

 Today I'm continuing with my current WIP. There's nothing much to tell you about the book yet because you've already heard most of what I have written so far. On Sunday when you finish here, you can go to www.wewriwa.blogspot to find more excerpts from a talented group of authors.

Last week:

He set his jaw. “You heard me. I’m the boy’s father.”

“Oh.”  For a moment no one moved or spoke, but her eyes cut to his face, and she scrambled to her feet with none of the grace he’d always loved about her. She was breathing way too fast.

“If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll have a nap,” she said, her voice breathless and strained. She refused to look at him. “I’m so tired all of a sudden. Way too tired to talk about this. Let’s do it later after I wake up.”

He found vent for his emotions in anger. “You damn well don’t want a nap. This is the way you always act when you don’t want to face something.”

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head as if she were trying hard to focus. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t want to face things head on and deal with them. You just …just dry up and …and hide from your problems. That’s been the way you’ve handled unpleasant things ever since I’ve known you, but we have to talk about this. We can’t avoid it.”

This week's excerpt:

She folded her arms across her middle and stared out the window where the spring flowers she’d lovingly planted glowed in shades of red, yellow, and pink. “It was only one night,” he said. “I was in Washington, and I was so damn lonesome for you I couldn’t stand it. I met her at a party given by Senator Ryan. She…she looked a lot like you. At the end of the evening she was going to call a cab, but I offered her a ride home, and …”

“Please stop now.” Her voice was quiet, polite, remote. 

“I can’t, Alex. You have to know.”

“I believe I’ve gotten the picture.” 

“I doubt it.”

What was that expression on her face? Disdain? Fear? 

She licked her lips and said, “I thought you spent too much time in Washington, and now I know why. You’re visiting your mistress and your son.” 

Was she kidding? “I go to Washington because I’m in the senate. You know that. I told you we were only together one time.  I had no idea she got pregnant. I didn’t know about the boy until a week ago.”

She was shaking now, her face paper-white. “Excuse me,” she whispered and stumbled toward the door, but she couldn’t leave yet. Not until she heard it all. “There’s more.”