by Marie Force
He held the wheel a little tighter, mindful of the slippery roads, not to mention the slippery path he was heading down as his feelings for her blossomed into something completely unexpected. A few days ago, he would’ve said he didn’t even like her, but that wasn’t true even then. He hadn’t liked how she made him feel—off his game, edgy and aroused at work, which was the last freaking thing he’d needed with the biggest job of his career underway.
So, he’d argued with her nonstop, hoping if he annoyed her enough—and vice versa—he wouldn’t be tempted to act on the unreasonable attraction. She had him so preoccupied, he could barely concentrate on the thousands of details that were his responsibility.
Then Mrs. H had intervened, probably with the assistance of his grandfather, and everything had changed. Last night, Brianna had said she didn’t want this thing between them to be anything more than friends and colleagues. He’d gone along with that, but maybe he ought to tell her what he wanted.
You sure about that, pal? You could say nothing and keep things the way they’ve been. We were fine before she came along, and we’ll be fine after she goes. But isn’t this better? Isn’t laughing with her and having her laugh at me better than being alone all the time? Sure, but don’t forget what can happen when you give someone else the power to hurt you. Brianna wouldn’t do what Mel did. She’s had that done to her. She’d never do that to someone who cared about her. Okay, so maybe she wouldn’t cheat on you, but that doesn’t mean it won’t end badly.
“Noah.”
He snapped out of the conversation he was having with himself to realize she’d been talking to him. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if there’s any chance we might drive off this road.”
“Nope. There’s a guardrail on this one.”
“Why wasn’t there one on the road where Izzy had her accident?”
“There used to be, but so many people hit it that it fell off. I think the plan was to replace it in the spring.”
“Is there some kind of map or something that shows all the places where you can easily plunge to your death around here?”
Noah laughed. “Not that I know of, but I can give you a tour of the hot spots.”
“That’d be good. What’s the story with Izzy and Cabot?”
“I’m not sure, to be honest. They had fun together at the wedding, but I wasn’t sure if it was anything more than that.”
“Seven months later, he’s camped out in her hospital room and offering to stay with her when she gets home. Sounds like something more.”
“Maybe so.”
“Do you like him?”
“I don’t know him very well, but he seems like a nice guy. You won’t believe the story of him and his daughter.” Noah told her about how Mia had discovered her long-lost father. “Needless to say, he was elated to have her back in his life. He threw the most incredible wedding for her and Wade.”
“What an unbelievably shitty thing his ex-wife did to him and their daughter.”
“Seriously fucked-up.”
“Tell me they charged her with something.”
“Cabot declined to press charges because he didn’t want to put Mia through that, but I can’t imagine how deeply the anger must run through him.”
“I’d be a raving lunatic if someone ever did that to me. I say all the time how thankful I am that Rem and I didn’t have kids. Not for lack of trying, but for all I know, he’d had a vasectomy or something. I can’t even imagine an innocent child caught in the nightmare our marriage became.”
“I hear you. I thought I wanted kids with her, but I’m so glad that never happened.”
“Were you trying?”
“I thought so, but like you said, who knows? She was probably on the pill, or some other birth control, the whole time while pretending to be disappointed we never got pregnant. Considering how things ended, it was a blessing that she never conceived.”
“I just keep wondering why people have to be so shitty to the ones who love them. It’s so rare to find true love, and to treat it so callously… It’ll never make sense to me.”
“I’ve asked myself that a lot, especially after my dad left my mom with eight kids to finish raising on her own.”
“Speaking of shitty.”
“It was pretty bad. My dad was the one who made most of the money. It was rough without his income.”
“And no one made him contribute?”
“The court did, but only the minimum required. Nowhere near enough for a family of nine. Gray, Izzy, Nessa and I were working when we were far too young to be concerned about things like food on the table and younger siblings who grew out of shoes and clothes so quickly.”
“What a terrible thing he did.”
“We think he had some sort of mental health issue. We’ll probably never know for sure. And get this—a year or so ago, I ran into him out of the blue, and he told me he was planning to reach out to us.”
“Did you believe him?”
“I did because he was sick and needed a bone marrow transplant. He wanted us to get tested.”
She spun around in her seat to stare at him. “Are you serious? I hope you all told him to fuck off.”
“We wanted to, but more than that, we didn’t want his death on our consciences. Gray ended up matching to him and donated. We haven’t heard much from him since then except that he’s in remission.”
“Wow. It takes some kind of balls to reach out to kids you abandoned to ask for such a thing.”
“Yep. Everyone was upset about it. I was the one who said we ought to do it and move on. That way, we wouldn’t have to feel bad if he died.”
“You’re a bigger person than most would’ve been under those circumstances.”
“He’s still our father, even if we want nothing to do with him.”
“Did you call him about Izzy?”
“We did. He said he wanted to see her, but I guess he hasn’t shown up yet. I would’ve heard about it if he had.”
“I hope he’s filled with shame over what he did to you and your family. I hope he doesn’t have a minute of peace. And in case you were wondering, I never would’ve said something like that about anyone until it happened to me.”
“I get it. Believe me.”
“It helps to talk to someone who understands. It’s been weird at home. My family loved Rem and couldn’t believe what I was telling them could be true. His parents were in a total state of disbelief until I was able to prove that he stole from them.”
“How’d you do that?”
“He was on one of their accounts. They’d put each of their children on various things so someone would have access if anything happened to them. I logged in as him and was able to prove he’d been withdrawing money from the account for years. Small amounts that wouldn’t trigger any kind of suspicion, but it added up to more than twenty-five thousand. After that, they were completely on Team Brianna.”
“He stole from his parents. What a dirtbag.”
“That was the least of what he did. The worst part was the gaslighting, him making me believe I was seeing things when it came to him cheating and lying and stealing from me. ‘Come on, baby,’ he’d say, ‘you know me. You know how much I love you. I’d never do anything to hurt you.’ I wanted to believe it so badly that I started to question the black-and-white evidence staring me in the face that confirmed he was full of shit. Being made to feel like I was crazy was worse than anything.”
Noah listened to what she was saying, but he kept his eyes on the road so they wouldn’t end up in the hospital with Izzy. “That had to be so awful.”
“It was, and I’m not even sure why I’m talking about it to you again. You must be tired of hearing the many ways my ex did me wrong.”
“I don’t mind listening, and I’m sorry for all the ways your ex did you wrong. I hope he’s regretting what he lost.”
“He’s not capable of regret. That’s one of the hallmarks of his condition. He has no
care for anyone but himself. Anyway, enough of that. I’m good at bringing down the mood, huh?”
“You’re fine. I don’t want you ever to feel like you can’t talk to me about what you went through with him, what you’re continuing to go through. I can’t believe he dares to sue you after what he did.”
“I know but being with you and your family helped me this afternoon, Noah. I’d be a disaster if I’d gone straight home to spend the evening alone with my disturbing thoughts.”
“Glad we were able to help.”
“The Colemans are a great distraction.”
“How hard did my sisters pump you for info?”
“They were pretty crafty, but I was craftier. I dodged them.”
“Well done. That’s not easy to do.”
“They worry about you.”
“I wish they wouldn’t. I’m fine.”
“Are you, though? Are any of us fine?”
“I’ve been a lot finer this week than I’ve been in months.”
“Is that so?”
He pulled into her driveway and put the truck in Park before looking over at her. “That’s very much so.”
“Me, too.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it, how we found a kindred spirit in the least likely of people.”
“It is, and it’s proof that we need to take the time to get to know people before we judge them.”
Noah grinned at her. “Had you judged me?”
“Rather harshly.”
He laughed. “I deserved it. The minute I heard Mrs. H was bringing in an architect from Boston, I wanted off the job.”
“You did? Seriously?”
“Dead seriously. Architects are always such a royal pain in my ass, and this time was no exception.”
She sputtered with outrage. “You were the royal pain! Not me.”
“Nope, you were. So precise with your rolls of plans and your detailed instructions. Not to mention your forked tongue.”
“As I recall, you quite liked my tongue the other night.”
And just that quickly, he was hard as a rock for her. “I’ve come around on the subject of your tongue.”
She laughed softly. “You want to come in?”
He really ought to go home. If he didn’t, his siblings would be all over them both even more than they already were. But the last thing in the world he wanted to do, when she was offering the opportunity for him to spend more time with her, was go home.
“Yeah,” he said. “I want to.”
Chapter Eighteen
“The heart will break, but broken live on.”
—Lord Byron
Hunter couldn’t stop staring at the tiny face that had captured his heart from the second he first saw his son.
Carson.
He had a son named Carson.
He’d been an emotional mess all day, from the minute Noah had appeared in his office until now, hours later when Megan and Carson were safely home, and they were settling into their new life as a family.
“He’s beautiful, son,” Hunter’s dad, Lincoln, said. “He looks just like you did as a baby.”
“Poor little bugger,” Hunter’s twin sister, Hannah, said.
“Don’t talk crap about my handsome husband,” Megan said from the sofa.
“If I can’t talk crap about him, who can?” Hannah asked.
His sister had come running the minute Hunter had called to tell her about the baby being born at the diner, of all places. He’d never get over that. All their careful planning had been for naught. Their son had had his own plan, and Hunter was already learning that the little guy was now in charge. He’d taken over their lives in one eventful day.
“I can’t wait to introduce Callie to Carson,” Hannah said.
“You could’ve brought her over tonight,” Hunter said.
“She was in a mood today, and she’s had the sniffles. We’ll wait until we’re sure she’s not sick before we bring her for a visit.”
“How in the world did you do this ten times, Molly?” Megan asked.
“Technically, I only did it eight times.”
“Eight.” Megan groaned as she tried to find a comfortable position. “I have a whole new appreciation for two sets of twins. I bow down to you.”
“I’m sure the next seven won’t be this difficult,” Hunter said, grinning at his wife. He’d never loved her more than he did on the day she’d given him his beautiful son.
“Bite your tongue,” Megan said. “Carson will be lucky to get one sibling, let alone nine of them.”
“You’ll forget,” Molly said. “In a week or two, when you’re feeling much better, you won’t be thinking about the birth anymore.”
“I’ll have to take your word for that.”
“It’s true.” Hannah was due with her second child next month. “I’m so obsessed with my little Callie that I rarely think about the day she was born. Although, I seem to remember it more as baby number two gets ready to make an appearance.”
“Do you want to hold him, Gramps?” Hunter asked Elmer.
“I’d love to.” Elmer took a seat and received the baby from Hunter. “Hi there, my little friend. How’re things going on your first day on the outside?”
“Let us know what he has to say,” Megan said. “We’ll record it for the baby book.”
“So far, he’s quite pleased with the accommodations and the beverage service,” Elmer said.
Hunter, who’d sat next to his wife, squeezed her hand and smiled. His face hurt from smiling so much. Megan’s doctor had come by earlier and had declared her and the baby robustly healthy after their big day, which was such a huge relief. He’d worried they might regret the decision to forgo the hospital. Hours after the birth, he’d finally begun to relax and release the anxiety that had spiked after Noah came to tell him Megan needed him.
When Noah had called to check on them late that afternoon, Hunter had thanked him for his help and told him he’d always be part of the story of Carson’s birth. Noah had liked that. For the first time since he’d run out of the office that morning, Hunter wondered if anyone had shut off his computer. Ah, what did he care? He’d done the payroll first thing, so everyone would get paid. Beyond that, he wasn’t going to worry about work for a few days. He had much better things to do.
Molly had offered to spend the night, but he and Megan felt like they had things under control. He hoped they didn’t regret that decision.
“I’m just a phone call away if you need me,” Molly said, kissing the three of them. “Don’t hesitate to call.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Hunter walked them to the door and waited until they’d driven away before he shut off the outside lights and locked up.
“Poor Horace doesn’t know what to make of Carson.” Megan cuddled the baby in one arm while she scratched Horace between his ears.
The dog had been sad since the minute they arrived home with the baby. Hannah and their brother Will had advised them to let the dog smell and lick the baby and not push him away so he wouldn’t resent Carson for bumping him down a notch in the family pecking order.
“He’s used to being an only child,” Hunter said. “He’ll adjust. Are you ready to go up to bed?”
“So ready.”
“Let me take him up, and then I’ll come back for you.” He accepted the baby from her and went upstairs to put him in the bedside bassinet he and his siblings had used. Moving quickly, he went back downstairs for Megan.
He helped her up from the sofa, going slow in deference to how sore she was.
“Everything hurts.”
“I’m so sorry, honey. I hate that for you.”
“It’s a small price to pay for our sweet little boy.”
“Hold on to me.” He carefully picked her up and settled her into his arms for the ride upstairs. The second he put her down in the bathroom, she said, “Check on him.”
Hunter went around the bed to look at the baby, focusing on the rise and fall of his tiny chest. “He’s
good.”
Megan came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, grimacing with every step she took.
Hunter helped settle her in bed and then moved the bassinet so it was next to her. “Do people sleep after they have a baby?” he asked.
“I believe they do.”
“How do they do it? I’m afraid to close my eyes. What if something happens to him?”
“He’ll be fine.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m his mother, and I know things. Get in bed, and let’s get some rest while we can. He’ll be up again soon.”
Hunter went to use the bathroom and brush his teeth. He got in bed carefully so he wouldn’t jostle Megan.
“Come here,” she said, reaching for him.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’ll hurt me if you don’t come here.”
He snuggled up to her, putting an arm around her—carefully.
“Much better.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m so, so proud of you, sweetheart. You were amazing today.”
“I can’t believe he was born at the diner.”
Hunter chuckled. “Which is kind of fitting, in a way. He’s going to spend a lot of time there.”
“He’s already spent a lot of time there. I’m surprised he didn’t smell like fried onions when he came out.”
Laughing, Hunter kissed her cheek and then her lips. “Thank you so much for our beautiful son.”
“Thank you for him. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“We did it together. Our best project yet.”
Izzy wasn’t sure what to make of Cabot. He’d barely left her room all day, except to shower and change at a nearby hotel room earlier in the day. Cabot had returned less than an hour later with a milkshake for her and coffee for himself. He’d been there ever since, chatting with her mom and Ray, her siblings as they came and went, and with the nurses, who found him charming.
“I’m sure you must have things you need to do,” Izzy said.
“It’s all good. I’ve got a great team who can cover for me.”
“What is it exactly that you do?”