One Night with a Millionaire (Daring Divorcees)

by Shannyn Schroeder

  Pam bumped his shoulder with hers. “No phones. We haven’t seen you in forever.”

  “My girlfriend. I’ll talk to her later.”

  “Girlfriend? You didn’t say anything about a girlfriend.”

  He hadn’t? He shrugged, because he didn’t have a reason for not mentioning Tess.

  “Where is she? Why didn’t she come tonight?”

  “She was working. Then she had to get home to her kids.”

  “Whose kids?” Tony asked as he set drinks in front of everyone.

  Pam leaned closer to Tony. “Miles has a girlfriend. And she has kids. Like plural.”

  Tony chuckled. “Are any of them yours?”

  “No, smartass.”

  “I want to hear all about her. What’s her name? How long have you been dating? How serious is it?” Pam asked.

  Miles took a drink and let the alcohol warm his throat. “Her name is Tess. We’ve been going out a couple months, give or take.” He let the last question fall, because he wasn’t sure how to answer.

  “You screwed all the childless women in the city, so you’ve moved on to the mommies?” Tony asked.

  Yeah, Tony was about as funny as he’d been in college. “I met her at a work thing. We hit it off. She’s divorced and has three kids.”

  Pam tapped her lips with her long red nail. “Hmm… Have you met them?”

  “Who?”

  “The kids.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Has she met your family?”

  Is this an interrogation? This was why he hadn’t said anything about Tess. “Yeah. They all came over for our Labor Day barbecue.”

  “They?” Tony asked. “Damn. You move fast. Did you buy her a ring and write your vows yet?”

  The mention of a ring and vows made Miles’s heart thump. He and Tess had only been dating a little while. “What are you talking about?”

  Pam shook her head. “Please tell me you’re not really that clueless.”

  Miles stared at his glass of whiskey. A simple conversation shouldn’t have me this confused. Then he remembered Pam rarely kept things simple.

  “Miles, baby, a mother is nothing to screw with. If you’re doing the whole family thing—and I do mean whole family—this is the real deal for her. If you’re not on board, you better set sail.”

  “It’s not like that with Tess. We’re having a good time and seeing where things go. She’s not rushing me into anything.” He drained his glass again.

  “You sure?” Tony asked. “She might be looking at you as a nice meal ticket.”

  “What? No.” Of that much, he was absolutely sure. “In fact, Tess hates when I spend money on her or the kids. She does things on her own.”

  “Suspicious.” Not surprising that Tony would take that stance since he was a lawyer. “If things progress any further, give me a call. You should have a prenup ready to go long before anything else.”

  Prenup? Damn. Were his friends trying to kill him? Although he’d been enjoying his time with Tess and the kids, he was far from thinking about marriage. His gut churned, because although he wasn’t there yet, he couldn’t answer for Tess.

  Pam cackled, startling him. “We better stop, Tony. He looks like he might pass out.”

  “I’m fine,” Miles muttered. “I thought we were out to party tonight. Don’t the two of you have anything better to talk about than my love life?” He tossed some bills on the table. “Let’s get out of here and find a better party.”

  Anything to get his mind off the weight of the conversation.

  …

  Miles sat up and looked at his phone. Fuck. He was supposed to have dinner at Tess’s house. He’d thought he’d nap on the couch for an hour, but it had been four. He rubbed his eyes again and pushed off the cushions. He walked stiffly to the bathroom, splashed water on his face, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked as horrible as he felt.

  Grabbing his keys, he headed out the door. He thought about calling, but since he hadn’t returned her call last night, he needed to face her. He drove as quickly as he could to her house. A few lights were on, but no one answered when he knocked. Damn. He wondered how pissed she was.

  She hadn’t mentioned any other plans for tonight. The kids didn’t have practice on Sundays and her car was parked at the corner. He thought about looking in the front window to see if maybe she was just ignoring him, but that was too stalkery. He rang the bell again and waited.

  Nothing.

  Taking a seat on the top step, he pulled out his phone and stared at it. Just as he debated what to say, he heard voices down the block. Tess and the kids were nearing the house. He stood and leaned against the rail. Andrew saw him first and yelled for him.

  They all looked happy, each licking an ice cream cone.

  “Hey,” he said and stepped down to the sidewalk toward them.

  “I didn’t know you were coming,” Andrew said. “You shoulda come earlier so you could have ice cream, too.”

  “I wish I had,” Miles said, looking at Tess.

  She handed Zoe her keys. “You guys run ahead. We’ll catch up.”

  Zoe looked at her and then at Miles, knowing something was up but not asking. Thank God. He didn’t want to have to explain to a teenager as well as her mother why he was an ass.

  The kids took off, and he and Tess walked. She said nothing. He knew it was a mom tactic; his own mother had used silence to get a confession out of him more than once. They walked side by side until they stood in front of her house.

  He didn’t even try to fight it with Tess. “I’m so sorry. I meant to be here for dinner. I lay on the couch and conked out.”

  “Late night, huh?” Her voice held no emotion.

  “Yeah. I met up with a couple of friends. We hit a few bars, and then Tony wanted to drive to the Brat Stop. It was far from the wisest choice I’ve made in a while.”

  “The Brat Stop? You drove all the way to Wisconsin after midnight?”

  “How did you know how late it was?”

  She bit her lip. “Angie saw some pictures you posted on social media.”

  Miles’s thoughts scrambled. What had he posted? “Pam likes to snap pictures all the time.”

  “Pam?”

  “My friend.” He reached for Tess’s arm to make her stop. “That’s all she is,” he reassured. “Tony, Pam, and I met in college. We hung out a lot back then, and we get together a few times a year to catch up.”

  “Okay.”

  He had no idea how to interpret that one word. “Are we okay?”

  She shrugged, which wasn’t any better.

  “I’m not lying about Pam. If you want, we can call her right now. She’ll tell you the same thing.”

  Tess blew out a breath. “I’m not accusing you of cheating. I’m frustrated. You didn’t return my call or text last night. You said you were going to come over for dinner, and you blew me off. Blew us off.”

  “I’m sorry. I hadn’t planned on sleeping that long. I was just beat.”

  “I get it. You can do whatever you want. It’s the lack of communication that’s the problem.” She turned and sat on the concrete step.

  Miles joined her, not liking the fact they were talking outside instead of being in the house. Although he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer, he asked, “What are you thinking?”

  “I think we’re in different places in life, Miles. You stayed out most of the night partying. My partying days are long over. There’s no way you can convince me that driving to the Brat Stop at one in the morning was a good idea.”

  “I’ll make sure to leave that off the list of possible dates.”

  “This isn’t a joke.” She licked her lips. “I’ve already been through a marriage with someone who routinely ignored my needs. I’m not looking to be the center of your world, but I also don’t want to be an afterthought. I deserve better.”

  “You’re right.”

  She twisted the napkin that had been wrapped around her ice cream co
ne and looked up at him with eyes shining with hurt and confusion.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you back and that I missed dinner.” He took her hand.

  She sighed. “Miles, this isn’t—”

  He had a bad feeling about what she was about to say. “People fight and they fuck up. This is the first time I’ve done this. What’s this really about?”

  “I’ve tried talking about this before and you dismissed it. We’re in different places. I have to put my family first. That’s not what you’re looking for.”

  “I’m not asking you to change. I don’t need you to come out and party. Although it might be nice if you could join me sometimes. I know you and the kids are a package deal. Have I done anything to give you the impression I have a problem with that?”

  She angled her head, bit the inside of her cheek, and slowly shook her head.

  “I like being with you and the kids. Sometimes we need adult time. But I don’t think me missing a dinner should make you doubt me. Doubt us.”

  “It’s not just the dinner. I don’t think you’re hearing me.” She filled her lungs and her chest rose.

  Miles half-expected her to start yelling, but he couldn’t imagine what that would look like because she was always so even tempered.

  “What do you want, Miles?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What do you want for your life? Where do you want to be next year? In five years? What’s your plan?”

  He opened his mouth and quickly shut it. He suddenly realized how he answered would determine what happened next. The thing was, he didn’t have a plan.

  “You see? That’s it. I have to have a plan. I can’t just float by. I’m not mad.” She smiled. “I was. I was pissed you went out and posted pictures with friends at a bar at midnight while I was working. Then I felt petty and small because it made me mad.” She stroked her fingers across his knuckles. “And you’re right. Missing one dinner isn’t a big deal in and of itself. But I think it’s a symptom of the bigger issue.”

  Everything she said made sense. He couldn’t argue. But his gut clenched, and he wanted to rage against it. He didn’t want to walk away from her.

  “Before you decide we’re over, can I step back and think about what you’ve said?”

  Her eyes widened as if he’d caught her off-guard with the request. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean don’t run off and find a new boyfriend. Don’t assume we don’t have a future. I need to sort some things in my head.”

  “So you want me to sit around and wait for you?”

  “Not forever. Just a little while.”

  “Why? You obviously have the same misgivings I do.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I don’t. I’ve listened to everything you said, and I’m taking you seriously. I don’t have answers for you right now. You’re hinting we’re done, but my gut—my heart—says hell no.”

  “Considering you’re my first boyfriend in decades, I don’t think you need to worry about me finding another one soon.”

  “You weren’t looking. I’m asking you not to. Because, believe me, when you look, they’re gonna flock to you.”

  She laughed, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and keep her forever. But he knew he needed to figure out his life first.

  “Can I call you later?”

  “Uh… I thought you needed to think. Won’t that cloud your head?”

  He smiled. “I like the way you cloud my head.” Then he kissed her cheek. “I’ll call you before bed.”

  He walked away and tried to convince himself it was the right move. Tess deserved someone who would put her and her kids first, and he needed to decide if he was that person. If not…he needed to let her go.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tess was on autopilot. She hadn’t seen Miles since Sunday night, but he continued to text or call her every day. By some implied agreement, they hadn’t discussed what she’d asked of him. He hadn’t mentioned coming to any kind of conclusion, and she tried to hold on to the fact that he hadn’t disappeared as a good sign.

  But something about their conversations felt different. They were shorter, more like a check-in instead of a getting-to-know-you. Maybe they were past the getting-acquainted talks. Miles still flirted, but it was somehow cautious. He asked about her work and the kids, but he didn’t tell her much about his work. When she prompted him with questions, he always answered, but his responses were superficial.

  All of it had her tied up in knots. Added to that, she’d begun reworking her resume and looking at available jobs, so being overwhelmed had become a constant state for her.

  As she completed her nightly cleanup of the living room, she had the strongest urge to dump the damn tablets William had bought into the trash. She tried not to be bitter that he was still on vacation—child-free of course—while she continued to work her ass off and worry about her job. Instead of caving in to her impulse, she took a deep breath, went to the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of wine.

  With her phone and wine in hand, she sat on the front porch. The beginning of fall had arrived with the nighttime temperature dipping, but right now, just the barest chill was in the air. In between convincing herself it was a good idea for Miles to ask for some time and then wishing they could rewind the clock to last Friday, Tess found herself checking into Miles’s social media. He hadn’t posted anything since Saturday night. Was that because she’d admitted she’d seen his pictures? Or had he just been busy with work?

  No one had told her dating as an adult was every bit as torturous as it had been as a teen. Her friends had been very supportive, offering comments ranging from, “If he can’t get his head out of his ass, he’s not good enough for you,” to, “It’s smart that he’s not trying to rush into anything too serious.”

  She sipped her wine and closed her eyes. The sounds of her neighborhood eased her tension. All in all, she had a good life. Movement nearby had her eyes popping open. Miles stood in front of her. She almost lost her grip on her glass as she tried to figure out if she was hallucinating.

  She blinked, and he smiled at her.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi.” She set her glass down. “What are you doing here?”

  Her heart raced. She’d missed him so much over the last week that she wanted to drink him in more than she wanted the wine.

  “I hope it’s okay I just showed up.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans and pointed to the step beside her.

  She nodded and shifted over. As he sat, she gulped the remainder of her wine, a little niggle of fear warning that she might need the liquid courage to accept his goodbye.

  He stared at her for a full minute. At first, she had a hard time maintaining eye contact, but when she forced herself to, his eyes said so much. He was as tormented as she was.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t give her a clue as to how the rest of her night would go.

  “God, I missed you.”

  His admission brought a wobbly smile to her lips. “I missed you, too.” Then she broke their connection with a laugh and a shake of her head. “How silly are we? It’s been a week.”

  “A week too long. I never should have left last Sunday.”

  Her heart surged and filled with happiness, but she held it in check. Just because he wanted to be here didn’t mean he belonged here. She’d known he wanted to be with her all along. Of that she had no doubt. “I shouldn’t have tried to pressure you.”

  “Yeah, you should have.” He moved her empty glass farther back and took her hand. “I get it, Tess. You have kids—a family—and they come first. I needed time to think because I didn’t know how to answer your questions. But I think I have some answers now.”

  Tess waited, afraid to interrupt.

  “I want to run my family’s foundation. When I started this mess, it was mostly because my brother had pissed me off. But the more I try to figure it out and build something that would make my dad proud, the more I find it’s what I w
ant to do. At least for now. In the future, I might want to move on to something else, but I’ll always be able to take care of myself.”

  “I never meant to imply you couldn’t. I know you can support yourself.”

  “But all of your questions were valid. Until you asked, I was going through the motions. I did the bare minimum of what was expected of me and didn’t have any real drive.” He stroked her hand. “It was important for me to figure out that part because it’s important to you. I want to be with you, Tess. I like who I am with you. I know you have responsibilities, and I’ll never be the center of your world, but maybe we can take a break together. Make our own universe for a little while.”

  “You still want to be with me?”

  “Why the hell wouldn’t I? You’re a hell of a catch.”

  “But—”

  “There is no but. I’m in. Baseball practice, swim meets, dinner at a crazy early hour… I want it all. We’ll figure it out together.” He leaned forward and captured her mouth with his.

  The kiss was filled with longing. His scent surrounded her, and her whole body relaxed more with that one kiss than with her whole glass of wine.

  He pulled away gently and rested his forehead against hers.

  “It’s not easy,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Being in my life.”

  “But it’s worth it.” He pulled back a little more but kept his hands in her hair, on her neck. “I thought about the whole kid thing, too. I never considered whether I wanted any, other than to see kids and say, no way. I like kids—my sister’s, yours—but I never looked at them and said, I want that.”

  “You might change your mind, Miles. You have plenty of time.”

  He shook his head. “The first time I came to your house…I remember wanting to be invited in. I want to be in your life.”

  Tears formed, and Tess swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she wanted to. What single guy would want to sign on for this?

  Miles stroked her cheek. “So what do you say? Are you in?”

  She nodded, because even if this turned out to be a mistake, it was one she was willing to make. Every relationship had doubts; they would figure it out.