Ellis eased out of the bedroom to make alternative arrangements. This day had been reserved for his grandmother. If she didn’t want to go out, her wish was his command.
Chapter 10
Dylan Carpenter hated going to these strip mall fitness centers, but after he and Haven broke up, he could no longer afford their gym fees. Granted, he took care of most of the bills but her part-time job money did allow for a few perks. It was among many other things he’d taken for granted during their relationship. If he were honest, Dylan knew Haven made their apartment a home. What man could resist a good woman, a home-cooked meal, and a hot body that was always ready to accommodate him? It was her desire for the home life she never had that attracted him to her in the first place. That, and she was fine as hell. Still, his soul was always restless. Dylan cared for Haven, but he also loved women—lots of women. As long as he was paying most of the bills and came home to her, he didn’t understand why anything else would matter.
Dylan figured he’d get on the treadmill while waiting for one of the bench presses to open up. Tragic. That was another problem with these kinds of places. All types of random people, who weren’t serious about working out, took up too much time and space. Well, not everyone. The cutie on the machine opposite him kept giving him the eye. She smiled coyly, and Dylan returned it.
As he programmed the machine, his mind wandered back to Haven. She occupied quite a bit of real estate in his head lately, probably because he was ready to go home. They had never been apart for this long. Usually, a few phone calls, flowers, and just the right amount of contrition was enough to get things back to normal, but this time Dylan wondered if he’d pushed her too far. Maybe he had gone too far too. Maybe it was just time to move on.
It had been embarrassing as hell showing up at his best friend’s house after three in the morning wearing a towel and a coat. Zach laughed at him for a week straight and probably wouldn’t ever let him live it down. As much as he loved Zach and Andrea, they reminded him of why he would never get married. They had the house, the baby, and the damn dog. Both of them walked around like zombies with a baby crying morning, noon, and night.
His own daughter would have been only a year older than theirs. His chest tightened at the thought. Dylan wasn’t going to pretend to be a great philosopher, but sometimes things happened for a reason. Losing his daughter hurt, even though he was pissed when Haven first told him she was pregnant. He might have been an asshole, but he was human.
At the time, she had two years of school left, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to be a father. Dylan was stressed out enough trying to figure out how they were going to take on more expenses when they were barely making ends meet. Granted, Haven had a part-time job, but it wasn’t enough. If her scholarships didn’t cover her entire tuition and books, she would have had to do it like everyone else and go back to school part-time. But, back then, Haven was ambitious and eager. She wanted her business degree.
It took Dylan a couple of months to get over the anger and shock of becoming a father. There was a part of him that felt like Haven had been trying to trap him into marriage. Ultimately, he knew better. She was too driven and did not want to be like her mother; then she lost the baby. She changed so much after that. His mind went back to that day.
Dylan sat on the edge of the bed looking at the screen of his cellphone. “She’s been calling and texting me all day. Damn.”
Jocelyn crawled over to him, got up on her knees, and leaned over his shoulder. “I guess she’s missing her man.”
“Don’t do that, Jocelyn. I told you we’re not together-together. Our situation is complicated—she’s seven months pregnant. I can’t just kick her to the curb with no job.”
“A woman doesn’t call a man like that unless they are still sleeping together.”
Dylan lied. “We’re not. Just because she wants to get back together doesn’t mean I do.”
“What about after the baby gets here? You’re probably going to change your mind. I’ll wait to ask for my divorce until I know for sure.” Dylan wasn’t going to leave Haven, and Jocelyn had no intention of asking for a divorce, but this was the game he wanted to play.
“I can be a father to my child and not be with the mother.”
Jocelyn ran her fingers down his chest. “Mmmhmm . . . okay. We’ll see.”
Dylan stood. “Look, I gotta go. It’s getting late, and I’ve got to go to work tomorrow. Don’t go calling my phone when I leave. Haven’s hormones are all over the place.”
“Again, sounds like a man who is still in a relationship to me.”
“No. It sounds like a man who cares about his child. I’ll call you later.”
When Dylan got in his car, he called Haven’s phone. The call went to voicemail. He scrolled down his text messages and found one from her. “At Condell Emergency. Having the baby.”
He yelled out into the car. “Shit! It’s too soon!”
*****
By the time Dylan arrived at the hospital, Haven had delivered—the baby was stillborn. She was inconsolable, and the nurses had to give her something to sleep. He knew she was devastated. Even though it took him awhile to warm up to the idea of having a baby, Haven was over the moon.
For two days, she didn’t do anything but cry. She wouldn’t look at him, talk to him, or allow him to comfort her. Haven just lay on her side with her back turned away from him.
“Baby.” He tried to touch her shoulder, but she moved away from his touch.
He swallowed down the hurt and guilt. “I’m going to run home, shower, and change. I’ll be back.”
He didn’t get a response from her. Not only was Dylan grieving too, but he felt like shit knowing where he was and what he was doing while Haven was delivering their daughter, Danielle. It was a name they had picked out together.
On the third morning, he’d come to the hospital with balloons. He panicked when he found that she wasn’t in her room. Quickly, Dylan went out to the nurse’s station.
“Ms. Shaw, the young woman in room 205. Where is she?”
They could see the worry on his face. “She’s fine, Mr. Shaw.”
He responded dryly. “Carpenter.”
The nurse nodded. “My apologies. She’s in our chapel. It’s on the first floor.”
Dylan wasted no time getting there. Haven hadn’t been out of bed since she’d had the baby. Had she waited, he would have gone with her.
He heard her muffled cry before entering the chapel. She was talking to someone.
“I lost my baby. She’s just gone.” The tears rolled down her face as Haven spoke through choked tears.
A white-haired lady in a wheelchair embraced Haven as she leaned over onto the woman’s shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably.
All Dylan could do was watch the scene unfold before him. He wasn’t sure how long the lady held her, but it was a long time.
It should have been him comforting Haven, but she wouldn’t let him. Instead, he was rooted to where he stood as his own tears started to fall silently.
Finally, Haven pulled back. “I-I’m sorry.” She wiped her tears way with her hands. “You obviously didn’t come here for this. You have your own problems.”
“It’s okay dear. It’s good for my heart to pump with emotion. A couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t pumping at all.”
Haven looked at her chest. “Oh! I’m sorry!”
“Don’t be. For the first time in a long time, I feel useful. I’m here rehabbing from heart surgery and thought I’d come down and talk to my late husband, Charles. This is the anniversary of his death. I usually go to his grave, but I’m here, so this is the best I can do.”
Dylan cleared his voice to announce his presence. “Haven?”
Watery eyes looked up at him then quickly lowered. She couldn’t hold his gaze. They hadn’t spoken since she’d lost the baby.
Dylan had said an emergency kept him away from her, but there was a part of him that felt Haven was angry he wasn’t there. He
’d told her his phone had died, and he was stuck with his boss in another city for work. That was his story, and he would take it to the grave.
That was a year ago. Dylan was just glad Haven never found out the truth. They’d broken up a few months later when she found out about Jocelyn, but Dylan led her to believe that was a one-time thing. Fortunately, Jocelyn was married, so she kept her mouth shut. If Haven had known what was really up, they probably would have never gotten back together.
Finally, one of the three bench-press machines opened up. As soon as he got off the treadmill, and made his way over to the machines, the woman who had been staring at him waltzed over.
She smiled. “Hi.”
Who was Dylan to resist an attractive woman with a sexy smile, especially now that he was single? “What’s up.”
“You look familiar?”
His smile evaporated. That was never a good sign. He’d had enough of women coming back to him after a one-night stand talking about, “Surprise!” Hell no. “Nah, you don’t know me.”
She batted her long lashes at him. “Right. Bad pick up line. I’m no good at this. However, you do look like someone who I might have a lot in common with. Can we start over?”
A slow grin spread across his face. Dylan had always been a sucka for an attractive woman.
Chapter 11
“Thanks for staying the entire two weeks.” Jillian Mock closed her office door as she walked down the hallway and into the heavily packed restaurant with Haven. She’d just handed Haven her final paycheck. “Most people turn in their notice, and we never see them again.”
If it had been left up to Ellis McKenna that was exactly what Haven would have done. “I know I’ve only been working here a month, but you and Harry have been great bosses to me. I didn’t want to leave you short-handed.”
“We appreciate you making your last night, tonight.”
“Honestly, I don’t mind. It’ll keep me busy and my mind occupied.”
“Still, we’re grateful. Harry and I will hate to see you go. If you ever need your job back, just give us a holler. We’ll always make room for you.”
“Thanks so much, Jillian.”
Haven turned. She could have sworn she’d heard someone call out her name. Then she heard it again as it rose above the sound of the dinner crowd. She turned in the direction of the voice only to come face to face with Dylan.
He wasn’t a ghost. It was really him standing just a few feet in front of her. Once they made eye contact, his grin stretched across his face. That sexy bedroom voice spoke to her.
“Hi.”
Haven stammered, “W-what are you doing here?” His smile had always made her heart race. It wasn’t racing, but it did jump. It was probably gas. Still, Haven wasn’t mentally prepared to see him. They had talked on the phone several times, but she hadn’t seen him since the night she’d thrown him out of their apartment.
“I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” His voice dipped. “I brought these.” Dylan handed Haven a gorgeous bouquet of red roses.
She gazed long and hard at the flowers but didn’t take them. Fighting against her natural impulses Haven shook her head. “No, I think you have me mistaken with someone else. I’ve got to get back to work.” She walked away leaving him standing in the middle of the room holding flowers and a little red box.
Haven spent the next few hours running from table to table serving people who actually seemed to want to be together. The clichés for the night were a little over the top and almost made her want to vomit. A couple of her customers requested that Haven place engagement rings at the bottom of champagne filled glasses.
Being around people in love wasn’t helping her frazzled mind. In spite of her real emotions, Haven managed to smile on cue and look thrilled for them.
Seeing Dylan had thrown Haven off balance. He’d been like a drug, and Haven wasn’t sure she was in full recovery. She was proud of how she handled him and was glad he was gone. Fortunately, her shift would be over soon, and she could cocoon up in her apartment.
The only good thing about all the love in the air, she had to admit, was the tips. They were incredible. She could use the money. Her car was ready for the graveyard. According to Ellis, Randy said it wasn’t worth the money to fix, which meant, she would have to buy another car. Lord knew she didn’t have the cash for that, and the last thing Haven would do was borrow money from the McKenna’s. No, she would get a loan from one of those Check- N-Go places before she did that. Fortunately, the lease on the BWM was good for another couple of months. Ellis was kind enough to let her keep it until she was able to buy another used car.
Exhausted after several hours of working, Haven checked her watch. Damn. Someone had just been seated in her section and her shift ended in fifteen minutes. Quickly, she went over to the table.
The smile on her face froze. “What are you still doing here?”
“If I have to wait for the rest of my life until you’re ready to talk to me, that’s what I’ll do. But, baby, it’s been a month. How long are you going to punish me?”
“Punish you? Is that what you think I’m doing? That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Then, why aren’t we back together?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Could it be because you have a knack for screwing other women?”
“I messed up, and I’m sorry. I’m willing to take responsibility for my role in how we ended up here, but I wasn’t the only one who made mistakes.”
“Are you trying to tell me it’s my fault that you accidentally had sex with someone else? That I made you disrespect me, or that I should take full responsibility for your actions?”
“No! That’s not what I’m trying to say at all.” Frustrated, Dylan raked his fingers through his hair. “I love you. I messed up. But, I want us to work things out. I’m even willing to go to counseling if it will help us.”
Haven couldn’t understand why he always did this. She’d begged him to go to counseling, but now that she was finally ready to say goodbye to the relationship, he wanted to try and fix things.
She didn’t say anything.
Dylan asked again, “Did you hear me? I love you. I’m willing to do anything.”
I love you. Words. They were just words from him, and Haven was doing everything in her power not to fall for them again. “You always say the right things after the fact.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand, staring intensely into her eyes. “I’m ready. I want to settle down and start our own family.”
Haven could feel herself starting to break down at the thought of Danielle. It seemed as if her voice was closing up on her as she tried to speak through her emotions. “Don’t say things you don’t mean or things you think I want to hear.”
“It’s the truth. I want us back. Please, Haven. Give us another shot.”
She dropped his gaze, and her voice lowered so much it was almost a whisper. “I can’t . . . not now.” Haven was fighting to hold back her tears. “I need some time. You really hurt me, Dylan.”
He could see she was close to letting him back in, or at the very least, not freezing him out. He just needed to push a little harder. “What time do you get off? Let’s go somewhere and talk.”
Haven chewed her bottom lip. She wasn’t in the right emotional headspace to do that. “I can’t. Not tonight.” As much as Haven claimed to hate Dylan, she missed him, and there was no telling what might happen if she went out with him.
He pressed. “Are you going out with someone else?”
Her head snapped up. “No! I just . . . I’m committed to doing something else.”
He couldn’t give her too much time to think, or he might not get another chance. “Cancel it. I could drop by the apartment for a few minutes after. I promise, I just want to talk.” If Dylan had his way, he’d be there to make breakfast the next morning.
“That's a bad idea. God, Dylan! There you go, already trying to push me into doing something I’ve told you I d
on’t want to do.”
He put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. That wasn’t my intention. Tonight’s a no go.” Unexpectedly, Dylan pulled her hand into his. “How about you let me take you to dinner on Friday or Saturday?” He didn’t want to give her any time at all, but if he had to, no more than a couple of days to think about it. However, the more he pushed, the more her defenses were going up, and Dylan wanted to shut that down.
Making physical contact with him was confusing. Haven wanted to smack him and hug him at the same time. Instead, she licked her dry lips. “I–let me think about it.”
Disappointed he didn’t get an immediate yes, Dylan exhaled. “Okay. At least that’s not a no. I’ll take that.” He didn’t remember it being this hard to convince Haven to do anything.
She slipped her hand out of a warm and much larger one. “I’ve got to go. My shift is over.”
“If you’re off, let me at least walk you to your car. It’s dark outside.”
“The parking lot is well lit, and the Rio has a parking attendant.”
He whispered as if in pain, “Please, Haven. Just let me walk you to your car.”
She hesitated afraid if she gave an inch, Dylan would take everything.
His amber eyes were almost her undoing as he pleaded with her. “Please.”
Against her better judgment, Haven gave in. “I’ve got to get my things. Give me five minutes and meet me at the side entrance.”
Dylan watched Haven walk away. His best guess was that he’d have her back in his bed by Saturday.
*****
It didn’t take her long to gather her stuff. Dylan was exactly where she’d told him to be, ready and waiting. Haven’s body language was tight. She couldn’t help but wonder, girl . . . what the hell? Why are you letting that man within fifteen feet of you?
They exited the restaurant and walked silently towards her car. She pressed the button on the key fob to unlock and start it up.
Dylan frowned then whistled. “Wow. Niiiiiiiiice car. That’s a come up from what you had.”
A Reservation for One (Untamed Love Series Book 1) Page 7