by Regale, Rhea
Craig tossed the bags into the bed of his pickup and climbed into the cab. He drove down to the grocery store and grabbed two cases of beer.
“Hey, cuz.”
Craig glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Travis. The only Ryder cousin with a different surname came up behind him and dropped a handbasket of goods on the counter.
“How’s that new woman of yours treatin’ you?” Craig asked, sharing a clap on the shoulder with Travis. His cousin laughed, his smile lighting up his dark eyes beneath the brim of his Stetson.
“Man, she’s got my heart all tangled up in a love nest. She’s settlin’ right in here. Miss Bess has a new apprentice in the kitchen.” He hitched a thumb toward the door. “Seein’ you’ve been spendin’ quite a bit of time with Scarlet’s daughter. More than usual. She’s somethin’ special.”
Craig paid for his beer and nodded. “You can say that.” With a resigning sigh, his smile grew, and he gave into the full emotion that churned inside him. “Yeah. Amanda is somethin’ special, and I hope things’ll work out with us.”
“You and Brody work things out?” Travis asked, fingering through bills to pay for his items. He leaned his hip against the counter and looked at Craig as the young lady bagged up his items. Craig nodded. “Good.”
“You’ve got somethin’ dancin’ on that tongue of yours, don’t you,” Craig said. “I know that mischievous look.”
Travis barked, grabbed up his bags, and punched Craig in the arm. He leaned in to Craig as they walked toward the door. “Saw your brother eyein’ Mandy, too.”
“I’m aware.”
Travis came up short and narrowed his eyes on Craig. He cast a short glance around them, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. “Is it brotherly love, Craig?”
“You’re pryin’, Trav.” Craig blocked the door and, keeping his voice low, asked, “What about Lexi? Hearin’ Brent’s with you two more than what would be considered normal.”
“Guess these Ryder women are gonna be some lucky women then, hmm?” Travis said, his voice quiet and husky, implying what neither of them would say outright. Craig chuckled and pushed through the door. Travis followed him out. “Catch you later.”
Craig shook his head as he watched Travis climb into his truck a few spots down the sidewalk. Apparently, he and Brody weren’t the first to share a woman in hopes of something a bit more serious. Lexi was living with Travis, and Craig wouldn’t doubt his cousin’s intentions to make the situation more permanent in the near future.
He placed the beer in the truck when his cell went off. He slid it from his pocket and connected the call, tucking it between his ear and shoulder as he picked up the apples that had rolled out of a bag onto the bed.
“Hey, Brode. What’s up?”
“You get food for this afternoon?” Brody asked.
“Taken care of.”
“Dessert?”
Craig moistened his lips at the very image of Amanda spread out naked over a blanket, her smooth body decorated with chocolate sauce…
He groaned, a sudden burn erupting through his cock. “Kindle’s has some decent desserts. Too hot for ice cream.”
“Unless that groan of yours is due to a very wicked idea.”
“Hell, Brode. As if I’m not hurtin’ already.” Craig snorted, tying the bag into a knot to keep the produce from rolling free again. He rubbed his sweaty neck then wiped his hand on his shorts. “Kindle’s. I’ll see you in a few.”
He slid his phone into his pocket and pulled open the truck door. From the corner of his eyes, he caught someone cutting down the sidewalk toward him. The whisper inside him ordered to get into the truck and leave without a second look, but curiosity held him steady.
When Caroline reached him, he sorely regretted not listening to his instinct. He gave her a sour once-over and climbed into his seat, hand on the door handle. He nearly missed the little boy struggling to keep up with her as she dragged him along.
“Hey, Craig. I was hopin’ to see you while I was drivin’ through. Got word your father died. Sorry about that,” she said, brushing a thick blonde wave from her face. She gave him a bright smile, her big designer sunglasses covering her eyes. She snatched up the little boy onto her hip. Craig looked the boy over, taking note of his details from the blond hair to the dark eyes and full lips. The boy laid his head on Caroline’s shoulder and regarded him cautiously. “You holdin’ up okay?”
“Never better,” he said, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. He started to pull the door shut, but Caroline grabbed the door and sidled up to his seat. “Listen, there ain’t much we have to say to each other. I’ve got things to do. It’s nice seein’ you again. You’re lookin’ well.”
“Craig, we need to talk.” Her smile faded, and she kissed the boy’s head. “Things ended bad between us, but something special came from what we had.”
His heart sank into his stomach. Acid churned. He glanced at the boy again. There was no way…
“You ain’t gonna claim he’s mine. Three years later?” Craig scowled and started his truck, revving the engine. He shook his head before piercing her with the cold chill that filled him. “Your new sugar daddy left you, and you’re lookin’ for money? Is that it? Caroline, I’ve no idea how many guys you opened your legs for when we were datin’, but you know fuckin’ well that we used protection every time we had sex. You’re gonna have to do better than that.”
Craig didn’t look at the boy again. Hell, he felt sorry for the poor kid who had to deal with this woman as his mother.
Caroline’s face hardened. She dug into her purse and pulled out a few pieces of folded paper. With a fierce shake, she unfolded them and handed them to Craig. “Court order. I’ve been in touch with my attorney, and there’s sufficient evidence you are the father of Brandon. You have until the end of the month to get the test done.”
Craig glanced over the letter, barely able to absorb the words as disbelief clenched his gut. Caroline leaned up against him.
“I don’t care if you want anything to do with your son, Craig, but I expect you to take responsibility for him. He’s a Ryder, and if you intend to keep the integrity of your family, you’ll do what’s right and set him up good.”
She stepped back and closed the truck door. Pasting a smile to her face, one that left Craig simmering, she blew him a kiss. Craig ground his teeth behind tightly stretched lips. “I’ll be in touch with you.”
Craig watched her through his side mirror as she dropped the boy to his feet and sauntered away. Pressing his lips together, fingers fisting in the court documents, he took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at the papers. In a matter of minutes, when he thought his life was finally getting back on a track he couldn’t see anything ruining, Caroline popped up in Ryder and delivered him a devastating blow. He saw nothing of himself in the boy, but that wouldn’t fly in court. The boy looked to be about two, but that didn’t mean he was.
He learned the hard way how deceiving Caroline was, and he wasn’t about to discard this latest happenstance as an act of desperation for money.
* * * *
“It’s nice seein’ you around these parts again, Brody. Hope you don’t stay away for long this time,” Jed Kindle said, handing Brody a white box filled with the little pastries and cookies he’d picked out for their afternoon picnic.
“It’s nice bein’ home. I’m gonna see what I can do about comin’ back more once this year is over.” He lifted the box and nodded. “Thanks again for your suggestions. We’ll be enjoyin’ these later.”
Brody slid his wallet into the pocket of his jeans and shouldered his way out of the bakery. He came up short, every muscle in his body tensing. Caroline pushed off the side of his old pickup and scuffed the sole of her strappy sandal on the sidewalk. A blond-haired boy was bouncing in the bed of the truck.
She pushed her hands deep into the pockets of her shorts, her shoulders drawn up to her ears and her arms squeezing her large breasts together to e
nhance the cleavage in that innocent, seductive Caroline way. There was nothing the woman could offer him that would draw even a minor hard-on for her.
“Hiya, Brody. Heard you were in town,” she cooed. He could only imagine what those emotionless blue eyes were telling him behind the dark lenses that swallowed half of her face. “Been followin’ your success in the music industry. Always knew you’d do something huge with yourself.”
“I’m glad you noticed,” he groaned, straightening his shoulders as she neared. “I really don’t think we have anythin’ to say to each other. My lack of interest in you hasn’t changed from three years ago.”
“That hurts,” she murmured. Her bottom lip pushed out in a glossy pout. “I thought we had a spark, especially after our night together.”
“There was never a night together,” he reminded clearly. He jutted his chin toward his truck. “I’d suggest you get your kid outta my truck before he falls.”
Caroline cast the boy a glance over her shoulder and shrugged. “If the tests come back how I expect them to, you might be seeing a lot more of your nephew.”
Brody choked on his next words, his eyes widening. Caroline turned back to him, a smug smile on her mouth.
“Yes, Brody. Craig’ll be taking a paternity test ordered by the court. He’ll come back the father, and my son’ll be set for the rest of his life, if I have any say in it.” She inched up to him, her body too close for comfort. He wasn’t about to back down from the woman who caused him to run and hide once before. She rubbed her shoulder against his chest. A chill flowed down his spine, pooling in his gut. “I’m sure you’re wonderin’ why I would look for you?”
“I can only imagine,” he groused. “Money perhaps?”
“You know, I’ve done my research, and there’s a five-year statute to prosecute for rape.” Her white-toothed smile reminded him of a tiger ready to tear into its prey.
“You have no case, Caroline. I never raped you, and we both know it. That story you made up could’ve ruined me.”
“Aww, baby. I can make a very convincing story, can’t I?” She laughed softly. “Craig believed every word I told him.”
“Craig broke up with you the night you went to him.” His brother had believed Caroline over him, but he wasn’t about to feed into her ego by telling her such. “And unless you’ve got proof, there ain’t no case. People saw you leave with two other guys.”
“Who’s to say you didn’t come by later?”
Brody began to tell her why, but quickly closed his mouth. If she wanted to play dirty, he wasn’t giving her any information that she could ultimately twist to her likings. He looked up and down the sidewalk, feeling eyes watching them with bated breath.
“What do you want, Caroline? You’ve been history for three years now. I have nothin’ for you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You have a lot for me, and I’m gonna make sure I get my due. Craig wasn’t supposed to break up with me. I had to go out of state and start over because of what you two did to my name and my reputation here in Ryder. Three years of struggling, I think it’s about time I relax.” Caroline pulled her hands from her pockets and hung them against his shoulders. She lifted up on her toes to bring her lips to his ear. His vision pulsed, dimming the daylight, the street, and everything around him to come and focus on the throbbing rage boiling in his stomach. “I can still ruin you, Brody Allen. I have numbers to various tabloids. They’re waiting for me to dish out a scandal that involves the rising country star everyone’s painted as a saint. I’ll bite my tongue and call off the hounds if you agree to a monthly monetary settlement.”
Brody tore her hands off him and stepped back. He fought to control the rapid pace of his heart as his fury bubbled over. “You blackmailin’ me, Caroline? ’Cause you ain’t gettin’ a dime from me when I didn’t do anythin’ to you to begin with.”
“Rape ain’t nothin’, Brody. You raped me, and I’m gonna make sure everyone in America knows it,” she whined loudly. Brody tossed a worried look to the townspeople scattered along the sidewalk who overheard her deliberate and well-acted claim. When he brought his attention back to her, she lifted her sunglasses and winked at him. “You’ll be hearin’ from my lawyer unless you choose to do somethin’ about it.”
Caroline sniffled, wiping a fake tear from her cheek. She snapped her fingers, catching the boy’s attention. “Brandon, come down here this instant. We’re leaving.”
The boy struggled to get out of the truck. Caroline huffed down the street, leaving her son to stumble on his feet and take chase. Brody stared after her, disbelieving what had just occurred. In a flash, his entire dream could shatter over something that never even happened.
Scowling, Brody jumped into his truck and peeled onto the road, leaving the townsfolk to gape as he sped off. He dug out his phone and punched in Craig’s number.
“We’ve got a problem,” Brody groused. Tensions ran taut over the line.
“Yes, we do,” Craig said quietly. Brody recognized the strain to keep cool laced in those soft words. His brother wasn’t one to lash out, but he knew how to relay a threat better than anyone with a roar.
“I’m gettin’ on the phone with Rylan. I’d suggest contactin’ Ted and seein’ what our lawyer has to say about this.”
“I’m on the phone with him right now. What did she say to you?”
“She’s gonna claim rape all over the tabloids if I don’t pay her a monthly allowance. Even though Mandy saw her leave with other guys, she’s gonna give the story that I came by later.” Brody slammed his hand against the steering wheel and groaned. “Fuckin’ bitch whore!”
“Hey, we’re gonna get through this. She ain’t got shit on us. I know that kid ain’t mine.”
“Looks nothin’ like you.”
“And I know you didn’t rape her.”
“I’m glad to hear you believe me now.” When the tensions shifted, Brody bit his lip. “Damn, bro. I didn’t mean that.”
“We’re both pissed, but we need to work this out together.”
“What about Mandy?”
The silence that filled the line left a void in his chest. His first instinct was to hide the issues from their woman. He feared she’d leave them, believing Caroline’s claims, because without proof, they were plausible. God alone knew he didn’t rape her.
“We’ll talk to her over lunch. She needs to know what’s happenin’,” Craig finally said. “Brody, I don’t want to get her involved, either, but she deserves to know the truth. If we love her, and she loves us, then this will be nothin’ in her eyes. Amanda’s smart. She’ll know we’re not hidin’ anythin’.”
“I don’t want to lose her.”
“We won’t lose her.” Craig sighed. “Let me get back to Ted and see how we can straighten out this mess.”
Chapter Seventeen
“What’s the damage?” Mandy asked, skirting the wicker table on the back porch and plopping down in a chair opposite Craig and Brody. Rylan was off duty this afternoon, dressed in shorts and a Polo shirt, paging through crumpled papers. A deep furrow rested in his brow. Another man sat beside Craig, well dressed with a gun in a shoulder holster. Mandy quirked her brow at Brody when he glanced up at her from the conversation he was having on his cell.
Covering the mouthpiece on the phone, he whispered, “Investigator from the city.”
Mandy mouthed oh and folded her hands in her lap. She had no doubt Caroline was in town for Craig or Brody, or both, but this looked far worse than she expected.
After a few minutes of being ignored, Craig let out an exasperated groan and stood up, stretching his arms over his head. He edged between the table and Brody’s legs and stepped up in front of Mandy. She pressed herself to the side of the chair, giving him enough room to sit beside her.
Craig greeted her with a small kiss and leaned back, frowning. “She’s tryin’ to get us both in checkmate and force us to give her money.”
“That’s extortion,” Mandy snappe
d. Her fingers balled into fists, and she straightened up in the seat. “She can’t do that and get away with it.”
“We know that.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Craig nodded toward Rylan. “She’s got a court order that is forcin’ me to have a paternity test done—”
“That boy ain’t yours! A blind man could see that!”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. His touch calmed her enough to settle her back, but couldn’t extinguish her red-hot ire toward Caroline.
“Easy, sweetheart. We’re gonna get through this fine.”
“And Brody?”
His lips tightened. He tipped his head, stealing a shaded glance of his brother. “He’s in a worse scenario. She’s threatenin’ to go to the tabloids and cry rape if he doesn’t pay up monthly to keep her mouth shut.”
Mandy pressed her lips together hard to keep from lashing out about the absurdity of her claims. Anyone in Ryder knew her reputation and wouldn’t give a dime for a word from her mouth. And yet, here were her two cowboys, tense and frustrated because of legal documents and threats to their integrity.
“How old was the boy?” Mandy asked. Craig shrugged. “She didn’t say?”
“I’m guessin’ shy of two.”
“Guessin’? Well, didn’t you ask?” Mandy twisted toward Rylan. “Ry, has anyone figured out how old that boy is?”
Rylan glanced up from the documents. “We’re gonna follow up with that.”
“Why don’t you follow up with that now? It might put a quick cap on Craig’s problem without the stress. If the boy is two, then he goes for the test and proves the boy ain’t his. If the boy is younger, then there’s no possible way for Craig to be the father, ’cause Caroline was already out of town.” Mandy turned back to Craig, not missing the curious look from the investigator. “With Brody, all we have to do is find the two guys Caroline went home with, and hopefully one of them stayed the entire night. Or find the woman he brought home and prove she was with him the entire night.”