Mr. Forever

by Sara Daniel

  “It’s not Dad.” Austin’s shoulders drooped as the man stepped from the car. “Go away, you big stupidhead!” he yelled. He slammed the door and ran for the stairs.

  He would have plowed into her, but Olivia caught him and wrapped her arms around him. “I know you’re disappointed and you wish Dad was here, but we don’t call people names.”

  “I hate that guy. I hate Dad. I hate you.” He tore out of her embrace and ran upstairs.

  Her heart cracked, but she let him go. She’d talk to him after she dealt with this ill-timed guest. She plastered on a smile and opened the door.

  A man, even more handsome and polished than Caleb, stood on the other side. He looked a little confused but still smiled at her. “Not that I feel unwelcome, but do you always call your guests names and tell them to go away?”

  “I apologize.” Olivia stepped aside to let him in. “My son’s birthday is tomorrow and he wants his dad to come. Unfortunately, his father has a prior engagement.”

  The man winced. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too. You may be my first guest to ever pay Farmer Tucker to bring you to The Scot’s Mansion.”

  “I’m sure your bed and breakfast is lovely, but I’m tracking down my brother.”

  “Your brother?” She gave the man a closer assessment. Brown hair, green eyes, solid jawline, hunky shoulders.

  He took off his heavy trench coat, revealing jeans and a sweater. He still looked like he’d stepped from the pages of a men’s style catalog. Just not as uptight. Her smile turned genuine. She liked this guy already.

  He held out his hand. “I’m Ethan Paden. I understand my brother is working on creating a Forever relationship here. You must be the lucky woman.”

  She suddenly didn’t like this man nearly as much. Caleb wasn’t trying to create a Forever relationship with her. Which meant Ethan had arrived to push Caleb and Penelope together.

  Liam seemed intent on derailing Caleb’s attempts to document his progress in applying the Forever steps with Penelope. He wasn’t happy about sitting in the swing or lying across the bed. When Caleb finally reached the end of his notes and read over what he’d written so far, he had more documentation of Olivia’s interruptions and interference than anything with her sister.

  The phone rang with the telltale internal ring from The Scot’s Mansion. He considered ignoring it. He told himself he only picked it up in case Penelope was calling, not to hear Olivia’s infuriating voice.

  “Your innkeeper is lovely. No wonder you want to keep her to yourself.”

  “Ethan?” Caleb knocked over his chair in his haste to get to his feet. He was just surprised. It was no concern of his if Ethan had taken an immediate interest in Olivia. Or if that interest was mutual. “What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to save your ass, or more specifically, The Forever Marriage’s ass, if that’s anatomically possible.”

  Caleb lifted Liam off the bed and hurried to the foyer.

  “Whoa, you really do have a kid.” Ethan looked shocked.

  “Yes.” Liam stopped fussing now that Olivia was in sight, which was purely a coincidence. The baby had wanted a change of scenery. Caleb should have taken him for a stroll sooner.

  “Is he really yours?” Ethan asked.

  Caleb rolled his eyes. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but DNA testing kits aren’t a standard room amenity in this hotel. The roads have made taking him somewhere to get tested pretty much impossible.”

  “I made it here.”

  Good point. Ethan was here. The roads, apparently, were no longer impassible. This was fabulous news. “I’ll pack up my stuff. We’ll take your car and head to the airport. The plane is still here, right? So, we can be in Manhattan by evening.”

  “You don’t want to go back to Manhattan,” Ethan said. “The media is all over this story. Have any reporters shown up here? Has anyone called for you here?”

  “No.”

  Ethan looked at Olivia.

  She shook her head no. Her face was very pale, her gaze unwavering from Liam.

  “Nobody knows you’re here. It’s the perfect place to hide out,” Ethan reasoned. “We can leak some little tidbit on how you’re embarking on a Forever relationship and need your privacy. Even better, it’s the truth. I’ve got the lawyers working full time on the custody and DNA issues.”

  “Why don’t you continue your discussion in the sitting room?” Olivia suggested, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll get some tea and scones, and it looks like Liam’s about ready for another bottle.”

  “She’s fabulous,” Ethan observed. “What could be better than a woman who anticipates your every need?”

  Caleb scowled. “I should have known you’d like her. Between the two of you, you’ve had as many spouses as Mom.”

  “You say it as if it’s a bad thing. Innocence requires patience and caution. Who wants to bother with that?”

  Olivia was grateful for the chance to escape to the kitchen. She’d nearly passed out when Caleb had suggested walking out the door with Liam immediately. She thought she’d been doing a good job at letting him come in and take over, but taking Liam to New York where she’d never see him again was very different from knowing he was just down the hall.

  She put on the teakettle and coffeepot. While it brewed, she hurried upstairs to talk to Austin. She might not have any control over what happened to Liam, but Austin was her responsibility, and no one anywhere could take him away from her.

  His tears had dried, but he sat on his bed staring mournfully out the window. The forlorn sight wrenched her chest. She sank onto the mattress next to him. “Dad called last night. Do you remember what he told you?”

  “He couldn’t come because skiing was more important.”

  She was sure Bryce hadn’t been so tactless, but she wasn’t surprised that was the message Austin received. “He said he’s going to come next weekend, in seven days. He promised to take you skiing.”

  Austin picked at the bedspread, still refusing to look at her. “I don’t want to ski. I want him at my party.”

  Olivia wrapped her arms around him. She would soon have more kids in her care, whose parents didn’t take their feelings and well-being into account when making choices. The best she could do was make her own good choices and demonstrate that she cared and she was there for them. “I’m sorry, Austin. Dad’s really looking forward to seeing you next week.”

  “Who was the guy in the big black coat?”

  “His name is Mr. Paden.” Olivia accepted the change of subject. They’d have a few more bad moments before the party was over, but Austin was already rebounding.

  “Another one?”

  “He’s Dr. Paden’s brother, and you were very rude to him. You need to apologize when you come downstairs.”

  Austin folded his arms over his chest. “If Dr. Paden and Mr. Paden weren’t here, we could go see Dad for my birthday.”

  There were a dozen practical reasons why they couldn’t. Olivia settled on the one that would resonate most with him. “Your friends are coming over tomorrow for your party. They’ll be very disappointed if you’re not here.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” His voice remained sullen.

  Olivia rose to her feet. “I have to see to our guests. Come downstairs when you’re ready to apologize.”

  “I’m never going to be sorry.”

  “You’re going to say it anyway, and you’re going to act like you are in front of Mr. Paden.” But she didn’t threaten to take away his party. His party was the bright spot on a day tainted by the absence of his father. Thanks to the failure of her Forever marriage, she couldn’t make that up to him.

  She gave Austin a ferocious hug and kissed him until he pushed her away. She reminded him she loved him and how happy she was to spend his birthday with him. But she left knowing what she had to offer wasn’t enough.

  And if what she had wasn’t enough for her own son, it would be even less adequate for foster children
to whom she bore no blood relation and who were in the midst of deeper trauma and upheaval.

  Chapter 7

  Caleb watched Olivia enter the room carrying a silver tray. Her color was back to normal now. She set down the tray and poured him a cup of coffee while asking Ethan’s preference. Since tea was the house specialty, he went with that. He didn’t hesitate to pick up a scone. Caleb clenched his teeth. They had a business crisis going on. Ethan should be focused on that, instead of hitting on their hostess.

  Oblivious to his thoughts, Ethan sunk his teeth into the scone and moaned with delight. “Olivia, I love you. Will you marry me?”

  Caleb’s breath hitched and his hands tensed around Liam.

  “You fall fast,” she said drily. “Fresh scones are a specialty of the inn. You don’t have to marry me to get them.”

  “Delicious.” Ethan walked to the silver tray and helped himself to another triangular biscuit. “Oh, this one is different. It’s even better. What is it?”

  Olivia inspected the contents of the dish. “The one you just had was blueberry oat bran. You’re eating an almond–poppy seed one now. Plain scones are on the left side of the tin.”

  “You are a wizard, a scones sorceress.” He slung an arm over her shoulder and pressed his lips to her cheek in a noisy kiss. “Caleb, I can’t believe you haven’t gained fifty pounds yet.”

  “Scones are dry and heavy, not my taste at all.” He tried to stick the bottle in Liam’s mouth, but the baby turned his face away.

  “He hasn’t tried these, has he?” Ethan winked at her as if they shared a big secret. “Too bad for him.”

  Caleb cleared his throat. He needed to refocus his brother away from Olivia and keep her from running from man to man at her son’s expense. “Ralph fed me all the scones I ever intend to eat.”

  “Olivia didn’t learn her cooking skills at Ralph’s golf ball factory.”

  “A golf ball factory?” Olivia repeated. She plucked Liam from Caleb’s arms and held him against her shoulder. “Do you have a bubble again, Liam, sweetie?”

  As if on cue, the baby belched loudly. Drat, he kept forgetting about that burping thing.

  “Our stepdad.” Ethan brushed off the reference. He looked at Olivia as if he’d just found his future arm candy. “I’m dying for one more scone, but if I eat another bite, you’ll owe me a new wardrobe.”

  “I always have scones on hand. You can help yourself anytime. I enjoy cooking for people who enjoy good food.” She held Ethan’s gaze, but Caleb had no doubt the jab was aimed at him.

  And she hit her mark too. Just because he didn’t like scones and her fancy sauces didn’t mean he hadn’t liked her meals. “Ethan and I can cook.”

  Ethan snorted. “Your idea of cooking is to use a can opener on a can of soup. Hardly the same level as the scones goddess.”

  “Mom,” a timid voice called from the doorway.

  Caleb turned to see Austin standing just inside the room. He looked scared, and his cheeks were tearstained. No wonder, with his mother standing so close to a man the boy had never seen before.

  Still holding Liam against her chest, Olivia broke away from Ethan and walked to her son. “Hi honey, do you have something to say?”

  Austin looked directly at Caleb. “I’m sorry I called you a stupidhead.”

  A stupidhead? Caleb couldn’t remember ever being fixed with that label, let alone from this child.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Austin continued. “But I meant what I said about wishing you’d go away.”

  “Austin — ” Olivia began in a warning.

  Caleb had no clue what he was talking about, but he admired the boy’s bravery. “Apology accepted. I appreciate your honesty.”

  “I said I was sorry,” he announced to Olivia. “Can I go now?” Before she could open her mouth to respond, he sprinted out of the room.

  Olivia sighed. “The apology was meant for Ethan,” she explained. “Apparently, he has the two of you mixed up. He didn’t get a good look at the man who arrived, only to see you were wearing a black coat and weren’t his dad. I’ll talk to him again.”

  Ethan shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me. If he’s going to hold a grudge against someone’s existence, I’m happy to let my brother shoulder the burden.”

  Caleb smoothed his charcoal suit coat. He was still confused by what Austin had apologized for. All he was clear on was he was responsible for increasing Austin’s emotional problems. That was something he couldn’t ignore or forgive himself for. “So I’m not a stupidhead?”

  Both Olivia and Ethan looked at him. “Do you really want me to answer that?” Ethan finally asked.

  Caleb clenched his fork. Ethan had charmed Olivia through dinner until she was all laughter, twinkling eyes and glowing skin. Even easing a lock of her hair from the baby’s sticky fingers when she’d leaned too close to Liam’s bouncy seat, she was strikingly beautiful.

  Penelope wasn’t at the table, and Olivia had offered no excuse for her absence. Not only could he not work to strengthen their fragile bond, Ethan was unable to evaluate how to plan his public relations strategy for their relationship. And he still hoped Penelope would bond with Liam too.

  Austin shot a scowl at him, as he’d been doing for the entire meal. Ethan, being Ethan, had managed to coax a few grins and short conversations from the kid, clearly still amused that Austin had mixed them up. It took all of Caleb’s restraint not to point out that Ethan didn’t need to waste his public relations work on Olivia and Austin. He could turn down the charm or at least point some of their goodwill in Caleb’s direction.

  He forked up a big bite of mashed potatoes. No fancy glaze, no unpronounceable names, just as he requested. Olivia had delivered plain mashed potatoes and down-home white gravy.

  He let the gravy-laden morsel linger on his tongue while he savored the taste. Oh, gag. Yuck. Against his reflex, he swallowed. He reached for his milk glass, draining the contents. He had never tasted such horrible potatoes in his life. What had she done to them?

  “Is something wrong?” Olivia looked genuinely concerned. He couldn’t detect a spark of evil intent or mischief in her gaze.

  “More milk, please.” Either she’d tried an ostentatious potato recipe with disastrous results or the potatoes were simply rotten. Whatever the cause, he definitely needed more milk to wash the taste out of his mouth. Thank goodness Liam wasn’t eating solid food yet.

  She went to get the milk from the kitchen, and he whispered urgently to Ethan. “Don’t eat the potatoes. Tell Olivia you hate potatoes or you’re allergic to them. Make up something so you don’t hurt her feelings, but whatever you do, don’t eat them.”

  Ethan looked at him like he was crazy. “So they’re mashed potatoes. Not my favorite food. But they’re real, with just enough lumps to prove it.”

  Caleb stared at his brother’s plate. Ethan had managed to swallow half of his massive helping without making a scene. “They taste like — ” A toxic waste dump. He bit off the words as he realized Austin was listening. Surely, there was a diplomatic way to convey his dislike.

  “They taste like glue,” Austin suggested.

  “Glue?” He had no idea what glue tasted like, but maybe Austin did. It had to taste better than these potatoes if young children were ingesting it.

  Ethan chuckled and then threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Austin, you rascal.”

  Olivia came back with the milk. “What did I miss?”

  Caleb peered into the two gravy boats on the table while he gulped his drink. The white liquid in the one he shared with Austin looked like his milk, only thicker. The gravy Olivia shared with Ethan had lumps and flecks of pepper.

  He looked across the table at Austin. No mashed potatoes or gravy were on his plate. Caleb would never again share a gravy boat with him, now that he was acquainted with the taste of glue. He hoped it wasn’t toxic.

  Olivia was still standing suspiciously, waiting for an explanation.


  “Austin was just telling us about a special gluing project,” Caleb said.

  Austin glared at him and didn’t say anything.

  “Help your mom and take this gravy boat to the kitchen. Rinse it clean in the sink.” He held the china dish out to the boy.

  He looked wary and defiant, but after a moment of hesitation he did what Caleb asked.

  “I’m Austin’s parent. If he needs to perform chores, I’ll tell him what he needs to do,” Olivia said as he disappeared through the swinging door.

  “I apologize. I overstepped.” Caleb did his best to sound contrite. He was dealing with the boy appropriately. Getting him in trouble with his mom would only result in him resenting Caleb more.

  “So what’s wrong with the gravy?” Olivia appeared to take his apology at face value as she sat down and took a bite of her gravy-slathered spuds.

  “Nothing.”

  She looked like she didn’t believe him. Caleb couldn’t bring himself to eat another bite to convince her otherwise. Dinner would have been a lot more exciting if Austin had targeted the right Paden brother.

  “You missed an interesting supper.”

  “Uh.” Penelope had her nose pressed to a glass jar. Her eyes were closed, completely focused on her work. Caleb doubted she had any idea who was talking to her.

  He shifted Liam in his arms and waited until she was done sniffing. Instead of looking up, she picked up her pen and filled an entire page of a notebook. He tried another opening. “Your ritual is very intriguing. Do you have time to explain it to me?”

  She jerked upright and blinked at him as if his presence startled her. “Jacob, hi. I was evaluating a combination of scents. This one needs fine tuning.”

  Correcting his name was pointless, so he let it go. “Can you explain while you do it? Liam and I would love to understand the process.”

  Liam gurgled as he tried to figure out how to stuff his entire fist in his mouth. Penelope was just as oblivious to him as the baby was to her. Caleb forced himself to feign enthusiasm. It would have been easier if the perfume process wasn’t tainted by a product intended for his mother.