by Cat Schield
Yet, she’d once glimpsed his wariness and knew the pain that had caused him to wall off his emotions. The weekend Daniel had been conceived, she’d been offered some insight into Grant’s innermost thoughts. In the wee hours of the night, as they lay tangled together, he’d dropped his guard and given her a glimpse of his pain. He’d shared how going against his parents’ wishes and becoming a doctor instead of taking the reins of the family’s businesses had put him at odds with his mom and dad. Their inability to support his decisions had compelled him to take refuge behind indifference.
She’d been surprised to find they were kindred spirits in this regard and shared with him how she’d known nothing but criticism from her mother and exasperation from her siblings. Growing up, they’d often made her feel as if nothing she said or did was right. And when they’d learned she’d become pregnant, they’d chosen to scold her rather than offer their support, leaving her no choice but to distance herself from the Wingates and eventually put Royal in her rearview mirror.
In the months that followed, she’d been swallowed by bitterness and ignored all their attempts to reach out to her. Daniel had saved her from her worst instincts. Could he save Grant, as well?
“Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me tonight,” Grant said as he settled behind the wheel of the Mercedes.
“Of course,” she replied, keeping her voice light. “You know I enjoy your company.”
He shot her a curious look before starting the car. Harley’s senses came fully alive as she inhaled his clean masculine scent and absorbed the way his proximity made her skin tingle. Fighting the impulse to lean into his space, she gripped her purse until her fingers ached and focused on calming her skyrocketing pulse. Good thing they were going out in public because Harley wasn’t sure she could keep her hands to herself if left alone with him for more than the time it would take to drive to the restaurant.
As he drove, she wondered where he intended to take her. Their appearance together at one of Royal’s better restaurants would be sure to spark gossip. When the town limits came and went, Harley relaxed. Obviously, neither one of them was ready to flaunt their connection in public.
Their destination turned out to be Violets, an upscale restaurant in Joplin, a good-sized town in neighboring Colonial County. As Grant escorted her to the front door, his palm grazed her back as she slipped past him and entered the cozy interior. Reeling from the heady rush of his touch, Harley filled her lungs with the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen.
The hostess escorted them to a table set with elegant crystal goblets, flickering candles and a pot of delicate violets on white linens. Despite the elegant decor and soft lighting, the atmosphere was less romantic and more geared toward fine dining.
“I haven’t been here before,” Harley said. “It’s very nice.”
“One of my staff is the cousin of the owner and recommended it.”
Harley glanced at the menu and surveyed the selections. Her mouth watered in appreciation of the cuisine. “This all looks amazing,” she murmured. “I have no idea what to have.”
“June recommended the beef tenderloin Oscar and the lamb loin.”
“The saffron mussel soup caught my eye, as well.”
The waiter appeared and went over that evening’s specials and took their drink order. Harley shot surreptitious glances in Grant’s direction as she continued to hem and haw over her entrée selection. With his typical decisiveness, Grant made his choice and set his menu aside. While they waited for the waiter to return, they chatted about the changes to Royal during her absence and the dramas surrounding several of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club members that had occurred in the last few years. Since he wasn’t one for small talk, Harley figured he hadn’t yet figured out how to divulge how he was feeling. She waited until they’d received their entrées before tackling the reason they’d agreed to meet for dinner.
“Now that you’ve had some time to adjust,” she began, savoring the butter-poached king crab that topped the beef tenderloin medallions. “How are you feeling about being a father?”
Grant frowned. “I’m getting used to the idea.”
“Finding out your whole life will never be the same is a bit of a shock.” Harley thought back to the moment when she’d glimpsed the positive pregnancy test. “It takes a while to get used to the idea of being a parent,” she continued. “I had eight months to adjust. You’ve had a few days.”
“Do you want me there when you tell him?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I haven’t figured out how to do that. I’m hoping it’ll just become obvious one day that he’s ready to hear the truth.”
“One day?” Grant echoed. “That’s a little vague.”
Harley needed to tread carefully. She didn’t want to hurt Grant, but wasn’t sure how he would cope with being a father. She knew her son. Knew Daniel would throw himself heart and soul into the relationship. She wasn’t sure Grant would meet him halfway.
“Harley?” Grant prompted when she didn’t immediately respond.
“I think Daniel should get to know you a little before we break the news that you’re his dad.” Harley paid careful attention to his expression as she spoke, unsurprised that his features were carved granite.
“You do plan to tell him I’m his father.”
“Of course.” Harley set her fork down, her appetite departing. “It’s just that I’m worried that he’ll expect so much from you and it will be more than you’re willing to give.”
The whole time she’d been speaking, Grant had regarded her in stony silence. Now, as her insinuation hung between them, he frowned. “More than I’m willing to give? What does that mean?”
“I’ve created a very safe world for Daniel. A place where he’s surrounded by friends who love him.”
Grant’s eyes widened at her frank words. “And you don’t think I will love him?”
“That’s not what I meant.” This was going as badly as she’d imagined. “Look, the way things ended between us... I was devastated.”
She regretted the confession even as she offered it. During all the conversations she’d imagined, never once did she think to blurt out that his rejection had broken her heart. What good would it do to share her emotional upheaval when he preferred to address every situation with logic? She was only going to end up frustrated and feeling that he hadn’t heard her.
“We spent a weekend together,” he reminded her with his typical pragmatism. “The fact that you’re still bothered after all this time demonstrates that you were too young for me to have gotten involved with at all.”
The ease with which he dismissed what had been a hurtful rejection after an otherwise magical weekend just reinforced that she needed to protect her son.
“You aren’t wrong,” she agreed. “It’s just that at the time I thought you had feelings for me and the way you shut me down really stung. It makes me afraid you’ll do the same thing to Daniel without realizing it. He’s a sensitive kid with an enormous heart and he might not understand if you approach parenting by applying logic.”
“So, you’re worried that I’m not in touch with my emotions and Daniel will get hurt because of it?”
She turned her palms up. “I’m not sure yet. Which is why I’m erring on the side of caution.”
“I never expected I would be a father,” Grant admitted. “But I intend to be a good one.”
Harley’s chest ached as she acknowledged Grant’s vow. “That’s all I ask.”
Five
Following his dinner with Harley, Grant realized if he intended to spend any extended time with his son, he’d better outfit his home with what a young boy might need.
He’d started by choosing the bedroom next to the master suite so Daniel would be close in case the tyke needed him in the middle of the night. Then he hired a painter, went shopping for furniture and
purchased all the toys a four-year-old boy might desire. Normally, when it came to decorating his house, he would hire an interior designer and let the woman work her magic. But this was for his son. He wanted to be the one who personalized the space, and if Harley was impressed that he’d gone out of his way to make sure Daniel felt at home, then all the better.
Harley had mentioned that Daniel was obsessed with horses since coming to Texas, so he decided the boy would enjoy a cowboy-themed room. Imagining Daniel’s reaction to each item he selected brought him a rush of pleasure.
Unfortunately, these packages were delivered after his housekeeper, Franny, had left for the day and Grant had arrived home to find an enormous pile of boxes on his porch. He’d barely finished dragging in the last of the packages when Rose paid him an impromptu visit. As she entered his home, her eyes went wide as she surveyed the massive delivery.
“Looks like you bought out the store.” His sister noted the names adorning the various packages and added, “Or should I say stores.”
Grant shrugged. “It’s just a few things.”
“What sort of things? Forgive my curiosity,” she said, sounding not the least bit apologetic, “but it isn’t like you to...shop. And especially not in this sort of volume. What is all this?”
Grant recognized the glint in Rose’s eyes and knew that the time had come to tell her about Daniel. “They’re toys and things.”
“I see.” Only from her frown, she obviously didn’t. “Are you opening a day care?” The question was ridiculous and both of them knew it, but such was his sister’s dry sense of humor. “Okay, stop scowling at me. I was just kidding but you have to admit this is odd... Even for you.”
He ignored her fond mockery and expelled his breath in a gusty sigh. “The truth is, I recently found out that I have a son.”
Rose regarded him blankly for several seconds as if he’d delivered the punch line of a joke and she was feverishly trying to sort out if it was funny.
“I’m sorry.” She gave her head a vigorous shake as if that might put her scattered thoughts back into place. “Did you say you have a son?”
“Yes. His name is Daniel.” Grant paused, allowing her to catch up. “He’s four years old.”
“You have a son? Who’s four?” His sister furrowed her brow and Grant could see her trying to calculate the timing. “Who’s his mother?”
Rose prided herself on being on top of all the gossip in Royal. Being presented with a massive bolt out of the blue like this was guaranteed to drive her crazy and Grant appreciated being one step ahead of her for a change. Several heartbeats passed while Grant watched his sister stew. Then, just as Rose was revving up to pummel him with more questions, Grant dropped his second bombshell.
“Harley Wingate.”
If Grant thought this revelation would amaze her, he was dead wrong. Rose snapped her fingers and regarded him in satisfaction.
“I knew it! I knew something had happened between the two of you at the TCC ball five years ago.”
Grant expected the next words out of her mouth to be a commentary on the difference in their ages, but once again, Rose surprised him.
“Are you sure the boy is yours?”
“Yes.”
She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at his decisive tone. “You had him tested?”
He lifted his own eyebrow in reply.
“Hmm. I’d heard that Harley was pregnant when she left town and that she refused to name the father.” Rose had obviously found much in his news to muse about. “And that she came back to Royal because she’s struggling to keep her nonprofit afloat.”
“Whatever her reasons, I’m just glad I get the chance to know my son.”
His sister barely let him finish before continuing, “Has she spoken to you about financial support?”
Despite his ongoing doubts, Grant immediately jumped to Harley’s defense. “She didn’t tell me about my son in the hopes that I’d pay her off.”
Rose studied him for a long moment. “Maybe not, but she put half the world between her and Royal and out of the blue she’s back. That decision couldn’t have been made lightly. I guess you should be glad Wingate Enterprises has been having so much trouble lately or you might never have known you had a son.”
This fact wasn’t lost on Grant. Had she stayed away so long to avoid him or punish him? Deep down, Grant believed it was the former. Harley wasn’t vindictive. But if she assumed his feelings for her hadn’t changed, her pride would’ve prevented her from initiating contact.
But now she was back and their recent kiss had demonstrated their sexual chemistry was as potent as ever. The way they’d both been swept up in the moment promised there would be more such lapses in the future. Pleasure sparked at the thought. Something to look forward to then.
“Did she explain why she waited so long to tell you?” Rose continued.
“Our last encounter ended rather abruptly. She was angry at me when she left town.” Once again, regret twisted Grant’s gut into knots. If he’d handled things better, would Harley still have fled Royal and taken his son away? “Once Daniel was born, she had a change of heart but learned that I was engaged to Paisley.”
Rose nodded as if in approval. “So she took your happiness into consideration when she made her decision. But you and Paisley have been divorced for over a year. Why didn’t she tell you sooner?”
“She claims it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have over the phone.”
“I guess that makes sense. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to tell you and then keep you from Daniel.” His sister looked thoughtful. “Of course, there’s another possible reason she delayed. Perhaps she didn’t know who the father was?”
“I don’t know,” Grant admitted. That scenario had also run through his mind, but he’d dismissed it as unimportant. “But it doesn’t matter. Daniel is my son.”
“I must say, I’m a little surprised that you of all people would’ve had something like this happen to you.”
“Accidents happen.”
“Not to you,” Rose pointed out. “You are the last man I would’ve expected to sleep with a teenager, much less get her pregnant.”
Five years hadn’t dimmed the mix of horror and irritation he’d felt upon discovering what an enormous mistake he’d made. “You don’t seriously think I would’ve gotten involved with an eighteen-year-old if I’d known her age.”
Yet, looking back on it now, could he have resisted Harley? He’d been immediately enamored with her at the party. So much so that his brain had completely disengaged. The chemistry between them had been that overwhelming. Nor could he say with confidence that if she’d confessed her identity before they’d slept together, he would’ve walked away. In truth, he suspected that doing the right thing in that moment had been beyond his usually unflinching willpower. Only confronted with being lied to by her had enabled him to push her away.
“You didn’t know? But you must’ve run into her at the TCC clubhouse. You had to have realized who she was before you got together.”
“I don’t think I did.”
“You don’t think?” she echoed skeptically. “Are you saying that you suspected, but that you ignored your instincts?”
Had he? After that weekend, he’d told himself that never in a million years would he have connected the sexy siren with the Wingate’s youngest daughter. Maybe a couple times over the course of their time together he’d noticed her behaving less mature than she appeared, but his actions had run counter to normal, as well. They’d had fun. More fun than he’d let himself enjoy in a long time. Entranced by her brilliant smiles and endearing sense of humor, his serious side had taken a back seat.
“You know me,” Grant said. “Have I ever willfully allowed myself to be fooled?”
“No, but maybe you wanted to believe she was closer to your age because you desired h
er.”
“She put on a good act. And I bought it.” Yet, he couldn’t deny that something happened between them that weekend, something that had shaken him. “But once I found out how young she was, I put an end to it.”
“I think it would do you good to date a younger woman. You could use someone fresh and vibrant in your life.”
Grant snorted. “What are you saying? That I am stodgy and old?”
“I’m saying that you spend too much time in your head and you work too much. You need a partner.”
“I tried that once,” he reminded her. “It didn’t turn out well.”
Rose gave a delicate snort. “I knew from the start that Paisley wasn’t the right woman for you.” Oblivious to her brother’s inner turmoil, she continued, “Her needy dependency drove you away.”
Grant regarded his sister in surprise. While Rose hadn’t applauded his choice of wife, she’d never voiced any criticism. “She wanted more from me than I could give.”
“There was more to it than that. You two had nothing in common.”
“We moved in the same social circles.” The Everett family was invited to all the charity events held in Royal and Paisley loved attending the balls and parties. In the early months of their marriage, Grant escorted her now and then, but soon returned his energy to his demanding fertility practice.
“You need someone who can help you balance work and play.” Rose shot him a sly smile. “Someone who understands how driven you are but who’s passionate about her own dreams.”
As his sister spoke, Harley’s face popped into his mind. Was she that someone? He’d certainly been behaving differently since she’d come home. More so since learning that she’d given birth to his son. Becoming a father had given him new responsibilities and a permanent link to Harley. Suddenly, his future had a fresh, unexpected outlook.
“Someone like Harley,” his sister continued as if reading his thoughts. “You are both dedicated to helping women and families. Her nonprofit helps women lift themselves out of poverty. You help women get pregnant and create new families.”
