Claimed (Passion in Paradise #4.5)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  “Jesus, you’ve got it bad,” Zeke noted with a compassionate look at his friend. “You sound like I did with Honor.”

  “Exactly. I don’t sleep at night, Zeke. I just lay in my bed and replay that night we spent together in my mind and wonder if she’s doing the same thing on the other side of my bedroom wall.” Shaking his head, Aiden moved to sit on the step beside Zeke. “I need her beside me, man. The last month and a half has been agony.”

  “I’m sorry, Aiden. I truly am.”

  “Then help me. Arrest her. Lock her up for me. Just long enough for me to plead my damn case with her. Hell, if she’s in a jail cell, she’s got no choice but to listen to what I have to say!”

  Zeke snorted. “Nice idea, but have you met my wife and her three sisters, Aiden? Carolina is their friend now. They’ve adopted her into the fold. Which means they know what sent her running the night you two got together. Believe me when I say that all four of ‘em consider Miss Mayfair to be the injured party. If I aided and abetted you with this cracker-jack plan you’ve concocted, that would mean I’d have to face them later and every one of those women would think I was just as guilty as you were.”

  “That’s crazy,” Aiden huffed impatiently.

  “Do you not pay attention, Aid? The McKinnon sisters aren’t exactly known for being rational in the face of dramatic upheaval. Every one of those girls, my wife included, lead with their heart. Now, I can’t speak for Harmony, Faith or Patience, but my wife Honor’s heart says you are guilty as all fuck. They don’t need a damn trial. You’ve been convicted in the only court that matters…the McKinnon tribunal. Mostly because that Lorna woman let it be known throughout the land that you and she shared more than a drink and a chat all those months ago. Plus, you picked up that blasted woman in the bar while Patience was workin’. And our friendly bartender remembers that night most vividly.”

  “Then she should recall that I was so drunk I could barely stand up straight. Honest to God, I was so shitfaced that I’m still not sure how I performed that night.”

  “Yeah, well, Lorna let the entire tavern know that you performed quite well all those months ago. Evidently, after you lit into her and told her to stay the fuck away from you, she came into the bar a few weeks ago and cried in her beer all night. Needless to say, it pissed off Patience pretty badly when Lorna started badmouthing your Miss Mayfair. Needless to say, words got exchanged and Lorna got banned from the bar for life. More than that, though, Patience shared everything she’d heard with the rest of her sisters. They’ve all came to the unanimous conclusion that Carolina was definitely the wronged party in this whole mess. Now, you’ve lived in this town all your life, my friend. You know what each of the McKinnon sisters are like when angered as individuals, but you should also know by now the damage they can do when moving as a unified front. Quite simply, Aiden, I make it a point never to have to face all four righteously angry McKinnon sisters on my own if I can help it. Shit, if I did what you’re requesting and locked your girl up for you, I’d have all four of those furies on my back from now until Doomsday. Sorry, man, but I’m just not willing to fall on that particular sword. Not even for you.”

  “Then why the hell are you here?” Aiden groused, glaring at his friend.

  “I’m here because I am your friend. When I saw you leap out of your chair at breakfast, yelling about how you were gonna kill Carolina just as soon as you found her, I thought it might be prudent to tag along behind you. And as your friend, it’s my job to stop you from doing anything stupid if it comes down to it.”

  “Oh, hell, as much as I want to spank her ass at the moment, I’d never actually hurt Caro, Zeke. She’s carrying my child, for fuck’s sake.”

  “You positive about that?” Zeke questioned. “I mean, just because your girl went and saw Mack, that doesn’t exactly mean that he told her there’s gonna be a baby. Seems to me there’d be a fifty/fifty shot of that at best. Until you talk to her, how are you to know what he told her?”

  Aiden sighed, not exactly proud of how he’d obtained his information. But hell, he was desperate. Having a few of his trusted firefighter brothers keep an eye on Caro had seemed like a good idea when he’d done it. Now, however, he realized it might not put him in the best light. In hindsight, it seemed, well, stalker-ish.

  “Oh, hell, Aiden, what’ve you done?” Zeke growled when he noticed his buddy shifting from foot to foot guiltily.

  “I was sort of desperate, Zeke. A few days after Carolina stormed out of my place and made it clear that she wasn’t gonna give me the time of day, I realized that I couldn’t be around twenty-four hours a day to make sure she was okay. So, I might have had a few of the fellas down at the fire station begin keeping an eye on Caro for me when I couldn’t. When they see something that concerns them, they give me a call,” Aiden admitted gruffly.

  “You’re spying on her?” Zeke balked, shaking his head at the other man.

  “Yeah, but not in a creepy way, Sheriff,” Aiden retorted defensively. “Hell, she’s mine, Zeke. I have to make sure she’s taken care of when I can’t have my eyes on her. She’s a tiny woman alone in a strange town. Hell, yes, I’m gonna have her looked after when I can’t be around to do it.”

  “Jesus, Aiden! I was only concerned about you before. Now, I’m worried as fuck! If this poor gal finds out you’ve been having her followed around, she’s likely to come un-hinged. And if she tells Honor and her sisters about it, they’re likely to have you tarred and feathered in the town square!”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry. As soon as she gets here, I’m gonna make her understand just exactly who she and my baby belong to,” Aiden spat, his heavy foot stomping against the porch with finality.

  Zeke rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Yeah, if – and that’s a big if- she’ll give you the time of day. Let’s go back a few steps. How exactly do you know she’s carrying your child?”

  “You know Jonathan Radley, right?” Aiden asked as he sat beside Zeke on the steps and stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles.

  “Works down at the Lowery’s Pharmacy, right? Tall guy with red hair? I think he waited on me the last time I was in there picking up my cholesterol meds.”

  “Yep. That’s him. He’s some kind of pharmacy tech. He also joined on as a volunteer firefighter at the station a few months back. Good guy. Hard worker and loyal to a fault. Anyhow, that’s how I know him, and that’s how he knows who Carolina is to me. Anyway, that was the phone call I got while we were eating. Carolina came into the pharmacy to have a prescription filled. A prescription for prenatal vitamins. So, you see, the odds are a hundred percent in my favor, Zeke. My woman is pregnant with my baby.”

  “Holy hell, Aiden. Congratulations,” Zeke offered, pounding Aiden on the back.

  “Thanks,” Aiden replied with a half-smile, shaking his head as he tried to grasp the thought. “I can’t believe it’s happening, but at the same time, I think a part of me already knew. I mean, every time I’ve seen her for the past week or so, she‘s either throwing up in the bushes or running toward a bathroom. I can’t help but think this baby is God’s way of sending me a sign that we’re absolutely supposed to be together.”

  “Don’t know if she’s gonna see it quite the same way, Aiden, but for your sake, I hope she does. Personally, I’d probably give her a day or two to get her head wrapped around this development before confronting her, but I can see by that look on your face that’s gonna be a no-go.”

  “I’m not risking it, Sheriff. What if this news scares her so bad that she bolts?” Aiden shook his head again. “Nah, I can’t risk that. Better to get everything out in the open now. Besides, I want to be part of this pregnancy every step of the way from the very beginning. I was an only child, man. Now that my mom and dad are gone, I’m lonely. This is my chance to have the family I’ve always imagined. And she’s a good woman, Zeke. She deserves the gold ring, nice house, and all the babies I can give her.”

  “You sound serio
us, Aiden,” Zeke noted softly.

  “Hell, yes, I’m serious. I want to see my baby growing inside her belly. I wanna be there to hold her hair back when she gets sick or run to the store at two in the morning when she gets some weird craving. I want to be with her, period. I fucked things up the night Caro and I got together. There wasn’t enough time to explain that Lorna was in my past, but I’ve tried. Unfortunately, since then, I’ve been playing this convoluted game of hide and seek with her, but that ends today. It’s my youngun she’s packing around in her womb, and I want that kid to have both a momma and a daddy. Whether Carolina knows it or not, her bachelorette days are almost over. I’m marrying that girl come hell or high water!”

  Zeke smiled. “Yeah, I get what you’re saying better than you know.” Looking around to ensure their privacy, he continued, “Honor and I haven’t told anyone yet, but she’s expecting. I’m not sure what I’d do if I was in your situation, man. When we learn our women are expecting, something primal happens inside us. I hate every fucking second I’m away from Honor. So, believe it or not, I do see where you are coming from.”

  “Well, hot damn, Sheriff! Seriously?”

  “Yeah,” Zeke confirmed. “Dr. Mack confirmed it last week. She’s nine weeks gone. We’re waiting until the end of the first trimester to tell anybody so keep it under your hat.”

  “Congratulations,” Aiden said, honestly happy for his old friend. “Looks like we’re gonna both be joining the daddy club together.”

  Zeke smiled and nodded as the sound of an approaching car caught Aiden’s attention. One glance in the oncoming vehicle’s direction confirmed the identity of the driver. “Aiden,” Zeke warned as he noticed his friend’s stiffening posture. “Go easy, man. Remember your own words. This is the woman you’re gonna marry.”

  “Yeah,” Aiden clipped, rising to his feet as Carolina swung her 4Runner into the driveway. “You might have to remind me of that a few more times,” he added, glaring at her when she slowly climbed from behind the wheel, her hand clutching a white bag tightly in her hand.

  Zeke looked from Aiden’s stony face to where Carolina slowly advanced toward them, her gait both reluctant and wary, and he winced.

  “Sheriff Zeke,” Carolina called out a friendly greeting, offering Zeke a measured look as she ignored the other man’s presence entirely. “You aren’t here to arrest me for something, are you?” she asked playfully as the lawman rose to stand beside Aiden.

  Reaching up to tip his Stetson toward her, Zeke forced a smile. “No, nothing like that, Miss Mayfair. I was actually here to visit with Aiden.”

  “Oh,” Caro returned, her voice flat as her pleasant expression faded and she shot Aiden a cold look of indifference. “Well then, enjoy your visit with him if you can,” she murmured politely as she began to climb the steps toward her side of the duplex.

  Rolling his eyes at her chilly parting words, Aiden shook his head. “Oh, could we just cut the bullshit?” he snarled, stepping around Zeke to block Caro’s path. “You and I need to talk, woman.”

  Narrowing her eyes at the man looming a step above her, Carolina offered Aiden an icy smile. “I really don’t think we do, Mr. James. Now, please remove yourself from my way before I ask our kind local sheriff to do it for me,” she threatened, drawing her white paper bag to her chest as she glared up at the man in front of her.

  “Were you ever gonna tell me, Carolina? Did it cross your mind for a second that I deserved to know?” Aiden barked, his eyes darkening with unspoken hurt as he stared down into her rapidly paling face.

  “Aiden, c’mon, man… take a deep breath,” Zeke’s deep voice urged.

  The color leached completely from Carolina’s face. “What are you talking about?” she whispered, trying to take a nervous step back from the betrayal she saw burning in Aiden’s eyes only to find his strong hand gripping her arm, preventing her from falling.

  “You know what I’m talking about,” Aiden seethed, ignoring Zeke’s warning. “Our baby, Caro. Were you ever gonna tell me he or she existed or were you gonna punish me some more for a crime I didn’t commit?”

  Hesitating, she trembled slightly at the raw fury she saw flickering in Aiden’s gaze and she swallowed, searching for something she could say to assuage his anger. “How? How did you know? I just found out myself!” she confessed a tad frantically. “There’s no way you could possibly…”

  “Something to note about living in Paradise, Dimples. Secrets never stay secret for long,” Aiden informed her with a sardonic smile. “News that the sweet, single town librarian is pickin’ up prenatal vitamins at the local pharmacy makes headlines, babe.”

  “Oh, God,” Carolina breathed, her eyes widening as she struggled for composure.

  “So, I’ll repeat,” Aiden went on harshly, “Were you ever going to tell me that I was going to be a father? And before you try and say that the baby might not be mine, you should save yourself the trouble. I know this kid belongs to me, Caro,” he claimed, lowering his voice as he dropped a hand to settle possessively over the slight curve of her belly. “You haven’t given a man a second look since I took you to bed.”

  “You’re that sure?” she asked shakily, blinking back tears as she made herself look into his determined eyes.

  “I’m fucking positive, Carolina,” he returned softly, his words heavy and sure. “I know six weeks ago that you were meant to be mine. Even though we’ve been apart, I’ve watched you, and I know that you’ve stayed true to me. The same way I’ve stayed true to you.”

  “Uh huh. Would Lorna say the same thing?” she returned in a tone that could have cut glass.

  “Abso-fucking-lutely,” Aiden answered truthfully, his word solid as a rock.

  Clearing his throat, Zeke took a half-step closer to the couple, his voice low as he spoke. “Listen, Miss Mayfair, I truly don’t want to interfere with whatever you and Aiden have goin’ on here, and I’m not altogether sure what happened between the two of you a few weeks back, but what I can say is Aiden’s been a good, loyal friend to me for over twenty years. His word is his bond. If he says that things with this Lorna lady aren’t the way they seem, you should hear him out. Especially if you two now have a tie that binds you together permanently,” he said with a pointed look at where Aiden’s hand rested on the tiny bump in her belly.

  Looking from Zeke to Caro, Aiden fought a glower as his woman’s shoulders sagged. Damn it! The last thing he wanted to do was damage that beautiful spirit of hers, but it was clear that was exactly what was happening. Seeing her drop her head in defeat, his heart skipped a beat as she relented and said, “Perhaps the sheriff is right. I suppose we should talk.”

  Flashing Zeke a grateful look, Aiden bobbed his head enthusiastically in agreement. “Yeah, I think we should, too. You wanna go to your place or mine?” he asked, gesturing at the identical doors behind him with one hand.

  “Are you two gonna be good or do I need to stick around?” Zeke asked the pair.

  Aiden felt Carolina’s nervous gaze on his face. “We’ve got this, don’t we, Dimples?” he questioned, feeling a shade more hopeful when her eyes softened on his face. “I don’t wanna sound too eager, but news of this baby is the best thing that’s happened to me since the day you walked into my life. I wanna talk about this. I promise you, I won’t bite.”

  “Unless I want you to, right?” Carolina asked impetuously, a shy half-smile kicking up the corner of her cherry lips.

  “See, you know me better than you think you do,” Aiden praised, winking down at her.

  Gnawing uncertainly at her lower lip for a second, Carolina finally turned her attention toward the silent sheriff. “I think I want to talk to Aiden alone, Zeke. I’ll be okay here with him and I’m sorry we took up your time,” she consented shyly.

  Satisfaction flashed in Aiden’s gaze at his girl’s decision. Knowing she trusted him enough to allow him in with her – even if it was just a little – was enough to buoy his confidence. “Thanks for coming by, Zek
e,” he offered tersely, nodding toward his friend. “I think we’ve got it from here, man.” He wrapped an arm around Caro’s waist as he guided her up the last few remaining steps and watched as she slid her key into the lock on her front door.

  “Play nice, kids. I’m sure that baby would appreciate nobody disturbing his or her peace for the next several months. I’ll see y’all soon,” Zeke replied with a grin before tipping his hat again and descending the porch steps toward his SUV.

  “I can’t believe the frickin’ sheriff knows I’m knocked up. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.”

  Caro’s horrified mumble froze Aiden in place and he dropped his gaze to the top of her bent head. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Dimples.”

  Carolina’s head hung as she pushed open the front door and stepped over the threshold. “Right,” she sneered. “The naïve new town librarian gets pregnant by the horny, but honorable local fire chief during a one night stand on her first night in town? Yeah, that’s not embarrassing at all, Aiden! Are you kidding me? It’s straight out of some tawdry romance novel! And cut it out with the Dimples nonsense! I am definitely not smiling today,” she ordered as she spun to face him just inside her tastefully decorated living room.

  Aiden’s shoulders tensed at her description of them. She made what they’d shared sound cheap. Insignificant. Was she so inexperienced that she couldn’t see that what had happened between them was as rare as seeing a lion walking down Main Street? Or was she just that damned jaded by her prick of an ex-boyfriend? Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself yet again that strangling the mother of his child would be an unwise choice. One look in her turbulent eyes confirmed that his woman was running scared, striking out at him as she tried to fight her own fears. “Well, Dimples, I think you and I remember things very differently. See, I think what we shared the night we were together was a lot of things. Hot. Poignant. Fucking addictive in the extreme. But the last label I’d put on it is tawdry. As for your embarrassment, I can’t help you there. Mostly because I’m fuckin’ thrilled about our baby.”