The Paternity Pact

by Cat Schield

  “You be good for your dad,” she warned her son. “And no dessert unless you eat all your vegetables.”

  Daniel rolled a pleading gaze toward Grant who offered him a conspiratorial wink. Although he knew it drove Harley crazy, he enjoyed playing the part of the “fun” parent on occasion to get in his son’s good graces.

  “I really appreciate your flexibility,” Harley said. “This meeting came up fast and I can’t turn down any opportunities to fund Zest.”

  “It’s no problem. My afternoon schedule has only one appointment in it. And you know how much I love spending time with my son.”

  “Daniel feels the same way.” Harley reached out and put her hand on his arm, her touch burning through two layers of fabric and making his skin tingle. “I swear I won’t make a habit of this. I’ve been looking for a day care that could take him a couple days a week, but everywhere I call they’re full.” Her eyes twinkled as she added, “Apparently, a certain fertility specialist is causing a baby boom here in Royal.”

  “Did you check with the Texas Cattleman’s Club day care?” he asked, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her breathless.

  When around Daniel, they kept their hands off each other and their fiery chemistry buttoned down. Usually this caused a gradual heating of their simmering passion, so that by the time they put Daniel to bed, they were wild to tear each other’s clothes off. Today, however, Harley was distracted and oblivious to his hunger.

  “With everything going on with Wingate Enterprises...” She grimaced. “Let’s just say the TCC isn’t exactly the most welcoming place for my family right now.”

  “Why don’t you let me take care of that.” Grant was pulling out his phone to send a text to the woman who ran the day care when he noted Harley’s hesitation. “Is something wrong?”

  “The thing is,” she began, frowning as she grappled with what she had to tell him. “Not all my family know about you being Daniel’s father.”

  The little Grant knew about her strained relationship with her family had come from Rose. From what his sister told him, Harley could barely stand to be in the same room with her mother and the woman had been overheard criticizing her daughter long before she had gotten herself pregnant and run off. Convinced he wanted nothing to do with such an emotional minefield, he hadn’t asked Harley why she’d chosen to stay with her best friend rather than at her family’s lavish estate where both her brothers as well as her mother lived in the massive main house and her cousins shared a spacious guesthouse.

  “Don’t you think it’s time you did?” Grant asked. “After all, everyone in my family knows and I didn’t make a point of asking them to keep the news a secret. It’s only a matter of time before word gets around and it would be better if they hear about our situation from you.”

  “Of course.” Harley gave a tight nod, her manner reflecting discomfort. “I just didn’t want to have to get into a big explanation about what happened five years ago...”

  As she trailed off, Grant wondered if there was more to her reluctance to reveal the truth than her tense relationship with her family. Was it possible that she didn’t want their connection to come to light? Ridiculous. Yet, she hadn’t exactly pushed for them to spend any time in public. If she wanted to flaunt their connection, wouldn’t she suggest that they be seen dining together at the Texas Cattlemen’s Club or one of the popular restaurants about town?

  “But you’re right,” Harley said, her gaze fixed on the far wall. “I really do need to break the news that Daniel is your son.” Her lips curved into a wry grin. “At least they won’t be all over me for making a poor choice. When they originally found out I was pregnant, I think they believed the reason I refused to name the father was because I’d gotten knocked up by someone they deemed unworthy. And that is most definitely not you.”

  Her gaze lingered on him in a way that heated his blood. While part of him worried how susceptible he’d become to her charms, living in the moment was far less complicated than worrying about what might or might not happen in the future.

  He hadn’t chosen Harley. Not in any careful, deliberate way he could depend on. She’d appeared in his life like a tornado, tearing through his defenses and leaving them in pieces. Even before learning that they shared a son, his reaction to her return to Royal had been raw and visceral. She monopolized his thoughts and distracted him in ways he couldn’t afford.

  When they were together, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Even the simple act of setting his palm on her back to guide her through a room gave him great pleasure. He caught himself staring at her lips and recalling the way they yielded to his kisses. He’d started saying clever things just to hear her laugh and enjoyed her fond expression every time her gaze fell upon her son.

  And when they were apart, he ached to see her again. At odd times, he found himself picking up his phone to send her a text, eager to connect with her even if it was just through a few simple words.

  He reached out and caught her hand in his, craving the simple contact. Her gaze grew smoky as he stroked his thumb along the underside of her wrist and a flush invaded her cheeks.

  “I thought maybe you’d kept quiet because you thought they would’ve been shocked by the difference in our ages,” he said.

  “You know that never bothered me.” She tried to make light of their circumstances, but he suspected her family would have a lot to say once they learned that Harley had been involved with a man more than a decade older than her. “And it’s not like you’re old enough to be my father.” Her grin faded as she surveyed his expression. “You really can’t let our age difference go, can you?”

  “No.”

  Her exasperated sigh let him know just how weary she was of his unwillingness to stop dwelling on the thirteen-year gap between them. No doubt, it matched his frustration that she refused to consider the problems that could arise because of it.

  “Does it ever bother you that your stubborn determination over a little thing like our age difference meant you lost over four years with your son?”

  Grief welled at her question. Anger followed. Had she stayed away to punish him for what had been a completely reasonable decision on his part? Grant scoured her expression, seeing sadness rather than aggravation, and he had his answer. Still, her question had stung.

  “You don’t think that it was your youth as much as our age difference that kept me from wishing to have a relationship with you?”

  “Ouch.” Yet, far from being insulted by his bluntness, Harley gave a little shrug, demonstrating her willingness to consider his motivation. “I guess that’s a fair question. I just wish you’d given me a chance before kicking me to the curb. We had an awesome time together that weekend. You might have been pleasantly surprised if you’d gotten to know me better. But I guess it was a situation where the timing was off. You weren’t ready for a relationship and I needed to grow up.”

  When she lapsed into silence, he wondered if she was waiting for him to jump in and declare that he was now ready for a relationship and that she’d grown up to the point where he was considering one with her. But in truth, he was more convinced than ever that the effort involved in a committed relationship wasn’t something he could sustain long-term. And he refused to give her hope.

  “I’m not sure much has changed for me,” Grant said, uncertain if that were completely true.

  With the amount of time they’d spent together these last few weeks, he’d begun thinking of their little trio as a unit. Both his easy rapport with Daniel as well as the sizzling sexual chemistry he shared with Harley had brought him to a place he’d never gone before.

  “Why are you so resistant to seeing where things could go between us?” she asked.

  “It’s not a relationship between us that I’m resisting,” he told her, wishing she’d stop tempting him to believe in something he knew couldn’t exist for him.
“It’s that I no longer imagine myself spending the rest of my life with anyone.”

  “Because of what happened between you and Paisley?” She frowned. “Don’t you think it’s unreasonable to assume because your marriage didn’t work out that all future relationships won’t, either?”

  “When Paisley married me, she thought she was getting a man capable of love and heartfelt passion,” he began, knowing the only way Harley would understand the depth of his flaws was to share why his marriage had failed. “But I didn’t bring the sort of connection and intimacy to our relationship that she needed.” And when Grant had informed her that he didn’t require those things in turn, she’d left him. “I don’t need the sort of connection she sought.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that you married Paisley for the wrong reasons?” Harley’s earnest expression tugged on emotions that were different and stronger than what his ex-wife had inspired.

  Doubts crowded in. What if in this particular instance he’d been wrong to rely on facts rather than feelings? His chest ached, the sensation uncomfortable and disturbing. Logic had never let him down before. If he’d listened to his heart instead of his head, he’d have let his family pressure him into giving up on being a doctor and succeeding brilliantly at something that helped actual people he knew rather than providing aid to strangers he’d never know.

  “Our marriage made perfect sense,” Grant said, speaking as much to himself as to Harley.

  “Not so perfect,” she pointed out, “or you’d still be married.”

  Grant found himself glaring at her while wishing away Harley’s knack for twisting his words and making him doubt his decisions. “Which is why I’m not going to make the same mistake again.”

  She cocked her head and considered him. “You know, it’s too bad you didn’t give me half a chance back then.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Maybe the reason you weren’t in love with Paisley was because...” A mischievous glint lit her eyes. “You’d already met your dream girl.”

  Grant saw past her flirtatious expression and self-deprecating tone to her desperate need to win him over and knew that encouraging her now would only lead to problems down the road.

  “I like things as they stand right now with you and Daniel,” he told her, his decisive tone causing her expression to lose its alluring sparkle.

  “And nothing I could say or do will change your mind.” She shook her head, forestalling his reply. “Never mind. I already know the answer.” She pulled her hand free and dodged his gaze. “I’ll be back in a couple hours. If anything happens, feel free to give me a call.”

  “We’ll be fine,” he assured her as he did every time she left Daniel with him.

  As she departed his office, a grim shadow settled over Grant’s mood. Today’s conversation had forced him out of the rosy haze he’d been floating in over the last few days. He found their current coexistence more than acceptable and thought because neither one had commented on what was transpiring between them, she felt the same way. But he could tell from Harley’s reaction today that the status quo wasn’t sustainable.

  Clearly, because he was Daniel’s father, he would forever be a part of Harley’s life, as well. It was problematic that she wanted him to consider taking their relationship beyond being lovers and Daniel’s co-parents and have them dive headfirst into a complicated tangle of romantic emotions. All the unrealistic expectations that would follow, involving them becoming a true couple and staying together forever, would only lead to disappointment for all of them.

  He needed her to understand that while they were clearly having fun in the moment, he had no intention of marrying again. Yet, the tricky part would be to find a balance between rejecting her fondest wishes and easing her into his way of thinking without hurting her irrevocably.

  Her dedication to Zest demonstrated that she would eventually return to Thailand. If he angered her, she could leave tomorrow and who knew how long before he saw her or his son again. The thought of losing either one of them made his gut churn. Grant quickly tamped down his anxiety.

  He would have to figure out a way to convince her to stay in Royal without promising what he couldn’t deliver. Daniel needed the stability of both his parents in his life and for both of them to get along. Because only that would make things better for all concerned.

  Nine

  Not long after her dinner with Regan and Zeke, Harley realized she’d better break the news to the rest of her family before the rumor mill got ahold of the story. To that end, she asked Beth to organize a dinner party for the family. Her sister had recently become engaged to Camden Guthrie and was living with him at his Circle K ranch.

  Her brother Miles and his fiancée, Chloe, as well as Aunt Piper had arrived a little early and as the clock ticked toward seven o’clock, Harley wondered, with everything going on with Wingate Enterprises, if her brothers would be too busy to come. However, to her delight, both Sebastian and Sutton arrived and as Cam ushered the twins into the living room, Harley realized it was the first time all her siblings had been in the same room since she’d returned from Royal.

  “Where’s Mom?” Harley asked. Since her brothers were living at the Wingate estate with Ava, she’d assumed they’d all come together.

  “She’ll be along,” Sebastian promised, his evasive answer intensifying Harley’s anxiety. “But probably not for dinner.”

  As much as she’d dreaded her mother’s reaction to finding out Grant was Daniel’s father, now that Ava might not be here for the announcement, Harley felt even worse. She’d hoped to confront her mother’s displeasure as soon as possible. Now, she’d just have more time to worry.

  When Harley had asked Beth to host the dinner party, she’d explained that the time had come to reveal the identity of Daniel’s father. She had wanted to share the news with her whole family at the same time, but since Ava hadn’t put in an appearance, Harley decided to go forward. Not wanting to draw the moment out longer than absolutely necessary, as soon as they were all seated and the first course had been served, Harley cleared her throat.

  “The reason I’ve gathered you all here tonight,” she intoned with a half smile, hoping to lighten the mood before she dropped her bomb.

  “Let me guess, you need money.” Leave it to Sutton to ramp up the awkwardness by pointing out their dire financial situation.

  Although her brothers were identical twins, with towering six-foot-two-inch frames and athletic builds, stylishly cut short dark blond hair and the family’s signature green eyes, their personalities made them easy to tell apart. Growing up, Harley had nicknamed her oldest brother Serious Sebastian, and he certainly hadn’t lightened up since he’d taken over as CEO of Wingate Enterprises.

  Sutton had a more carefree manner, always the first one to suggest a prank or tell a funny story. But Harley could tell the company problems had taken their toll on him, as well. As CFO of Wingate Enterprises, Sutton had been the one who proposed that they not just reduce their charitable contributions but cut them off entirely when the business started having problems.

  “That’s not what this is about,” Harley said, baring her teeth in an edgy smile that warned them all that she might be the baby of the family, but she was no longer a little girl. “Although if you could figure out who at Wingate Enterprises might be smuggling drugs into the country, so the company can be cleared of the accusations and restart their charitable contributions, that would be great.”

  “No one at the company is smuggling drugs,” Sebastian grumbled, shooting a glance at his younger brother.

  “We’ve been looking into things,” Miles said, an edge to his manner that always seemed more pronounced when he was around his family. “Based on the quantity of drugs found, we don’t think there’s any indication that one of our employees is engaged in an actual drug operation.”

  Like Harley, Miles had turned his back
on the Wingate’s money and power and started Steel Security, a company that catered to high-powered clientele, offering both physical and online protection.

  “But something is happening,” Harley put in. “I mean, the DEA is investigating the company.”

  “They won’t find anything,” Sebastian said definitively, his gaze touching on each of them. “The company is clean.”

  “Why is all this happening?” Beth shuddered. “It feels like the family is under attack.”

  Seeing the twins exchange a look, Cam put a protective arm around Beth’s shoulders. “Yeah, what’s really going on here? Is someone out to get the family?”

  Miles sighed heavily. “We don’t know.”

  When a heavy silence fell over her family, Harley cleared her throat a second time, eager to redirect the conversation back to where she wanted it.

  “The reason I asked Beth to organize tonight’s dinner was to tell you something about Daniel.” Seeing that she had everyone’s rapt attention, Harley gathered her courage and began. “When we returned from Thailand, I decided that Daniel needed to meet his biological father. So I reached out to him and we’ve been talking.” She felt her cheeks heat as she considered all the other things that they’d been doing, as well.

  “Who is he?” Miles asked. “Or is it still a secret?”

  “No. It doesn’t make sense to keep it under wraps anymore.” Harley pressed her damp palms together in an attempt to tamp down her anxiety and announced, “Daniel’s father is Grant Everett.”

  Piper was the first to react. She looked aghast. “Grant?”

  “The fertility specialist?” Beth made no attempt to hide her shock. “I didn’t even realize you knew him.”

  “We met at the TCC ball five years ago,” Harley said simply, reluctant to volunteer more than she had to.

  Sebastian crossed his arms and frowned. “How long were you two dating?”

  The warmth in her cheeks rushed over all her skin, but she maintained an air of dignity as she answered, “We didn’t actually date. It was more like we spent a weekend together.”