Bastard's New Baby (Roosters Book 3)

by Raisa Greywood

  They were both thrilled that Siobhan was joining them. Jane had even gotten him a few receptionist candidates scheduled for interviews already.

  Rolling his eyes, he said, “You do the interviews, Jane. Just don’t hire me another Mandy. And try to get in a few candidates for an assistant for Siobhan. I can just share hers until Rachel gets back.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll take care of it this week.” She peered over half-moon reading glasses, pinning him with a hard stare. “Are you going to bring Siobhan to the office today? I need her to sign her employment documents.”

  “Later, probably. I’m taking my new wife and her nephew to breakfast, but we’ll come in after that.”

  Jane’s gaze softened, and he realized Matt must have told her the story. “Good. She’s had a rough go of it lately, and we all like her already after yesterday.” Jane grinned and added, “She’s totally goals for what she did to Mandy.”

  The modern terminology was at odds with Jane’s staid demeanor and gray hair, and he blinked in surprise.

  Sniffing, she stood and patted his shoulder. “Don’t be so surprised. She’s a blast to hang out with at the book club meetings. She even managed to get us all signed copies of…” She shut her mouth and flushed. “Well, never mind. Just keep her happy, Jackson. She’s going to be a great asset for us.”

  Judging by what had been on Siobhan’s reader, he didn’t want to know. Some things were best left a secret. Turning to Matt, he said, “I’m headed out. Call my cell if anything important comes up.”

  “Do I look like your PA?” he asked.

  “No, but --”

  “Forget it. Just go woo our girl, and for God’s sake, try not to fuck it up.”

  Our girl? Matt stalked out before he could complain. Siobhan was his, and nobody else was going to touch her. He turned off his computer and wondered where that possessive thought had come from as he left the office to fetch his new wife. The last thing he needed right now was to develop feelings for her, though he couldn’t stand the thought of letting her go.

  Maybe he could let love grow after he got through the Nakamura sale, but too much was at stake to let his libido take over. And it didn’t matter how good Siobhan had looked in that pink dress, or how much he wanted to feel her curvy body against his as he fucked her.

  * * *

  Siobhan sat in her kitchen, absentmindedly feeding Andy his breakfast. They were going out, but it was always better for him to not be hungry. Like the Hulk, he morphed from a sweet-natured baby into a howling beast if his meals were even a few minutes late.

  She had half an eye on the baby and his dry oat cereal and cut up grapes he could eat with his fingers. The rest of her attention rested on the window looking out over her driveway. They were both dressed and ready, Andy in a cute romper and little tennis shoes, and she in a sexy blue dress that swirled around her knees and left her shoulders bare. The modest neckline and bodice covered all but a few traces of the ink on her back. The storms had passed through overnight, so she’d even taken the time to run a flat iron over her hair, leaving it falling past her shoulders in a shimmery curtain.

  And she’d put on makeup. Shaking her head, she wondered what had come over her. Could one go on a first date with one’s husband? What were the rules when the couple was already married? Thankfully, at this time of day, sex would be off the table. She had Andy, and presumably, Jackson would have to return to work.

  That led her to another question. She still hadn’t decided whether or not she should go to work for him. The job sounded wonderful. She’d enjoyed the work when she first started with her old company. The chance to do the same work with less travel was very tempting, but could she work with Jackson?

  Siobhan doubted it. Sparks flew every time they got close to each other, and she didn’t think the combustive attraction they shared was conducive to a working relationship. At the very least, it would be unprofessional. A telecommuting situation would be a better option. They could keep their distance from each other, and still get some work done. By the time Jackson’s yellow Mustang pulled into her driveway, she’d decided on part-time from a home office. She might need a new printer, but after running Exquisite Events for so long, she had everything she needed right here.

  When he got out of his car, Siobhan put Andy in his car seat with a teething biscuit to keep him occupied. They were ready by the time he knocked on the door. When she opened it, Andy let out a squeal of glee, stretching his hands toward Jackson.

  Laughing, she said, “Looks like you have a fan.” He had two. In a suit and tie, Jackson was devastating. In jeans and a green polo shirt, he was more approachable, but every bit as sinfully handsome.

  Jackson sighed, then smiled and took off his watch. Andy grabbed it from his outstretched hand and Siobhan gasped as he put it in his mouth.

  “He’s got good taste in watches,” Jackson murmured.

  “He’ll ruin it, you know.” She reached forward to take the watch away from Andy.

  “He didn’t yesterday. He chewed on it for at least half an hour and it still works. I figure if it survives his infancy, he can have it when he’s old enough to appreciate it.” He leaned forward and tickled Andy’s chin before taking the diaper bag from her. “Do you want to follow me, or should I just ride with you? The seat his grandparents used fits in the Mustang, but it wasn’t easy. I guess I’ll be looking at minivans pretty soon, right?”

  “I can drive,” she said, nonplussed by her sudden immersion the alternate universe in which she found herself. The world was tilted, skewed off its axis by the image of Jackson driving a minivan.

  “Sounds good! Let me help you.” He grabbed Andy’s seat and she let him figure out how to attach it to the base on his own. To her disgust, he had it done in far less time than it had taken her the first time she’d tried it. After dropping the diaper bag on the floor in the back, he shut the door and climbed into the passenger seat.

  Who was this man, and what had he done with Jackson McKenna? “Thanks,” she whispered as she started the car. “Are we headed for Marge’s?”

  “No, not Marge’s. I have something better in mind.”

  She didn’t argue and got on the road headed east out of town. The river valley housing Briartown was beautiful and Jackson was a charming conversationalist. As Andy dozed in the back seat, they shared stories.

  They’d traveled to many of the same places and laughed at each other’s tales of lost luggage and missed connections. By the time Jackson directed her to turn off, Siobhan had forgotten all about disliking her husband. Though they’d grown up in wildly different environments, their adult lives had so much in common. They agreed on a number of ideas, from their politics to their opinions on business matters. And when they didn’t agree, he was respectful and asked thoughtful questions, as did she.

  She turned onto a well-maintained gravel road that wound through a grove of mature maples. As they rounded a bend, a white clapboard house appeared. There was an Amish buggy parked in front, and two horses stood in a pen a few dozen yards away. Siobhan couldn’t decide whether to be entranced or uncomfortable. Despite her travels, she’d never seen an Amish household.

  An elderly woman wearing a gray dress and a cheerful smile waved and strode to her car. Graying hair fluttered around her cap as she walked. Siobhan opened her door and nodded as Jackson brought Andy around.

  “Mrs. Kohler, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Have you come to steal another of my pies, young man?”

  “No, the blackberries aren’t ripe yet.”

  She laughed, and said, “I have a strawberry one for you.”

  “Wonderful! That’s my favorite!” he exclaimed.

  “I thought blackberry was.”

  “If you made it, it’s my favorite.”

  Siobhan smiled at their easy camaraderie, but she wondered why they were here.

  Jackson put a hand on her elbow and tugged her forward. “Mrs. Kohler, this is my wife, Siobhan, and the litt
le man in the car seat is her nephew, Andy.”

  Mrs. Kohler bent over the carrier and made faces at the baby, then chucked him under the chin as she stood. “Breakfast is ready, if you three are hungry. We can talk while we eat.”

  “We don’t want to intrude on your meal,” Siobhan said. “We can wait outside if it’s more convenient.”

  “Hush, woman!” Wrapping an arm around her waist, Jackson tugged her toward the house. “You never refuse an offer of a meal from Mrs. Kohler. Her bacon is made on this very farm and will make you weep with pleasure.”

  Laughing helplessly, she let him lead her into the scrupulously clean house. Though she wanted to know how the older woman kept it so clean without modern conveniences, like electricity and running hot water, she didn’t dare ask. There were pancakes, the bacon -- which was every bit as wonderful as Jackson had said -- and fluffy scrambled eggs collected that very morning.

  Andy sat in a gorgeously carved maple high chair. It would never pass a modern safety check, but it was beautiful and obviously long used. Though she’d given him something to eat earlier, he devoured everything put in front of him.

  When they’d finished the delicious meal, Mrs. Kohler asked, “All right, young man, aside from mooching a meal, what brings you to our home? If it’s more work on your house, you’ll have to wait until later this summer. Mr. Kohler is busy until then.”

  “No, but pencil me in for some furniture for Andy’s room. I’ll send you a list, but there’s no rush. Since Andy is going to be living with us, I think it’s about time for us to get a dog, and I’d like to take a look at the puppies you have.”

  Her face fell. “Oh, that’s a shame. If I’d known you wanted one, I’d have kept one aside. I just have the runt left, but I’ll be happy to show him to you.”

  She walked from the kitchen, leaving her alone with Jackson. “Andy’s a little young to take care of a dog, you know.”

  Grinning, he leaned toward her and stole a kiss. “A boy needs a dog.”

  “Dogs are fine. So are horses, cats, cows, goats, and pigs. But guess who’s going to be taking care of it?”

  “Well, we’ll do it until Andy’s older, of course --”

  She huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes. Jackson swatted her ass and she squeaked before rubbing the stinging spot on her backside. “What was that for?”

  “Rolling your eyes. You were just about to get snarky.” He wrapped a hand around her throat, and added, “That will always get you spanked.” Dropping a kiss on her lips, he let her go and asked, “What were you about to say?”

  She shook her head, feeling the brain cells leak out of her head from Jackson’s quick slap to her ass. This was neither the time, nor the place. “Do we have time to take care of a puppy? If it’s a runt, it’s going to require a lot of attention.”

  Mrs. Kohler bustled in carrying a small cardboard box. Setting it on the table, she said, “Here he is.” Frowning, she looked down and twitched the corner of a flour sack aside, revealing a brown-and-white ball of fur. “He doesn’t have much energy and sleeps a lot.”

  Siobhan reached into the box and picked the dog up. Her heart melted when soft brown eyes opened. The puppy squeaked once and went back to sleep. “St. Bernard?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, but he won’t get very big, I don’t think.” She sighed. “If you want him, he’s yours, and no charge.”

  Despite Jackson’s worried frown, Siobhan said, “We’ll take him.”

  It didn’t matter that she hadn’t really wanted a dog. The minute that tiny ball of fur in her arms opened his eyes, she was lost and head over heels for him. He was painfully thin and couldn’t be more than three or four weeks old, but that wasn’t insurmountable for someone who had grown up hand-feeding baby animals.

  Mrs. Kohler’s faded blue eyes brightened and she smiled. “That’s wonderful! I’m sure he’ll have a very good home with you.”

  * * *

  Jackson didn’t often admit to mistakes. It wasn’t his nature to do so, and truly, he didn’t make very many. Siobhan sat in the passenger seat, cuddling that damned dog and ignoring him altogether. He refused to admit that he was jealous of a puppy.

  “We need to stop by a pet store on the way home.”

  “Sure, we’ll need dog food, a few toys, a leash --”

  “That stuff can wait a few weeks. We need milk replacer and puppy pads.” She tapped her chin, then kissed the ball of fur between his eyes. “And a bottle.”

  “He could eat soft food. We’ll just buy the canned stuff.”

  “Jackson, have you ever had a dog?” she asked.

  “Well --” He shrugged and shook his head as he took the turn toward the pet store.

  “Oh dear.” Shaking her head, she huffed out a breath. “Okay. It’s all good. Unfortunately, this little guy is too young for solids, and I expect his mother didn’t produce enough milk for him. That means one of us will have to feed him every few hours with a bottle.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Not one bit. And by one of us, I meant you. It was your idea to get a dog, so you might as well get an idea of what that means.”

  “Why did you take him if it was going to be so much trouble?”

  She didn’t answer at first. Instead she stroked the dog’s back, soothing him when he whimpered. “Because he wouldn’t have lived much longer if we hadn’t. He’s seriously malnourished and maybe a pound underweight. It doesn’t sound like much, but on a puppy this young, it’s a good percentage of his body weight.”

  “Do you think he was abused?” If that was the case, then he would make sure the Kohlers never raised another dog. But it didn’t make sense. Every time he’d been by to visit, their animals had been well groomed and cared for. He’d never seen evidence of abuse in all the years he’d known the family.

  “No, definitely not abused, but runts often die even with good care. And sometimes people prefer to let nature take its course instead of doing nightly feedings that might just prolong the inevitable.”

  “That’s a little harsh,” he protested.

  “It can be, yes, but sometimes there are other reasons an animal doesn’t thrive. It might not be just food.”

  “So why did you take him?” Her smile made his heart stutter and miss a beat.

  “Because I think he’ll make it. Aside from being malnourished and dehydrated, he doesn’t seem to have any respiratory issues or infection, and I’m not seeing any fleas.” She glanced at him, and her lips quirked up. “Maybe I just have a soft spot for unwanted pets. I took you, after all.”

  Her quip made him throw back his head and laugh. Sure, if he hadn’t been driving, he’d have taken her over his knee for the snark. But when her eyes sparkled with mirth and she gave him one of those glorious smiles she’d previously reserved for Andy, he couldn’t bring himself to spoil her fun.

  “You are a bad girl, picking on me,” he growled.

  “You should have discussed getting a dog before he presented it as a fait accompli,” she retorted. “I like animals, and don’t mind taking care of him, but what if Andy or I had been allergic?”

  Jackson looked sharply at her, then back at the dozing baby in the back seat. “Is he allergic?”

  “No, he doesn’t have any allergies that we’ve found. The point is, a dog is a big decision and I’d have appreciated some input.” She bit her lip and laid a hand on his knee. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I love him already, and I know Andy will, too. But what would you say if I brought my childhood pet to your house without asking?”

  “Depends on the pet, I guess. We could get a cat, maybe.”

  Siobhan laughed loudly enough to wake the puppy. “You should rethink that. I’m half tempted to do it just to see the expression on your face. My childhood pet was a Shire horse named Ares.”

  “I have no idea what that is.”

  “Think Clydesdale, but supersize it.”

  Oh, shit. “Fair enough. No more pets unless the d
ecision is mutual.”

  An hour later, after a visit with a very convenient and amiable vet, Jackson had his puppy, his wife, and a baby all tucked into his house. He was surprisingly comfortable and happy with the domesticity. Siobhan sat on the floor and fed the little dog from a tiny bottle, cooing at him as his tail wagged. The puppy’s eyes brightened and he looked alert as he stumbled around the blanket she’d laid out. Andy was passed out on his chest, and Jackson stroked his back as he slept.

  The only thing that would make the scene perfect would be if he could have it every day. Unfortunately, Siobhan hadn’t moved in yet. “What should we call him?” he asked.

  The puppy trundled over and sniffed at Jackson’s sock-covered foot. He twitched his toes, making the animal jump. Letting out a yip, he turned and stumbled to Siobhan and hid behind her legs.

  She laughed and reached over to pet him. “Maybe Pogo?”

  “That works for me.” She sobered and looked down at the dog before standing and brushing off the skirt of the pretty blue dress that did remarkable things to her curves. “I guess I’d better take Andy and get out of your hair.”

  Jackson had the sudden urge to grab the leather collar he’d surreptitiously purchased while Siobhan had been busy with the vet at the pet store’s walk-in clinic. He’d never considered such a thing with any other sub, but he couldn’t help the atavistic desire to collar her and chain her to his bed. Maybe he should have bought one of those invisible fences so she could never leave him.

  He laughed inwardly. That folly would cost him if Siobhan ever got an inkling of his thoughts toward her. And he hadn’t been serious -- well, not very much, anyway. Instead of saying something that would get his head torn off, he said, “My mother brought over one of those portable cribs and a baby monitor. You can lay him down in the room I picked out for his nursery and we can spend some time together.”

  Chapter Six

  Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open. “I didn’t think you were serious about moving Andy and me in here.”