by Leah Vale
His grandma stepped forward and lightly touched Juliet's hand. "Juliet, dear, he is my first and only great-grandchild," she pleaded in the softest of voices.
Juliet's mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't make the refusal come out. This tiny, elegant lady wasn't the scary, rich broad Juliet needed her to be, and she found it difficult to hold on to her resolve.
Harrison came to Juliet's rescue, taking both her and his grandmother by the arm and leading them toward Nathan playing with a new shovel and bucket under the willow tree. The heat of his palm against her flesh made it hard for her to think. "How about if we put a firm limit on the gifts, right here, right now."
"Perhaps I should only bring him a sweet," Dorothy mused, considering the filthy toddler. "You did say he was partial to licorice, didn't you, Harrison?" Harrison smiled down at his son when the mention of his favorite candy brought the child's attention to them. "Let's stick with more nutritious treats from now on."
"No strawberries," Juliet interjected. "They make him swell up."
Dorothy sighed and got a dreamy, wistful look on her face. "Just like his daddy."
Juliet silently groaned. "I don't want him-" she started to flounder at the understanding she saw in Harrison's eyes.
"Spoiled," he supplied for her. "Neither do I. I don't want him excited to see us only because we bring him presents. I want him to love us for us."
Juliet's breath caught in her throat, and a dull, thick sensation settled in her belly. Great. Instead of buying her child's love, the Riverses intended to earn it.
As he drove away from the little store, one thought tormented Harrison. He wanted to make love to Juliet again.
He couldn't think about it. If he did, who knew what conclusions he might come to, what crazy, irrational notions he might consider possible. But with every curve of the road came memories of Juliet against him, the feel of her heat surrounding him.
She affected him as much as, no, more than the first time he'd held her in his arms. She was no longer a young woman experimenting with passion, she was a grown woman who knew exactly what that passion could cost her but had wanted to pay the price all the same. Until she'd come to her senses.
Thank God one of them had.
Today he had proved himself irresponsible beyond measure for the second time in his life. The last thing he should be doing was reliving the moment. Besides, he had his grandmother sitting beside him.
Her silence was telling.
Harrison shifted in the seat of his car and forced his fingers to relax their grip on the steering wheel. The road back down the river wasn't that difficult to negotiate. But Grandmother must have formed some serious opinions, for her to keep them to herself like this.
While Dorothy Rivers might not possess as much calm wisdom as her husband had, she made up for it with a spunky cleverness. Or maybe it was feminine intuition, because his mother had had it, too. Whatever the case, Grandmother keeping her opinions to herself was annoying as hell and left him with no alternative but to think about his disastrous weakness for Juliet. Ashley was no help, either, having long ago run out of synonyms for interesting.
She found his situation with Juliet and Nathan interesting. Especially the fact that he hadn't returned to see Juliet sooner-Juliet being, in her estimation, a lovely girl. Lord save him from his sister's meddling streak.
"Well?" he demanded, unable to take his grandmother's silence anymore.
"Well, what, dear?" she answered obtusely.
"What do you think?"
"I think we had a very interesting afternoon."
Ashley practically snickered in the back seat and he glanced at his grandmother, his heart thundering at the thought that they knew what he and Juliet had been doing down by the river. "Interesting?"
"Most decidedly." She nodded and refolded her slight hands in her lap.
Harrison only then noticed how dirty she was and snorted, realizing she meant her time with Nathan. "Interesting, my butt. You had a ball."
She smiled in response. Then she said, "Nathan is absolutely, utterly adorable, Harrison. Whatever happens, I will not allow you to lose contact with that cherub."
"I agree with you completely, Grandmother. That's the only thing I've been certain of from the beginning." He let out a heavy breath, his inability to control himself around Juliet getting to him. He could not allow himself to become physically involved with her again. Her soft, brown eyes, beguiling smile and understanding touch reached places inside of him he'd thought securely shored up.
For the first time in his life, he feared his heart might be in jeopardy from a woman. And if he was to avoid his father's fate, he couldn't open himself up to that kind of vulnerability.
"We'll have to take steps to ensure Nathan remains a part of our family," she said with her trademark finality.
Harrison's brows shot up. "Such as?"
"Marriage is the obvious answer."
He nearly choked on his tongue and Ashley breathed, "Oh, my."
Dorothy waved a dismissive hand in the air. "All right. Let me think on it."
"Grandmother," Harrison warned, disliking her train of thought. He was entirely open to any and all ideas, barring marriage. His inability to keep his distance from Juliet placed serious doubt on the wisdom of bringing Juliet and Nathan home with him as it was.
The more he thought on it, the more relieved he became that she hadn't allowed him to broach the subject down by the river after they'd kissed. Kissed, hell, they'd damn near erupted in flames. Having her underfoot would not allow him to regain his focus on work. Or keep his heart locked up tight, safe from her sunflower-center eyes and soothing touches.
"Now, Juliet. She's...intriguing," Grandmother offered.
Harrison snorted again at her variation on Ashley's understatement.
His grandmother arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you catching a cold, dear?" "No, Grandmother."
"Then do stop snorting at me. You sound disturbingly like your father."
"Good Lord," he said, appalled. "Exactly."
"But to describe Juliet as intriguing, well..." He laughed and shook his head. It was like calling the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel merely colorful.
His grandmother shifted in her seat and faced him. "You find her intriguing, though, don't you?"
He felt himself flush. "Intriguing isn't quite the word I'd use." More like irresistible. Compelling. Entirely unsuitable for an aspiring Chairman of the Board. But what she had confided in him down by the river thrust itself to the forefront of his mind. "She told me today that had she been able to go to college as she'd planned-"
Both of Grandmother's delicate brows went up and she smiled broadly. "She'd planned on attending college? What kept her-"
Ashley discreetly coughed in the back seat.
His grandmother colored. "Never mind."
Harrison returned his attention to the road, but an image of Juliet's wistful expression as she talked about her dreams nagged at him. "She would have studied literature. Shakespeare to be exact."
"Interesting," Ashley murmured and earned a look over his shoulder.
"Imagine." Grandmother's tone was one of wonder.
"Yes. Imagine."
Juliet would have undoubtedly made the most of the bohemian lifestyle literature majors seemed to favor, sitting in coffee shops discussing the genius of the Bard until the wee hours.
He gave himself a slight shake. The fact remained that hadn't happened. "But only if she hadn't had any money worries. Obviously, that wasn't the case."
"Obviously."
From the corner of his eye he could see his grandmother tapping a finger on her chin. "You've learned some interesting things about the mother of your child today."
Harrison started to snort again, but stopped himself in time.
"What do you intend to do with this new information?"
He glanced at her. What, indeed? Then an idea occurred to him. He turned his gaze back to the road. "While I can't turn bac
k the clock, I can remove one obstacle Juliet had in the pursuit of her dreams."
"Which is?" Her voice revealed the excitement she always confessed to experiencing when she discovered a new cause to champion.
"Money. Juliet would have pursued a degree in literature if money weren't an issue. I can make that happen for her."
Ashley said, "She seems determined not to take anything from you. I seriously doubt she will accept any sort of financial aid you might extend to her."
"That's where Grandmother can help me." He inclined his head toward her. "You're a pro at helping people without making them feel like charity cases."
His grandmother nodded in understanding. "And I am certain that is the one thing Juliet does not wish to be perceived as."
Though Juliet might not wish to be perceived that way, perhaps thinking of her in such terms would help him get a grip on his attraction to her. After all, one didn't generally lust after one's favorite charity.
Juliet grunted and hoisted the last load of yellowed newspaper into the bed of Willie's truck. Putting her hands to the small of her aching back, she tilted her chin and let the sun dry the perspiration from her face. Man, it was hot. Of course, lugging six months worth of newspapers out to the truck tended to heat a body up.
Almost as much as being in Harrison Rivers's arms. Her body tightened in response.
She moaned and dropped her chin, surveying the piles of papers and junk she'd stacked in the back of the truck as she willed her focus back to what she was doing. She had done more cleaning in the past day and a half than she'd done in the past six months. But Juliet couldn't shake the image of Dorothy Rivers pretending not to see what a dump the place was.
And then there was Harrison. He hadn't said a word, but Juliet knew he was concerned about his son living in such a mess. And he'd probably judged her to be a loser for allowing her home to get that way.
Well, no more. She'd bust her hump if she had to, to clean the place up and get it looking halfway decent. She eyed the strips of dark, just-turned soil forming a path of sorts to the door and beneath the edge of her balcony. Flower beds filled with mums should make a huge difference.
She moved away from the truck, intent on yanking Willie from the couch to send him to the recycling center and landfill. Nathan could help her dust the store. He didn't need to veg-out on the floor watching the tube all day like his uncle. But the sound of tires on gravel stopped her.
Squinting against the flash of sun glinting off a windshield, Juliet watched a well-polished, black Mercedes pull into the parking lot.
Harrison.
Her heart leaped. It didn't plummet, grind to a stop or drop to the soles of her feet. It leaped.Great.
Determined to still the wild fluttering inside her, Juliet set her mouth in a grim line.
The car stopped in front of her, and the driver's door swung open. She had to bring her back teeth together against the surge of excitement she felt at the sight of Harrison. He was so handsome in his khaki pants and lightweight denim shirt, its sleeves rolled up to reveal his tanned, muscular forearms.
"Morning, Juliet," Harrison called, shutting his door.
"Hey." She dropped her shielding hand and used the sun as an excuse to squint and hide any need that might show in her eyes.
Looking past her, Harrison called, "There's Daddy's boy!"
Juliet turned in time to see Nat jerk to a stop halfway between them and the door to the store. He stood very still, his shoulders rounded, a delighted look on his little face.
Harrison moved to stand next to Juliet, his elbow brushing hers, and she glanced up at him, prepared to tell him what Nathan was doing. Most people couldn't figure the game out.
The explanation died in her throat.
His smile deeply grooved his cheek and crinkles rayed out from the corner of his eye. He chuckled and she felt it in her chest, then he looked down at her. It was there in the warmth of his river-green eyes.
He knew.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Juliet said, "My mom thinks we should tell him he isn't really hiding."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Harrison pledged. He winked at her and started off toward Nat, his gaze on everything but the giggling toddler. "Where's Nathan?" he wondered loudly. Harrison didn't get closer than two feet before the little boy couldn't bear it any longer and launched himself at his father's legs.
"Here!" Nathan squealed.
Harrison clutched at his heart. "Oh! You surprised me!" He bent and hugged Nathan against his legs.
"Hide, Dada. Hide." Nathan jumped up and down within his father's gentle embrace, tugging on his father's pants.
"Okay, okay," Harrison laughed. Peeling away Nathan's hands, he guided the toddler's fat palms up to cover his eyes. "But no peeking."
Harrison hurried toward Juliet and grabbed her hand, threading his warm fingers through hers. It seemed to have become a habit with him. "You too, Mommy," he said in a deep, husky voice and pulled her along with him to hide behind the willow tree, their son watching them through his splayed fingers the entire way.
With the rough bark of the tree against her back and Harrison's big,spicy-smelling body pressed to her side, Juliet closed her eyes against the bittersweet emotions ricocheting through her. He was so good with Nathan. The way a father should be. She fleetingly wondered if her own father, whichever one of her mom's boyfriends he'd been, would have been as good with her, if he'd had the chance.
She was right not to deny Harrison that chance. No matter how much having him in their lives cost her.
As he watched Nathan imitate his father's earlier feigned search,Harrison leaned his head down and whispered in her ear, "This is so much fun. I haven't felt this happy in a very long time."
The heat of his breath sent a delicious shiver clear to her toes. By the time she rode it out and leaned away so she could turn and look at him, he'd returned his attention to Nathan romping about in joyful hysterics.
Juliet stared at Harrison's perfect profile. Was he implying that he wasn't happy in Richville? Juliet quirked her mouth. Aside from missing his mother, she hadn't considered that Harrison's life might be lacking. For what? The love of a good woman?
She looked away and fisted her free hand-the other still held prisoner by Harrison's big paw- against the sudden, ridiculous hope surging through her heart. The only thing Harrison's life lacked was an adorable little boy to play with all the time. Considering how easily he'd swept her off her feet, he probably had suitable women crawling out of the mahogany woodwork. She shouldn't, wouldn't, care what he needed.
She felt him lean toward her again, whether to whisper something else in ear or what, she didn't want to know, but Nathan chose that moment to lunge at their legs. Harrison bent to grab him. The ringing of a cell phone fastened to his belt stopped him. He directed Nathan toward Juliet and stepped away to answer the call.
"What is it?" he clipped out. Apparently the boss didn't have to bother with hello.
Juliet snagged Nathan when he started to charge his father, but she didn't step away. She was unable to resist listening in on what the corporate-bigwig side of Harrison sounded like. She watched in fascination as he spread his feet wide, planted his hand on his hip and frowned fiercely, clearly not pleased with what was being said to him.
"No. Look, I covered all of that during the last board meeting. If they missed the pertinent facts, they can go over the figures themselves." He listened for a minute, then said, "No. No, I won't. They'll just have to trust me on that. And remind them whose name is on the company while you're at it." He pushed the end button and clipped the phone back on his belt. Without so much as taking a calming breath, he turned and spread his hands in welcome to his son. His expression had changed from formidable to fatherly in the blink of an eye.
As she released her son to run to his father's arms, reality hit Juliet once again like a ton of bricks. She focused on the man scooping her precious baby up into his arms with laughter and noisy kisses.
Was the man that held her and Nathan in his arms and made them feel so safe the real Harrison Rivers? Or was he the man who shut down mills, put the almighty bottom line above all else and believed it was never good to love someone too much?
"I wouldn't know," Juliet whispered past a suddenly tight throat.
Because she didn't know Harrison Rivers at all.
Harrison halted in the process of tossing Nathan up in the air again, his attention snagging on the woman watching him. She looked like summer and sunshine in her simple white T-shirt and denim cutoffs. Feeling her pull on him, he set Nathan on his forearm and strode toward her.
He took a deep breath as he came to stand before her. He had to get control of himself. He couldn't allow himself to give in to this weakness for Juliet that threatened to lure him over the line he'd drawn between them. He couldn't give in to his passion again. His vow to hold his heart safe was being tested as it was. He'd already succumbed to Nathan. Lord only knew the sort of pain he'd be opening himself up to if he succumbed to Juliet. Loving Mom so much had nearly cost Dad everything.
He tried to ask a casual question, but he couldn't help the suggestiveness of his tone. "What would you like to do now?"
"You must be hot. I'll get you two boys something to drink," Juliet said in a rush and started for the door.
Wanting nothing more than her presence, Harrison tried to stop her.
"Juliet-"
"Juice, Momma," Nathan interrupted him. "Juice!"
She didn't acknowledge either of them before she disappeared inside.
Harrison resumed making his son squeal in delight by lifting him above his head until Juliet emerged from the store with two glass mugs of lemonade in one hand and a cup with a lid in the other.
"Down," Nathan demanded, so Harrison set him on the ground.
Juliet bent to hand Nathan his drink saying, "This is for you." She straightened and to Harrison said, "And this is for you." She offered him the glass, but her gaze had gone back to where their son sat on the ground, draining his cup with big gulps.