He took a few steps forward, purposefully stuffing his hands deeper into the front pockets of his jeans to prevent himself from grabbing her and feasting on her gorgeous lips. She faced him and her smile widened. “Hi.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You do know there’s snow on the ground, right?”
She came closer and lifted her shoulders. “Barely a covering. What about it?”
“The heels.”
She glanced down at her feet. “Why does it confuse men so much that some women choose to wear heels come hell or high water? It’s as though we’re a phenomenon to you.”
“It’s not that. It’s dangerous. I don’t want you—”
“It makes us feel sexy and confident.” She held his gaze for a second before brushing past him to his car. “Thanks for bringing the car instead of your bike.”
“The bike’s gone as long as you’re here.”
She halted and turned, her gaze slowly dropping to his mouth. “Thank you.”
Scott released his held breath as she faced the car once more and slid into the passenger seat. They were about to receive confirmation of whether Belle was really his...yet all he could think about was how Carrie would look in his bed, naked except for the knee-high boots she wore.
Cursing his libido, he walked around to the driver’s side and got in. “So, picking you up here was a surprise. I thought you might want to take me up on my offer to skate.”
She glanced through the window at the rink and sighed. “It really is beautiful.” She faced him. “There are some nice people in this pretty town, too.”
He smiled, a small bolt of hope dashing through him. “We’re not too bad once you get to know us.”
“Hmm, a few of the residents are okay, I suppose.”
He lifted his eyebrow. “Present company included?”
She shrugged. “You’re all right.”
He laughed and turned the ignition. “Gee, thanks. Okay, you ready for this?”
“Shouldn’t it be me asking you that? I didn’t need this test, remember? I know you’re Belle’s dad.”
He faced her. “Sorry. I’m an ass...and nervous.” He turned to the windshield and put the car into first, exhaling a long breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
He pressed on the gas and headed toward the outskirts of town and the doctor’s office. The low volume of the country rock ballad playing on the radio eased the tension, at least for him. He glanced at Carrie. She stared out the side window, her jaw set. He looked to her hands clenched in her lap. “You okay?”
Her smile was a little too wide to be real. “Absolutely.”
“Carrie...”
“I’m fine.”
He frowned. “I’ve been around enough to know ‘I’m fine’ is a woman’s biggest lie. What’s wrong?”
She swiveled in her seat and the weight of her stare bore into his temple. “I just hoped the prospect of these results would evoke a more positive statement from you than ‘let’s get this over with.’”
He glanced at her. “I didn’t mean—”
Her eyes flashed with the angry fire he was coming to know well. “Just because we had sex last night, you don’t have to—”
“Hey, I’m here, and when I know Belle’s mine, I’ll always be here.”
Silence.
“I mean it, Carrie. I won’t let you or her down.”
She turned to the window and Scott focused on the road. God, he had so much to learn about women and thinking before he spoke, and for Carrie, he’d be a more than willing student. He continued to drive to Kevin’s office, casting glances at her tense profile and noting the way her leg bounced up and down.
He silently cursed that he was driving. He sensed she needed something more from him, and wished he could put his arms around her. For lack of being able to do anything else, he gripped her hand. Relief flooded through him when she closed her fingers tightly around his.
She glanced at him. “When you know Belle is yours, how are we going to do what’s best for her? Not us, her. We can’t be stupid or selfish enough to think last night is any sort of proof things could work out between us. We need more than sex. I need more than sex.”
He swept his gaze over her beautiful face and his gut tightened. The same conclusion had echoed in his mind and heart countless times since he woke this morning, and he still hadn’t found the definitive answer. The lingering threat of his father re-entering his and his family’s lives was worrying. There was every chance Carrie would want to do things her way as far as Belle was concerned and seeing he’d only just learned about Belle, it would be difficult for him to insist otherwise.
“You’ve raised her alone this last year while holding down what I imagine to be a high-profile job. My head is telling me I have no right to demand anything from you...” He glanced at her and smiled. “My heart is telling me the exact opposite and demanding you bring her to the Cove for Christmas.”
Her eyes widened. “What? I can’t—”
“I’m joking. I’m just saying that’s how much I want to see her.”
“Oh.” She slumped into her seat. “Well, that’s okay then.”
He gripped the steering wheel. “When do you go back to work? I’m guessing you’re on a break right now for the holidays?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then when you start back, when will I see you again? I want to be with you, Carrie. I want us to give this everything we’ve got and not just shuttle Belle back and forth on holidays and the weekends.”
A few heartbeats passed before she spoke. “I work hard and I love my job. I won’t jeopardize it for something I don’t know for sure will work out. I wouldn’t ask you to give up your business. I think I deserve the same consideration.”
He glared ahead, his heart thumping. “You’re independent, I get it. So am I.” He looked at her. “All I’m saying is, I hope you can trust me. I want to be with both of you and, for that to happen, we’re going to have to make sacrifices. Take a few leaps of faith...”
“I have a feeling that will be easier said than done.”
Scott clenched his jaw. Were the current situations, past hurts and problems too much to overcome for the sake of their little girl and each other? The thought that they could be sent an ugly stain of resentment through Scott’s mind and into his heart. Even now, his father’s actions affected everything Scott wanted to do. Maybe eventually he would throw caution to the wind and move to be with Carrie and Belle, but there was little chance of that happening anytime soon if his father was waiting for an opportunity to pounce back into their lives.
She eased her hand from his. “Last night was amazing, but it’s not enough to base our parenting on. Before Gerard died, Belle’s life was stable and secure. I won’t lie to you. I want that for her again.”
Irritation rose behind his ribcage. “There’s more to me than sex, Carrie.”
“I know that.”
He turned. “Do you?”
“Yes. I know about the women and I don’t care because it’s in the past. It will only matter to me if they become an issue in Belle’s present. You’re a good man. Someone who has such obvious passion for his mum and sisters couldn’t be anything else. But I still need to know for sure which side of you is the real you.”
“What does that mean?”
Her cheeks flushed and she lifted her chin. “I mean, is the real Scott Walker the man who likes to spend his free time with his friends and women? Or is the real Scott Walker the man who cares and provides for his family, no matter what? There’s only room for one of them in my life and Belle’s.”
The insult struck hard and cut deep. He steered the car into Kevin’s office parking lot, found a vacant space and killed the engine. Trembling with suppressed irritation, he released his seat belt and gl
ared ahead at the office building.
“Considering everything Amanda’s poured into your head, it’s no wonder you’re thinking the way you are, but the real me is the man who cares about my family. Period.” He faced her, anger pulsing through him that she, of all people, could think so little of him. He trusted her, yet she couldn’t trust him. He was falling in love with her, but it seemed she wasn’t with him. “Where has all this come from, Carrie?” He met her gaze. “I’m taking this, us, seriously. That should be enough for you right now. Everything else, we’ll work out as we go along.”
He dropped his gaze to her left hand and he swallowed against the dryness of his throat. Her ring finger was still bare.
He raised his eyes to hers, which glinted with unshed tears. “I’m just protecting my baby, Scott.”
He took her hand. “I know. Let’s get these results and then I’m going to tell you about me and my life. I want you to do the same. I didn’t ask you to stay in the Cove so we could have sex for the next two days—”
“Damn it. Now you tell me.”
Relief shuddered through him and his heart kicked to see her eyes shining with torment. “You think you’re funny?” He laughed.
Her smile wavered and she cupped his jaw, her eyes turning somber. “No. Far from it. I just wanted you to know what I’m thinking. I didn’t want to be anywhere else but in your arms last night. I didn’t want to do anything else but make love with you, but today...today is a new day and we have to focus on Belle.”
He lifted her hand from his jaw and pressed a kiss to her palm. “We will.”
She slid her hand from his grasp, yanked on the door handle and got out of the car. Taking a moment to steady his heart and his overbearing need to talk more with her, Scott breathed deep. Everything he had to say would have to wait. He only hoped when he told her about his family obligations it wouldn’t send her running. There was every possibility his responsibility to his family...and the impending return of a father he couldn’t stand...would be too much too soon.
If a man could split himself in two, there wouldn’t be a problem. If he were a different kind of man, there wouldn’t be a problem. The cold wind bit at his face as he faced Carrie across the roof of the car. She stared at him, her face somber, her beautiful dark eyes storming with the determination of a successful, independent woman.
He locked the car and came around the hood. He took her hand and together they entered Kevin’s office. The reception was surprisingly quiet, considering the last time he’d been there. He approached the desk and Carrie immediately slipped her hand from his and turned to study the various fliers on the wall beside them, her back ramrod straight.
“Scott. Nice to see you again.”
He snapped his gaze from Carrie to Julie’s smiling face as she looked at him from behind the desk. He forced a smile. “Yep. I roll back and forth like a bad penny.”
She laughed. “If all pennies were as bad as you, Scott Walker, I’d take a sackful and be happy.” She ran her fingers over the keyboard in front of her. “You can go straight through. He’s expecting you.”
“Thanks.” Scott moved to the side door, not missing the way Julie’s suspicious gaze appraised Carrie. He protectively cupped her elbow and they walked to Kevin’s office.
Scott paused outside the door. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
She nodded, her face giving away nothing of what she was thinking or feeling. Swallowing hard, Scott pushed open the door.
Kevin immediately rose from the chair behind his desk and came forward, his hand outstretched toward Carrie. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Scott lowered himself into one of the two vacant chairs in front of Kevin’s desk as he and Carrie shook hands. Her smile unsteady, she sat next to Scott and folded her hands on top of her purse in her lap. The image brought a nervous bubble of laughter to the back of Scott’s throat. She hadn’t acted quite so prim and proper when they were rolling around in the hotel bed last night.
“So...” Kevin cleared his throat. “The results.”
Scott snapped his gaze to Kevin, all thoughts of his and Carrie’s lovemaking disappearing on a puff of stark reality. He stared at his friend.
Kevin looked from Scott to Carrie and back again. “You okay?”
Scott swallowed. “I’m fine. Thanks for getting them so quickly. I’ve got no idea how you managed it, but I’m grateful.”
Kevin nodded. “Are you ready for this?”
Scott sat a little straighter in his chair. “Yes.”
Kevin glanced at Carrie before lifting a brown envelope from the top of a stack of trays on his desk. He passed it to Scott. With the envelope clutched in his fingers, Scott turned to Carrie. Her dark brown eyes lingered on the envelope for a moment before she raised her gaze to his. Her eyes were soft but scared and his nerves jolted higher. Did she really know he was Belle’s father or just hoped he was?
She nodded and gave a small smile. “It’s okay. Open it.”
With his gaze locked on hers and his hand ever so slightly trembling, Scott pulled the sheet of paper from inside the envelope. Taking a slow, steady breath, he dragged his gaze from Carrie’s and scanned the words. His breath left his lungs with an audible whoosh. He laughed. “Bloody hell.”
99.99% positive.
He stared. And he stared...then he stared some more.
99.99% positive.
“Scott?” Carrie’s voice filtered through his stunned state.
He faced her, his heart thumping and his mind racing. I’m a father. I have a little girl. I’m a father. “I’m her daddy.”
Tears blurred her face and Scott quickly blinked before he completely embarrassed himself in front of one of his two oldest friends...but there was nothing he could do about his grin. “I’m her daddy.”
Carrie laughed, tears glistening in her eyes. “Didn’t I tell you that all along?”
He pushed to his feet and whirled away to pace the breadth of the office. Who would’ve thought the news he was a father would bring such a feeling of complete pride and love rocketing into his heart? He and Carrie had a child. During that one amazing week they’d created life. Why was he surprised? The intimacy and passion they shared surely couldn’t have resulted in anything else.
He strode back to Carrie, tugged her from her seat and into his arms. Her bag fell to the floor as he whirled her around.
“Scott!” She laughed.
He shook his head and put her down. “I’m her daddy.”
She laughed. “Yes, you are.”
With his entire body shaking, Scott leaned down and picked up her bag. “Do you have that picture? The picture of Belle?”
Grinning, she opened her bag and fumbled inside. She brought out her wallet and opened it to reveal a photo of his baby. Scott slowly took it, his heart damn near bursting from his chest. “My God, look at her.”
Tears burned and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t blink them back. “She’s beautiful, Carrie.” He swiped his fingers under his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve seen such a beautiful girl in my life.”
She laughed and stole her arm into the crook of his elbow, her head coming down on his bicep. “Except me, of course.”
He pressed a kiss to her head. “Sorry, I think you’ve been upstaged.”
She laughed again. “That’s okay.”
He stepped back and reluctantly handed her back the purse. “Here. You’d better take it before I stand here staring at her all day.”
She took the wallet and extracted the photo. “Here.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she held it out to him. “It’s yours. I have another million and one pictures of her at home. I’ll share a few more as soon as I can. Promise.”
He took the photo and stared at it again. “My girl. My Belle.”
Kevin’s not-so-subtle cough echoed around the room. Swiping his hand over his face, Scott turned.
His friend raised his eyebrows, a wide grin on his face. “I take it you’re pleased?”
Scott laughed and shoved his hand into his hair, holding it there to keep the top of his head from blowing off. “Yes. I’m bloody ecstatic.”
“Good.” Kevin laughed. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Scott’s grin faltered as silent communication passed between them that this was far from over. This was just the beginning. Kevin’s sensibility permeated Scott’s euphoria, bringing him slowly back to earth. This moment was a bigger relief for Scott than Kevin or Carrie could possibly understand. If Carrie had lied to him, made him think about the insecurity of his family and their future, for nothing, God only knows what would have been left of his wafer-thin trust in human nature.
He glanced at Belle’s photo once again before sliding it carefully into the inside pocket of his jacket, shoving the negativity firmly away. It was wasted energy even going there. Carrie wasn’t lying and she was there, with him, in this life-changing moment. He refused to waste another second of it. He had to make love to her again. He pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Let’s get out of here.”
She looked into his eyes, and comprehension lit her gaze. She snatched her gaze to Kevin, her cheeks flushed. “Umm...thank you. For everything.”
Biting back his smile, Scott held out his hand. “I owe you a drink.”
Kevin laughed. “A drink? I think you owe me a whole lot more than that. Get out of here. You both have some talking to do.”
Scott winked and led Carrie out of Kevin’s office, along the corridor and out of the building. Snow fell like confetti, coloring the asphalt white and reminding Scott it was Christmastime. He didn’t stop until they reached his car and he pulled her into his arms once more. He kissed her deeply, possessively. He pulled back. “Merry Christmas, Carrie.”
Harlequin Superromance November 2014 - Box Set 2 of 2: Christmas at the CoveNavy ChristmasUntil She Met Daniel Page 20