“No way, Momma,” Calum quickly said, shaking his head.
All she did was nod in response. Seconds ticked by like hours as she stood there on the other side of the room, barely out of the hallway. “I’ve been keeping a secret.”
She had?
Chapter Sixteen
Tawny
I was frozen to my spot as both of their eyes were glued on me. In my complete and utter distress, I’d assumed the words would flow out me, unable to stay inside a moment longer. Instead, nothing came to mind as to how to tell the two people in front of me to the information I knew they deserved.
In hindsight, if I’d have been in my right mind, I probably would have done things differently. But the terror of having my baby boy so close to death, and with August almost stopped from doing anything about it…
Well, something inside of me had snapped, and I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.
“A secret?” August asked, his face full of fear.
He’d begun to assume the worst, and that alone had me speeding up my confession. “August, you’re the only man…” I paused, looking at my six-year-old son, knowing I had to phrase this the right way for his innocent ears.
“I’m the only man, what, baby?” August asked with narrowed eyes. He knew something was up, and that he had something to do with it.
“There’s never been anyone but you, August Harlow. From the night before you left for boot camp until we met again at the Science Center, there’s only been you. I’ve never been with…” I couldn’t say it. Not with my son looking at me.
“Oh…” August murmured. “I see what you’re saying.” He looked at Calum, and then at me. “So, tell us what you have to say, Tawny,” he demanded, a serious yet unreadable expression on his face.
My eyes came to rest on Calum. “Calum, August is your father.”
My son looked at me with so much confusion before he asked, “How do you know that?”
August laughed and picked him up, and I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Because mommies and daddies just know, that’s why. I’ve been wondering about you, Calum. We’ve got the same hair.”
Calum looked up at August’s hair, a contemplative gleam in his eyes as his gaze traveled to his father’s eyes. “And you have my color eyes, too,” Calum said as they looked one another over.
“I think your mom had a good reason for keeping this a secret, because she was worried. But she shouldn’t have been worried. I would’ve been there for you guys. But we shouldn’t be mad at her, okay, buddy? She was young and did what she thought best,” August told Calum. Then he looked at me. “Come over here and get in on this, baby. No one’s mad at you.”
My heart began to beat again, so much relief passing through me that for a moment I couldn’t move. I’d prepared myself for August to yell at me for a while before storming out. And I’d figured Calum would be mad at me and not understand anything. Seems I’d been wrong.
“I’m sorry for not telling you guys earlier. I was waiting for the right time to tell you, but it’s a hard thing to figure out.”
August pulled me to his side, his arm wrapping around me as he kissed the side of my head. “You’re forgiven. I had a very strong idea Calum was my son, just so you know. I was waiting for you to bring it up—I didn’t want to seem rude, if I’d been wrong.”
Relief flooded me with his touch and his words. “Thank you.”
“I forgive you, too, Momma,” Calum said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “And thanks for telling me. Now when I go back to school, I get to tell all my friends that it was my dad who saved us all. Man, I’m gonna be popler.”
August put Calum down and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, bringing it back and handing it to me. “Here, you need to replenish your water. I think you cried just about all of it out.”
Taking the bottle from his hand, I said, “Thank you. By the way you guys are taking this news, I can see all that crying was for nothing.”
“Yeah,” August agreed. He took a seat next to Calum, and I took the one on the other side of our son. “You know, I’ve had a nagging worry over those fires since the day I ran into you two. I thought it was weird, as there’ve been wildfires in California before, and I’ve never worried this much about them. Maybe the worry will go away now. Maybe I knew one day I’d have to save my little boy from one.” He shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Wow,” I said as I looked at him. “A little psychic ability to add to your other superpowers.” Giving him a wink, I blew him a kiss.
“And I’m all yours, baby.” He ran his hand over Calum’s head. “I’d like to sign his birth certificate and give him my last name. And I’ll start up a trust fund for him right away.”
“What’s a trust fund?” Calum asked.
“Oh, just this little thing that’ll help you out for the rest of your life. A bonus you get for being my son.” August laughed. “Man, that sounds so crazy coming out of my mouth. I have a son!”
“And I have a dad!” Calum added. “I always wanted a dad real bad. Everybody else has one. Well, ’cept for Kaylanna, who has two moms instead of a mom and dad.”
As we laughed, I saw the look August had in his hazel eyes. He had a family now. A real family. And it was then that I realized that I’d lost a lot of the control I’d had up to this point. Calum was his son, too, and I knew August well enough to know he was going to do right by the boy, no matter what.
Again, most women would probably be over the moon to finally be able to share this responsibility. But I’d been a single mother for years. I was the one who’d made every decision there’d ever been made concerning Calum. Now August would get to do that, too.
How would we be as co-parents? Would we see eye to eye on everything, or butt heads on everything? And what would that mean for our relationship?
When August got up again, he wiggled his finger at me. “Can I talk to you, Momma, in private?”
Calum went back to watching his cartoon as August took my hand, leading me to my bedroom. When he saw the state of my bed, he chuckled. The blankets were everywhere as I’d fisted them and tossed them around in my little fit of self-pity.
He didn’t say a word about the state of the room though. He just closed the door behind us, keeping me between him and the door. His hands moved gently over my cheeks, and then his lips found mine. My chest swelled with love and relief. Everything was going to be okay.
When his mouth left mine, he looked into my eyes. “I want you both to come home with me. I want you both to be with me as much as humanly possible.”
And there it was—his first demand. And who was I to turn him down now? Now that he knew Calum was his, I had no right to deny him access to his son. I’d already done so for far too long.
But I was anything but an irresponsible parent. “August, what happens if you and I don’t work out? What about Calum?”
Shaking his head as his finger traced a line across my jaw then down to my collarbone, he answered my question. “Tawny, not even married couples know what the future holds for them or their children. We shouldn’t worry about all the ‘what-ifs’—there are way too many of those. And I can assure you that no matter what happens between us, that boy is mine, and I’ll never turn my back on him, or you for that matter. You’re both a part of me now.”
Knowing he was right, I turned my attention away from the negative to focus on the positive. And the positive was standing right in front of me. I wasn’t about to let any ‘what-ifs’ take away from what we had.
“I’ll come, but I should have my own bedroom. Just until I get Calum to stop getting in bed with me,” I agreed. “He seems excited and fine now, but this might get a little confusing to him.”
“It’s not everything that I want, but it’s a start,” August said, then kissed me again. “At the very least, I’ll get to make love to you before you leave my room for the night. And I’ll get to wake up and see you every morning.
You have no idea how much that excites me.”
The way I felt his cock pulse inside his jeans let me know he wasn’t lying.
Then his lips trailed up my neck, and his words tickled my ear, “So, you kept your promise to me after all. No one has ever touched you but me. Baby, you have no idea how that makes me feel.”
“I think it makes you feel pretty damn good,” I said as I jutted my hips out, letting his erection press against my cunt. If there wasn’t a little boy sitting in the next room, I would’ve already been halfway undressed by now.
I didn’t even bother to ask if he’d kept his promise, knowing he’d been with other women. It didn’t matter. Not really. I knew he loved me, and doubted he’d ever loved anyone else.
“Let’s get Calum’s and your things packed up and get you home, where you belong.” August took my hand, leading me back out to our son. “Hey, Calum, you want to come see your new home, son?”
“Yes, sir!” he jumped up, nearly knocking the empty ice cream bowls off the coffee table. “Oops!” He grabbed them up, taking them to the kitchen then ran to August, grabbing his pants leg. “Hey, can I call you Dad now?”
“You better,” August said then messed up his hair. “Son.”
My heart was on overdrive. I’d done it. I’d managed to tell the truth, and now we were going to be a happy family. I still had to tell my parents, which I was not looking forward to, but they’d be easy now that the two who really mattered knew the truth.
My world was shaping up rather well. No matter what happened between me and August, my son would always be taken care of. I knew August would see to that—he was a hero right down to his core.
As we left the apartment, August asked, “So, what in that apartment is yours, and what belongs to the owners?”
“Well, we’ve got all of our clothes and personal things. That’s really all that’s ours. The place was furnished, all the way down to the dishes and the towels. Except for a few cleaning supplies, everything else belongs to the owner. There’s really nothing left for us to do,” I told him. “But it’s going to feel weird not to have my own place. I mean, I lived with Mom and Dad up until I moved to Los Angeles. This was the first place I’d had on my own, and I was really enjoying it.”
“I think you’ll like your new place in Hidden Hills,” he said with a chuckle before taking my hand. “And for the record, I love the idea of having a family to fill what’s been an empty home for way too long.”
So that was it. My life had officially been turned upside down—by the father of my child—and in record time, too.
Chapter Seventeen
August
Bringing Tawny and Calum home had me on cloud nine. I couldn’t recall a time I’d been so happy. It was like I was on love overload, and I couldn’t quit thinking about our future. “So, that little death trap of a car you drive can be sold, Tawny. I’ve got plenty of cars for you to choose from. Not to mention the town car with my driver.”
“August, you’re doing too much for me already. And my car’s not a death trap—I’ll have you know that the ’o5 Nissan Sentra is exceptionally designed to withstand a head-on collision or being rear-ended. There are two crumple zones in the frame that…”
I gave her a sideways glance before interrupting her. “Tawny, forget about it. The thing’s an ancient piece of crap. And what’s mine is yours now anyway.”
The laugh that came out of her didn’t make sense. “August, we’re not married. What’s yours isn’t mine at all.”
“Well, you’re the mother of my son—that makes you something to me. And if I say what’s mine is yours, then it is, Tawny Matthews. Fight it all you want, but you’re my baby’s momma, and I’m going to take care of you both.”
“Jesus, I hate being called that,” she mumbled. “That makes me sound like some woman from the Jerry Springer show.”
“Okay, I’ll come up with something better then. But you’re important to me, and I’m going to treat you that way. Like it or not, I love you. And now that I know you carried my child inside of you and raised him all on your own for six long years, I owe you.” The entrance to my place was just ahead, and when I turned into the area in front of the twin gates, Tawny and Calum gasped.
“August, you live behind gates?” Tawny asked me then shook her head. “That sounded so hickish. Ignore me, please. I’ve never been around any wealthy people before. I don’t know how to act.”
“Act like yourself,” I told her.
Calum took off his seatbelt to get a better look at the house, leaning up on the back of my seat. “Wow!”
“I know, right?” The grandeur of my home wasn’t lost on me. I’d grown up in a modest three-bedroom house back in Sebastopol; I knew the home I’d bought was a thing of beauty.
The driveway wasn’t as long as some, but it was surrounded by lush vegetation, making it appear jungle-like. “August, I had no idea,” Tawny gushed.
“You knew I lived in Hidden Hills; what do you mean you had no idea?” I asked her as I pulled to a stop at the front entrance.
“I mean I had no idea how huge this place would be, or how wonderful,” she replied with a smile.
“Yeah, it sure is,” Calum chimed in as he got out of the car. Tawny and I followed his lead, getting out, too. “I can’t wait to see the inside.”
Standing in front of the house, I pointed to the right side. “Okay, this home is divided into three sections. Right in the middle is the entrance room, also called a foyer. The staircase is located there. Behind that room is the main living area—it’s huge. Off to the right, you’ll find the indoor pool, the bar, the game room, a media room, and another sitting area.”
“All that’s just on the right side?” Tawny asked with curiosity.
“All of that is just on the ground floor. Upstairs are three bedrooms, all with their own private baths, enormous walk-in closets, and sitting areas,” I informed her.
“And on the left?” she asked as she turned to look at the other side of the home.
“On the left, you have the kitchen, the breakfast nook, the informal dining room, and the formal dining room, the theater room, plus a sitting area. And above them on the second floor are four more bedrooms with all the same amenities of the rooms in the other wing. My bedroom is located in the left wing, so I’d love it if you two chose rooms in that wing, too. I’d like to be close to you guys.” Wrapping my arm around Tawny’s waist, I pulled her close to me, whispering, “Especially you, baby.”
A sexy smile curled her pink lips as she looked down, batting her lashes. “August, you’re so bad.”
Give her one soft kiss to the side of her neck. “Only with you, baby.”
Heading inside, I prepared myself for their reactions—and was pleased with them as Calum gasped after I opened the door. “Gosh!”
“Lord, August, you’ve lived here all alone?” Tawny asked. “This place is enormous.” Her eyes moved over the redwood staircase. Two sets of curved stairs ran up to the next floor, the ceiling open all the way to the top, where a skylight bathed the room with light. The grey marble glistened in the rays, shining brightly.
“I’ve lived here all alone,” I answered as I gave her a little squeeze. “And now I have you two to share this place with. Tawny, I’ve never been this happy in my entire life. I want you guys to make this place your home.”
“That’ll take some doing, August.” Her eyes were wide as she looked all over the place. “This place is like a five-star hotel or something.”
“It took me a minute to get used to it, too.” I kissed her cheek. “You guys will get used to it before you know it.”
The door at the back of the room opened, and there stood my head housekeeper. “Ah, Denise, how nice to see you. I’ve got a couple of people who’ll be joining me here from now on. I’d like to introduce you to Tawny Matthews, my girlfriend.”
Tawny reached out to shake Denise’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Denise.”
“And yo
u too,” Denise said with raised brows. “And who’s this little guy?”
“I’m Calum,” my son said as he stepped up to shake her hand, too. “I just found out that August is my daddy.”
Denise’s eyebrows rose even higher as she looked at me and opened her arms up wide. “Well, congratulations, August!”
Denise was incredibly maternal, with three children of her own, and she always treated me as if I were her fourth. “Thank you, Denise.” She let me go as she looked at Calum. “And he looks just like his strapping daddy, too.”
“Tawny and Calum will be living with me from now on, so please help them settle in the same way you did with me. They’re from my hometown, so this is an adjustment for them, the same as it was for me when I bought the place and hired you on.” Running my arm back around Tawny, I went on, “After hiring Denise, I thought I didn’t need anyone else to help with the upkeep of this place. She helped me hire the rest of the staff—she has a lot of experience working for people with large homes.”
“Good to know,” Tawny said as she looked at Denise, “because I already feel overwhelmed, and we’re just in the foyer.”
“I’ll draw you a map, so you don’t get lost,” Denise said as she clapped her hands. “I’ll be in the kitchen, come there last, and I’ll give you the map.”
The skip in my housekeeper’s step told me she was just as excited as I was to have more people in the home she took pride in caring for. As she headed toward the kitchen, I moved my little family into the next room.
Windows ran along the back wall of the main living area, the mountains offering a gorgeous view. “This is one of my favorite places to sit and watch the sunrise.” I nuzzled my nose against Tawny’s. “And now you guys can join me to watch it, too.”
“This view is to die for,” she murmured. “God, August, this is just too good to be true.”
“No, it’s not. I thought the same when I first bought the place. But it is true, and now you’re a part of this as well.” Taking her by the chin, I placed a soft kiss on her lips while Calum was distracted with his own exploration of the room. “How about we see the rest of the downstairs, and then I’ll take you up, and you two can pick out your new bedrooms.”
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