While she lay in his arms afterward, listening to his deep breaths, she mentally relived the last two magical days, which had started with her make-over at the beauty salon and an extravagant shopping spree to outfit her for the weekend. It’d taken no time at all to catch on that the more she’d objected to how much Ben spent on her, the more he’d bought.
When Thomas pointed out that she hadn’t seen his employer enjoy himself that much in years, Annie knew she had no choice but to swallow her pride. It helped to believe he’d simply bought the clothes to please his friend and not because he’d felt sorry for her.
As Tyler’s arms tightened around her, her gaze drifted to the condom foil on the bedside table. She shouldn’t have lied to him the night before, but she hadn’t wanted to ruin the weekend by telling him it was the absolute worst time of the month to have unprotected sex.
She had to believe he was right about how slim the chance of her conceiving was. If she didn’t trust his experience and judgment, she would drive herself nuts with worry while she waited for her period.
She’d been crazy to gamble with her future, no matter how good the odds were in her favor. She had no idea what she would do if she lost and became pregnant again. Raising one child alone was hard enough. Tyler would undoubtedly offer to marry her.
Oh, good Lord. Had she refused his offer to get her the emergency contraception because she subconsciously hoped a baby would tie him to her? If responsibility induced him to marry her, he would most likely end up resenting her. Could she be happy knowing he didn’t love her?
Tyler pulled her closer and nibbled on her ear, murmuring “It’s gonna be torture sleeping without you after we get home. I’d really like you and Noah to move in with Mandy and me.”
Annie would give anything to be able to. “What kind of example would that set for our kids?” She drew back and stared into his eyes. “Besides, if we live together, you would quit looking for someone you’d like to marry.”
“Maybe I’ve already found her,” he whispered.
She tore her gaze away, feeling as if he’d given her a peek of paradise just so he could rub her nose in what she was missing. “Tyler, don’t make jokes.”
“Who’s joking? You make me feel incredible, sweetheart.”
“You’re talking with your genitals. I have a tenth grade education—nine years less schooling than you’ve had. That’s like a high school student trying to find something in common with a kindergartner.”
“So what.” He pressed his face into her neck. “I don’t care about that. And stop denigrating yourself, damn it. You’re very intelligent. IQ and a degree are two totally different things. As soon as you pass those tests, you’ll have your diploma.”
If she passed them.
“Big whoopee. The fact that I had to guess what denigrate means should tell you something about the huge difference between us.”
“We have a lot in common too, Annie. We’re both single with children. We both enjoy baseball and fishing.” He flashed one of his irresistible grins. “You enjoying cooking, and I love to eat.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he pulled down the sheet. “Especially you.”
When he slid down her body and nuzzled her delta again, she shoved his mouth away. “You’ve had enough of that. Too much nooky is making you delusional.”
“I’m not delusional.” He crawled back up the mattress to stare into her eyes. “You make me explode like a freaking skyrocket. What more can I ask for?”
“Someone who fits into your needs in life as well as in your bed.” She swept her hand around the lavish suite. “You’re so comfortable with all of this. Being here this weekend has been like visiting another planet for me. Face the facts. Great sex isn’t enough to build a lasting relationship on.”
“Maybe not,” he whispered, “but from where I sit, it’s a helluva great start.”
Sure, that was easy for him to say from his VIP, deluxe, no-expenses-spared seat.
Chapter 11
On Monday evening, Annie bustled around Tyler’s kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. A large hand reached in from the laundry room and grabbed her wrist. Her heart leapt into her throat as Tyler yanked her out to the garage and held his finger to his lips.
“Why’d you drag me out here?” she whispered, confused.
“Because I can’t kiss you the way I want to in front of the kids. I missed you so much last night,” he murmured into her lips.
“I missed you, too.” She wound her arms around his neck. “I tossed and turned for hours thinking about us. I could barely concentrate to study during the day. If I don’t get some sleep tonight, I’m going to flunk my tests tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. I called Dani to sit with Mandy tonight, so I can help you review after Noah is in bed.”
“I don’t think you should. A good night’s sleep is going to help me a lot more than cramming.”
A buzzer sounded inside the house, reminding her of the smoked ham and au gratin potatoes she’d baked. She extricated herself from Tyler’s arms and raced back into the kitchen.
“So how was your day?” she asked, pulling their dinner from the oven.
“I’ve had better. Like this past weekend, for example.” While she took the glazed carrots and steamed broccoli off their burners and poured them into serving bowls, he washed his hands. “Ben has his eye on a company outside of Philly called Clark Industries. He has to move fast on it, so I’m going to be pretty busy in the next few weeks.”
“What’s the hurry?”
“CI is a subsidiary of Gordon Enterprises which is a closely held corporation that’s way overextended.”
“Whatever that means.”
“In other words, they only have a few stockholders and don’t have the resources to modernize CI in order for it to remain profitable.”
“Can’t they get a bank to lend them the money for it?”
“Not with their debt to asset ratio.” Tyler pulled out the carving knife to slice the ham. “With the way Clark is bleeding money, Ben’s hoping they’ll be receptive at this point.”
“Don’t the two of you feel like corporate vultures circling dying businesses?”
“You’re looking at scavengers in the wrong light, sweetheart.” He popped a chunk of ham into his mouth. “Vultures are nature’s sanitation engineers. If you’re going to put wings on Ben, try seeing him as a guardian angel.”
“I admit Ben’s a sweet guy.” She set the casserole of potatoes on the table. “But do you really think the people who own Clark are going to view him that way?” she asked, proving she didn’t have a clue how many different parties and interests were involved in business.
“Probably not, but Clark’s nine hundred employees will definitely appreciate it. If the company doesn’t get a transfusion of cash ASAP, Gordon will have to close the doors at CI and the people who work there will all be out of a job by Christmas.” Tyler tilted his head and raised one eyebrow. “So, you tell me which Ben is—a vulture or an angel?”
“Well, I know he isn’t doing this as an act of charity.”
“True. I admit once BJ finishes overhauling the facility he’ll be able to unload the company for a lot more than it’s going to cost him to buy it and modernize it. Of course, that’s assuming Gordon is willing to sell at Ben’s price.”
“It still seems like he’s taking advantage of their financial difficulties.” She arranged the slices of pineapple garnishing the ham around the slices of meat Tyler had carved. “But I suppose it’s just business for him. He’s obviously the exact opposite in his personal relationships.”
“What do you mean?” He nibbled on a slice of ham.
“Just that he’s more inclined to go above and beyond in taking care of his friends, rather than trying to profit from them.”
“That’s an understatement. He sat with me the entire night after Erica and the baby were killed,”—he glanced toward the open door to the basement where the kids where playing and lowered his voic
e—“even though he’s hated her ever since he found out I’m not Mandy’s biological father.”
Annie stared at him in shock. Although Ben had mentioned Erica’s promiscuity, she was still as stunned as Tyler must have been. She squeezed his arm. “You love your daughter so much, I never would’ve guessed she isn’t really yours. How did you find out?”
“When Mandy was a toddler, Erica became distracted one afternoon in the mall parking lot, and our daughter was hit by a car. It was touch and go for a couple of days, at which time Erica found out Mandy’s blood type was different from both hers and mine. When we nearly lost her, I lashed out at Erica for her carelessness. That’s when she threw it in my face that I wasn’t Mandy’s real father.”
“You must’ve been devastated.” Annie placed serving spoons in the vegetables and moved them to the table. “What’d you do?”
“We went for counseling, and I learned Erica had bipolar disorder and her infidelity was part of the manic phase of her illness. I tried to understand, but then I came home early one day and found her in our bed with some delivery guy she’d never met before. Erica swore she loved me and would faithfully take her medication. I tried to forgive her, but the idea of being intimate with her left me cold. A year later, she confessed she was pregnant again.”
“And you knew the baby wasn’t yours because you hadn’t slept with her.”
He sucked in a long, shuddering breath and nodded. “I was partially to blame because I hadn’t given her what she needed. Although, no one man could have. She was sick. She’d been picking up strange men, sometimes two or three a day.”
“So I guess she didn’t know who her baby’s father was.”
“Nope. She even admitted to engaging in several orgies. The kinkier the sex, the bigger high she got from it.”
“I’m surprised you stayed with her. Most men wouldn’t have.”
“I loved Mandy. And when I married Erica, I promised to stick by her side in sickness and in health.” He pulled the pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and placed it on the table. “After I discovered she was mentally ill, I felt an obligation to her—even though I’m not sure I ever really loved her.”
Annie swallowed hard. It was exactly how he would feel if she became pregnant from there mishap on Friday.
He shrugged his shoulders. “And, I admit, I was worried the court might deny me custody and possibly visitation if Erica proved Mandy wasn’t biologically mine.”
“That’s an understandable fear.”
“When she took her medication she was a different woman, and I never stopped hoping we could work things out. Unfortunately, she obsessed over the weight she gained from the pills and quit taking them. She refused to be responsible for her mental health.”
“You can’t force someone to take care of themselves.”
“Anyway, I promised to accept her new baby as my own, too, and by the time she was killed, I wanted her son more than I ever dreamed I would.” Tyler turned and looked at Annie. “After having my wife conceive two children who weren’t mine, I sometimes worry I might be sterile.”
Perhaps that was why he was so eager to be a father to Noah. Tyler’s relationship with his daughter was testimony to his unconditional love for children. “You could be tested.”
“Maybe someday. Anyway, as crushed as I was over losing the baby, I was also plagued with guilt from the relief I felt over Erica’s death.” He transferred the platter of meat to the table and opened the basement door. “Mandy, Noah—come wash up for dinner!”
Tyler turned back to Annie as the kids thundered up the stairs and raced to the sink in the powder room. “Anyway, the reason I told you about the transaction with Clark Industries is Ben would like a favor from you.”
“Me?” She frowned. “How can I help him?”
“He wants to meet the principal players to get a feel for them before we hold a preliminary meeting. Most of them are from the Philly area, and Ben doesn’t want to try to court them in an impersonal restaurant or office setting. He’d like to do it at a dinner party.”
Her stomach knotted as she realized where Tyler was heading. “He wants me to plan a dinner here?”
“Exactly. He’d like to invite the spouses to keep things social, so he needs someone to play hostess.”
She couldn’t say no, not after everything Ben and Tyler had both done for her. But she didn’t know the first thing about holding a formal dinner party.
Tyler pulled out her chair as the kids took their seats. “Can I tell him you’ll do it?”
“How many people is he inviting?”
“Just four couples.”
So if Ben brought a date, she’d only be serving dinner for twelve. Tyler and Ben seemed to think she could handle this. It was a chance to show her appreciation to both of them.
“He’d like to have the party a week from Saturday. BJ doesn’t expect you to cook. He simply needs you to call a caterer, make sure the house is in order, and coordinate everything.”
Oh sure. Like she’d actually let Ben pay someone else to do this after he’d bought her those beautiful clothes.
“When you drop the kids off at school tomorrow, talk to Paula Larson. She can probably give you the names of a couple of good white-glove outfits who handle this sort of shindig.”
The venomous looks the woman had been throwing Annie’s way since she started working for Tyler made Paula the very last person Annie would ask for help. She didn’t doubt the blue-blood snob would love to take her place as Tyler’s hostess.
After he blessed the meal, Annie pushed the food around on her plate while her mind raced with all the things she’d need to do for a party less than two weeks away. All at once, her exam the next day was the farthest thing from her mind. If nothing else, she’d find out if she was capable of becoming the wife Tyler needed.
~*~
On his way home from the office the next day, Tyler’s cell phone rang. When he answered, Luke’s voice flowed from the Jaguar’s speaker. “Hey, how’s it going? I hear Ben and the brat gave you and Annie a nice weekend.”
“Extraordinary is more like it. What’s up?”
“I wanted to tell you I dropped in at the Redemption police station and got lucky.”
“You’ve found something?”
“Not yet. But a sergeant on the local force attended the academy with me. He let me look at the file and something interesting turned up. It seems Detective Brian O’Donnell headed up the original murder investigation and was later convicted for grand theft auto. He’s presently on parole after doing thirty-six months for his involvement in a chop-shop.”
“So he was a dirty cop. What does that prove about—” Tyler frowned and then nodded. “Ohhh, I get it. You think since her dad owned a garage, the two incidences could be related.”
“Exactly. I’m going to dig into O’Donnell’s background and look for a connection to her father. So, while you’re talking to Annie tonight, casually ask her if she knows of any relationship between her dad and O’Donnell.”
“Sure. And thanks, Luke. I owe you.” Tyler ended the call, and his gut twisted into a pretzel. Maybe he wasn’t doing Annie any favors, searching for the truth. What if Luke found out her father had gotten himself killed by getting mixed up in something he shouldn’t have?
~*~
After enjoying two helpings of delicious pot roast smothered in rich gravy, Tyler sent the kids out to the yard to play and helped Annie clear the table. While he finished loading the dishwasher, she poured two mugs of coffee and uncovered a pan of apple cobbler she’d baked that afternoon.
Tyler groaned. “You’re spoiling me. I shouldn’t have eaten seconds at dinner.”
“I warned you I made dessert to celebrate the end of our studying.”
She might be glad their late nights solving equations were over, but he wasn’t.
Despite being stuffed, he couldn’t resist the tantalizing smell of cinnamon. “Somehow I’ll manage to find the room for dessert.”
He picked up the warm baking pan and jerked his head toward the French doors. “It’s beautiful outside tonight. Let’s take this out to the terrace to eat.”
“That sounds nice.”
He waited while she collected four plates and spoons before following her outside.
“So, how do you think you did on your tests today?” He set the cobbler on the glass-topped table and then sank into the cushioned glider to watch the kids hang from their knees on the redwood gym set.
“I feel as if I might’ve done pretty good,” she said, dishing up two servings of cobbler.
“I’m glad it was a math and science test and not English.” He chuckled. “If you did anything, you did it well. Good is an adjective. Well is an adverb. You cook really well as opposed to you are a very good cook.”
“Oh.” Her eyebrows knitted together as she carried their plates and spoons over to the glider and sank into the seat next to him.
“Hey.” He squeezed her arm as she handed him his dessert. “I’m not criticizing you, sweetheart. It’s a common mistake. I thought you’d like to know the correct word usage.”
She stared down at her feet. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
He needed a swift kick. Annie already considered herself as educated as a bookend. Regardless of his good intentions, correcting her would only make her feel more inadequate. “So you don’t think I’d be premature in congratulating you for passing?”
“No. The test was a breeze compared to the work you’ve been giving me.”
“Good. That’s why I was so tough on you.” He took a bite of cobbler and rolled his eyes. “Umm, this is stupendous. You must have been busy most of the day taking your test and cooking that incredible dinner. When you picked the kids up from school, were you able to get the name of a caterer from Paula?”
“No. I’ve decided not to hire anyone. Ben has been so good to me—I want to do this for him.”
“Annie, he doesn’t expect that.” Tyler didn’t want her to think he didn’t believe she could handle it, but despite what an awesome cook she was, he wasn’t sure she could. Erica had always hired a caterer, and she’d still been frazzled by the time their parties ended.
The Parent Pact (Book Three of The Return to Redemption Series) Page 17