Stay With Me (Hope Valley Book 5)

by Jessica Prince

  So when I snatched the phone up and answered, I did it with an unpleasant bark of “What?”

  Silence carried through the line before Cord’s velvety voice rang out. “Somethin’ wrong, dollface?”

  “Uh, yeah,” I snapped peevishly. “I’d say something’s wrong. I just made a delicious freaking carrot cake, and right about now, I’d love nothing more than to grab a fork and dive right in. But I’m now the caregiver of a preteen boy, so I have to set a stupid example, which means I can’t have cake before dinner, because if I had cake before dinner, he’d want cake before dinner, and I’d have to tell him he can’t have cake before dinner, because that’s what a good caregiver does, and I’d look like a total hypocrite. So, yeah, it’s safe to say something’s very wrong. Now are you calling for an actual reason or just to ask stupid questions you already know the answer to?”

  My asinine rant was met with more silence. Then, when he finally spoke, his voice dripped with humor. “Well, I was callin’ to tell you I’m swingin’ by Momma Gianna’s for a couple pies and wanted to know what kind of toppings you liked.”

  My stomach let out a growl at the mere mention of Momma Gianna’s. They were, without a doubt, the best pizza place in the state of Virginia, if not the country.

  “So you’re coming over? Again?” I asked, still full of attitude.

  He hesitated for a second. “If that’s not a problem.”

  It didn’t matter what kind of mood I was in; the fact was, I’d have to be dead to turn down someone offering to pick up a pie from Momma Gianna’s, and last time I checked, I was still very much alive and kicking.

  “Pepperoni,” I grumbled churlishly. “And black olive and mushroom.”

  His chuckle hit my ear, and I felt a bit of my ire melt away and the warm sound. “Is that all three toppings on one pie, or one topping per pie?”

  “Pepperoni on one, olives and mushrooms together on another,” I answered on another grumble.

  “All right, baby.” He continued to chuckle. “Be there in about thirty. Do me a favor and save me a slice of that cake, yeah?”

  “Yeah, whatever,” I said, taking a page out of Zach’s book.

  I called his name and got a soft, gentle, “Right here, Rory,” in response.

  “Thanks,” I grunted coarsely, unable to not show my appreciation, even though I was still angry about a whole lot of nothing. My parents had drilled manners into me from a very young age, and even if they hadn’t, I prided myself on being a nice person, so years of practiced behavior wouldn’t allow me to end the conversation without at least saying that.

  I didn’t have to see his face to know he was smiling; I could hear it clear as day in his voice as he said, “Not a problem, sweetheart. See you soon.”

  With that, I allowed myself to end the call, then dropped the phone onto the counter. My eyes went back to the partially iced cake and the mixing bowl full of frosting. “Oh screw it,” I muttered, sticking my finger into the bowl, digging out a big glob of icing, and popping it into my mouth.

  “Damn, baby,” Cord said the moment he stepped into my kitchen. “You weren’t kidding. That cake looks delicious, and I’m not even a real big fan of carrot cake.”

  He rounded the island and placed the three large pizza boxes on the counter while I slumped down on one of the awesome countrified barstools I’d picked out to go with the equally awesome countrified décor of my whole house. I propped an elbow on the kick-ass butcher block counter I’d paid a mint to have custom made and rested my chin in my hand as I pouted. “Yeah, well, like I told Zach before he shut himself and his bad mood in his bedroom, I hardly put any carrots in it.”

  Cord went on alert at that, and his gaze shot from the cake to me. “Zach came home in a bad mood?”

  “Yep. I’ve been reduced to trying to bribe him into liking me with cake, and that’s not even working,” I answered sullenly. “And when I tried to talk to him about it, he shut down and closed me out.”

  Cord’s expression went tender as looked down at me. “He likes you, dollface. He’s just adjusting.”

  My chest went heavy with sadness, and I slumped deeper into my defeated position and stared down at my pretty countertop. “I want to believe you, I just don’t know….”

  “Rory.”

  “Huh?”

  “Baby, would you look at me?” My head stayed pointed down, but my eyes went up to him. “When your dad and I were with him last weekend for his punishment, it took him a while to get comfortable enough to open up, but once he did, he spent the rest of that time and the entire time we fished to ask questions about you.”

  Okay, so that got my attention. I sat up a bit straighter. “He did?”

  Cord’s mouth hooked up on one side in a small grin that still packed quite a punch on his gorgeous face. “Yeah, he did. He wants to know you, Rory. He just doesn’t know how to go about it. You show him the way, and he’ll follow your lead.”

  Oh god.

  Oh god!

  “I’m such an idiot,” I breathed, dropping my face into my hands. “I’m such an idiot!” My head shot up as I continued, “He’s been with me for days, Cord. Days, and not once have I asked him about... well, him! God, I’m so bad at this! I have no business taking care of a child.” I dropped my head onto the island and covered it with my arms as shame ate away at me.

  His heavy boots clomped against my wood floors as he came around to my side of the island, and a second later, I felt the heat of his palm on my back. “Rory, stop,” he said with gentle authority. “You need to cut yourself some slack. You aren’t bad at this, you’re just new.”

  Lifting up, I turned his way, not ready to give up on my self-recrimination just yet, and asked, “What kind of person doesn’t try and get to know the child living with them? I mean, who does that?”

  “A person who doesn’t want to risk bringing up bad memories,” he declared, making the argument die on my tongue. “For fuck’s sake, baby, you’ve got to stop beating yourself up. You care about him. The fact that you want him to like you so badly it’s made you go a little crazy is proof enough of that.” My face fell into a dramatic scowl, but it wasn’t like I could argue. I was being crazy. “You want him to be happy and comfortable. You’re walking on eggshells and breaking your back to make that happen. That shows you’re not bad at this, Rory, because if you were, you wouldn’t give a shit.”

  I closed my eyes for a brief moment, pulled in a fortifying breath, and looked back at him. “Okay,” I whispered. “I think I’m better now.”

  His hand came up and his fingers drifted across my jaw, the masculine, hardworking roughness of them making my skin tremble with desire. “You’re fucking incredible,” he said quietly, his voice having gone gruff with emotion.

  I leaned in close, that invisible string tightening and pulling me toward him.

  “I smell pizza,” Zach said, suddenly appearing at the mouth of the hallway. “Are we having pizza for dinner?”

  And just like that, the moment was broken.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Rory

  “So what’s the deal with you guys? Are you dating or just screwin’?”

  I choked on the bite of pizza I’d just taken as Cord rumbled, “Not cool, Zach.”

  “What?” he asked with a shrug, genuinely not realizing he’d done anything wrong. “What’s the big deal? It was just a question.”

  “The big deal isn’t what you asked,” Cord answered, his tone chastising as he schooled Zach on manners. “You’re far from a stupid kid, so I know you know how you just asked that was disrespectful to not only me but Rory. And you never talk to a woman like that. You get me?” Zach’s eyes lowered to the table, prompting Cord to repeat, “Bud, you get me?” only this time using a calmer, lower voice.

  “I get you,” Zach returned, shifting his gaze to me and offering a mumbled “Sorry, Rory.”

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” I said with a smile to let him know it was all good. “But to answer your que
stion, Cord and I are just friends.”

  Zach’s face went funny, like he didn’t understand my response. Then the confusion flitted away, replaced with annoyance mixed with a touch of anger. Sitting back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest and asserted, “You know, I’m not some dumb little kid. You don’t have to keep it a secret. I won’t tell the lady from welfare services if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  I felt my head tip in bemusement. “Of course you’re not dumb. No one thinks you are.”

  “Then why’re you lyin’? I mean, I see how he looks at you, like, all the time.” At that declaration, my back went straight and my lips parted in surprise, but he was nowhere near done. “And he’s always here. If you guys aren’t together, why’s he always here?”

  “Because he wants to be here for you,” I stated softly, wanting Zach to know he didn’t just have one person who cared about him. “He comes here, honey, because he wants to make sure you’re good.”

  “Yeah?” he asked with snarky sarcasm. “That why he’s always starin’ at you and touchin’ you like he’s about to kiss you at any second? I’m not an idiot,” he decreed firmly. “You guys are way into each other, so why not just admit you’re together?”

  My eyes went so big it felt like they were about to pop out of my skull as I stumbled over my words. “I… you… that’s not… but—”

  “Because we’re not, bud,” Cord stated, the rumbly timbre of his voice helping to unscramble my thoughts. “We really are just friends.”

  Zach’s mouth snapped shut and his gaze turned speculative as it bounced between us. Several tense seconds passed before he finally asked, “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why are you and Rory just friends? Like I said, it’s so totally obvious you like each other, so why haven’t you guys gone for it?”

  Good Lord, who knew a kid could be so freaking perceptive. It was a question I dreaded, mainly because I wasn’t sure of the answer anymore. So many things had changed in the past couple of weeks that I could barely keep up. My head was constantly spinning so fast it was a wonder I could stay standing. But my issues were not something this sweet boy needed to concern himself with. He was feeling his way around our new situation just as I was, and I didn’t want to give him anything else to worry about.

  “Zach,” I said softly, drawing his focus my way. When I got his eyes, I leaned forward and said, “Whatever Cord and I are or aren’t isn’t something you need to concern yourself with. There’s a history between us that isn’t yours to have, and while, as you pointed out already, you’re not a dumb kid, you’re still a kid.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I got there first. “And as a kid, all you need to concern yourself with is kid stuff. I’ll handle everything else. All you need to know is that no matter how we feel about each other, we are both here for you. All the time, honey. And nothing is ever gonna change that.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, sweetie. That’s just how it is.”

  It was obvious he wasn’t happy with that, but to my surprise, he let the subject drop by picking up his slice of pizza and taking a big chomp out of it before finally nodding in understanding.

  One crisis averted, I thought as I turned back to the table and finished eating my dinner. Then my gaze landed on Cord, the man who’d forced himself into my life in such a way that he’d become a crucial part of it, and all that confusion came flooding back to the surface.

  Dinner finished on a slightly better note than it had started. Zach still insisted that everything at school was fine, and though I could see there was something bothering him, I forced myself not to push, trusting that he’d come to me when he finally felt comfortable.

  “Hey, Zach?” I asked, as he dug into the big slice of carrot cake I’d cut for him after dinner.

  He looked up from shoveling cake into his mouth and cocked his head to the side. “Yeah?”

  I twisted my fingers on the table in front of me. “So… I was thinking. The room you’ve been staying in is nice. I decorated it so it would be comfortable for anyone who came to stay for a bit, but it’s not really… well... it’s kind of girly. I want you to be comfortable here, and I want that space to be yours, so how would you feel about going shopping with me one day so we can pick out all new stuff? Stuff you like.”

  His eyes got big, filling with excitement as he mumbled, “Seriously?” through a mouthful of carrot cake.

  “Yeah?” I said on a small laugh. “Seriously. That’s your room, Zach. It should be a reflection of you. Your personality, the things you like. And I’m sure my mom and dad would be happy to help us fix it up. What do you say?”

  “He—” He quickly caught himself. “I mean heck yeah. That’d be awesome.”

  He was right, it would be awesome. I couldn’t wait to give him that.

  When I glanced across the table to Cord, I could see by the way he was looking at Zach that his reaction had given him the same warm fuzzy feeling it had given me. And when he turned to me, as if feeling my gaze on him, and shot me a wink, that warm, fuzzy feeling grew until it nearly filled me up.

  Zach headed back to his room a little while later to finish his homework. The evening was coming to an end, which meant it was time for Cord to head back to his place. And while I knew it was for the best, that I needed some space to try and clear my head, I couldn’t stop the pang of disappointment from shooting through me as he stood and prepared to make his exit.

  “Thanks for the cake, dollface,” he said with a gentle smile on his face. “It was fuckin’ fantastic.”

  Warmth bloomed in my cheeks as I returned his smile. “Glad you liked it.”

  Instead of moving toward the door, he took a step closer to me, lowering his voice before asking, “Walk me out?”

  I was a little taken aback at the request but quickly shook it off. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

  I followed him out to his truck, stopping two feet away when we reached the driver-side door. He didn’t pull out his keys or beep the locks, just slowly turned to face me and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

  “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah,” he answered. “I just wanted to talk to you about something without Zach overhearing us.”

  My forehead pulled into a frown as my head dipped to the side in concern. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’ve been keepin’ an eye on those assholes that Zach was livin’ with before he came to you,” he said, making my back shoot straight. “The list of charges against them is longer than my goddamn arm, and the evidence is undisputable.”

  “Well… that’s good, right? I mean, there’s no way they can avoid jail time.”

  “Yeah.” He nodded and continued ominously, “Eventually.”

  A shiver crawled along my back while my stomach twisted. “What’s that mean?”

  “It’ll take a while for their case to go before a judge. Unfortunately, they made bail, so while we’re waiting for that to happen, those pieces of shit are walkin’ free.”

  My body rocked, the force of my shock taking me back a step. “They made bail?” I screeched. “Who in the hell would post bail for people like that?”

  Cord pulled his hands from his pockets and moved closer to me, reaching up and taking hold of my arms. “Brace, Rory, because you’re gonna like this part even less.” Oh hell. “Miriam Weathers posted bail.”

  My jaw dropped. “The welfare officer?” He nodded again. “Why?”

  “She’s Doreen Caswell’s cousin. The three of them were workin’ this shit together. She got the Caswells approved to be foster parents, then, instead of actually doin’ her job and watchin’ out for those kids, turned a blind eye to the shit they were doin’ because they’d cash the checks they got for each of the kids and split it with her.”

  I blinked several times as that information rolled over me. “You have got to be kidding me!”

  “Wish I was, dollface. That bitch was profiting off the misery of children. Th
ere’s a special place in hell for someone like her.”

  “But… but… but… how the hell is she not in jail for that?”

  “Beats the fuck outta me,” he replied. “But I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before she, her batshit crazy cousin, and her cousin’s dickhead husband are all up a shit creek together.” His fingers pressed deeper into my skin. “Now, I know you’re pissed right now, but those three will eventually get what’s comin’ to them, Rory. You can count on that. So let go of what you’re feelin’ right now so when you go back in that house, you can keep giving that boy a good life, yeah?”

  It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, but I somehow managed to calm the rage swirling around inside me. And after a full minute of deep breathing, I finally began to calm down.

  “You good now?” Cord asked once he sensed I wasn’t at risk of losing it.

  “Yeah,” I said on a sigh. “I’m good now.”

  He stepped even closer, forcing me to tip my head back so I could look up into his handsome face. “Now I know this isn’t a good time, and I tried like hell to get out of it, but I have to head out of town tomorrow for a job.”

  “You… you’re leaving?” I asked, the crestfallen words spilling from my lips before I could stop them.

  “I’ll get this done as fast as I can, sweetheart. And in the meantime, I’m just a phone call away. You need somethin’, you don’t hesitate to call me, and I’ll check in regular.”

  “Okay.” Again, the disappointment rang clear in that one word as I cast my gaze over his shoulder.