by Lisa N. Paul
“Mr. Brand,” Jovanna’s voice came through the intercom. “I have Heather from Mr. Randall’s office on line three.”
“Thank you, Vanna.”
“Hmm, judging by the way she said Heather’s name, it doesn’t seem like there’s a secretarial sisterhood between those two,” Decker pointed out.
Ford mindlessly waved his hand as if dismissing the entire topic. “I went out with Heather once… maybe twice.” Ford snickered. “Well, we went out once and stayed in the second time. Heather complained to Vanna that I never called her again and… you know women. V got all bitchy about it. Whatever, let’s handle this situation and move on.”
Decker shook his head and gestured to the phone. “Put it on speaker so I can hear what his goddamn excuse is.”
Heather’s voice filled the room, and her tone was aloof, if not cool, as she explained that her boss had already left the office for the weekend.
“I just emailed a letter restating the fact Tommy and Vincent Allen were banned from our work site,” Ford stated. “I also attached the original email which Marvin Randall, your boss, signed and dated nearly a month ago when the topic was initially raised.” When Heather tried to interrupt with a flirtatious comment, Ford cut her off and continued his spiel. “Please make certain your boss sees the email immediately, Heather, because the next time Tommy and/or Vincent trespasses on our property, we will press charges. Have a nice weekend.” He ended the call before the woman could fit in another word.
With relief finally settling into his system, Decker sank into his favorite chair. “Thanks, I wanted to tie up the little fuckers with cable and duct tape their mouths closed, but I thought my actions may be frowned upon.”
Ford sat back in his chair. “That’s why we have each other, Deck. Because I’d rather handle this part. If I had to look filthy like you every day”—his nose scrunched up as if he’d smelled a skunk—“I’d kill myself.”
The men quickly discussed their weekend plans before Decker left work to meet April at the gym for their daily workout.
Chapter Eighteen
A Proper Date
“MORNING, BEAUTIFUL.”
Hearing Decker’s sexy voice first thing was the best way to start the weekend. Eli was sitting at the bottom of her bed, watching cartoons, and barely noticed that she was even awake.
“Morning, handsome. I can’t wait for tonight,” she purred as butterflies took flight in her belly. It didn’t seem to matter how often she saw him, the fluttering never lessened. In fact, it seemed as if the beautiful winged creatures multiplied.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about tonight.”
Dread took over the fluttery feeling as April sat up in her bed. “Decker Brand, if you’re canceling…”
His husky laugh was an instant balm to her irritation. “No, babe, I’m not canceling. I am, however, making a demand.”
“A demand?”
“Yeah, I want all of you, from start to finish. None of this meeting at the restaurant bullshit. So tonight, I’m picking your sweet ass up at your house, wining and dining you, and then I’m taking you home. I want the goodnight kisses, the opportunity to run the bases with you,” his voice dropped to a gravelly tone, “and if I’m lucky enough to score a run, I want to drive home with a goofy grin on my face. A full-fledged date, April.”
His words left her breathless and wanton, a mere tease that would keep her on the edge for the entire day. Christ, the man was sex and lust and romance all wrapped in the most magnificent package. “Okay, Deck. You can pick me up here… and big guy, I see a goofy grin in your near future.”
The catch in his breath told her she’d made him a very happy man. “I’ll see you tonight, babe.”
Just as he’d promised, Decker arrived at her house at seven with gifts for everyone: lavender tulips for April, the latest Disney DVD for Eli, and a six-pack of root beer and a bottle of aspirin for August. After good nights were given and kissy-banks were filled, they left the house for their first proper date.
“I’ve wanted to come here for ages,” April said as they pulled into the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in the center of Charistown. “Janie is always talking about how much she and her friends love The Sombrero. She says the food is great and the margaritas are even better.”
“It’s true, the food is awesome, and while I’m not a margarita kind of man, the Coronas are ice cold.” His eyes dropped to her lips. “And seeing as you’re wearing the lime lip stuff, I think this visit will be my favorite yet.” He reached around, cupped the back of her head, and pulled her close, taking her lips in a fiery kiss that could rival any hot sauce the restaurant could offer.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, deepening their embrace. “Mmm, I don’t want to leave this car.”
“Uh uh.” He shook his head, puffing out a shaky breath. “A proper date, beautiful.” With that, he got out of the SUV and walked around to her side to open the door and help her out.
The restaurant was packed with every table occupied, but they had a reservation and were seated immediately. Both Decker and Janie were right—the food was incredible. As usual, she and Decker filled the hours with easy conversation, arousing flirtation, and witty banter. It wasn’t until the restaurant started to clear out and the tables started to empty that April saw the couple sitting just across the small dining room.
Each delectable morsel of dinner turned to boulders in her stomach, and her airway began to constrict as a huge lump formed in the back of her throat. Praying to whoever would listen that she could keep her composure, April stared at the duo and concentrated on her breathing.
* * *
DECKER WATCHED AS the easy smile hardened on April’s face and the ever-present blush quickly drain from her cheeks. “Hey”—he reached for her hand—“what’s wrong, babe?”
Without a verbal response from her, he followed her line of vision and began to piece together the puzzle on his own. It was clear by the smug smiles, loud giggles, and indiscreet whispers from the couple who garnered April’s direct attention, they could be none other than her ex-husband and his current wife. It was also apparent that those two found more than a little pleasure in displaying a nauseating if not embarrassing amount of affection toward each other while making sure their eyes were trained on April. Their behavior was an act, of that Decker was certain. He’d lived that life before, pretending everything was perfect when inside, things were at a boiling point. But he wasn’t going to express his thoughts to April, because in the moment, his opinion didn’t matter. All that mattered was April and how her breathing hitched when Ben and his wife stood up from their table and he rubbed his hand affectionately over her clearly pregnant belly before leaning down to press a kiss on the baby bump.
“Unbelievable,” April murmured.
Decker wondered if she realized she’d said it out loud. “I’m here with you, April,” Decker whispered, kissing her temple. “You’re not alone.”
“Hello, April,” her ex-husband drawled in an oily tone as he and his wife approached the table. “Glad to see you’ve moved on… finally.”
Decker kept his hands under the table, resisting the urge to choke the weasel in front of him.
Pride bloomed in his chest as April sat back casually in her chair, lifted a brow in her don’t- give-a-damn way, and painted a cool smile on her beautiful face. “I’ve never been happier.”
She didn’t cling to Decker or use him as a tool to get back at her ex, which was quite sexy, but she also didn’t look to him to have her back, and that was not okay. His desire to claim her was as strong as his need for air. So when the smarmy fuck-twit leered at April, allowing his eyes to roam from her face to the plunging neckline of her sexy black sweater, Decker wanted to toss away the table that separated them and pummel the loser. Instead, he took great pleasure in squeezing April’s hand and slowly rising from his chair to introduce himself to the much shorter guy.
“I’m Decker Brand, her man. And y
ou’re…?” He knew it was a childish move, but between April’s smile and the outraged look on Ben’s face, it was worth it.
“I’m her ex-husband,” the guy seethed. “I’m the father of her son, you… ignorant ass. You do know she has a little boy, don’t you?”
“Oh, that’s right.” Decker tossed a quick glance over his shoulder at April before returning his attention to Ben. “She did tell me Eli’s father lived close by but chose to have no responsibility for his own child.” Decker sat back down next to April and draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her chair closer to his. “For some reason, I always think of the guy as dead.”
Ben’s eyes widened at Decker’s statement.
“No, he isn’t dead.” April shook her head as sadness filled her eyes. “Just said he wasn’t cut out to be a father.” April turned her focus to Becky. “So you’re looking… well.”
Becky gleamed, rubbing her hands over her extended belly. “We’re pregnant!” When her announcement fell flat, she continued to babble. “We are so excited our little guy is due in less than two months.”
Decker felt April’s body stiffen with each of Becky’s words. His gut churned as he watched the column of her throat work with each swallow.
“That’s great.” April’s false cheer left her mouth in little more than puffs of air. “I hope he’s a better father the second time around.”
Decker glared at Ben, who at least had the decency to look ashamed.
“Well, that’s the thing,” Becky chattered confidently , a bright smile plastered across her horse-like mouth as she grabbed Ben’s hand and placed it across her belly. “Everyone makes mistakes, April, and Ben made his. He can’t be forced to spend the rest of his life dwelling on the past.” She leveled her eyes to April’s and shrugged. “Therefore, we’re thinking of this as his first baby as well.”
Decker heard April’s breath hitch as her spine went rod straight. He firmly gripped her knee to both offer comfort and to keep her seated. He knew in hindsight, she’d hate it if she made a public scene.
“Oh, really? Well, guess what, Becky? I don’t give a shit how the two of you think of it, but DNA says he’s been a father for close to five years.” Her voice lowered to slightly above a whisper as she continued. “And if either of you ever refer to my son as a mistake again, you will live to regret it.” April turned her fury on her ex. “I will never forget when you came to serve me the divorce papers five days after I’d delivered our baby. You held your son, stared into his eyes, and then placed him and the papers in my lap before leaving.” April’s voice was quiet, but her tone was strong. “You didn’t just sever our marriage. No, you signed away the rights to your firstborn child like he was nothing more than a used car.”
Decker’s stomach clenched at the new information. How the hell could any man do such a thing? He’d walk through fire for his daughter; in fact, he’d lived through hell for her. April’s ex appeared to shrink with each stone cast in his direction.
“So I guess you’re right.” She pointed at Becky’s belly. “That is your first fucking child. Because my son has been and will always be better off without you. Now walk the hell away from our table before I decide to make a scene.” April twisted in her seat so her back was to the unwanted couple as they stood with shock etched on their faces.
“Would you like some dessert, beautiful?” Decker tenderly kissed April’s knuckles. The pain on her face tore at his insides, but there was no way he was going to let the two assholes who still lingered at the table see anything less than the strength he saw each day.
“Sure.” April breathed in deep, clearly trying to firm up the walls that had been damaged through the confrontation. “What did you have in mind?”
The flirty tone in which she asked the question had Decker forgetting about their unwanted audience. “How about the strawberries in chocolate sauce? I know how much you love warm chocolate.” He wagged his brows, earning a genuine smile. “What do ya say, dimples?”
“Ick.” The disapproving sound came from Becky, who stood table side with her hand tucked tightly in her husband’s. “Come on, Benny. Clearly there’s nothing more to say, and my feet hurt.”
Ben’s response came in the form of silence.
“Will you rub them when we get home, baby?”
The high-pitched question, which Decker was certain was supposed to come off sounding sexy, grated on what little nerves he had left and seemed to fall on deaf ears when it came to her husband as well.
“Ben,” Becky pouted, “you love rubbing my feet. You know it always leads to—”
“Let’s go, Bec.”
Without another word, the couple headed toward the exit. It was when Ben helped his wife into her coat just before opening the door and ushering her through that Decker saw tears well in April’s green eyes.
* * *
EACH SHAKY BREATH was an effort as April tried not only to pull in oxygen but to keep the tears that blurred her vision at bay. It wasn’t seeing Ben that devastated her—quite the contrary, in fact. On the rare occasion she’d seen him over the years, she’d actively avoided him; his entire being made her cringe. No, it was seeing him happy—his pregnant wife by his side, the way he catered to her needs and looked forward to their future—that crushed her.
“The whole time, it was me.” April didn’t realize she’d spoken her thought out loud until Decker responded.
“What was you, sweetheart?”
She saw his thumb stroking her thigh but was too numb to feel the comfort it was meant to provide.
“April, let’s get out of here so we can talk.”
She wasn’t sure if she nodded, but Decker saw what he needed to see, paid the check, and led her from the restaurant.
The cardboard boxes that held years of pain and rejection split open as the tears finally escaped her eyes. She swallowed down the lump of shame that had formed the moment she witnessed Ben and Becky head in her direction with upturned mouths and laughter on their lips. “All these years, I forced myself to believe that my husband left me because he was an ass. Because he couldn’t handle commitment. Because he didn’t want children.” Warm sadness trickled down her cheeks as the reality she’d kept hidden in the dark thrust itself directly into the light. “It wasn’t that he didn’t want those things. It’s that he didn’t want them with me.”
She wasn’t sure how or when she’d gotten into Decker’s car, only that she was seated and buckled in the passenger side with him in the driver’s seat. The engine idled as the heat warmed her chilled skin. She was always cold, no matter how many layers she wore. Even though the spring air was warm, she shivered as her nerves wreaked havoc on her body temperature.
Decker raised the heat and shifted in his seat. His touch was soft as he wiped moisture from her face, but his gaze was guarded. “Do you still love him, April?”
“What?” Her throat was scratchy from sobbing and her head a mess from the whole encounter, but she couldn’t have heard the question correctly.
Decker closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, as if speaking the words caused physical pain. “Do you still love your ex-husband?” His lids lifted, “Do you want him back?”
Was he insane? “Are you insane?” Anger and humiliation mixed together with anguish, creating a bitter cocktail she had no desire to imbibe. “Do I still love him? I loathe him. The sight of him makes me ill.” She heard the shrill tone seep into her voice but couldn’t pull herself back from the proverbial ledge. “Do I want him back? He didn’t just leave me—he abandoned my son, Decker. My Elijah. I couldn’t care less if he fell off the face of the earth.”
“What? Do you think I’ve waited over four years for him?” April’s heart slammed into her chest as the years of loneliness replayed in her mind. During all of that time, she’d never wanted for the Ben she grew to know. She only wished for the dream she’d started with. When Decker opened his mouth to speak, April cut him off. “Just take me home, Decker.”
The ca
r was silent on the way back to her house, but her mind was filled with static. The way Ben and Becky smiled, and how he rubbed her stomach and opened the door for her… we’re thinking of this as his first baby, she said as she looked proud to be the one who carried that honor. Do you want him back? Decker had asked, the look in his eyes like a hot poker. Did he not want her after all?
Before she knew it, the lights of her driveway surrounded his car, and her house stood proudly before them. Her home, the place she’d bought for her and Elijah after the divorce was final. She’d made a life for the two of them, a good life, and regardless of how much she cared for the man sitting beside her, she’d never let another guy tear her apart.
“Look, I can’t—”
“April,” he interrupted, “it’s my turn to talk.” He unfastened his seatbelt and turned his body to face her. “I’m sorry if my question upset you. It wasn’t my intention, but…” He paused. “We’ve been seeing each other for close to three months, and I just watched you fall apart over a man you once shared your life with. The father of your son.” His head tipped to the side. “I had to ask.”
April sighed. “Deck…”
“Let’s go inside like we planned. Charlie is sleeping at my mom’s tonight, so we’ll relieve August of his babysitting duties and spend quality time together, just the two of us.”
The conversation they’d had earlier in the day felt like a lifetime ago. She’d craved him, his touch, and his taste. The thought of having him, all of him, finally, had made her mouth water and her body ache, but the confrontation with Ben and everything that had happened since left her feeling exposed and raw.
“You actually still want to fuck me?” she hissed, the question crude to even her own ears. “What is it, Decker, some kind of a pity fuck?”
She watched as his clenched jaw ticked and his brown eyes blazed with an emotion she’d never before seen. His silence was deafening as he switched off the ignition, opened his car door, and closed it behind him. Frustration, anger, and sadness warred through her, each battling for top billing as she watched his solid form cross the front of the Rover to her door. When the passenger side opened, she couldn’t help but stare at the captivating man who suddenly seemed larger than life.