***
Alex’s mouth was dry, his heart racing, as he watched Eve close the distance between them. He’d watched her talking to Gloria while wishing she would skip the pleasantries and just tell him what the hell she was doing there and how she’d found him. A part of him was stoked to see her, but another part resented her for bringing garbage from the past into the serenity he’d found. He was trying so hard to move on. Some days he could go a whole hour without thinking about her, but seeing her again brought the pain back with a vengeance. “What are you doing here, Eve? How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy,” she said quietly. She walked toward him until she was only a few steps away. “You obviously didn’t want to be found.”
“No, I didn’t.” He didn’t feel the need to apologize for that. He had no one to answer to anymore, and he was beginning to like it that way… sort of.
She looked at him a long time. “You look great.”
He’d spent a lot of time in the boat, so he had a dark tan. He’d been living on produce and barbeque since the ancient stove in the cabin barely worked. The fresh air meant he slept well and the hot days meant he drank a ton of water, so he supposed he did look better than when stress weighed him down like a noose around his neck.
“Thanks. Turns out coming out here was the best thing I could have done for myself.” Smirking at the old cabin, he said, “Who would’ve guessed this place would be better for me than a five-star resort in the Caribbean?” She winced, and he realized he’d probably offended her or reminded her of the vacations they’d taken as a couple. “Sorry, I just meant—”
“It’s okay,” she said, holding up her hand. “I know what you meant.”
“You look good too.” He couldn’t put his finger on the change, but she looked different. She had a nice summer tan and a certain glow to her cheeks he hadn’t noticed before. When she propped the sunglasses up on her head, he noticed the dark smudges under her eyes. “You look a little tired. You need to sit down?”
She smiled and looked around. “I am kind of tired. I’ve been driving all night. If you have a shady spot and maybe a glass of water, that would be great.”
“Yeah, sure.” He led her up the walkway, onto the covered porch, to the two Adirondack chairs facing the lake. “Have a seat. I’ll get you that water.”
She sat down with a sigh. “Thanks, Alex.”
He grabbed a couple of beers instead, knowing they would probably hit the spot. Eve wasn’t much of a beer drinker. Days like that were the only times she made an exception. With both bottles in one hand, he pulled open the door and said, “I thought I’d do one better.”
She took the bottle with a grimace. “Um, actually, I’d prefer water if you have it?”
“Sure, no problem.” Perhaps she intended to leave right away. Eve was a stickler about drinking and driving. She wouldn’t even have a sip if she knew she was getting behind the wheel. When he returned with a bottle of water, her head was tipped back and her eyes were closed. She looked so beautiful, so serene, and his gut twisted. He remembered times when he would wake her up from a deep slumber with a kiss, intent on enticing her into making love. The temptation to kiss her was still there, and he wondered if it would ever go away. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” she said, reaching for the bottle. Eve twisted off the cap and took a deep swallow. “This is a cute little place. Great view.” She looked at the crystal clear lake.
Alex chuckled, thinking, She hasn’t seen the inside yet. It was small but decidedly masculine, with chunky furniture and lots of plaid. It wasn’t as rustic as he’d feared. Most of the furniture looked newer, and the kitchen and single bath had been renovated recently. He couldn’t believe seeing him had been so important that she’d set aside everything , including sleep, as soon as she found out where he’d been hiding. “You said you drove all night? Why?”
“I needed to see you.”
Her fingertip traced the condensation on the bottle, and he saw the flash of light from her engagement ring. Damn it. Why was she still wearing that ring, pretending to be his wife, when she’d made it clear she was ready to move on?
As though she read his mind, her eyes traveled to his left hand. He wasn’t wearing the gold Rolex she’d given him for his birthday or his wedding ring. He told himself they were impractical, given all the time he’d been spending outdoors, but in reality, he didn’t need the reminders.
“You took it off,” she whispered, a hitch in her voice.
“We’re not married anymore, remember?” He didn’t mean to sound callous. He didn’t want to be her enemy, but if he couldn’t be her husband, he didn’t want to see her at all. He would have to be cold if he wanted to dissuade her from dropping by unannounced in the future. “You wanted it that way, not me. I’m just following your lead, getting on with my life.”
“That hasn’t been as easy as I thought it would be.”
“That’s too bad.” Surely she didn’t expect sympathy from him? He’d pleaded for another chance, and she told him it was too late. He’d signed the divorce papers and found a new home. In time, he could build a new life there. He was making friends, and the creative juices that had helped him build an empire would soon flow again.
“Has it been easy for you?” she asked hesitantly.
“Honestly?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer as he looked at her over the top of the bottle. “It’s been a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be.” He could tell by her gasp that she was shocked and hurt, but he’d apologized to her too many times. He was tired of atoning for his sins. He hadn’t asked her to come there, but since she had, she deserved to hear the truth.
“Wow, I guess I didn’t expect that,” she said, setting the bottle on the small table between them as she leaned forward.
“What did you expect? That I’d drop to my knees and thank God you’d come to rescue me?” He smirked. “I’ve come to realize a few things since I left New York. I don’t need that life to be happy. I don’t need Bolton Industries, and I don’t need—”
“Me?” She slipped her sunglasses back in place as she stood. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it? That you don’t need me anymore?”
Alex sighed. He’d wanted to make his point about moving on, but he hadn’t intended to hurt her. “Look, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I honestly don’t know what you want from me. When I left the inn after I gave you the divorce papers, I honestly thought that was it for us. Now you show up here when I’ve finally started to get my head on straight.”
“You said if I needed you, you’d always be there for me,” she reminded him. Leaning against the deck railing, she faced him. “Did you mean that?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then why didn’t you answer my calls or respond to my texts or—”
“We’re divorced!” he shouted, slamming the beer bottle down on the table. “What the hell could you want from me now?”
Eve’s bottom lip trembled. “I just wanted to tell you… that you’re going to be a father.”
The air left Alex’s lungs in a whoosh and left him feeling light-headed. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m pregnant, Alex.” Her hand covered her stomach when his eyes fell to her mid-section.
“How is that even possible?” His mind swirled with fear, elation, and frustration coming at him all at once. “We’ve only made love once in the past four months.”
“I guess that’s all it took. Maybe I wanted it too much before. When I stopped thinking about, it just happened.”
“I don’t believe this,” he said, wiping sweat off his forehead. “For a year we tried to get pregnant and couldn’t. Then all of a sudden, bam, you’re pregnant without even trying?”
“In all fairness, we weren’t trying all that hard for that year,” she reminded him, sounding defensive. “Whenever the time was right, you were nowhere to be found.”
“Speaking of timing,” he said, narrowing his e
yes, “did you know it was the right time to get pregnant when we had sex that night?”
Shaking her head, she held up her hand. “Wait a minute, are you accusing me of trying to get pregnant on purpose?”
He didn’t want to believe she would do that, but she had once wanted a baby more than anything. Desperate people often resorted to desperate measures to get what they wanted. “Just answer the question. Did. You. Know?”
“Dan was right!” she shouted. “I shouldn’t have told you the baby was yours! You didn’t even deserve to know.” She ran down the three stairs to the driveway.
“Hold up a minute,” he said, sprinting after her. He grabbed her upper arm before she made it to the car and turned her to face him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You actually thought about keeping me in the dark? Don’t tell me you thought about raising our baby as his…” When her face paled, he felt like slamming his fist into the over-priced convertible he’d bought her for her last birthday. “Did you sleep with him while you were married to me? Is there a chance this kid is his?”
Her mouth dropped open and her palm connected with his cheek before he could think about stopping her. “You bastard!” She shook free of his grasp and reached for the door handle. “I’ll spend every dime I have making sure you never see this baby.”
“Like hell you will.” He grabbed the door, refusing to let her close it. “I want a paternity test.” He glared at her as she slid into the driver’s seat. “If this kid is mine, you can bet I’m going to be a part of his or her life whether you like it or not.”
“I should have divorced you a long time ago,” she whispered and wrenched the door out of his hand.
“Why the hell didn’t you?” he asked, throwing up his hands.
“Because I loved you.” She slid off her glasses so he could see the shattered look in her eyes. “But you cured me of that today. Thank you for that.” Starting the car, she set her foot on the break and put the car in reverse.
“Wait a minute,” Alex said, fearing he’d made the second biggest mistake of his life. “Don’t—” He had to jump back to avoid getting run over when she stomped on the gas. He watched her tail lights disappear as he wrestled the urge to jump on his bike and go after her. He remembered her saying she’d driven through the night. She was probably exhausted, and one error in judgement from trying to avoid him could wind up hurting her… or his unborn baby. Running his hands through his hair, he paced back and forth over the driveway and tried to process the fact he was going to be a father…
***
Eve could barely see through her tears as she navigated the deserted small town streets until she pulled into the bed and breakfast she’d passed a few hours earlier. She couldn’t drive any farther. If not for the baby, she would have toughed it out with a gallon of coffee and greasy drive-thru, just to get as far away from Alex as possible, but she couldn’t put herself first.
Even in her nightmares, she hadn’t imagined Alex reacting that way. She hadn’t expected him to be thrilled, but his reaction seemed over the top for a man who had claimed to be in love with her only a few weeks ago. Dropping her head to the steering wheel, she cursed herself for bringing Dan into the equation. That’s when things had gone from bad to worse. Alex’s accusations filtered through her mind, making her question how they would learn to co-exist as parents. Just a few weeks ago, she’d thought Alex would always be someone she could count on. Instead, she feared anger and resentment may be the foundation of their future relationship, and she didn’t want that for herself or her child.
Reaching for the door handle, Eve sighed and prayed the silver-haired lady sitting on the front porch knitting would agree to give her a hot meal and a place to sleep for a few hours. Eve smiled as she walked tentatively up the steps. “Hello, ma’am, I hope I’m not disturbing you. I was just wondering whether you might have a room for rent.”
The woman, who Eve guessed to be in her mid-seventies, sized her up thoroughly before her eyes drifted to Eve’s car. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No, I’m from Vermont. I… uh… just came to see a friend.” Once, she wouldn’t have hesitated to call Alex a friend, but she wasn’t so sure anymore.
Setting the pastel baby blanket in her lap, she said, “Can’t be much of a friend if she can’t offer you a place to stay after you came all this way to see her.”
Eve didn’t want to divulge her whole life story, but she suspected she wouldn’t get anywhere with the woman unless she gave a little. “Actually, I came to see my ex-husband. We… uh… had some unfinished business to discuss, and let’s just say it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.”
“Name’s Vera Morrison, by the way.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Morrison,” Eve said, offering her hand. “Eve Bolton.”
“What do you do, Eve?”
Eve didn’t see how that was relevant. She was just asking a place to stay for one night. “I just inherited an inn from my aunt.” Hoping to score points, she added, “I have a lot to learn, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Vera pointed to the swing next to her rocking chair. “Take a load off. Looks like you’re about ready to drop.”
“Thanks.” Eve hadn’t seen any other accommodations in the area, so she could either befriend Vera or sleep in her car. She took the seat her host offered and smiled as Vera resumed work on her baby blanket. “That’s so pretty.” Eve leaned forward to have a closer look. “I’ve always wondered how to create that pattern.”
“You knit?” Vera asked, peering at her as her knitting needles stopped moving.
“A little,” Eve said, feeling self-conscious. “Quilting is more my thing, but…”
“Hmm, I should show you the quilts upstairs. Did them all myself.”
At least she was one step closer to a bedroom. “I’d love to see them.”
“So, what happened with this ex of yours?”
Vera was direct, like her Aunt Sharon. Eve had a feeling the two women would have gotten along famously. Twisting her hands in her lap, Eve struggled with how much she should tell her. Alex had obviously decided to call the small town home, and she didn’t think it would help their already tenuous situation if she started telling the locals their personal business. “He’s going through a rough time trying to sort some things out. I thought I could help, but I was wrong.”
“You must still love him to come all this way.” Vera resumed knitting, but Eve knew she was expecting a response. She wasn’t the kind of woman to let a subject rest.
“He was an important part of my life for a long time,” Eve said, fixating on the handmade, woven rug covering the white porch. “Some habits are hard to break.”
“Why’d y’all break up?”
If there was another hotel, motel, cottage, or room for rent in a fifty-mile radius, Eve would have politely excused herself. But she couldn’t trust herself to keep her eyes open if she got behind the wheel again. “We just drifted apart. He was working a lot, I was home alone…”
“If you ask me, young people today don’t try hard enough. My Melvin and I didn’t always have it easy. There were a lot of tough times, but we sure didn’t consider divorce an option.”
Eve wasn’t interested in being judged by a stranger, but she smiled politely. Listening was the fastest route to a bed.
“You got any kids with this fella?”
“Um…” Eve’s hands drifted to her stomach. “We…”
“Ah, I see. You’re expecting.”
“Yes,” Eve said quietly.
“You want this baby?”
Eve was taken aback by the question. “Of course I do. I’ve been trying to get pregnant for a long time. The fact that it happened now was unexpected, but that doesn’t mean I’m not thrilled.” She hadn’t planned to divulge so much, but she was too tired to lie.
“But your man isn’t too happy about it. Is that right?”
Eve looked around, needing a moment to co
llect herself. The white colonial was meticulously maintained, as were the shrubs and flowers lining the cobblestone walkway. The grass was freshly cut, and the mature trees dotting the large property provided a perfect backdrop. Either Vera was a very active woman and maintained the property herself, or she had help.
“You don’t have to answer that,” Vera said when she didn’t respond. “I can tell he’s not.”
“Mrs. Morrison, I don’t mean to be rude, but if you don’t have a room available, I should be on my way.” She was praying Vera wouldn’t send her away, but sitting through another minute of her cross-examination was almost as distressing as the prospect of sleeping in her car. Her stomach rumbled loud enough for Vera to hear. Eve crossed her arms and blushed. “Sorry, I kind of skipped breakfast.”
Vera frowned as she set her knitting back in the basket beside her chair. “You can’t be skipping meals. You’ve got a baby to think about. Come on inside. We’ll get you set up, and you can help yourself to the leftovers from lunch.”
“Thank you,” Eve said, thinking she could kiss the old woman. “I won’t be a bother. I just need a place to stay for tonight, and then I’ll be on my way.”
Vera held the screen door open as she turned to face Eve. “You sure you don’t wanna stick around a while? Maybe try to talk to your man again tomorrow, when he’s had a chance to think things through?”
“No, the sooner I get home, the better.”
Chapter Twelve
Alex cursed silently when Dan picked up the phone at the inn. Alex had been trying to reach Eve for days. She was obviously screening her calls and hadn’t responded to his text or voice mail messages. Not being able to reach her, to know that she and his baby were safe, was making him crazy. He needed to talk to her, to apologize for overreacting, but he didn’t want to have to go through his enemy to get to Eve.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” Dan asked after a moment of silence.
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