Forever Mine (Paradise Place Book 9)

by Natalie Ann

  “Is that your new helper?” Ruby Turner asked when she walked into Whitney’s office. “Hope I’m not bothering you.”

  “Not at all. Oh, let me see Caleb.”

  Ruby placed the car seat on Whitney’s desk and started to undo his snowsuit and pull him out. “Want to hold him?”

  “You bet I do,” she said, reaching for the baby. And the minute she had Caleb in her arms, Ben let out a yell like she’d never heard before, then threw his toy down and started to cry.

  “Oh boy,” Ruby said. “Looks like someone is jealous.”

  “I guess so.” She moved over to the floor with the baby and sat down next to Ben. “Look at the baby, Ben. See how tiny he is?”

  The crying didn’t stop, rather Ben tried to crawl into her lap too. “I’m sorry, Ruby. Here, you better take him while I calm Ben down.”

  “No problem,” Ruby said. “So how did you get babysitting duty?”

  She told Ruby what happened and that she decided to keep Ben for herself today. “I just had a few things to do and Ben has been behaving. I figured I’d leave at lunch and feed him and then put him down for his nap at my house. He’s been good in here.”

  “That’s because he’s not walking,” Ruby said.

  “He took several steps today to Trey and me. And he crawls all over the place. But when he’s in a new place, he likes to stay by my or Trey’s side.”

  “Which works in your favor,” Ruby said.

  “Yeah. I didn’t think he’d get upset like this. He’s been great with Ryan’s kids when they are around.”

  “But Ryan’s kids are bigger. And maybe Ben looks to you as his now.”

  “Do you think?” Whitney asked. Ben was in her lap and his sniffling had stopped, but he showed no sign of getting up, so she stood with him in her arms.

  “Maybe. I’m learning this parenting thing by the seat of my pants,” Ruby said. “I never thought I’d get married let alone have a child.”

  She knew a little of Ruby’s history in foster care. “But you’ve got a husband and a beautiful son now. You’ve got it all.”

  “Seems to me you are getting some of that too,” Ruby said.

  She looked down at Ben’s light brown hair and placed a kiss on his forehead. “I think I am. Everyone is telling me to slow down, but I can’t.”

  “The heart wants what it wants. Don’t you think you’ve waited long enough?”

  “I think you might be right,” she said.

  Later that night, Trey came over to get Ben after work. She had dinner cooked. “Why don’t you sit and eat unless you’re in a hurry.”

  “Not really. I just want to get home before the snow falls.”

  She nodded. “I’d tell you to stay tonight, but I know you’ll have to clean the driveway for Gillian tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure you’ve got someone that plows for you?”

  “The same person who plows the whole family in the development. He’s an employee. It’s part of his job to clear all the properties we own.”

  “That’s a nice perk,” he said.

  “But I do my own shoveling of the sidewalk.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’m not incapable of it. It’s a good workout too.” She’d been doing it for years. Even when she was married. Kevin thought they should pay for that too. Or that it would be part of the guy plowing. Lazy ass ex of hers.

  They sat to eat dinner. “How was Ben today?”

  “Funny you should ask.”

  “Oh boy. What happened?”

  She told him about Ruby’s visit with the baby. “He’s jealous. Just wants you for himself,” Trey said, grinning. “I don’t suppose I blame him.”

  “Ruby said the same thing. It got me thinking. Ben has a lot of toys here already. What do you think of you guys leaving some clothes here? Or am I’m moving too fast?”

  “You’re moving at the speed I like. We can do that.”

  “Good. Then it saves you from packing so much on the weekends.”

  “I had a thought today,” he said. “We haven’t been on one date. I feel bad about that.”

  “We have too. We go to dinner or lunch all the time.”

  “Dinner with Ben. A few hurried lunches here and there. But nothing like a nice dinner where we aren’t splitting our time feeding Ben and wiping his face. I didn’t even get to go to the New Year’s Eve party with you at Parker’s.”

  “It’s fine. I’m not complaining.”

  “I know you’re not. And that makes me feel worse. What do you say if I see if my mother can take Ben for the night this Saturday?”

  “If you want,” she said. “I know you don’t have him two nights a week and that bothers you as it is. I don’t mind if you want to do that, but we could just get someone to watch Ben for a few hours. Maybe even a sitter.”

  His head moved side to side. “I’m trying to be romantic here.”

  “We can be romantic with Ben in the other room sleeping. I know you don’t want to leave him overnight. I appreciate the offer. I do. How about we compromise? I know if you ask your mom, she’ll say Ben can stay overnight. I could see if my mom can stay with Ben at the house and get him in bed for us. He’ll be sleeping before we return. She’d love it.”

  “If that is the best I can get, then it’s a deal.”

  “Our time will come,” she said. “For now. Let’s make the best with what we’ve got.”

  Just because Trey said the speed was fine didn’t mean that she wanted him to choose between his son and her. She’d never ask that.

  “I’ve got the best,” he said. “I didn’t know it years ago, but I sure the hell do now.”

  “See, that is romance right there.”

  26

  See The Vision

  Whitney and he had gone on their date.

  They had a great time.

  It was fun.

  It was romantic.

  And it made him see the vision that she’d had so long ago.

  The only time they’d dressed up for a date prior was the prom. He wasn’t counting that.

  This time they were adults. They shared a glass of wine or two. They came home and relieved Judy Butler who’d watched his son for a few hours.

  Once they knew Ben was settled for the night, they retired to Whitney’s room.

  It was slow.

  It was sweet.

  It was loving.

  And everything Whitney had said she’d always wanted, he saw that in his future. Now he just had to figure out how to get there. How to prove to her and her family he wasn’t going to hurt her again.

  How to get her to stop listening to others or their interference and focus on the two of them and what they could have.

  “So how is the little lady?”

  He turned to see Steve standing in his office. “Excuse me?”

  “Whitney,” Steve said. “How are things going with her? You’ve been dating a few months now, right?”

  Again, he wasn’t sure why everyone cared so much about his personal life. “Yes. Things are good.”

  “We appreciate the food now and again,” Steve said.

  “She likes to cook,” he said. A few times Whitney had made big pans of lasagna or ziti and sent him to work with them for the crew. Once everyone knew they were a couple, what was the big deal, Whitney had said. He wasn’t going to argue because he didn’t see the issue either.

  “Don’t go getting chubby on us,” Steve said, laughing.

  “Not going to happen,” he said with a big grin. “It’s not like I see her daily or eat her food daily.”

  “You need to fix that,” Steve said.

  “Thanks for the advice,” he said, shaking his head. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got paperwork to finish up.”

  Steve turned and left to do his duties for the day unless they got a call.

  An hour later, Steve was back in his doorway. “Yes?” he said.

  “Someone is up front asking to talk to yo
u.”

  “Did you get a name?” he asked.

  “No. He didn’t give it. You know how it is. People come in and want to talk to who is in charge.”

  “Bobby isn’t around?” he asked of the assistant chief on duty. That was Trey’s next goal when a slot opened up.

  “No. He’s out, but this guy asked for you specifically anyway.”

  “Oh,” he said, getting up and walking out.

  There was a man in the waiting area, black pants on, shiny shoes which stood out for being the middle of the winter, a black jacket and his hands in the pockets.

  “How can I help you?” he asked the man who had at least half a bottle of product slicking his hair back.

  “Trey Bridges?”

  “That’s me. And you are?”

  “Kevin Harrington.”

  The first name gave him pause, but he didn’t know Whitney’s ex’s last name. He never asked and didn’t care.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked, not wanting to jump the gun, though he saw the BMW logo on the guy’s jacket and was positive who he was talking to.

  It also made him wonder…if the guy knew who he was and where he worked, maybe he knew where he lived and could have been the one that caused the five hundred-dollar tire bill. He’d thought it was Kathy—who wasn’t returning his calls or messages—but now realized she wouldn’t know that damaging the stem would make the tire not repairable. Kathy was more the type to stick a knife in the rubber.

  “Can we talk in private?” Kevin asked.

  “By all means.”

  He turned and walked back to his office, knowing the guy was following. “So you know who I am?” Kevin asked.

  “Not too hard to figure out. What I don’t know is why you’re here.”

  “Just wanted to give you some friendly advice.”

  “Dude, do you think I want to hear anything you’ve got to say? Or that I’d even believe it?”

  “I know who you are,” Kevin said. “The first boyfriend. The one that broke her heart and sent her into my arms.”

  Trey crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was taller and bigger than Kevin and was dying to wipe the smirk right off the ass’s face.

  The words that Kevin spoke weren’t going to bother him, even if they did slice through his heart. “You can believe what you want,” he said.

  “Oh, I know what I know. Whitney has always had stars in her eyes over a family and kids. She wanted them with you. I knew all about it. She didn’t get it then, but maybe now she sees her chance.”

  “Why do you care? She kicked your lying, cheating ass out. Probably should have done it long before she did.”

  “Don’t believe everything she tells you. She isn’t the little innocent princess she wants people to believe.”

  “I think we are done here,” he said to the guy. “Not sure what you are hoping to accomplish unless you wanted to see if my tires were repaired on my truck.”

  Kevin smirked and he knew damn well the guy was guilty but would never admit it. And Trey couldn’t prove it. “Not sure what you’re talking about. But hey, you think you know Whitney so well. So you know how good she is in the sack. She loves sex and puts out to get what she wants. But once she has it, everything changes.”

  He moved so fast that Kevin didn’t see it coming. He had the guy up by the front of his jacket and into the wall, his feet not touching the floor. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

  “Go ahead. Hit me. A hothead that can’t talk just like Ryan. Of course the Butlers made sure their son didn’t get sued or go to jail. Money buys the way through everything. You don’t have that though. I could take your job and sue the city.”

  Trey laughed. “You’re in my house now. These are my brothers. You think they aren’t going to back me? You think they give a shit about you?”

  He glanced out in the hall and didn’t see a soul around. He was positive they might have heard Kevin’s body hitting the wall, but they wouldn’t come unless they had to. If Trey couldn’t wipe the floor with this cocky SOB then he wasn’t man enough for Whitney.

  Kevin didn’t look so confident now. “I’m surprised you are so shocked over this visit. I told Whitney weeks ago that you might not appreciate what I had to say.”

  He wasn’t going to let Kevin know he was bothered that Whitney didn’t tell him about this. For all he knew the guy was lying. “And what is it you think I wouldn’t appreciate? A man that lied to his wife for ten years and put her through hell.”

  “You only know her side of it. As I said, she puts out to get her way, then she withholds. But I’m not the only one that stepped out during our marriage. Just remember that.”

  He dropped Kevin down from the floor and shoved him aside. “If she did it, it was most likely to see what it was like to be with a real man. Get the hell out of here before I do more than throw you against the wall.”

  Kevin laughed and walked out the door.

  He turned and sat back at his desk to take a deep breath.

  He didn’t want to be pissed at Whitney over this, but it was hard not to be. Especially when she came charging to his house over him not telling her about Kathy’s call. It seemed she was guilty of holding something back herself.

  “Everything okay in here?” Steve asked with Adam by his side. Funny how they showed up after Kevin left.

  “Just peachy,” he said.

  Adam laughed. “A pleasant conversation, right?”

  “Exactly,” he said.

  There was no reason to say more. They both grinned at him, and Steve, for as much as he gossiped only said, “Didn’t know if you needed help taking out the trash.”

  He laughed. “I’ve got it covered. Thanks.”

  27

  Took Longer

  Whitney was shocked to get a text from Trey asking if she could get Ben and if they could talk tonight at her house.

  They’d had their date night last weekend and Trey had brought over clothes to keep at her house for him and Ben. She knew he wasn’t going to move in and wouldn’t anytime soon. She wasn’t even going to bring it up, but it was nice he felt he could come anytime he wanted.

  In her eyes, after Saturday night, there was a turning point for them in their relationship.

  They both loved each other. He felt comfortable in her house and she enjoyed having them here.

  Trey hadn’t even commented on her buying more things for Ben to make it easier. Plates and bowls, utensils, cups, a baby monitor to hear him when he was upstairs napping. She wanted to get a crib but then figured Ben would be in a small bed soon, so no use rushing for that. She had spare beds in all the rooms, so Ben could just move into one then.

  “How’s Shannon feeling?” she yelled out to Ryan when he walked by her door.

  “Not bad. Moving a little slow the last few days. She’s had some sickness that she didn’t with Maddie and Jeffrey, but she’s hoping it’s going to pass in a few weeks.”

  “I’m sure it will. It helps that she works from home.”

  “And Shannon is going to cut back work when that happens. She can make her own hours and she plans on it. John is fine with that.”

  John Mann was now the sole owner of Wildmann Digital Media that Shannon worked for. She suspected since they were all so close before Shannon moved to New York that it wasn’t an issue.

  Not that Shannon had to work and Whitney was positive that Ryan had told her that. There’d be a place at Butler Construction for Shannon if she wanted it. She was a CPA and the person overseeing the finances now was getting up there in age. She wouldn’t be surprised if that was in the works in the future.

  That was her family. Always there to help anyone.

  Anyone but her ex, she got thinking and wanted to laugh. She should have realized that years ago.

  “Well, let me know if there is anything I can do. Make some food. Take the kids off your hands. You name it and I’ll make it happen.”

  “Thanks. We’re good. You’ve got your little gu
y you’re spending a lot of time with. How is that going?”

  She smiled. “Good. I appreciate you and everyone else backing off now.”

  “We see you’re happy and that is all that matters. As you’ve said enough, you’re a big girl and can take care of yourself.”

  “I can and I will. I’m picking Ben up today for Trey and they are coming back to my house.”

  “That’s good,” her brother said.

  “What? No comment about moving too fast?”

  “No,” he said, grinning at her and walked away.

  At the end of the day she was finishing up dinner and keeping Ben occupied as much as she could. He was running everywhere at this point. It hadn’t taken long for him to find his footing and then not stay still, but doors were shut and he pretty much stayed in her line of sight or only went up and down the hall on his firetruck that she could hear.

  When the garage door opened, she turned to see Trey walk in and hang his jacket up and put his bag down. Ben went running to his father and put his arms up. Yeah, this was what she’d imagined her whole life that she’d get. It just took longer than she expected.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Bad day?”

  “Not the best,” he said.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “After Ben is in bed.”

  Which would be in a little over an hour. They’d eat dinner, then they’d clean up, get Ben in the bath and ready for bed. Not that long to wait.

  But the longer dinner went on the more she started to worry. Trey was never this quiet or tense and it was making her wonder what was going on.

  She tried to pay attention if there were fires in the area. If he got called out or not. She also tried not to worry too much about it. It was his job that he loved and she’d never burden him with her fears just like she’d told her father.

  When Ben was sleeping, Trey came downstairs to the living room. “So, what is going on?”

  “I had a visitor at the firehouse today,” he said.

  “Okay. Are you going to make me guess who it is?”

  “No. It was your ex-husband.”

  “What? What the hell was he doing there?”