Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

brother could. She was smart, funny, irreverent…” His voice trailed off, lost in emotion.
    Gwen reached out and touched his hand. “I’m sure she knew that.”
    “She died when she was riding, Gwen. She was practicing a jump but fell off.”
    “None of that was your fault!” Gwen protested, her heart brimming with sorrow for him. How could someone as good, as kind as Dan believe he’d had anything intentional to do with that?
    “My mom was heartbroken. She and my dad fought about it afterwards. He rode off and left his family behind him, unable to cope with the stress.”
    Gwen ached for Dan having lived through this. How many years had he carried the burden of this guilt regarding circumstances that were so much beyond his control?
    “You were only a teenager. You didn’t want for any of that to happen. Sometimes bad things do. It’s the world that we live in.”
    “I know,” he said gravely. “Believe me, I understand it’s a world that you’ve lived in too. Life isn’t always fair, which is why I thought I should tell you.”
    “Tell me what?”
    “The gene for cystic fibrosis is hereditary. This isn’t just about Jocelyn or my dad running out. This is about the sort of man I am and what I’m from. I’m afraid it’s not much of a future to offer anybody.
    Dan set his jaw and turned away, emotions roiling across his rugged face. “This is one reason I’ve kept myself so careful about getting involved. Really, up until you, it’s been two years since I’ve seriously cared…”
    “Dan,” she said, stopping him and taking his hand. “Where you’re from doesn’t dictate your future. Jocelyn’s death was an accident. Deep inside, you must understand that. What happened to your parents was beyond your control. Many couples can’t weather the loss of a child. I agree your dad was wrong to run out, but then so did mine and for no particular reason, other than growing tired of the responsibilities of raising a family.”
    A hardness etched across Dan’s brow. “That was a terrible thing for your dad to do. It was wrong of both our dads. I would never abandon my family.”
    “I know you wouldn’t,” she said, meeting his gaze. “That’s not who you are. That’s who they were. The three of you are different.”
    Dan looked in her eyes, his expression worn. He’d just dumped a heap of tragic family history on Gwen. Adding his speculations about Elena on top of it would be too much. As much as he’d tried to push Elena’s startling confession from his mind, it kept sneaking back up on him, casting a weighty stone into the wellspring of happiness he was building with Gwen. This was the price Dan paid for letting a stunning woman get the best of him yet again. If nothing else, one good thing had come of his unfortunate Albuquerque encounter. He’d learned something about Elena once and for all. When that woman wept, she shed nothing but crocodile tears.
    “I’m not sure if having kids is in the cards for me anyway,” Dan said after a beat.
    Gwen studied him with compassion. “I don’t know much about cystic fibrosis, but I’m familiar with other hereditary diseases. It can’t be a hundred percent chance?”
    “There are very few full guarantees. There’s prenatal testing you can do, but to what end? Would you want to have that choice put to you, Gwen? Whether or not to end the life of your unborn child because it might be imperfect?”
    Gwen’s head and heart swirled with confusion, the whirlpool of emotions threatening to drag her under. What a heart-wrenching scenario that would be for any potential new parents to face. “I honestly don’t know what I think. I’ve been lucky, I guess. I’ve never had to deal with anything like that.”
    Dan’s lips drew into a thin line. “Given the choice, I’d venture most women would prefer not to have to.” He appeared distant, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
    “Well, maybe most women aren’t smart enough to think things through. It seems to me that when a couple is in love and longing to build a family, there are many ways to work things out. Anyway, I believe that all children are special gifts, don’t you? Just look at Jocelyn and the joy she brought to your life.”
    Dan studied her for a prolonged beat. There appeared to be a million thoughts racing inside him, but Gwen couldn’t decipher a one.
    “For a Carolina girl, you’re an awfully wise woman,” he finally said.
    Gwen flushed at the compliment,