by Susan Meier
Surprised that she hadn’t sided with his dad and agreed that pampered sons needed to be taught lessons, he said, “What he did was capricious and bordered on cruel. My brother Seth didn’t catch on as quickly as I did and spent a month homeless.”
This time she gaped at him. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“I can’t believe your mom would allow that!”
“She didn’t know. It was sort of a point of pride for us not to tell her.” They ambled to another painting. In this one reds, yellows and oranges mixed and mingled in such a way that it reminded him of the fire of hell. Or maybe it was talking about his father, remembering the difficulties of his and Seth’s childhood.
“He broke Seth.”
“Broke him?”
“My dad pushed us too hard and too far. Berating us for an A that he thought should have been an A-plus. Refusing to pay tuition. And when we got jobs—realizing the only way to have any security was to earn our own money—he’d raid our bank accounts, taking money we’d earned. There was no such thing as security in our lives. I learned not to put my check in the bank, to pay cash for things like rent and to hide any extra money under my mattress. I learned to combat my father’s impulses with plans and logic.
“Seth’s senior year he couldn’t handle it anymore. The fact that our father had friends in places that allowed him to steal from our accounts broke him. He dropped out of university, disappeared for the longest time. When he finally got in touch with me two years later, he was working for a brokerage firm during the day and going to school at night, living with two roommates, incredibly happy.”
She held his gaze. Her green eyes soft with sympathy. “Oh.”
He shook his head; the last thing he wanted was her pity. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I just thought if we knew a thing or two about each other, maybe we’d get along.”
She nodded, but he still saw the sympathy in her eyes.
“Seth is very successful now. He works for McCallan, Inc., but he just sold half of a brokerage firm he started with another friend. He’s very happy.”
She only continued to stare at him.
He frowned. “It shocks you to hear how Seth made his own way? Or to hear that our lives weren’t exactly easy?”
“No. I’m standing here wondering if Seth gave up, how much guts did it take for you to stay?”
“Guts?”
“No matter how difficult leaving seemed, staying was probably a hundred times harder.”
His chest softened with something he could neither define nor describe. He’d never told his mother about the things his father had done to him and Seth. He’d never told her about the double dealings and deceit he’d found at McCallan, Inc. when he’d gone to work for the company. And really, he hadn’t told Avery either, not the whole of it, not the worry or the strength it took to be one step ahead of his dad, yet she understood.
He didn’t think anyone would ever understand.
“I couldn’t leave. I always knew I’d be the one to take over the family business. I had no idea my father would die this soon and that I’d barely be in my thirties before I was running it all, but I had a responsibility.”
She continued to hold his gaze. “Yes, you did.”
“And Seth is back. Willing to do his fair share.”
“But the responsibility rests on your shoulders.”
“Someone has to lead. Besides, I like who I am. I like that when I went to work for my dad, I saw Seth and I weren’t the only ones he bullied. He hurt lots of people with his quick temper and snap judgments.”
“It’s why you’re so logical.”
He sniffed a laugh. “Yes. But the bottom line is I forced him to clean up his act and basically restored the family name. Still, if you look in our closet, you’re going to find plenty of skeletons.”
“Is that why you agreed not to use my father’s conviction against me?”
“No.” Because they’d reached the end of the exhibits, he put his hand on her arm and ushered her toward the door. “I agreed to that because I don’t believe what your dad did or didn’t do has any bearing on our child.”
“He’s innocent.”
“Exactly. And he’s still our baby’s grandfather. Just as I want my mother to be a part of our child’s life, your parents need to be a part of it too.”
He opened the door for her and they walked outside into the sunshine, stepping around a gaggle of happy tourists who looked at brochures, studied maps and laughed together.
As Jake and Avery headed up the street, he said, “Good or bad, every child needs to know his full heritage.”
She stopped and took a quiet breath. “I’m not sure how that’s going to happen with me living in Pennsylvania.”
Her honesty hit him right in the heart. “We’ll work it out.” He met her gaze. For the first time in their history, they’d held a conversation that hadn’t ended in an argument. “See how we’re talking now? Open-mindedly and realistically. That’s how we’ll figure it out.”
She nodded.
“But for now—” He looked around. “It is an absolutely beautiful day in Paris.” His good mood restored, as thoughts of his father flitted away and spontaneously seeing the city seemed like a great idea. “We’ll stroll up to the Eiffel Tower, find a nice bistro for lunch and then stroll some more.”
“You do realize you just planned our entire afternoon.”
Disappointment that he’d totally misread spontaneity filled him. “Really?”
“It’s okay. Except...” She raised her foot enough to show him her high heels. “These are fine now, but in another hour or so I’m going to want to toss them in the Seine.”
He laughed. “So we need to go back to the hotel?”
* * *
Avery said, “Yes. Thank you.” But her head still spun over what he’d told her and how she didn’t know him at all.
Though she now understood why he was so stuffy, so careful about everything he did, she’d never even considered how strong he was. She hated that his father had been cruel to him, but loved that he seemed to have found his way—and was happy. She was also glad that he’d trusted her enough to confide in her. Because she suspected this story wasn’t something he told everyone.
Uneasiness unexpectedly tightened her chest. She liked having his trust, but it suddenly made her feel close to him. He wasn’t just a stuffy guy she’d dated six months ago. He was someone she was getting to know.
But wasn’t that good? After all, they had a lot to iron out about the baby.
“What do you say we change now?”
Pulled out of her thoughts, she said, “What?”
“Change now. Not wait until after lunch. Let’s be comfortable. Let’s enjoy this.”
She smiled at him and he smiled back. For ten seconds she didn’t hear the sounds of the tourists and buses. She didn’t hear the birds or the traffic. She simply looked into his eyes. He was such a good-looking guy that she wasn’t surprised by the sizzle of attraction that raced from her chest to her toes and back up again. But this time, she felt a connection form. A real one. Because it was smart to get to know each other, to be reasonable with each other, she decided that was good too.
“Okay.”
They returned to their hotel to put on comfortable shoes and jeans and T-shirts. Avery immediately felt more like herself. And, Jake? Well, he looked totally different. But having heard his story it seemed appropriate that he look different. Carefree, even though she knew he wasn’t. But maybe for today he could be?
“Now, weren’t we planning to walk to the Eiffel Tower?”
“Yes. I’d love to see the Eiffel Tower.” She’d also love to see him relax. Completely. And enjoy the day.
“Let’s go then.”
They rode down in the elevator and walked o
utside, this time looking like two ordinary tourists. He reached for her hand, then tucked it into the crook of his elbow. The gesture was so casual, yet so intimate, that it threw her.
As easily as possible, she pulled her hand away. “You don’t have to hold on to me. I’m fine.”
“I don’t want to lose you. Not that I think you’ll get lost.” He winced. “Honestly, I just don’t want you to fall.”
She shook her head, but had to admit it was cute that he was so concerned about her. Except it gave her an odd feeling. The sense that the real Jake was hovering just under the surface of the man she knew. And with the right word or situation, his facade would crack and she’d be face to face with—what? A nice guy?
That could be stretching things. He might have had a totally different childhood than she’d believed, but that childhood had made him who he was. Too cautious. Too careful. Very guarded.
Getting to know him didn’t mean she’d like him.
She brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’m pregnant not sick.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, I get it.” He glanced down at her tennis shoes. “And you look ready to walk. Let’s go.”
They meandered to the Eiffel Tower, enjoying the sunny afternoon. The sight of the city from the tower took her breath away. After a little more walking, followed by a boat ride on the Seine, they had a late lunch in a bistro. Through their meal, they listened to the sounds of the city, breathed in the scents swirling in the air and filled themselves with sandwiches with crusty bread and salads that made her groan in ecstasy.
But after that she was tired. They returned to the hotel and she immediately fell asleep. When she woke, she realized the only thing she had to wear to dinner was the dress she’d worn that morning.
All the fun they’d had together melted away into reality. They might have spent a great day, but there was no worry that something would happen between them—no matter how sweet he was when his guard was down. When it came to things like dressing for dinner, they were on two different pages.
For a second she felt awkward having to wear the same clothes, but she lifted her chin. There was nothing wrong with the sheath. It was pretty, and sufficiently fancy. Sure, she’d worn it that morning, but it didn’t smell. If Jake or his mother didn’t like her wearing the same dress, they would simply have to get over it.
Still, she pulled her hair to the top of her head, fixing it in a loose knot with tendrils trailing down her neck and near her ears to at least make the dress look a little more elegant. Then she slipped into the only jacket she’d brought, the black blazer she’d worn on the flight over.
When she stepped out of her bedroom, Jake was already in the sitting room wearing a black suit and red tie, about the same level of formal as her dress, but not the same clothes he’d had on that morning.
“You look wonderful.”
Heat rose to her cheeks. “Thanks.”
“I like your hair like that.”
She sucked in a breath. Even if he was only saying that to be nice, she appreciated it. “Yeah, me too.”
He directed her to the door and opened it for her. When they stepped out of the lobby, onto the street, he waggled his eyebrows at her. “Want to walk?”
“To the Bristol?” She laughed and displayed her high heels again. “Shoes.”
“Got it.”
He nodded at a driver standing in front of a black limo and the man jumped to attention, opening the back door for them. The limo was obviously Jake’s, in spite of his suggestion that they walk—
Which meant he’d teased her?
She shouldn’t have been pleased, but she was. Not because it broke the ice, but because he’d made a joke.
A joke.
From the stuffiest man she’d ever met.
A man who had been emotionally abused by his dad.
A man who worried about her.
As the connections piled up, she ignored the nagging sense of menace that accompanied them. They needed to get along to raise a baby together. Hell, they needed to get along to figure out visitation. Getting comfortable with each other was good.
They arrived at his mother’s suite and while Maureen sipped a cocktail and Jake drank a beer, Avery sat on the sofa talking about the pregnancy, the baby, her plans.
Maureen listened, nodding, laughing in all the right places and not once mentioning Avery’s dress.
They went to the restaurant his mom had chosen only to find she’d invited two of her girlfriends to join them. They hugged Avery and clucked over her, and through the first two courses made her feel like the only woman to ever have a baby.
Over beef Wellington, they started talking about their own pregnancies. Somehow that shifted into a discussion of maternity clothes and how styles had changed and how a woman now at least had a shot at getting a decent gown for a ball.
“You are coming to tomorrow night’s charity event, aren’t you?”
Annalise Jones asked the question innocently, and Jake casually said, “No. We’re going back to New York tomorrow.”
But his mother gasped. “Back? Tomorrow? Jake, you promised me you would attend this year!”
“And Avery needs to get home.”
Avery looked at Jake. “You’re not going because of me?”
“I don’t want to impose any more than we have.”
“But you’d like to go?”
He shrugged. “The hospitals and homes being funded do good work.” He shrugged again. “It might be interesting to meet the people who run them.”
“You should go.”
“I’m not leaving you alone at the hotel while I attend a ball.”
She’d thought he’d offer her the use of the family jet to return to New York the next day, but before she could say anything, Julianna, Maureen’s short round friend, spoke up.
“Bring her to the ball. You buy two tickets every year. You should use them.”
Avery said, “I don’t have anything to wear,” at the same time Jake said, “She’ll be tired.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Maureen said. She faced Avery, “We can get you a dress.” Then she looked at Jake. “And you can take her home early. It’s not like you have to stay at the ball all night. I just have some people I want you to meet.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
IN THE END, they agreed to go. In the limo ride back to their hotel, Jake politely turned to Avery.
“You can bow out if you want. You can even take the McCallan jet home tomorrow.” He didn’t want her to go. He wanted her to stay. Maybe a little more than he should. “I know you’re eager to get back to your job.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I have a job anymore.”
“If I gave you that impression, I’m sorry. Pete never said you were fired, just that you couldn’t work on McCallan cases.”
She shook her head again. “Conflict of interest stretches beyond me staying away from your cases. When I go to work on Monday morning, I’m going to get a speech on—” She lowered her voice to sound like Pete. “Even the appearance of impropriety.” She brought her voice back to normal. “And he’ll be right.”
“So, you’re unemployed?”
“Probably. And I might as well go to the ball.” She glanced over at him. “Just how fancy does this thing get?”
“I’ve never been. You’ll have to talk to my mom.” He winced. “She’ll probably be happy to take you shopping.”
“Another hit to my savings.”
“No. This one is on me. You wouldn’t be going if we weren’t in Paris. And you wouldn’t be in Paris if I hadn’t brought you here.”
“I can pay for it.”
“So can I.”
The limo stopped in front of their hotel. Jake exited and helped Avery slide out. The night air was cool as they walked to the hotel door.
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Hands in his trouser pockets, beside her but with two feet separating them, he felt the strangest sensation. Not quite that he needed to help her walk. More like he wanted to be close to her. She was the mother of his child. She’d been incredibly sweet to his mother. And when she smiled at him, his stomach plummeted, his breath shimmied in his chest.
He’d never felt this kind of connection before. But it was like a mirage. One second it was there and the next it wasn’t. It never hung around long enough for him to figure out what it was.
Telling himself he was all kinds of crazy, he walked her through the quiet lobby. They rode up in the elevator in silence and parted ways in the sitting room.
But he barely slept. Not only had he told her his biggest secret in the name of getting to know each other, but the way she’d treated his mom proved she was a good person, a kind person. Somehow, he’d missed that when they’d been dating. But now that he was seeing it, everything he thought he knew about her shifted, changed—nagged at him.
He didn’t fall asleep until almost five. By the time he woke up around eleven, she was gone. A note on the breakfast cart left by room service told him that his mother had sent a car to pick her up to go shopping.
He yanked his phone off his bedside table and hit the contact key for his mother. When she answered, he said, “Do not let her pay for her gown.”
His mother laughed. “Are you kidding? I would buy the mother of my grandchild the sun, the moon and all the stars if she’d let me. She’s in good hands.”
“I take it she’s not with you.”
“She’s in the fitting room, trying on the lovely white dress. Reminds me of a wedding dress.”
“Mom!”
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. And he knew why he’d been feeling so odd that he couldn’t sleep. When he first discovered Avery was pregnant, there was no chance in hell anything would happen between them. Now, everything felt different. The sexy woman of his dreams was merging with real Avery...and he liked her.
And it meant something.
Or it didn’t. They needed to figure that out.
“I’m just describing the gown, dear. Oh, there she is now. I’ll talk to you later.”