Annie had been worrying about the cost of things for so long she didn’t know how not to think about it.
“What I don’t understand is, if you love Noah as much as you seem to, why on earth would you let his old man get away without supporting him? Your son could have so much more if you weren’t worried about your pride.”
“It’s not my pride,” she snapped, looking away. “Jared denied he was Noah’s father. He told me to get an abortion and to quit trying to hang some other guy’s mistake on him.”
Was she saying Noah’s father had reason to believe she’d been sleeping around? It didn’t make sense. A promiscuous woman didn’t blush when a man touched her, and her eyes didn’t grow dark and shimmer like two pieces of polished onyx when a fellow gazed into them.
Marriage to a blue-blood tramp had left Tyler well-versed in a loose woman’s practiced kisses. Annie’s innocent and eager response that morning had been anything but experienced.
He took her hand and squeezed it. “I don’t understand. Why would the lowlife deny it if he’d been with you?”
Several moments ticked by while she gazed at him and the muscles in her throat convulsed. “Because he wasn’t about to admit he drugged and raped me.”
His heart stalled, and he stared at her for several seconds before he could speak. “Damn, Annie. I’m so sorry. I never would’ve touched you this morning if I’d had any idea you’d been—”
“Don’t worry about it. I was completely unconscious. Since I don’t have any memory of what happened, I wasn’t really traumatized that badly by what he did to me.”
Tyler shook his head. No wonder she’d responded to him as if she’d never had sex. He knew that one out of six women was sexually assaulted in their lives. Why hadn’t it ever occurred to him that Annie might be one of them? “Can you tell me how it happened?”
“After my dad was killed and the police told my mom they’d reached a dead end in the investigation, I was upset they were giving up. I’d also recently learned about my mother’s brain tumor, so I was hurting and wasn’t sleeping much.”
She drew in a shuddering breath. “Jared was eighteen and had been working for my dad for about a year. I had a huge crush on him, so when he asked me to go to a party—”
“You couldn’t say yes fast enough.”
She turned on the sofa to face him. “It was my first official date. I was so excited I blew ever cent from my babysitting money on make-up and a new dress with a full skirt that I practiced twirling in to make sure I’d looked good dancing.”
He could imagine how adorable she must have looked.
“Anyway, about a half hour after we got to the party, I began feeling dizzy. Naïve idiot that I was, I never dreamed someone as nice as Jared might’ve put something in my soda. When he noticed how woozy I was, he took me to a bedroom to lie down.”
“What a gentleman,” Tyler muttered, unable to curb his sarcasm.
“That’s exactly what I thought. I woke up a few hours later and assumed I’d simply passed out from exhaustion. Jared had left the party, so I walked home, never suspecting he’d done something so despicable as raping me.”
“You didn’t feel weird or anything?”
“Just slightly squishy, but I didn’t think much of it because there was a spot of blood in my underwear. I thought maybe I was getting my period early from all of the stress and that was why I conked out.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I know what you’re thinking. How clueless could I be?”
“No.” He slowly shook his head and stroked her hair. “I’m thinking how innocent you must’ve been.”
“Well, obviously I wasn’t about to get my period. I didn’t think much about it until six weeks later, when I still hadn’t had a cycle and I started feeling sick in the mornings. That’s when the light bulb went on in my head and began wondering if I’d really just passed out.”
“It must’ve been one hell of a shock to find out you were pregnant.”
“You think?” She smiled. “I took four pregnancy tests, trying to deny it was possible. When I went to see Doc Foster and the pregnancy test he ran came back positive, I finally accepted Jared must have slipped me some date-rape drug.”
It was no surprise the drugs had rendered someone as small as Annie completely unconscious. “Did you confront the bastard?”
“Oh, yeah. He denied it and said, ‘Why are you accusin’ me? There were at least twenty other guys at that party, and I left as soon as you fell asleep. If you don’t believe me, you can ask everyone who was there.’”
“Jared was the only one who handled your drink, though, right? Tyler asked.”
“Right. And then the bastard said, ‘Any one of those deviants could’ve wandered in and poked you while you were napping. In fact, what makes you so sure whoever found you didn’t invite all the other guys to take a turn fucking you? For all you know, you could’ve had a dozen different dicks in you that night.’”
Annie lifted her gaze, and her voice warbled. “I wanted to puke when he suggested more than one guy had....you know.”
“There’s a slight possibility,” Tyler said, squeezing her hand, “but I think as soon as you woke up you would’ve known if you’d been gang-raped, especially if you’d never had sex before.”
“I know, but my imagination went crazy. I started having a recurring nightmare in which a dozen guys took turns screwing me over and over while their buddies watched. I began to wonder if maybe it was actually a memory.”
He snorted softly. “And you don’t think you were traumatized?”
“Well, maybe emotionally, but not physically. My mother finally convinced me how unlikely my nightmares were when she pointed out I hadn’t even realized I’d been raped by one guy.”
It explained why Annie seemed so naive. She might have given birth, but experience-wise, she was probably still as innocent as a virgin.
She stared absently into the distance and smiled. “My mom joked the reason I didn’t realize it was because the bastard must have a cocktail-frank penis and raping me was the only way he could get any without becoming a laughingstock.”
Tyler smiled. It was good she was able to joke about it now. “So did you get a paternity test?”
“No. At first, I wanted to—simply to prove he’d raped me. But my mother was worried if the test showed he was my child’s father, it might give him some parental rights if I failed to prove what he’d done. The only evidence I had was Noah, and Jared would’ve claimed we had consensual sex. The last thing I wanted was for that S.O.B. to have anything to do with my baby.”
“That’s understandable.” But it also wasn’t fair the pervert had gotten away with sexual assault. Tyler’s hands clenched into tight fists. He would love nothing better than to beat bastard within an inch of his life.
“Now I feel like a freak, having less experience at twenty-three than most high school students. And a lot of men assume, since I have a six-year-old-son, I must be sexually active.”
“You shouldn’t let a few creeps stop you from dating.”
“Actually, a guy at my church asked me out last Sunday. I told him I’d let him know when I could get a babysitter. So if you’re still willing to watch Noah some night—”
“Sure,” he agreed, yet hating the idea of her spending the evening with someone else. “Any night is fine as long as you let me know the day before.”
“How about tomorrow? Assuming Will can make it, of course.”
“That’s fine. So, what will you tell Noah when he starts asking questions about his father? Pretty soon, he’s going to.”
“I know.” She stared at the carpet and shook her head. “I have no idea what I’m going to say. I mean, how do you tell a child his father was a rapist and didn’t want him?”
“When that day comes, would you like me to talk to him? He doesn’t need to know Jared raped you until he’s old enough to understand, but it might be easier for him to hear his father didn’t want him from a man who does.”
Her head jerked toward him. “Would you?”
“Sure.” He stared into her eyes. Her mouth was so close he could feel her soft breath on his face.
An awkward silence shrouded the room while he searched for a less serious topic. “So, I asked my assistant, Connie, to order the prep materials for the GED exam today. We should have everything by early next week.”
The tension in Annie’s face relaxed with the change in subject. “Thanks.”
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s take the kids to the Dairy Maid for some ice cre—”
“Tyler, don’t think I don’t appreciate it, but I’m not comfortable with how much you’re doing for Noah. Don’t you realize how miserable he’s going to feel when you get married and all of this ends? It’s like putting a bone in front of Mitch and telling him he can’t chew on it.”
He was well aware of what it was like to have nothing and get occasional tastes of the good life. It’d been those little samples that had given him the determination to never travel the same road as his old man.
“Look.” He spread his hands. “From the very beginning I promised you I’d make a permanent commitment to Noah. I meant it. As long as I’m breathing, he won’t go without. In fact, I think we should redecorate one of the extra bedrooms for him. I want him to have his own space here.”
Fear flickered in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you do that. It scares me to have you give him so much that I can’t.”
“Annie, let’s assume for a moment that I never made any promises and our relationship was ending. Don’t you think it’s crazy to deny your kid ice cream today because he won’t be able to have it tomorrow?”
“Yes, but at least before this, he didn’t know how much he was missing.”
That’s what she thought. At her son’s age, Tyler had spent every day after school pressing his face against the candy store window, watching the other kids spend their allowances.
The resentment still burned in his gut like hot embers whenever he recalled his father taking the few bucks Tyler had managed to earn, cutting lawns and shoveling snow, to help pay off his bookie.
He stared at her, letting his gaze follow the delicate curve of her face. “Believe me, your son knows very well what he’s been missing—and what he wants.”
And so did Tyler. His desire to kiss her was more powerful than any sweet craving he’d ever had as a kid.
~*~
Tyler glanced at his watch as he pulled his Jaguar into the garage the next evening at six-forty. Twenty minutes to spare. “Sorry,” he said as he wandered in the back door and set his briefcase on the kitchen’s center island. “I know you’re planning to go out. I didn’t mean to cut it so close.”
Or at least he didn’t think he had. Maybe subconsciously he wanted to wreck her evening.
“It’s okay.” She patted his arm. “You’re here now. Your dinner is in the microwave.”
“Thanks. Where are the kids?”
“They’re playing downstairs.” The white halter-top she’d paired with low-slung jeans set off her golden tan and dark hair. Her bare shoulders made him intensely aware that the only thing that could be under Annie’s thin halter was Annie.
“What are you and this guy, Will, planning to do tonight?”
She scraped what was left on the kids’ plates into the dog’s dish. “We’re having pizza and then going to a movie.”
“You know, it’ll be pretty cool in the theater. You might get cold in—”
“I have a sweater with me.”
“Oh—” The doorbell’s musical chime cut off his response.
“I’ll get that,” he said, striding to the foyer to open the door. Unfortunately, Will was even better looking than Tyler feared and a few years younger than he expected for someone who was already a widower. Annie had told him Will had recently lost his wife of four years to cancer. Will looked only slightly older than Annie, so he and his late wife must have been teenage sweethearts. The price tag still on his shirt said the guy was nervous and trying to make a good impression.
“You must be Will. I’m Tyler Fitzpatrick.” He shook the younger man’s hand. “You might want to take the tag off your collar before you go out.”
“Ahhh—” Will ripped it from the back of his neck. “Thanks. I guess it’s obvious I haven’t been out with anyone in a while.”
“Come on in.” Tyler led him down the hall to the kitchen where Annie was setting up the coffeemaker for the next morning. The microwave beeped.
“Hi, Will.” She waved and turned to Tyler. “Your dinner should be hot. If not, put it on for another minute.”
He opened his mouth to tell her to simply leave Noah overnight and then snapped it shut. If she didn’t come to pick up her son, Will might take her home to an empty house with no small child to put a damper on the way their evening ended.
“You look beautiful.” The flare of desire in Will’s eyes piqued Tyler’s protective instincts.
“So—what time do you think you’ll be bringing Annie back?”
“I’m not sure.” Will frowned. “Does she have a curfew?”
“Of course not. I simply figured if she’s going to be late—”
“Hey, remember me?” She waved her hand between them. “Would you stop talking about me like I’m not here?” She flashed a smile at Will. “I just need a minute to say goodnight to the kids.”
While she was in the basement, Will shifted his feet nervously and stared at the floor. Their awkward, mundane conversation made Tyler feel old, as if the younger man viewed him as a father figure to Annie. Good thing Will wasn’t privy to the less-than-paternal thoughts Tyler entertained about her.
“Okay, I’m all set to go,” Annie said, emerging from the basement.
Tyler took her cardigan from her and held it out for her to slip into. “If I’m asleep when you get back, wake me so I know you’ve taken Noah home. Enjoy your evening.”
“Oh, I’m sure I will. It’s been ages since I had pizza,” she told Will as he guided her toward the front door. “I love it when it’s bubbling hot and the cheese gets really stringy.”
Tyler watched them leave and shook his head. Only Annie would rhapsodize over a stinking slice of pizza.
~*~
The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed twelve times. Tyler stared at the carpet, sprawled in the damask wingback chair angled in the corner of his dark living room.
Where was she? His imagination had run rampant all evening, conjuring up one scenario after another, until his jaw ached from gritting his teeth.
At twelve-fifteen, his gaze snapped to the softly lit foyer as Mitch raced to the center hall and barked at the deadbolt’s click.
Annie stepped inside. “Shhh—Mitch, quiet. You’ll wake Tyler.”
As she turned to punch the security code on the keypad, she looked straight toward him but obviously couldn’t see him sitting in the dark. “I had a really wonderful time, Will,” she whispered. “Thank you,”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to carry Noah out to the car for you?”
“We’ll be fine, thanks. He’s still pretty light.”
“Not for long.” Will cupped her cheeks between his hands. “Can I see you again?”
She hesitated a moment. “I-I’m not sure. I know your wife died almost a year ago, but you’re obviously still in love with her.”
“I won’t deny that. Lisa was special. But so are you, and she’s gone. I’m hoping you’ll help me forget how much I miss her.”
Tyler cringed when the man dipped his head.
“Will, please.” She pulled away. “I need to date a guy a few times before I kiss him.”
“Okay.” He squeezed her hand. “I’d really like to do this again.”
“I shouldn’t impose on Tyler too soon after tonight.” She urged Will back out onto the front porch. “I’ll let you know when he can babysit again. Goodnight,” she said and quickly shut the door.
“Liar.”
Annie flinched and clutched her chest, peering into the dark corner where he sat. “You nearly scared the life out of me.”
“Admit it.” Tyler released a soft snort. “You have no intention of going out with him again. We’ve never dated, yet you’ve let me do a lot more than play a little tonsil-hockey with you. Why do you think that is?”
She strode into the living room and stood over him, hands planted on her hips. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not polite to eavesdrop?”
“Oooh.” He winced. “You make me sound so wicked when you put it like that.” He shook his head. “Seriously, I didn’t mean to listen. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t try something with you.”
“Why? So you could?”
“Truthfully?” He rose and pulled her against him. “Yes. I waited up because I needed to find out how much you like this guy. Obviously it can’t be a whole lot or you wouldn’t have sent him packing so fast.”
He slid his hands down her silky bare back. “If you were really attracted to him, you would’ve asked him inside and made out on the sofa for a little while. But you didn’t,” he murmured into her neck and nibbled at the pulse throbbing double-time just beneath the surface of her tender flesh. Her back arched as he kissed his way down her throat. “You sent him home because you’d rather be with me.”
She pushed at his chest. “That may be true, but I still don’t think we should get involved.”
“Annie, I haven’t even looked at another woman since we met. How can I find a wife to be a mother to Mandy when I’m so damn preoccupied with you?”
“You could start by asking someone out. I’m more than happy to return the favor and babysit.”
He pulled her close again and whispered, “You’re the only one I want to be with right now. Let’s forget this ridiculous platonic relationship you made me agree to.”
“And then what?” She shoved herself away from him. “We date for a while, get married, and live happily-ever-after? Forget it. A pizza girl and a filet mignon guy would never be happy for the long term. We don’t belong together.”
“I’m not asking for a permanent relationship. I’m simply suggesting we let the passion between us burn out so we can each get on with our lives.”
The Parent Pact (Book Three of The Return to Redemption Series) Page 10