“Yeah.” He sat up with a resigned half smile on his face. “I’m going to head to bed myself.”
They left the room together, each of them going in different directions. A metaphor for their lives, she thought. And even though she would still be with him for a while longer, she knew that tonight signaled an end.
At the threshold of Rosie’s room, Lilah paused and murmured, “Goodbye, Reed.”
CHAPTER NINE
Reed hated LA.
But there was no help for it. At least once every couple of weeks, he had to bite the bullet and make the trek into the city.
Today, he had a lunch appointment with a federal judge he’d gone to law school with, followed by a meeting with a prospective new client. Which almost took the sting out of the drive in California’s miserable traffic.
Of course the constant stop-and-go on the freeway gave him plenty of time to think, too. Mostly what he was thinking about was that interrupted night with Lilah. He loved Rose, but the baby had lousy timing.
He loved that tiny girl.
Funny, he hadn’t really considered that before. He’d spent so much of his life avoiding the mere mention of the word love, the fact that it had just popped into his head surprised the hell out of him. But it shouldn’t, his ever-logical brain argued. He wasn’t a robot, after all. Reed loved his brothers and sisters—it was just the so-called Love with a capital L he had no interest in.
And wasn’t he lucky that Lilah was such a sensible woman? He smiled and nodded to himself, remembering their talk and how well it had gone. Reed couldn’t remember a time when he and a woman had been so in sync. So why did he have an itch between his shoulder blades? His satisfied smile faded and became a thoughtful scowl. She could have been a little more reluctant to let go of what they had. Hell, he was reluctant.
He’d never in his life been dismissed so completely by a woman. Especially one he still wanted. Reed was usually the one to call a halt. To back off and remind whatever woman he was with that he didn’t do forever. That chat never went over well. Until Lilah, he silently admitted. She didn’t seem to have a problem walking away and he should be happy about that. Why wasn’t he happy about that?
“Even when we’re not together she’s driving me crazy,” he muttered and cursed under his breath when a Corvette cut him off. Still talking to himself, he said, “Now, she’s so focused on the kids it’s as if she’s forgotten I’m even in the house.”
For the past few days, he’d hardly seen Lilah. Micah was settling in, making friends in the neighborhood, playing with Rosie and apparently adopting Lilah. The three of them were cozy as hell, with Connie rounding out their happy little group and Reed being drawn in whether he liked it or not.
The hell of it was, he did like it. He’d never imagined himself in this situation—a house and kids—but surprisingly enough, it worked for him. The hotel suite had been impersonal, convenient. The house was loud and messy and full of life. There were no empty corners or quiet shadows there and it struck him suddenly how much of his life had been spent in lonely silence. It was only after it had ended that he could actually see how he’d been living. Not that it hadn’t worked for him. Could still work, he reasoned. It was just that now he knew he liked a different kind of life, too.
What really surprised him about all of this was just how much Reed hated the idea of Lilah leaving. It wasn’t about him wanting her there, of course. It was more for the sake of the kids that he worried about it. Though he had to admit that now, every time he thought about the house, he heard Lilah’s voice, her laugh, he imagined one of her amazing scents trailing through the air.
Somehow his life had been yanked out of his control.
When his cell phone rang, Reed answered gratefully. Anything to get his mind off Lilah. A moment later, he realized the truth of the old statement “be careful what you wish for.”
“Hey, Reed I need a little help.”
He rolled his eyes. His half brother on his mother’s side hadn’t called in a few months. Reed should have known he was due. “Cullen. What’s going on?”
A deep, cheerful voice sounded out. “I just need the name of a good lawyer in London.”
“What did you do?” Reed’s hands fisted on the steering wheel even as his gaze narrowed in concentration on the traffic around him.
“It wasn’t me,” Cullen said, innocence ringing out proudly in his tone. “It was my car, but I wasn’t driving it.”
Reed counted to ten, hoping for patience and thought maybe Lilah had had a point about working on his chakras, whatever they were. “What. Happened?”
“A friend was driving the Ferrari and took a bad turn is all.”
“A friend?”
“Yeah. You’d like her. She’s great. Not much of a driver, though.”
“Anyone hurt?” Reed clenched his teeth and held his breath. Cullen was the most irresponsible of the whole Hudson/everyone-else bunch. And, he had the habit of going through a long song and dance before finally reaching the bottom line. Cullen was twenty-six and destined to follow his father, Gregory Simmons, into the banking world. God. Reed shuddered to think of Cullen in charge of anyone’s money.
“No injuries, the only casualty was a bush.”
“What?” He frowned and shook his head, sure he hadn’t heard that correctly.
“Juliet mowed down a hundred-year-old shrub and a patch of dahlias.” Laughing now, Cullen said, “To hear the woman who lived there going on, you would have thought we’d murdered her beloved dog, not a bloody bush.”
“Damn it, Cullen—” Reed’s head ached. Sometimes it was a bitch being the oldest.
“Hey, no speeches,” his brother interrupted, “just the lawyer, okay?”
Grateful that he wouldn’t have to deal with Cullen and the remarkable Juliet, Reed ran through a mental file, then finally said, “Tristan Marks. Call Karen at my office she can give you his number.”
And he hoped Tristan would forgive him for this.
“Great, thanks. Knew I could count on you. If I need anything else, I’ll call you at home tomorrow, all right?”
“No,” Reed said tightly, “it’s not all right. I’m going away for the weekend.”
Cullen snorted. “Another fascinating law conference?”
“No,” Reed said, even more pleased now that he wouldn’t be home to deal with anything else Cullen came up with. “I’m taking a couple days off.”
There was a pause that lasted long enough that Reed thought for a moment the connection had been lost. Then his brother spoke up again.
“I’m sorry. I think I must have had a small stroke. You said you’re taking two days off?”
Reed put his blinker on, then changed lanes, preparing to exit. “What’s so hard to understand about that?”
“Oh, nothing at all. Miracles happen all the time.”
“You’re not as amusing as you think you are, Cullen.”
“Sure I am,” his brother said with a laugh. “So tell me, who is she?”
“She who?”
“The incredible woman with the power to get Reed Hudson away from his desk.”
“Go away, Cullen. Call Karen.” He hung up with the sound of his brother’s laughter ringing in his ears.
Incredible? Yeah, he thought, Lilah really was all of that and more. Just what the hell were they going to do without her?
* * *
Utah was prettier than Reed thought it would be. There were a lot of trees, a lot of open space on either side of the freeway and most amazing of all, hardly any traffic. He actually enjoyed the drive from the airport to the mountain town of Pine Lake.
The flight was short and he’d had a rental car waiting for them, complete with car seat for Rosie. It amazed Reed just how much gear was necessary when traveling with kids, though. Good thing they’d taken a private jet. They would have been waiting for hours at baggage claim otherwise.
“So do you ski and stuff?” Micah asked from the backseat.
“I do,” Lilah
said, half turning in her seat to look at him. “You’ll have to come back in the winter and I’ll take you up the mountain myself.”
“Cool!” The kid’s face lit up. “Can we, Reed?”
He glanced in the rearview mirror at the eager smile on his brother’s face. “Maybe.”
How could he say yes? Lilah was talking about the winter and Reed knew she wouldn’t be a part of their lives then. If that thought left a gaping hole in his chest, he didn’t have to acknowledge it.
“Turn left here,” Lilah said. “We can stop at my house first, unload everything, then go to the shop.”
Reed glanced at her and realized she looked as excited as Micah. Clearly, she’d missed this place, her home, her life. She’d already given him more than three weeks. How much more could he ask of her? Hell, he was going to owe her forever, and he didn’t like the sound of that.
Following her directions, he finally turned into the driveway of what looked like an oversize box. As first impressions went, he could only think how small it was. The house was a perfect square, with black shutters against white siding and a porch that ran the length of the house. The yard was wide and deep, with the house sitting far back from the road. There were at least a dozen trees shading the property and Reed thought that somehow the house fit Lilah.
She jumped out of the car, grabbed Rosie and headed for the house, with Micah close on her heels. Reed followed more slowly, watching her, enjoying the view of her backside in black jeans. Once inside, he saw the place was as small as it had appeared, but it also had a cozy feel to it. There were warm colors, soft fabrics and plenty of windows to let in the light.
“Micah, you and Rosie will share a room tonight, okay?”
“Sure.” The boy shrugged and picked up his backpack. “Where?”
“Top of the stairs on the right.”
Reed watched him go, silently marveling at the change in his little brother. Just a few days away from the boarding school and the boy had relaxed and smiled more than Reed ever remembered him doing.
When he was alone with Lilah, Reed said, “I like your house.”
“Thanks,” she said, turning a grin up to him. “I know it’s tiny, but it’s all I’ve ever needed. I’ve got the kitchen and the mudroom set up as my workshop and that’s worked pretty well up until now. But I may have to add on at some point.”
Nodding, he couldn’t help thinking that there was plenty of room at his house to build a huge workshop for her where she could make all the soaps and stuff she wanted. But, his brain reminded him, she wouldn’t be there to use it, would she?
Scowling now, he paid attention when she went on.
“The house is still a work in progress and it’s only got two bedrooms, so Micah and Rosie aren’t the only ones who’ll have to share a room…”
One eyebrow arched. Things were looking up. “Really? Well, now I like your house even more.”
Wryly, she said, “I thought you might feel that way.”
After they got settled in, they all walked to the center of town and Reed had to admit there was something about the place that appealed. He’d never thought of himself as a small-town kind of guy, but walking down the main street, with its bright flowers tumbling out of half barrels, old-fashioned streetlights and buildings that looked at least a hundred years old, he could see the charm of it. And when they got a tour of Lilah’s shop Reed was definitely impressed.
The shop was bright and clean and so tidy, there wasn’t a thing out of place. Shelves were lined with the famous soaps in a rainbow of colors, many of them wrapped together by ribbon to be sold as sets. There were candles as well, and tiny bottles filled with lotions in the same scents as the soaps.
Lilah had built something good here, Reed thought, and he felt a stir of admiration for her. When her employees hurried in for a spontaneous meeting, he watched Lilah’s happiness as she listened to all the latest news and he realized just how much she’d given up to stay with him and help with Rosie. These were Spring’s friends, the town his sister had called home, and Reed listened to stories about her that made him smile and wish again that he and Spring hadn’t been at odds when she died.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, with exploring the town, stopping for dinner and then walking to a lake so Micah could throw bread to overfed ducks. It was the first time in years that Reed had actually slowed down long enough to enjoy the moment. And being there, walking through a soft night with Lilah and the kids, brought him a kind of peace he’d never known before.
That worried him. He was getting far too used to Lilah. And that was a bad move. She wasn’t staying with him. There was no future waiting for them. There was only now.
“Are you okay?” Lilah’s voice came softly, since the kids were asleep in the room across the hall.
“Yeah, why?”
“I don’t know, you seem…distracted.”
“It’s nothing. Just thinking about work.”
She laughed and climbed into bed. “Let it go, Reed. You’re allowed to not work once in a while, you know?”
“You’re right,” he said, looking down at her. “You want to guess what I’m thinking about now?”
She smiled, a slow, deliberate curve of her mouth that sent jolts of lightning spearing through him. “That’s too easy.”
He joined her in the bed and pulled her in close, holding her body pressed along his length as he dipped his head to kiss her. That first taste spiraled through him and the jagged edges inside him softened. This moment was everything, he realized. Thoughts, worries, problems could all wait. For now, all he wanted was her.
She moved into him and he slid one hand down her body to explore her heat, her curves, the luscious lines of her. She was so responsive, it pushed him higher and faster than he’d ever been before. She scraped her hands up and down his back and he felt every touch like tiny brands, scoring into his skin.
They moved together in silence, hushed breath, whispered words, quiet movements. When he entered her body, there was almost a sigh of sound and the rhythm he set was slow, tender. He looked down at her and lost himself in her eyes. She touched his face, drew him down for a kiss and he swallowed her moan of pleasure as she reached the peak they were each racing toward. A moment later, he joined her, bending his head to hers, taking the scent of her with him as he fell.
In the quiet aftermath, lying in the dark, entwined together, Reed heard Rosie stirring. A few minutes more, he knew she’d be howling, waking Micah up, as well.
“I’ll be right back,” he whispered and walked naked from the room. When he came back, he was carrying the sniffling baby, who lit up like Christmas when she saw Lilah.
Reed lay down in the bed and set Rosie down between them.
The baby cooed and clapped and giggled, happy now because she wasn’t alone in the dark.
“When she falls asleep, I’ll put her back in her bed,” Reed said, dropping a kiss on the baby’s forehead.
“That might take a while,” Lilah answered, while Rosie played with her fingers.
“We’ve got time.” Not much, he told himself, but they had right now.
As he lay there, watching the woman and child communicating in smiles and kisses, Reed realized that it felt as if they were a family. And he scowled into the darkness.
* * *
“I have some bad news,” Reed said, dropping his briefcase onto the nearest chair. He gave a quick glance around at the Malibu beach house Carson Duke had been living in since splitting with his wife. The place was bright, lots of white and blue, and it sat practically on the sand. With the French doors open, he could hear the rush and roar of the sea.
Carson turned to look at Reed, worry sparking in his eyes. “Tia? Is she okay?”
Amazing, Reed thought. Even though they were in the middle of a divorce, the man reacted as if they were still lovers, still committed to each other. Fear came off Carson Duke in thick, fat waves until Reed assured him, “She’s fine. But she wouldn’t sign of
f on the property issues, so we’ll be going to mediation in a judge’s chambers.”
Carson actually slumped in relief, then gave a shaky laugh and scraped one hand across his face. “Thank God. The mediation doesn’t matter. As long as she’s okay.” He turned, walked through the open doors onto the stone terrace and tipped his face into the wind. Reed walked outside to join him and took a moment to look around.
Despite the gloomy weather, there were dozens of surfers sitting on their boards, waiting for the next wave. And laid out like elegant desserts on a table, women in barely there bikinis draped themselves on towels in artful poses.
Reed stared out at the slate gray water. “If you don’t mind me saying so, you just don’t sound like my regular about-to-be-ex-husband divorce client.”
One half of Carson’s mouth quirked into a humorless smile. “Guess not. I told you before, I never expected Tia and me to end up like this.” He frowned at the ocean. “I can’t even tell you where things went to hell, either.” Glancing at Reed, he asked, “I should know, shouldn’t I? I mean, I should know why we’re getting this divorce, right?”
Normally, Reed would have given Carson the usual spiel about how he was getting a divorce because he and his wife had agreed it wasn’t working. But somehow that sounded lame and generic to him now. Oddly enough, Reed and Carson had sort of become friends through this process and he felt he owed the man more than platitudes.
“I don’t know, Carson.” Reed tucked his hands into his pockets. “Sometimes I think things just go wrong and it’s impossible to put your finger on exactly when it happened.”
Carson snorted. “Thought you said you’d never been through this. You talk like a survivor.”
“I am, in a way,” he said thoughtfully. “My parents love being married. Repeatedly. Between them I have ten siblings with another due anytime now.”
Carson whistled, low and long, whether in admiration or sympathy, Reed couldn’t be sure.
“I had a front-row seat for way too many divorces as a kid and I can tell you that neither of my parents would be able to say why they got those divorces.” To this day Reed had no idea why his parents jumped from marriage to marriage, always looking for perfect, never satisfied. Sadly, he didn’t think they knew why, either. He only knew that they’d made themselves and their children miserable. If that was what love looked like, you could keep it.
The Baby Inheritance (Billionaires and Babies) Page 13