“He said he’s ready to move on. I think maybe you should think about doing the same.”
“If only it were that easy.” She sat back, her hand drifting to her flat stomach.
“Look, I don’t know what else to say, hon. The divorce is final, he left town, and he’s made it pretty clear he’s not coming back anytime soon.”
“Maybe he’d change his mind if he found out he’s going to be a father.” Eve had no choice but to let James in on her secret. She had to find Alex, and James was her only hope at the moment.
“What did you say?”
“I’m pregnant.”
“Are you serious?”
Eve tipped her head back, looking at the wide wood molding where the wallpaper met the ceiling. “Do I sound like I’m joking?”
“Oh my God, how long have you known?”
“I found out the day he gave me the divorce papers.”
James groaned. “Talk about lousy timing.”
“You can say that again.” Their conversation had played over and over in her mind since that day, reminding her that Alex was unlikely to take the news well. “I need to see him. I know he’s trying to move on, but I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t tell him about the baby. He deserves to know.”
“Yeah, of course he does. He would want to know.”
“So, did he tell you where he is?” Eve held her breath, praying he would be able to give her the information she’d been waiting for.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Damn it,” she said, slapping the desk. “So we’re no further ahead.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I know where he is.”
Eve’s heart hammered when she asked, “You do? How?”
“I was tracing the call. I thought he might try to contact me. I needed to know where he was.” James chuckled, obviously happy with his decision. “He called from his cell, so I’ll call in a favor and find out which tower it bounced off. I’ll text you as soon as I know.”
“Is that even legal?” Eve asked, already out of her seat and making her way to the door.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
***
Eighteen hours later, Eve was sitting in what appeared to be the only diner in the small town James had told her about. She’d driven through the night, which wasn’t an easy feat without caffeine.
The weary waitress approached her, pen and paper in hand. “Can I take your order, hon?”
“Um, maybe just some orange juice. I’ll have a look at the menu in a second.”
“Take your time,” she said, sticking her notepad back into her stained white apron.
Eve looked at the plastic menu, wondering if she should take the time to eat. She didn’t want to, but her stomach rumbled and reminded her that she was eating for two. She decided on blueberry pancakes before setting the menu back in the metal frame. Eve had a hard time imagining her sophisticated husband making his home in that town. It wasn’t his style. Her mind reminded her that he was her ex-husband, but her heart said that Alex would always be hers, no matter what some stupid piece of paper said… as long as he still felt the same way.
“You decided?” the middle-aged waitress asked.
“A short stack of blueberry pancakes please. Hold the whipped cream and butter.”
“You got it.”
“Um, could I ask you something? I’m looking for a man…”
She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Aren’t we all?”
Eve smiled. “I’m looking for my husband, ex-husband, actually.”
Narrowing her eyes, the brunette leaned in. “Is he refusin’ to pay child support? I know what that’s like, hon. My ex is a real piece of work. I been tryin’—”
“It’s nothing like that,” Eve said, wishing she didn’t have to share her personal business with a stranger. The only way to find Alex in this little Podunk town was to ask around. “It’s just that he and I have something really important to discuss. He’s not from around here, but I know he called a friend from here yesterday. His name is Alex Bolton and—”
“Hey, is he a really hot guy riding a motorcycle?” she asked, grinning. “Tall, short black hair, dark tan, broad shoulders…” Her eyes drifted closed as she practically sighed. “And those eyes, not really blue, more silver, really…”
“That’s him.” Eve wasn’t surprised the waitress had taken a physical inventory of Alex’s obvious assets. Most women did. “Do you know where he’s staying?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. One of the waitresses talked her old man into renting your husband his fishing cabin. I think it was only supposed to be for a week, but he must like it because he was in here for dinner last night.”
“Oh, could you tell me where this place is?” Eve asked, excited just thinking about the prospect of wrapping her arms around Alex again. Every night since he’d left the inn, she’d fallen asleep thinking about the night their baby was conceived.
“I can’t, but he can.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “His name’s Jim. He owns the place Alex is renting.”
“Thanks,” Eve said. Her eyes drifted to the big man at the counter reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. Steeling her courage, she got up, rounded her shoulders, and walked toward him. She hoped he was nicer than he looked. “Um, excuse me, sir. Could I speak to you for a minute?”
He eyed her up and down, noting the black capri leggings, long black tank top, and gold flip-flops. She’d dressed for comfort since she was driving a long way. She could have flown, but given her queasy stomach, she didn’t think that was a good idea.
“What do you want?” he practically growled, barely sparing her a glance.
“I’m looking for someone. The waitress told me you might be able to help me.”
“I doubt it.”
“His name is Alex, and I understand you’re renting him your cabin?”
That got his attention. “What do you want with him?”
“He’s my ex-husband. We—”
“Huh, so you’re the little lady who broke his heart, huh?” A slow smile spread across his face. “You must’ve really done a number on him if he wants to hole up in my fishing cabin instead of lookin’ for another job. Tell me something, how long can he go on without work?”
Eve wasn’t about to tell a stranger Alex didn’t have to work a day in his life even if he had confided in the man about his job and marriage. “Um, if you could just tell me where to find your place—”
“I don’t know if I should,” he said. “You look like you could be trouble.”
Eve tried to tamp down her irritation. Jim was the only person who could give her the information she needed, and she had to hold her temper if she expected to wear him down. She forced a smile she hoped he perceived as genuine. Eve hadn’t flirted with a man in years. She was so out of practice her attempts would warrant an eye roll from the nearest woman, but if she could sweet-talk Jim, he could lead her straight to Alex. “Now what makes you think that?”
“A pretty little thing like you,” he said, chuckling, “is always hell on a man’s heart. Let me tell you, when that poor old boy rolled through here, he looked like he’d been to hell and back.”
Eve’s heart twisted when she thought about Alex all alone, feeling betrayed by the people he loved most. She let the tears build in her eyes, knowing most men would do almost anything to halt the waterworks. “That’s why I need to see him, Jim. He and I… Alex and I met in college.” She sniffled, reaching for a napkin as he looked on, appearing horrified. Dabbing at her eyes with the napkin, she caught sight of her waitress winking with an amused expression. “I never expected us to grow apart. I still love him. I need him to know that. Please help me find him.”
“Jesus,” Jim muttered, shifting in his seat. “I don’t want to get in the middle of no lovers quarrel.” He patted the pockets of his plaid button-down shirt. “I must’ve left my pen in the car.”
“No problem,” Eve said, whipping out her Blackberry. Pull
ing up the notepad on her phone, she held her finger over the keypad. “Just give me the address. I’m sure my GPS can find it.”
“It’s a little out there.” He looked out the window and spotted her convertible Mercedes. “I don’t know if your GPS will pick it up.”
The last thing she wanted was to get lost in the middle of nowhere. She slipped her phone back in her oversized Louis Vuitton purse and dug around for a pen. “Okay, maybe you could just jot the directions down for me.”
“You got anything to write on in that suitcase?” he asked, looking amused. Eve frowned and dug through the pockets for an old receipt large enough to accommodate his directions. “Never mind. This’ll do.” He chuckled and pulled a napkin from the dispenser, jotted down the directions, and handed it to her. “Good luck, honey. I hope y’all work things out. Your man seems like one of the good guys.”
“He is.” Eve smiled as she folded the paper napkin. “Thank you.”
“Pancakes are up, hon,” the waitress said, rounding the counter with Eve’s plate.
“No time to eat now, Bernice,” Eve said, eyeing her nametag. She pulled two twenties from her purse and dropped them on the table. “Thanks for all your help though.”
“Good luck,” Bernice called after her.
Eve waved and rushed out the door, hoping she wouldn’t need luck.
Chapter Eleven
Alex was just docking Jim’s old fishing boat when he heard footsteps on the old wood planks. Looking up, he spotted Gloria carrying a paper bag and running after her little boy. He and Gloria had become friends. Since he could only buy groceries in small quantities because of the storage limitations on his bike, he usually went into town every other day. He’d always stop by the diner to see if she was working, and if she was, she’d join him for a coffee on her break.
She reminded him of Tonya, but without the advantages of a life of privilege. He knew being a single parent was hard for her, and if he could access his bank accounts without raising a lot of questions, he would have gladly given her the money for a decent car and a few months’ rent.
“What’re you doing here?” he asked, grinning as he tied off the boat.
“I had a rare day off, and Jacob was jibber-jabbering about fishing. I hope you don’t mind we crashed your party.”
Alex hopped out of the boat just in time to reach the little guy before he got too close to the edge. Swooping him up, he said, “Hey, mister, don’t you know that if you get too close to the edge, the fish will bite your toes off?” Tickling his belly, Alex smiled when Jacob laughed.
“Thanks,” Gloria said, flattening her palm against her heaving chest. “Sometimes he’s so fast I can barely keep up. It almost makes me wish for when he was still crawling. At least then I had a shot.”
Alex could only imagine how hard trying to juggle the demands of being a single parent with school and work must be for Gloria, but she obviously loved her little boy. Alex had met Jacob a few times at the diner, when her father brought him along to pick up Gloria, and he seemed like a happy, well-adjusted toddler.
“Oh, I left his fishing rod in the car,” she said, setting the paper bag down on the dock. “I better go get it.”
“And his lifejacket,” Alex called after her. She waved to let Alex know she’d heard him. The water was only a few feet deep off the end of the dock, but Alex knew if Jacob was his kid, he wouldn’t take any chances. “So how you been, buddy?” He walked Jacob to the end of the dock where he’d seen a few smallmouth bass jumping earlier. “You wanna catch a fish today?”
“Fish,” Jacob said, pointing at the water.
“That’s right, there are lots of fish in there just waiting for you to catch them.” He smiled when Jacob giggled. Alex remembered some of the afternoons he’d spent on a fishing boat with his dad. They’d had some great talks about school, sports, friends, and girls. Anything that was on Alex’s mind, he knew he could share with his dad. Thinking about Jacob’s dad just walking out of his life angered Alex. Anyone could see Jacob was a great kid who would eventually need a father to confide in. He had a grandfather who loved him, but no one could take the place of a father.
“Sorry that took so long,” Gloria said, running down the dock. “The damn line got caught, and I had to work out a rat’s nest.”
Alex smiled when he saw the small plastic rod. Gloria had told him her little boy would turn three next month. He was big for his age, but he wouldn’t be ready for a real rod and reel for a few more years. “Well, it looks like you’re almost ready to go fishing, buddy. Hmm, your mama may have forgot one thing though. Bait?”
“Damn,” she said, tossing down the lifejacket. “I knew I forgot something.”
“No worries.” Alex set Jacob down when he reached for his mama. “Your dad has some gear in the bunker. Let me grab a few baits.”
“Maybe worms would be better,” Gloria said, looking amused.
Raising an eyebrow, Alex said, “If you see any squirming around here, be my guest, girl.”
Gloria wrinkled her nose as she peered over the edge of the dock at the wet shoreline. “Yuck, I’m not going after those.”
“Okay, so we’ll pass on live bait for today.” While he wouldn’t admit it, he was glad they’d stopped by. Having some company for a change was nice. “Whatcha got in the bag?”
“Lunch,” she said, securing her son’s lifejacket before reaching for the hat and sunscreen she’d brought. “I figured I owed you an order of fries.”
Chuckling, he shouted, “You owe me a couple of orders, not that I’m keeping track.” As he opened the door to the dusty, crowded bunker, Alex knew he would have his work cut out for him if he planned to make the place his own.
***
Eve’s heart sank when she pulled into the winding dirt driveway and found an unfamiliar car parked behind Alex’s motorcycle. She’d hoped he would be alone so they could talk. Getting out of her car, she closed the door quietly and followed voices down to the lake. Stopping dead in her tracks, she saw him wearing only a black, knee-length swimsuit. His bronzed, bare back glistened in the afternoon sun as he leaned over to help a dark-haired boy cast a fishing reel as a giggling woman looked on.
Had he moved on… found someone new already? She felt the pain of that possibility like a shot through the heart. How could that happen? How could he have found a new life so soon when she was still tortured with memories of the life they’d shared?
Alex set the fishing pole down and scooped the little boy up, holding him high until the boy’s maniacal little giggle rang out. Eve couldn’t help but imagine Alex doing that with their child, and her hand instinctively covered her stomach. Would he even want her baby if he’d found someone new?
The woman looked up as though she sensed someone watching them. Her long red hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she was wearing cut-off jean shorts, flip-flops, and a green bikini top. Eve assumed she was the boy’s mother. Large sunglasses concealed her eyes, but Eve could tell she was young, maybe Tonya’s age. Definitely too young for Alex, but as long as she was legal, who was Eve to judge? She was the one who’d initiated divorce proceedings, which meant she gave him the right to move on with anyone he chose. Damn those divorce papers. The young woman reached for the boy and exchanged a few words with Alex.
His face fell when he spotted Eve, and she had the crazy impulse to run back to her car and forget all about coming there. If she only had herself to think about, she would have. But Alex deserved to know he was going to be a father, and her baby deserved to know him.
The young woman collected her belongings and held her son’s hand as they walked back up the dock. She smiled at Eve when she reached her. “Hi, I’m Glo. I’d offer my hand, but they’re both kind of full at the moment.”
“I’m Eve, Alex’s—”
“I know who you are.”
Eve couldn’t help but wonder what Alex had told the new woman in his life about her. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I needed to see Al
ex.”
“It’s okay.” She smiled. “Jacob was getting a little cranky anyways. It’s almost naptime.”
Eve looked at the little boy and her heart melted the way it always did when she came into contact with such innocence. “Hey, buddy. It looked like you were having a good time.”
“Alex is a good teacher, isn’t he, honey?” Gloria said, squeezing her son’s hand.
Trying to keep her expression neutral, Eve asked, “Can I help you carry some of this stuff back to your car?”
“You’re so sweet to offer,” Gloria said, smiling. “But your husband already beat you to it. I can manage just fine. As a mother, you get used to juggling a hundred things at once.”
Gloria had referred to Alex as her husband. What did that mean? “Okay, well it was nice meeting you both.” Crouching down, she smiled at Jacob. “You’re lucky you get to have a nap now. I wish I could. I’m beat from driving all night.”
“You drove all night?” Gloria asked, sounding surprised.
Eve said, “As soon as I found out where Alex was, I had to come.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Gloria said, “I just love a happy ending.”
“Excuse me?” Eve asked, trying to decipher her meaning.
“Nothing. Don’t let me keep you.” She gestured toward Alex standing at the end of the dock, watching their exchange. “I know he’s dying to find out what brought you all the way out here.”
“Right.” Eve took a deep breath and walked toward him. She’d had a lot of time to think on the drive, to rehearse what she wanted to say, but now that they were face-to-face, the only thing she could think about was how great it would feel to have his arms around her.
“Good luck,” Gloria called over her shoulder.
Eve spared a backward glance at the young woman and her son. Eve smiled when the little boy gave her a thumbs up, which she returned as tears sprang to her eyes. She was an emotional basket case, crying at the drop of a hat. She hoped she could get through the next few minutes without falling apart.
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