“Looks worse than it is.”
“Has anyone noticed?”
“Are you kidding? In Blackwater Lake?” His expression was wry, then all amusement disappeared and accusation took its place. “You ran out on the Mercy Medical Clinic job.”
“Not true. My part in the project was finished.” She didn’t add that for the past week or so she’d been making up reasons to hang around. It was only a few days ago that she’d realized she’d been doing it because she was in love with him.
His mouth pulled into a tight, tense line. “Then it was me you were running out on. At least my ex made an announcement before she left.”
He was right, but the words stung. He was lumping her in the same category as the woman who’d used and lied to him. “I had my reasons.”
“And I have rights.”
“You mean the baby.” She was standing in front of him, near enough to feel the heat from his body, close enough for him to fold her into his arms. “You should know that I saw the doctor yesterday. Everything is fine. I told him about my ankle and the surgery but he was certain there wouldn’t be any problem. The small amount of anesthesia won’t affect the baby. They took blood and I’ll be seeing him on a regular basis.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Just so you know, my lawyer will be in touch. We’ll come up with a custody arrangement and generous visitation rights. I’d never keep you from your child.”
“I never thought you would.”
“The thing is, I have to work, and my contacts are tied up with Hart Industries here in Dallas.” She loved her job and was willing to juggle it with motherhood regardless of the circumstances. If he loved her, they could come up with a strategy together, but that wasn’t the case. It was her sole responsibility to plot the course of her career and figure out how to do that and be a mother.
“I understand.”
“So, if that’s it, I’ll see you out.”
He held up his hand. “Not so fast.”
“What else is there to say?”
“You need to know that I’m planning to open a branch of McKnight Construction here in Dallas.”
“You would do that? Why?”
“To make things easier on you and the baby.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, clearly not as cool as he pretended. “This is my child, too. I lost a little boy I thought was mine, and that’s the worst. It’s not going to happen again. I want to be there for everything. The doctor’s appointments, the birth. Everything.”
She wished with all her heart that the magnanimous gesture was about her and not simply his guaranteeing that he would see their child. She was only included because she was carrying the baby. If only things could be different. If only he could trust and love her. But that ship had sailed, and there was nothing to be done about it.
How in the world was she going to see him, share a child with him and all the contact that implied, and not let on that she loved him and wanted more?
“Okay, then,” she said. “There’s nothing else to talk about.”
“There is,” he said. “I still think we should get married.”
“My answer is still the same. For the same reason. If you came to Dallas to get my family on your side, you should know it won’t work.”
He rubbed a knuckle across his cheek, just below the black-and-blue mark. “Your brother had a way of indicating whose side he was on, and it didn’t include words.”
“I have two more brothers.”
“I know,” he said. “And I have more to say. But not tonight. You look tired.”
“I’m fine.” That was a lie, because she’d never been more exhausted in her life. Fatigue made her feel vulnerable when she had to be strong. “I guess you’re going back to Montana tomorrow.”
“No. I’ll be around for a while.”
So much for establishing a routine without him in it. That just wasn’t fair. “I’ll see you out.”
“Okay.”
She didn’t say anything, just walked him to the door and opened it. He hesitated a moment and it seemed as if he was going to kiss her, but he shook his head. “Good night, Ellie.”
“Bye, Alex.”
When he was gone, she leaned back against the door as her parents came down the stairs.
“What did he say?” her father demanded. “Is he going to do right by you?”
“He wants to be part of the baby’s life.” Which she now realized meant that he would always be part of hers, too. And the support her parents had offered before now seemed incredibly important. “Can I spend the night here with you guys?”
“As long as you want, sweetheart.” Her mother hugged her.
“You have to protect me from him.”
“I thought you said he’s manned up and doing the honorable thing.” Her father looked confused.
“He is. But I’m spineless around him and I’m counting on you guys to keep him away so I don’t make a fool of myself.”
Chapter Fourteen
She’d made him feel something again and he hated it.
Alex wouldn’t be shut out of his child’s life. This trip could have waited, except he wouldn’t let it. Because Ellie had made him feel. Now she could slice and dice him with one of her sky-high stilettos and there wasn’t much he could do to stop it.
He parked his rental car outside the Hart Industries building in downtown Dallas. It was all glass, chrome and angles.
“All Texas flash and dazzle,” he muttered.
He definitely wasn’t in Montana anymore. Except for the multistory buildings, the Lone Star State was flat as far as the eye could see. This flashy Hart headquarters was where all three of Ellie’s siblings worked—Sam, Cal and Linc—each of them in a different business under the family umbrella. He’d seen more than one sign warning not to mess with Texas, and he had a hunch that wasn’t just about litter.
Alex had no idea what he was going to say to Ellie’s brothers, but his gut was telling him this was the right thing to do. He had a sister, and he hoped if she ever got pregnant, the guy would man up and face him. So, that was what he was doing. Linc already had his shot, but there was a good chance the other two would want theirs.
He pushed open the glass door and walked into the lobby. Looking around he said, “Impressive.”
The marble floors, wood, plants, art and glass were all upscale and expensive. That meant anyone doing business here had more than a buck or two to spend. Hart Industries’ clients would have a lot of zeroes in their bank accounts.
There was a pretty redhead sitting behind a mahogany desk. “May I help you?”
“I hope so—” he looked at the nameplate in front of her that said Bridget Quinlan “—Bridget. I’m here to see Mr. Hart.”
“Which one?”
“All of them.”
Her green eyes widened slightly. “I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
“I’d be happy to make one for you,” she offered.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get this over with today.” He brushed his suit jacket aside and slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “They’ll want to talk to me. Tell them Alex McKnight is here.”
“All right.” It took her a nanosecond to size him up and come to the conclusion he wasn’t leaving until she did as requested. But her tone clearly said he was wasting his time. She picked up the phone. “Hi, Wendy. Can you tell them that there’s a Mr. Alex McKnight here?” Seconds later she said, “Oh. Okay. Right away.”
He couldn’t miss the surprise in her voice and it was a big clue that he’d been right. “I guess that was the all clear.”
“It was. Top floor. They’re waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Bridget.”
“You’re welcome.” She watched him start to turn. “Mr. McKnight?”
“Yes?”
“Nice shiner.�
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“Thanks.” Her way of telling him she knew this wasn’t about business. “There’s a better than even chance I’ll have another one to match when I come back this way.”
“Good luck.”
“I’m going to need it.”
He headed for the bank of elevators behind her and pushed the up button. When the doors opened, he got in and hit the one for the twelfth floor. Tension coiled in his gut for a lot of reasons, but at the moment he was focusing on self-defense. Linc had sucker-punched him, and he figured the other two Hart brothers each had one shot coming. If they wanted more, he’d make them work for it before security could get there and throw him out.
When the elevator doors opened, three men were standing there, all of them over six feet tall, and somehow he knew they were lined up in order of age. Behind them was a reception desk where Wendy was sitting, guarding access to the Harts. There was an expensive area rug with plush sofa and chairs. More plants and art made it an elegant place to wait for a meeting. And the three doorways off the open area were not a coincidence. At the end of each corridor was probably an office for a different branch of Hart industries.
He looked back at the men. It might have been a function of being badly outnumbered, but the thought crossed his mind that everything really was big in Texas. Like himself, each of them wore slacks, a white dress shirt and an expensive silk tie, nothing that would be friendly to blood splatter. They were waiting and he’d fire the first salvo.
“I’m Alex McKnight.” After admitting who he was to Linc, offering his hand had been the biggest mistake. He didn’t make the same one now. He nodded at the other man.
“I’m Sam Hart.” The tallest brother spoke. Ellie had told him this was the oldest. Unlike his siblings, he had dark brown hair and eyes.
Process of elimination told him the man in the middle was Cal. His hair was light brown and his eyes pale blue. There was a definite family resemblance, basically the same shape face and slight differences in their eyes and mouths. They could all be models on the cover of a men’s magazine with their identical square jaws, too.
“What do you want?” Sam asked.
“It’s about Ellie and—”
“You got her pregnant.” Cal’s voice was deep and deadly.
Alex figured it would be counterproductive to explain their sister had been a willing participant during conception. He simply stated the obvious: “She’s carrying my child.”
“You took advantage of her,” Linc accused.
“Did she tell you that?”
Cal didn’t give his brother a chance to answer. “Ellie has a bad habit of trusting men she shouldn’t.”
“I’m not one of them.”
“Right.” Sam’s voice dripped with skepticism.
“Look, you don’t know me from a rock and have no reason to accept as true anything I say. In your place I’d probably do the same thing.” The good news was they were still letting him talk. “The thing is, I’m here for her. And the baby,” he added. “Nothing is going to change that.”
“There’s only one thing to do,” Linc muttered. “You have to marry her.”
Sam glanced at his younger brother, then back. “Why should we believe you’ll keep showing up?”
“Trust takes time.”
“Marriage makes it mandatory. And legal.” Linc took a step forward.
“Easy.” Cal’s blue eyes were cool. “This isn’t about money. Ellie and the baby will never want for anything. We’ll make sure of that.”
“That baby is mine.” Alex wouldn’t lose this child, not even to family. Not again. “I’ll make sure Ellie and my son or daughter are fine.”
“How?” Sam’s gaze narrowed.
“By showing up.”
“Not good enough.” Cal shook his head.
“I agree,” Sam said. “Linc is right.”
“I frequently am,” the brother in question said. “But why do you think so?”
“Marriage.” Sam nodded. “It’s the only way to be sure. The best protection for our little sister.”
Cal nodded. “It’s a good plan. Gets my vote, too.”
“That’s three checks in the yes column,” Alex said. “But there’s a flaw in your plan.”
“None that I can see,” Sam said. “Consider it a done deal.”
“Tell that to Ellie.”
“What are you talking about?” Linc looked at his brothers to see if they understood any better than he did.
Alex could tell they were all in the dark. “Did Ellie tell you I asked her to marry me?”
The men glanced at each other and three blank expressions stared back at him. “No,” Sam the spokesman said. “She didn’t mention that.”
“Then talk to her. I don’t expect you’ll believe me, but I proposed in Blackwater Lake and again when I saw her yesterday at your parents.’”
“What did she say?” Apparently Linc’s hostility balloon had started to leak. His tone had lost the customary animosity.
“If she’d said yes the first time, I wouldn’t be here,” Alex commented wryly.
“Then you have to bring her around to your way of thinking,” Cal said.
The statement reminded Alex of the Star Trek series in which the captain would order a subordinate to “make it so” and somehow expect a miracle to happen. Make Ellie marry him? The same woman who’d been determined to climb stairs with a broken ankle? The very one who’d refused to ask for help?
“Have you met your sister?” he asked. “Do you know her? Are you aware that when she makes up her mind, an act of God couldn’t change it?”
“Find a way.” Sam was obviously used to giving orders that would require a miracle.
“Don’t count on it. Her no was pretty emphatic.” One by one Alex looked at each of them. “That’s all I have to say.”
“Alex?” Linc moved forward as he started to turn away.
He braced himself. “What?”
“Time will tell whether or not you’re a stand-up guy. But you did the right thing today.” There was grudging respect in the other man’s eyes.
“Fair enough.” Alex held out his hand and Linc took it this time.
He walked back to the elevator and pressed the button for the first level. His shoes clicked on the marble lobby floor as he moved toward the double glass doors.
Bridget looked up from her computer and did a double take. “Looks like it went well.”
“How can you tell?”
She pointed. “No more boo-boos on that pretty face.”
“Those guys know how to not leave a mark.” He waved then left the building.
He almost wished there had been a fight, something to take his mind off the coiled knot in his gut. He’d said what he had to say and got more than expected, which was support for his goal.
Ellie had given him the idea when she’d said the family was on her side. He’d come to see her brothers and change that. Mission accomplished. The Harts no longer had a united front. Three out of five were in his corner, and he was going to need them.
Living with Ellie Hart had shown him how stubborn she was. Oddly enough he missed that. She kept him on his toes and anticipating what came next. She was always a surprise, never boring. But it was more than that. He missed the scent of her skin, her sweet smile first thing in the morning, and the sexy drawl that never failed to make him want her so much it hurt.
He’d come to Dallas for her and would find a way to go to the moon and back if that’s what it took to win her. If the time came that he was convinced there was no way to change her mind, he’d have to settle for being close to his child. But he realized after seeing her yesterday that even if he lived next door to her, it wouldn’t be close enough to make him happy. He needed more. He needed to fall asleep with her in his arms and wake up with her draped all over him in the morning. To make love with her.
He wanted to live with her and grow old with her. Watch their child grow up and have half a dozen babies with her.
He wouldn’t lose his child or Ellie, either.
* * *
Alex drove the rental car down the Harts’ long, stately driveway and pulled to a stop beneath the portico in front of the imposing estate. There were white columns, balconies, hunter-green shutters framing elegant windows and lots of square footage. A guy didn’t have to be in the construction business to know her family was worth a bundle.
They’d have concerns about the guy involved with their daughter, suspicious about his motivation. In his case, money wasn’t even on the list. He had more than enough. The simple truth was that he couldn’t resist Ellie Hart no matter how hard he tried. And he’d tried pretty damn hard. It was good practice for the perseverance he would need to win her parents over to his cause.
He looked at his watch. Five minutes to zero hour, the time her father had set this meeting after Alex had called.
“Here we go,” he muttered, exiting the car.
He moved briskly up the bricked-in walkway to the hunter-green door, a dramatic contrast to the white exterior. It had a gold knocker in the shape of a lion’s head. Appropriate, since the lion’s den waited for him on the other side of it, he thought. Figuring the thing was only for decorative purposes, he rang the bell.
The housekeeper answered almost immediately. “Mr. McKnight. The Harts are in the family room. I’ll show you in.”
“That’s all right. I remember the way.”
The stout, no-nonsense woman shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
No need to guess which side the Harts’ employee came down on. The professional but cool manner was a big clue.
He walked past the curved stairways, the sound of his shoes echoing off the dark wood floor on the way to the back of the house where Ellie had taken him. She was ignoring his calls, and he was desperate enough to set up a meeting with her parents. He was running out of ideas to get through to her. If this didn’t go well, he was prepared to camp out on her doorstep.
From the family room doorway he could see the rear yard, which looked like a park. There was an Olympic-size pool with brick surrounding it. A creek ran through the far side, and he was pretty sure it had an island.
Taking a deep breath, he walked into the room tapping into all the confidence he’d acquired over the years of building his own successful construction company and working with clients as wealthy and powerful as the Harts. They were sitting side by side on the sofa, cups and saucers on the coffee table in front of them. He’d have held out his hand, but neither of them stood up.
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