0373659490 (R)

by Michelle Major

  “Any chance your pajamas are silk and lace?”

  “Plain cotton flannel,” she said with a snort, slipping her feet back into her espadrilles. “Not interesting at all.”

  “Invite me over,” he coaxed. “I’ll be the judge of that.” Flynn waved his hands and kicked his feet. “Even the lad agrees.”

  Her face softened as she looked at Flynn. Charles could watch Alice watch their son for hours, marveling at the love shining in her eyes. Did all fathers feel this way about their child’s mother? He was pretty sure Sir Simon had about Josephine. But his parents had been in love, and Charles barely knew Alice. It couldn’t be anything more than the novelty of their situation.

  “Charles—” she began, but broke off when his phone rang.

  She scooped up Flynn as Charles pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen. His brother Brodie. He sent the call to voice mail but a moment later the phone rang again. This time it was Jensen. Even as the phone rang, his text message alert sounded. “Damn,” he muttered.

  “Emergency?” Alice asked.

  “To some people,” he replied. In the midst of the barrage from his other siblings, Lucie texted to apologize for letting slip the news about Flynn and Alice. So much for his sister’s ability to keep a secret. “I should probably deal with this.” Charles held up his phone.

  “No problem,” Alice said immediately. “Flynn and I can walk—”

  Did she really think he’d just desert her? It made him all the more frustrated at the intrusion when the result was Alice feeling insecure around him. “I’ll drive you home first.”

  “I don’t want to be a bother. If—”

  “Alice, you aren’t a bother.” He realized his tone was harsher than he’d meant when she flinched. What was a bother were his nosy siblings. He took a step toward her. “I want to be with you and Flynn,” he said gently. “Our son is my priority.”

  For some reason, his words made her hold the baby a little tighter to her chest. Charles wanted to question her but his phone rang again. “I’m silencing this thing until we’re out of here. Let me sign the receipt and then we’ll head for the car.”

  “I need to see to Flynn’s diaper,” she told him, looking almost apologetic. “There’s a family restroom on the first floor.”

  “Then I’ll bring the car from the garage and pick you up out front.”

  She nodded and placed the baby back in his carrier. Charles watched her walk toward the elevator before finishing his purchase, collecting the shopping bags and starting for the car. He could feel the continuous vibration of his phone against his hip. His irritation grew by the second.

  Whatever this was with Alice was too new to share with his family, as much as he loved them. He certainly didn’t welcome their opinion on what kind of father he’d make. He could imagine what they’d have to say about that.

  He pulled the car in front of the mall entrance and then helped Alice with the car seat and stroller. They were both silent on the way to her apartment, and Charles wished he could get back the cozy playfulness of the afternoon.

  She practically jumped out of the sedan as he parked in front of her building. “I’m sorry for my foul mood,” he told her as he took the stroller from the trunk. Where was his gift for charm when he needed it? “Let me walk you upstairs.”

  “It’s fine.” She clicked the car seat into place on top of the stroller. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Charles. You don’t owe me anything.”

  That might be true, but it wasn’t what he wanted. His phone vibrated again. “Bloody hell, they’re persistent.” He scrubbed his palm across his jaw. “I’ve got to head out of town for a day. I’ll see you when I get back.” He bent his knees so he could look her in the eyes. “Right?”

  Her rosy lips pressed together. “I don’t expect—”

  “No.” He held a fingertip to her mouth. “I can’t hear one more time that you don’t expect anything from me. It’s a refrain in my life that grows more tiresome by the hour.” He leaned forward and replaced his finger with his mouth, giving her a kiss that he hoped promised her what he couldn’t put into words just yet. “I’ll see you soon, Alice.”

  She nodded, an adorable blush coloring her cheeks.

  “Be good for your mum, little man,” he said to Flynn, then climbed back into his car. He waited until he’d turned the corner from Alice’s street, then pulled over to the curb. He quickly sent a group text to Brodie, Oliver, Jensen and Amelia.

  Enough with the sodding messages. I’ll be at the Horseback Hollow Cantina tomorrow at noon. Anyone with questions can meet me there.

  Only a few seconds passed before the messages flooded in. Looked as if there would be a crowd of British Fortunes at lunch tomorrow.

  Chapter Six

  Alice didn’t bother knocking on her parents’ front door that night. She’d had Sunday dinner at their house every week since she’d moved out during her pregnancy.

  At the time, both her mom and dad had begged her to stay. Although it had been a shock, her mother had taken the news of Alice’s pregnancy better than her father. Lynn Meyers had mostly seemed worried that Alice wouldn’t be able to keep herself and the baby safe and healthy if she went to live on her own.

  She couldn’t exactly blame her mother for worrying. Alice had lived at home all her life, even through four years at the University of Texas and once she started working for the tourism board. None of her friends had believed she was content to remain in her childhood bedroom, but Alice hadn’t been motivated to leave until Flynn. Once she’d felt the baby move inside her, she’d started to resent her mother’s well-meaning suggestions. Alice had needed to prove that she was strong enough to raise Flynn on her own, so she had put down the deposit on her small apartment two months before he’d been born.

  Her father hadn’t said a word when she moved out, which wasn’t much different than how he’d been most of her life. Henry Meyers loved her, but he was far more interested in the details of the history of American immigration than his daughter’s life. He hadn’t questioned her story about the pregnancy being a result of a one-night stand, even though her mother continued to dig for more details about the father’s identity.

  There was no way she was going to reveal Bonnie Lord Charlie as Flynn’s father to her parents. Meredith had a difficult enough time believing Alice could have caught the eye of the handsome Brit. Even if her mom and dad accepted the news, she wasn’t ready to disclose her connection to Charles.

  Her mom scooped up Flynn from his car seat as soon as Alice walked into the kitchen. Lynn cooed and cuddled the baby and even Alice’s father fussed over him. It gave Alice a bit of confidence to remember that even if Charles didn’t remain an active presence in Flynn’s life, she had a family who loved her boy.

  They ate the spaghetti dinner her mother had cooked and then Alice cleared the table while her mom fed Flynn a bottle and her father headed for his study.

  “It feels like he changes every time I see him,” Lynn said as Flynn’s fingers curled around one of hers.

  “He was almost sixteen pounds when I took him in for his four-month checkup last week.” Alice stacked bowls and plates in the dishwasher as she spoke. “The doctor said he can try cereal before the end of the month.”

  “I wish you were still living here,” her mother said gently. “I could help so much more. You look tired, sweetie.”

  Alice felt her fingers tighten around a glass. “I’m fine, Mom. He still isn’t sleeping through the night. The pediatrician thinks solid food might help.”

  “I worry about you, Alice. Between work and caring for Flynn, there’s no time for you. If you didn’t have to work so many hours—”

  “I love my job,” Alice said, vigorously scrubbing the pasta pot before setting it on the dish drainer to dry. “And I love Flynn. I’m balancing the two of them the best I can. It’s not an option to work less or else I can’t pay for the babysitter and my apartment. You know that.”


  “But if you lived at home—”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “Or had a husband...”

  Alice dried her hands on a towel and went to sit at the table. Flynn had just finished his bottle and nuzzled his grandmother’s shoulder as Lynn patted his back.

  “Mom, I’m doing okay. Really.”

  “I know,” her mother answered with a tender smile. “I’m proud of you, Alice. You’re handling the responsibility of being a single mom better than I could have imagined. But it’s hard for me to see you alone through all of this.”

  Alice thought of the time she’d spent with Charles in the past couple days. Being with him made even the mundane chores of parenting seem fun. Yes, she wanted more of that, but...

  “There’s something you’re not telling me,” her mother said suddenly, narrowing her eyes.

  Alice blinked and tried to school her features. “No. It’s nothing.”

  “It’s a man,” Lynn whispered.

  “How do you...”

  “Call it a mother’s instinct,” she continued, clearly perking up at the thought of a man in Alice’s life. “Have you reconnected with Flynn’s father?”

  “I told you, I don’t have a relationship with Flynn’s father.”

  “At the time I believed you.” Flynn burped and Lynn wiped a bit of spit-up from his chin. “But I can tell it’s different now. Something, or someone, is on your mind. You were distracted during dinner. You listened to your father’s thoughts on the instability of early colonial society without once suggesting that he start living in the present.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Alice said quickly, but knew her mother could read through the blatant lie. Charles did matter, far more than she’d expected him to in such a short time. She wanted to believe him when he told her he’d be part of their son’s life for the long haul, but it was difficult to discount his playboy reputation. “He’s... Flynn’s father is not the kind of man to commit to anyone.”

  “But he’s the man you want?”

  Alice sighed. “Nothing is going to come of it, Mom.”

  Lynn snuggled her grandson against her chest and Flynn’s eyes drifted closed. “You’re young, Alice. Just because you’re a mother doesn’t mean you don’t have needs of your own.”

  “What I need is to take care of my baby.” Alice stood and lifted a sleeping Flynn from her mother’s arms. “He’s everything to me.”

  “You should have someone to take care of you, sweetie.” Lynn stood and pressed a kiss to Alice’s cheek and then Flynn’s. “I’m not going to make you tell me who this man is, but I want you to know that I’m here if you need to talk. I know that your father and I were overprotective, and I probably still am, but you’re a big girl now and I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Tears pricked the back of Alice’s eyes. “A baby might be exhausting, but it’s a lot simpler, you know?”

  Her mother gave a soft chuckle. “Life is complicated, relationships especially. Whoever this man is, if he could commit, do you see a future with him?”

  Alice wanted a future with Charles with a longing that made her weak in the knees. But she was too practical to believe there was a chance of that happening. She couldn’t hold a candle to the women he was used to, and the mundane reality of raising a child would never maintain his interest. “No,” she whispered, and squeezed shut her eyes to keep from crying.

  Immediately she was wrapped in a tight, motherly embrace. “I’m sorry, Alice.” They stood in the kitchen for several minutes, Alice drawing strength from her mom until her breathing was back to normal.

  Lynn drew away, ran a finger across Flynn’s chubby cheek. “Whoever this man is, he’s missing out on quite a prize.”

  Alice didn’t have the heart to explain that Flynn’s father might be keen on the baby, just not her. It felt weak and pathetic, when she should be thrilled and grateful that Charles was taking an interest in his son. That had been her goal from the first, and she couldn’t let her feelings for Charles make her lose sight of that.

  “We’ll be fine.” She had to believe that was true. Charles had gone to Horseback Hollow, so she had time to regain her emotional equilibrium before he returned. So far her intention of keeping her heart out of the mix had been a total failure, but she had to try harder.

  Flynn was her whole reason for being, so how hard could it be to keep her interactions with Charles focused on the baby? Maybe she’d let things get too close too fast. Charles wanted to get to know Flynn, but there was no need to rush things. Maybe if she put the brakes on the time she spent with Charles, it would be easier to remember that the only reason he was in her life was the son they shared.

  She was busy and tired, so it would probably make sense if she limited their contact to the weekends. Alice was a master at compartmentalizing her life. That seemed like a perfect solution to her trouble with Charles.

  She kissed her mother goodbye and gave her father a hug, packed Flynn into her car and headed for home. She and her baby were a team. Team Meyers, not Team Fortune Chesterfield. Even if her team made her feel empty, it was best for everyone that she go it alone.

  * * *

  By the time Charles walked into the Horseback Hollow Cantina Monday afternoon, he was hot, tired and completely irritated by his siblings’ interference in his life. It was nearly a six-hour drive from Austin to the quaint town that had become home to so much of his family. He’d left before sunrise and before he was halfway there had grown weary of the endless view of sky, livestock pastures and fields.

  The long car ride had been somewhat productive, as he’d spent much of his time on the phone with his solicitor in London, working out the details of both a trust for Flynn and arrangements to take care of Alice’s future.

  There was a decent lunch crowd in the restaurant when he arrived, but he quickly spotted his brothers, Oliver, Brodie and Jensen, and his sister Amelia waiting at a large table near the back. A rush of love for his family rose to the surface, competing with his annoyance as he joined them. He was happy that his brothers and sister had found love in this small Texas town, but it wasn’t easy having his close-knit family living an ocean away.

  Amelia stood and greeted him with a fierce hug. “I’m so happy for you, Charles,” she said in her soft voice. “Clementine is over-the-moon excited about having another cousin, although she wishes someone could provide her with a girl cousin.” She arched an eyebrow at her three other brothers.

  “Maybe Charles can go for a girl the next time around,” Oliver said, shaking his head. “Or perhaps there’s another little Fortune he has yet to discover.”

  “Oliver, stop,” Jensen said, his tone reproving. “We agreed to hear Charles’s side of the story.”

  “Whose side have you heard so far?” Charles asked, sinking into the chair between Jensen and Brodie. Amelia and Oliver sat on the opposite side of the table.

  “Lucie’s,” Brodie said with a grin.

  “She was supposed to keep the news a secret.” Charles took a drink of water from the glass in front of him. “I thought she was an expert at secrets.”

  “Only her own,” Amelia clarified.

  A waitress approached their table, looking a bit dazed at the prospect of taking orders from so many British Fortunes. She’d regained some of her composure by the time she got to Charles. “You’re the royal one,” she said, after he had ordered a burger and fries.

  Charles pointed to Jensen. “He’s the one they call ‘sir.’”

  The woman darted a brief glance at Jensen, then focused her attention back on Charles. “But you give the royal treatment, right?”

  Charles cringed at having the embarrassing ad campaign mentioned in front of his siblings. The way the woman phrased the question made him sound like some sort of British stud for hire.

  His brothers snickered. “Oh, he gives it all right,” Brodie offered, laughing until Amelia swatted him on the arm.

  The waitress smiled and scribbled somethi
ng on the bottom of her order pad. “If you’re in town for a spell and want some good ole Texas hospitality, give me a call.” She ripped off a strip of paper and tucked it under the edge of the ketchup bottle in the middle of the table. “Don’t have to be a royal to know how to have fun.”

  She turned from the table toward the kitchen, her hips swinging as she walked.

  Oliver shook his head. “I forgot that sort of thing happens everywhere you go, Charles.”

  “It’s disgusting,” Amelia murmured.

  Brodie grinned. “But a bit impressive.”

  Charles moved the ketchup bottle to cover the phone number. “I hate it.”

  “Since when?” Jensen asked.

  Since Alice, Charles wanted to answer, even though he’d grown weary of his reputation and the attention that went along with it before that. But being with Alice had made it hit home how much he wanted something more from his life.

  “Our Charlie Boy is a father now,” Amelia said, when he didn’t answer his brother’s question. “That changes things.”

  “Has it, Charles?” Brodie asked.

  “Flynn has changed everything,” Charles said, absently running his hand through his hair. “But I’m still me and I’m damned scared of mucking up the whole thing.”

  His siblings greeted that pronouncement with silence.

  “This is the part where you tell me I can do it,” he muttered. “Words of encouragement and all that rot.”

  Oliver blew out a breath. “As in, hurrah, Charles, congratulations on getting a potential gold digger pregnant and saddling yourself with a lifetime of responsibility when you can barely remember to change your socks and underwear each day.” As the oldest of Josephine’s two boys from her first marriage, Oliver had always been protective of his brothers and sisters, and the blunt words stung. In truth, the dig at Charles’s own character was easier to stomach than the implied insult to Alice.

  “She’s not a gold digger,” he growled. “I won’t hear you say a word against her, Oliver.” He pointed a finger at each of them. “Not one word from any of you. Yes, the baby was a shock, but Alice is a wonderful mother and she’s worked hard to support Flynn on her own. She hasn’t asked me for anything.”