The important thing was she was here on the island, had a real job, and was in charge of her own destiny. Yes, the McCallisters had helped out enormously, but if she didn’t join their family at some point, her life wasn’t over. There were plenty of men on this island. She didn’t need someone rich or anything like that. Just a normal guy who treated her well was all she wanted.
If Parker wasn’t the one, she’d be fine with that.
She hoped.
A vibrating sound came from Parker’s direction. He jumped slightly and removed his hand from hers. Pulling his cell from his pocket, he frowned. “Sorry, everyone. I have to take this call.” He flipped the phone open while he stood from the table. “Why are you calling me?”
Whatever the answer was, Parker didn’t stick around for the family to overhear as he stepped through the doorway to the next room and shut it firmly.
Sierra stared around the table, wondering if his family’s attitude toward her would change now that Parker left.
However, no hostility came her way as the others continued harassing one another.
After several minutes when Parker still hadn’t returned, John stood up. “Guess that’s the end of dinner. Hopefully Parker got enough, because I’m all tacoed out,” he said. “Why don’t you kids clean up while Mom and I get the cake and coffee ready?”
Larissa was the first to her feet, running a hand through her short hair while she looked around the table. “Sierra and I can load the dishwasher. The rest of you have to put the food away. I hate that job.”
She began gathering plates, and Sierra mouthed ‘thank you’ as she leapt up to help her.
No one even looked funny at her for being with the family, and if all else failed, Larissa seemed to have her back. It was almost as if they accepted her here. Even with Parker gone, she belonged.
Too bad she might not get the chance to know them all well. She and Parker definitely needed to address the kid situation tonight. After that, she might not be welcome.
* * *
On the drive back to his hotel, Parker wondered if he should tell Sierra about the phone call. When he returned to have dessert, he’d lied and said it was work related when Quinn asked who called. No one had questioned him, but his stomach turned with nerves the rest of the night.
“We should probably talk,” Sierra said, shifting in her seat to stare at him. “I know what you’re thinking.”
He highly doubted that. Unsure of her reaction to his news, he decided deflection was the best method. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re thinking?”
Her hand rested against his biceps briefly before she moved it. “Is this a deal breaker?”
Parker scrunched his eyebrows, trying to decide what she was talking about. “I’m not sure.”
“I need to know,” she persisted. “Will you be able to find happiness with someone who doesn’t want children, or are we wasting our time?”
Children? She was still thinking about children when Vanessa had just called and rocked his whole world. He had completely forgotten about the child discussion in his shock at hearing Vanessa’s low, flirty voice.
What in the hell did Vanessa want, anyway? He finally started moving on, and she calls to say she has to see him and that he had to keep it secret. It wasn’t right. She should stay gone, but he couldn’t help that a part of him was curious about her motives.
Not to mention, Sierra just reminded him that his visions of a cozy house full of a happy family wouldn’t happen if he stayed with her. Not that it would have happened with Vanessa, either. But Vanessa wasn’t up front about that when they were dating. He thought they would have that life for the entire year he dated her.
“Is that a yes?” Sierra asked. “I can understand if it is. I know a lot of people really want kids. I’m just not that person. Cece made sure of the fact that I need to have motherhood off the table.”
Parker pulled his car into a parking spot at his hotel, then took her hand. “Sierra, you said you weren’t letting her control your life anymore. Wouldn’t that be letting her win?”
Taking her hand back, Sierra shook her head. “I can’t guarantee I won’t turn out just like her. People turn into their parents all the time, even when they hate them.”
“Maybe we should take things one step at a time, Red. I’m not looking to have kids tomorrow. We’re just learning about each other and finding out if we want to be together or not.”
She turned away from him, staring out the window. “You aren’t sure then? I kind of thought you were sure about being with me. That’s why I took us all the way last night. I was sure, and I thought you...”
Her voice sounded bleak and hurt. It made Parker’s chest constrict with sorrow to hear that same defeat back in her voice that she’d had after Cece first attacked her. And didn’t he know he was falling for her, really? He’d certainly thought that earlier today.
It was Vanessa’s call that had him confused. Why did he even care? He had this great woman right here in front of him. Given time, she’d realize what a wonderful person she truly was. She was so different from Cece. One day, Sierra would be a terrific mother. He didn’t need to pressure her about that right now. He’d change her mind later.
But he’d also agreed to talk with Vanessa tomorrow. If he told Sierra he was committed to her and then saw his ex behind her back, that would make him feel like a cheater. Something he never wanted to be.
“I like you, Sierra, I really do. Can’t we just not label this and see what happens?”
She chewed her lips for a few moments before responding. “I think you should take me home.”
He stroked her hair, the silky strands flowing beneath his fingers. “My bed would be a lot more comfortable for us than yours,” he said, purposely misunderstanding her.
With an inpatient grunt, she knocked his hand away. The anger in her gaze was a crushing weight. “I want to go home. Alone.”
Parker grimaced but turned the key in the ignition, firing it back to life. If he could just be honest with her about Vanessa’s call, she could stay. His fear was that she wouldn’t want to, once she learned he’d agreed to see the other woman. He had to keep quiet, at least until he spoke to Vanessa.
“Why don’t we talk about this later, once we’ve both had a good night’s sleep?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure.” She didn’t sound convincing. Already, she’d written him off.
Pulling out of the spot, Parker tried to tell himself everything would be okay. After he found out what Vanessa wanted, he could go back to Sierra and explain everything. They’d work out the baby thing, and he could finally commit to her fully.
But he knew she wouldn’t understand why he’d agreed to see Vanessa. At first, Parker didn’t understand himself. Now he knew. To move on with Sierra and never look back, he needed closure.
Once he had that, he would never let Sierra go again.
* * *
Sierra left Parker outside her room, not kissing him goodnight even though she knew he expected it. After locking the door, she placed her purse on the desktop, noting the wilting rose Parker had brought yesterday. With a sigh, she unpacked her toothbrush and spare panties from her purse.
It was amazing how quickly life changed. Even though she kept telling herself she understood Parker’s hesitation, Sierra brushed angrily at the tears blurring her vision.
He was right, though. If she broke things off with him because she was scared of children, Cece would win. Parker was a great man, one she could see spending a lot more time with. However, she couldn’t help but worry how being a mom could complicate her life. She’d be afraid every day that she couldn’t give a child the love it deserved.
Also, suddenly he didn’t want to label their relationship. What did that mean? It hurt to think he might have just had sex with her while she made love to him, even though he claimed differently at the time.
Looking at the clock, she realized it was much too late to call Neenee and ask her opinion. Tom
orrow was Sunday and they always talked then. However, not even Neenee could fix this. All throughout Sierra’s childhood, she’d had to be cold and distant with the one person who loved her, except in rare moments they were alone, just so Cece wouldn’t take Juanita away. Sierra didn’t truly know what real motherly love was like.
No, Parker was wrong. They couldn’t take that one day at a time. She couldn’t subject herself to kids, and he wanted some. They weren’t a match.
Preparing for bed, Sierra curled up under the covers, trying to ignore the dampness on her cheeks and pretend her breaking heart didn’t matter.
Chapter 18
Parker paced inside the island’s small airport terminal the following morning. He checked his watch for the tenth time in just as many minutes. Vanessa’s plane would land any second, but he didn’t know if he was ready to face her.
Several times this morning, he’d picked up his phone, torn between calling her to say he wouldn’t see her, or calling Sierra to make sure she was okay. He’d made a mistake last night in letting Sierra go home to avoid the conversation they needed to have about Vanessa. He should have manned up and talked to her. Now, Sierra thought he didn’t want to be with her, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
He didn’t even know why it seemed so important to him last night to speak with Vanessa. Right now, all he wanted was to get her off the island and get himself back to Sierra. She was his future. Vanessa wasn’t even a blip on the radar anymore as far as he was concerned.
She had hurt him and it sucked, but she’d done him a favor in the long run. By showing her true colors, Parker was able to reflect on his past actions, realizing they weren’t leading him to the life he wanted. It made him open to the possibility of something real when Sierra came along. Really, he should thank Vanessa, but he probably wouldn’t.
Whatever she wanted to say, it would be quick. She said she was coming in on the eleven o’clock plane and would leave back to Hawaii when the return flight departed at noon. That was a good thing because her presence on the island was against the written agreement his parents forged with her after firing her.
That alone had Parker’s curiosity piqued. What was so important that she’d risk defying his folks? They’d ruin her if they discovered she broke the contract, even if it meant the secret about her prostitution business on the island came out for public scrutiny. Hate was a word he’d never heard his parents use, but he was pretty sure they hated Vanessa for betraying them and the entire extended family of McCallister’s Paradise.
Over the loud speaker in the small terminal, the front desk clerk announced that flight 213 had landed. The guests waiting to board the return flight shifted restlessly on the waiting benches and gripped their carry-ons tighter, the end of their vacation making them all act a bit gloomy.
Parker did his best to keep a polite smile plastered on his face. After all, he knew many of the guests by name and didn’t want them leaving the island with a bad impression of the McCallisters. He was happy none approached him, though. He wanted to get out of here as quick as possible and speak with Sierra, not get involved in a lengthy conversation with one of the island’s patrons.
Bodies began pouring inside through the sliding doors that lead from the tarmac. Boisterous voices of the newcomers made the room feel too confined, as it was suddenly overly full.
Watching the doorway intently, Parker frowned when the last person entered. Vanessa wasn’t among the others from the flight. Was this her idea of a joke? Where was she?
An older Hawaiian woman holding a baby’s car seat walked toward Parker, eyes narrowed in concentration. “Are you Parker McCallister?”
It wasn’t unusual for a tourist to know Parker by sight. His picture was in the brochure for the island’s snorkeling experience, after all.
Forcing himself to stop searching the crowd for Vanessa, he smiled at the woman. “Yes, I am. Can I help you?”
She nodded and thrust the car seat in his hand. “Can you hold him? I’ve got some papers for you.”
Too startled to argue, Parker took the car seat. A blue blanket covered a sleeping infant.
The woman slung a bright purple diaper bag from her shoulder and dug through the front pocket. “It’s in here somewhere,” she mumbled. “If I forgot it, Vanessa will kill—ah ha!” She yanked a folder out and presented it to him with a flourish.
“What’s this?” he asked. “And what do you know about Vanessa?”
“She didn’t call you this morning?”
“I talked to her last night,” Parker replied.
The woman shook her head, making a tsking noise with her tongue. “I knew she’d chicken out. Let’s sit down for a second and I’ll explain. Hurry, though, I have to board the airplane back so I’m not stuck here all night without a room.”
Bemused, Parker followed the woman to a nearby bench, setting the car seat carefully on the ground near her feet. “I thought Vanessa was coming to talk to me. What are those papers?”
“Open it,” she urged.
Sitting next to her, Parker opened the manila folder. For a few seconds, he couldn’t comprehend what he read. The first page was a blue watermarked page. “Certificate of Live Birth” was printed across the top. Perusing the information, Parker saw the baby was born May twenty-third of the current year, named Ryan McCallister. It was when his eyes went to the information about the parents that he finally understood. The mother was listed as Vanessa La Fabre. Under the father’s name, it said Parker McCallister.
He jerked his head up to look at the woman. “This is what she wanted to tell me? That she’s passing this baby off as mine?”
The woman clucked in sympathy and patted his arm. “Not passing it off. He’s yours, Mr. McCallister.”
“How could she possibly know that? I’m not even sure how many people she slept with besides me while she was here.” Parker sucked in a shocked breath. He shouldn’t have said that. He didn’t know this person, didn’t know what she knew about Vanessa or what she’d done on the island. Besides, part of the agreement was the McCallisters wouldn’t turn Vanessa over to the police or talk about her prostitution. In exchange, she was to remain silent about it and stay off the island. “Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to blurt that out.”
“Vanessa said you’d think he wasn’t yours.” She shrugged. “She told me to let you know that you were the only guy she actually slept with. The others were massages and oral, never...” Pink crept up the woman’s cheeks. “Well, anyway, I think you get the picture. Vanessa said there’s no doubt, this is your baby.”
It was surreal. Parker had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. What if it were true? He might already be a father, and Sierra didn’t want kids.
Once again, Vanessa would screw up his life. Could he never escape her and her deviousness?
“What does she want from me?” he asked. “Is she after money? Child support? I’ll have to have a paternity test before I give her a dime, surely she doesn’t think showing me a baby will make my brain stop working.”
Although that might be exactly what she’d thought. Vanessa knew how much Parker wanted children. She probably thought he’d give her anything in exchange for getting to see his son. Too bad for her, because she’d be disappointed. She’d get nothing from him until he knew for sure the child was his.
To his surprise, the woman smiled. “Look at the next page. She doesn’t want anything from you, and she doesn’t want to be a mother. She’s signed all rights over to you and has given up any claim to the child. You can even change his name, if you want. Everything is there and legal. Ryan’s yours.”
All the wind was knocked from his righteous anger. The file of papers shook in his hand, and Parker set it against his lap to keep from scattering the pages about the terminal. “What do you mean she signed away her rights? What is she after?”
“I only just met her a week ago when she hired me to deliver Ryan. We spent time together, as I’m sure she wanted to be certain
I wasn’t some sort of lunatic. From what I can tell, she doesn’t want anything from you. Including this reminder of her time on the island.”
Parker shook his head in strong denial. Vanessa wasn’t that horrible of a person, was she? He dated her for so long. If she was the kind to abandon her own child, why hadn’t he picked up on that? Why was he so blind to her manipulations and selfishness?
“What kind of mother does that?” he asked softly.
“A mother who knows she’ll suck at the job and wants her baby to have a good life?” the woman offered, quirking an eyebrow. “I think she’s doing the best she can. From what Vanessa told me, she’s still making her money in the oldest profession on earth. That’s no life for a baby.”
Parker took in some deep breaths, considering that. The woman was right. Vanessa had done the best thing she could for the child. The island was a great place to grow up, and she knew Parker would make an excellent father.
“I have to go before the plane leaves.” The woman stood. “Will you and Ryan be okay?”
“Yes, we’ll be fine.” Parker stood, extending his hand.
She shook it and then turned toward the tarmac without a backward glance.
Slumping back into his seat, Parker scrubbed his hand through his hair before looking into the tiny face of his future. He’d always wanted kids some day, but hadn’t expected it this soon.
What the hell would he tell Sierra? Was their relationship doomed?
* * *
Sierra laughed into the phone, feeling one-hundred percent better with her Neenee on the line. “I can’t help being a silly goose, as you so lovingly put it. I’m really afraid of turning into a mommy monster.”
“Baby girl, you have been my daughter for nearly as long as you’ve been that horrible woman’s. I know what is in your heart. You won’t be a mommy monster. You’re nothing like Cece.”
Just hearing Juanita’s accented voice and the love and acceptance exuded in her words made Sierra’s whole outlook brighter.
Diving Into Love (McCallister's Paradise Book 2) Page 15
