Foolish Expectations

by Alison Bliss

  Jesus. He was more like his father than he’d ever imagined. “I…I need to find her.”

  His old man shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “I could help you, you know?” A wry grin tugged at his mouth.

  “At what price?”

  “Well, I hear we’re looking for a new head in our legal department. I could put in a good word for you.”

  So much for making a change, the arrogant asshole.

  It was just as Nash thought. His dad never let a golden opportunity slip between his fingers. Aaron Sutherland looked at everything as a business venture, and it was a perfect chance to force his only son into working in the family business. Nash had played right into his hands.

  But he’d do anything to find Bailey and bring her back home where she belonged. Even if that meant taking a job he didn’t want and working for a man he loathed.

  Fuck his pride. He just wanted his wife back.

  “Done. Now help me find her.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Bailey’s head pounded relentlessly.

  Her bruised sternum and tender abdomen were worrisome, but they didn’t hurt her nearly as much as hearing Nash’s voice on the phone had. So what if he admitted he should’ve trusted her—that didn’t mean he did trust her. And she couldn’t be with someone who wouldn’t give her the same thing he’d asked of her. She deserved better than that, didn’t she?

  She shifted in her hospital bed, trying to get comfortable. An impossible task with all the cuts and contusions she’d received in the accident earlier that morning. She’d just quit her job at the bar and grill—for the last time—when an old lady driving an older model sedan veered out of her own lane and into Bailey’s lane.

  After that, everything had happened in slow motion. She’d hit the brakes and tried to swerve in time, but the two vehicles collided head on. The windshield shattered and glass rained inside the car as the airbag detonated and her body jerked against the seatbelt. She hadn’t felt any pain at the time, but now that her adrenaline had settled and she was past her shocked state, whiplash was paying her a visit.

  If only the elderly woman had restrained her dog in some way, none of this would have happened. But no. Instead, she’d left the dog loose in the front seat and the pooch had jumped into its owner’s lap with no warning, causing the accident.

  Cuts and bruises had been the worst of it for both of the drivers involved, but it could have turned out very differently. And that’s what scared the hell out of Bailey. What if she had died? Would Nash know she loved him?

  Even though she’d told him she wanted a divorce yesterday, his face was the one that flashed in her mind when the accident had occurred. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again. She loved him. He obviously didn’t return the sentiment, though. If he did, he would have put the same amount of trust in her as she had in him.

  Now what the hell was she supposed to do?

  She couldn’t leave. That was no longer an option. Too much had happened between them and she owed it to Nash to tell him the truth. But would he ever offer her the trust she’d given to him? Or would it always be one-sided?

  When someone burst through the door, Bailey jumped and her head swung toward the sound. Nash stood in the doorway, looking haggard and disheveled while breathing heavily, as if he’d run every corridor in the hospital searching for her. His bloodshot eyes were wide and worried, but he didn’t speak. He rushed to her side and crawled halfway into the bed with her, gently wrapping his familiar arms around her. “I’m so sorry about everything. I thought… Jesus.”

  She sagged against his chest, feeling him pull in a ragged breath. “Nash?”

  “Baby, I thought I lost you for good. When I was told you had been in an accident, I…I couldn’t get here fast enough. I thought I was too late.”

  “I’m okay. Just some minor injuries.” She breathed in, relishing in his scent. God, she missed being in his arms like this. “How did you find me?”

  “My father.”

  She pulled back to gaze at him. “Your father? Why would he help you find me after the way he treated both of us?”

  “Because I finally gave him what he wanted.” His nostrils flared.

  “Nash, no! Please tell me you didn’t take the position.”

  He shrugged lightly, as if none of it mattered. “It’s just a job. Besides, it was worth it to know you’re okay. You scared the hell out of me.” He cupped her head and kissed her on the lips, letting his mouth linger over hers. “I’m sorry. I should have told you this a long time ago, but I love you, Bailey. I’m so in love with you I can’t see straight.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, but she held them back. There were so many things she wanted to say to him. “I love you, too.”

  “Baby, I need you. Please tell me you’ll come home with me and let me make it up to you.”

  “Nash…” She lowered her head. “I can’t until—”

  “Sweetheart, I know what a jackass I was. I should have believed you, trusted you to tell me the truth. I’ve never had anyone stand up to my father for me like you did.” He grasped her hand and held it tight as his eyes fastened to hers. “I know what I lost when you walked out that door, and I don’t ever want to feel that way again. After everything we’ve been through, I can’t lose you now. I want you. God, I need you in my life. Please say you’ll come home with me.”

  “I have something I need to tell you first.”

  “Okay, I’m listening.”

  She grinned at him. “I’m pregnant.”

  He stared at her, without blinking. “How? I mean, I know how, but…are you sure?”

  “When I was admitted, the doctor asked me if there were any chance I was pregnant. I told him no, but he ordered blood tests, anyway.”

  “Wait. You knew you weren’t pregnant? You acted so normal after we returned home that day after being told there wasn’t a baby. I thought you hadn’t accepted it.”

  “I knew. I was just trying to be strong…for you. I could see you were having a hard time dealing with the loss of our child, so I didn’t want to burden you—”

  “Sweetheart, you couldn’t burden me if you tried.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then placed his warm hand on her belly. “But you’re really pregnant this time?”

  She grinned. “They confirmed it with a sonogram. I’m definitely pregnant.”

  “And the baby is okay? After the accident, I mean?”

  “Yes, the doctor said everything was fine. I just can’t wait to get out of here.”

  “You ready to come home and finish what we started?”

  Bailey wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

  ***

  Four months later, Bailey pulled up at Sutherland Industries and made her way to her father-in-law’s office. She didn’t wait for the secretary’s approval. Instead, Bailey marched past the woman’s desk and shoved open his door without knocking.

  Nash stood in his dad’s office and froze when he saw her. “Bailey? How did you know I was in here going over a case?”

  “I didn’t.” Bailey kept her eyes firmly glued to Aaron, who was sitting on the edge of his desk looking over Nash’s shoulder. “I came to speak with your dad.”

  Both men exchanged looks, but Aaron grinned. “Nash, why don’t you give me a few minutes alone with your lovely wife?”

  “Bailey…?” Nash asked, raising a brow.

  “It’s fine. It’s about time your father and I got a few things straightened out.”

  Nash hesitated. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “It’ll just take a moment of his time. I’m sure a man of such importance can spare that for his daughter-in-law.”

  Nash nodded at her and stepped out of the room without another word, pulling the door closed behind him. He really did trust her, after all.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Aaron asked.

  “No, thank you.
I’d rather just say what I came to say, if that’s okay with you.”

  Nash’s dad gazed at her warily. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Sutherland?”

  “You can fire my husband and let him go back to his practice. He’s been killing himself for months trying to do both jobs, and I’ve had enough.”

  Aaron shook his head. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry. Nash is a great lawyer and he’s an asset to Sutherland Industries.” He looked a little confused, though. “I didn’t know he was still running his own practice on the side. Why would he do that?”

  “Because unlike you, he’s an honorable man. Nash didn’t want to leave his clients in a lurch and run out on them. It was bad enough he spent the last few months focusing all his extra time on the malpractice suit in order to put that quack doctor out of business for good. Now that we’ve won our case in court, there’s only one thing keeping Nash from going back to his own practice. But he made you a deal and he refuses to bail out on the position you forced him into. So I’m telling you. Let him go.”

  “And why the hell would I do that?”

  “You already lost your wife due to your overbearing ways. If you keep Nash on and force him to continue working for you, you will lose him too. The only things you have left are these grandchildren of yours I’m carrying.”

  “Grandchildren? You mean—”

  “Yep, twins. We found out yesterday. A boy and a girl.”

  Aaron wrinkled his brow. “I’ve been with Nash all morning, and…he never even mentioned the possibility of two babies.”

  “Do you blame him?”

  “Well, no, I guess not. But what do the babies have to do with—”

  “Your grandchild may be Sutherlands, but guess who’s holding the key to that golden gate?” She raised a brow. “Yep, that’s right. You have to go through me. And if you think I’m going to let you bully my children into anything, you’re dead wrong.”

  Nash’s father blinked in shock. “So this is your way of saying you’re planning to hold my grandchildren over my head?”

  Bailey smiled, knowing she had hit her target. “Damn straight. Your wife has already divorced you. Your relationship with your son is fragile at best. And these babies are the last Sutherlands who may want anything to do with you in the future. But there’s only one way that is ever going to happen. It’s your decision.”

  He thought about that for a moment. “How soon do you need an answer?”

  “Now. In fact, you only have ten seconds before I withdraw my proposal.”

  He scowled at her, but walked over and opened the office door to find Nash waiting on the other side. “You’re fired,” he said, then walked out of the office without looking back.

  “What the…?” Nash shook his head at her. “Bailey, what did you do?”

  She rubbed her hand over her swollen stomach. “Let’s just say I gave your father some incentive to let you go and find a new head for his legal department.”

  Nash smiled at that. “You didn’t have to do that. I don’t care where I work as long as you’re the one I’m coming home to.”

  She winked at him. “I’ll be there. You can count on it.”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her long and hard. “I just never know what to expect out of you these days, Mrs. Sutherland.”

  “That’s easy,” she said, giggling. “Expect the unexpected.”

  About Alison Bliss

  Alison Bliss grew up in Small Town, Texas, but currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. With so much testosterone in her home, it's no wonder she writes "girl books." She believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it's obviously meant to be. Alison pens the type of books she loves to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy or two. As she calls it, "Romance...with a sense of humor."

  To learn more about Alison Bliss, visit her website at http://authoralisonbliss.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to keep up with her latest book news. You can also email her at authoralisonbliss@hotmail.com or connect with her on social media.

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  Also by Alison Bliss

  Rules of Protection (Tangled in Texas, #1)

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  Some rules are meant to be broken…

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  When the location of their safe house is compromised, Jake stashes Emily deep in the Texas backwoods. The city-girl might be safe from the Mafia, but she has to contend with a psychotic rooster, a narcoleptic dog, crazy cowboys, and the danger of losing her heart to the one man she can’t have.

  Jake's as hot as he is infuriating, and she can't help but push all his buttons to loosen him up. Their mutual, sizzling sexual attraction poses a dilemma: Jake’s determined to keep her safe and out of the wrong hands; she’s determined to get into the right ones—his.

  Playing With Fire (Tangled in Texas, #2)

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  Nothing ignites a fire like the perfect match…

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  Especially not with a fireman who's hot enough to set the entire state of Texas on fire.

  Cowboy can't resist the fiery little librarian, and he's determined to make her his. Beneath that prim-and-proper exterior is a woman he very much wants to know--if she'd let him. She'll test his patience. His control. Hell, his very sanity. And for the first time, Cowboy wonders if he's found the one fire he can't control...