“Is everything all right?”
Oh, shit. That was Hope’s sweet drawl. She was stepping around Travis, coming to stand beside Jared. She clearly hadn’t heard the conversation, because she stepped right up to his side, oblivious to the woman in front of him. Her wide blue eyes darted from one man to the other, then back to Jared.
She smiled. “My sisters took my truck back to the hotel. You ready to head out?”
Sable cleared her throat, and Hope glanced over, her eyes widening.
“You don’t waste any time, do you, Jared?”
Jared rolled his eyes.
“Care to introduce your wife to your mistress?” Sable hissed.
Thank the Lord Almighty that Hope didn’t fall for Sable’s bullshit. She moved even closer to him, taking his arm as she smiled at Sable.
“Ex-wife,” Hope clarified. “You don’t get the honor of calling yourself his wife anymore.”
“The hell I don’t.”
“Go back where you came from, Sable,” Jared told her, putting his arm around Hope. “We’re not doin’ this.”
“We need to talk,” Sable said, her tone sweet once more, somewhat sad, but she was still trying to burn a hole into Hope with her angry glare. “And this thing here has no business in the conversation.”
Ah, shit. He felt Hope bristle at being called a thing.
Hope leaned in closer to Sable but didn’t release him. “This isn’t the time or the place for this. I don’t care who you are or what you think you want. Figure out a way to act like a grown-up, and maybe you’ll get a civil conversation out of the deal.”
Sable hissed. “In case you don’t know, Derrick’s my son. And that means I’ll always be in Jared’s life. Is that something you can live with?”
Jared was gearing up to silence Sable, but Hope beat him to it. She stood up straight, not that it helped in the height department. Sable was still several inches taller, but that wasn’t as obvious once Hope spoke.
“I can live with a lot of things,” Hope countered. “But a mother abandoning her child… Do you have any fucking idea the gift you were given? No, clearly not, because you turned your back on him. Not only that, but then you auctioned him off, like he was—”
Hope was shaking, so Jared pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her. He held her close, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “Let’s go,” he told her softly. “She’s not worth it.”
Hope nodded her head but didn’t release him.
“Problem out here?” Sawyer asked.
Jared looked over at him. Great. Just what he needed. Looked as though every one of Travis’s brothers had come outside. Not only that but their significant others were with them. The brothers were standing shoulder to shoulder now, an impressive show of solidarity. Jared had to admit, he liked knowing that they had his back.
“There’s no problem,” Travis said calmly. “Jared and Hope were just leavin’.” Travis caught his gaze, nodding toward the parking lot.
“That we were.” He knew when he was being given an out. In this case, he wasn’t going to ignore it. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
Travis nodded, and Jared, arm still around Hope, turned and led her toward the truck.
“Sorry, lady. They’re not interested in company,” Sawyer said. “Looks like you might wanna head on home now. To El Paso.”
If Jared was lucky, that would be exactly what Sable did.
Unfortunately, luck never seemed to be on his side.
Chapter Twenty-Five
WOW. SO THAT was rather intense.
Hope knew that family stuck up for family, but she honestly hadn’t expected that. Travis Walker clearly had some sort of protective thing going on, because he had looked ready to carry Jared’s ex-wife out of there and dump her on the nearest bus.
Then again, Hope hadn’t planned to go off the way she had. Every time she thought about what Jared had told her, how Sable had practically given her son away in exchange for money, it made her blood boil. Clearly the woman had no freaking clue what a gift a child was.
“I’m sorry about all that,” Jared told her when they were pulling out of the parking lot of Moonshiners.
“No,” she said, glancing over at him. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my place to say anything.”
Jared reached over and took her hand. “I appreciate it all the same. You standing up for Derrick like that.”
“Does it happen often? Her showing up uninvited?” After what Jared had told her about his ex-wife, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. She sounded certifiable, especially if she could use her own child as a bargaining chip.
He shook his head. “I haven’t seen Sable since…”
When Jared glanced her way, she knew he was trying to decide how much to tell her. The other night was an exception to the rule, she figured. This conversation, much like their previous one, dipped directly into the much-too-personal pool. If they were keeping this casual, she didn’t need to know any more details than those he’d already provided.
She got the feeling they’d surpassed casual weeks ago.
“I’d like to know,” she told him softly, wondering why she’d gone and crossed that line.
He nodded, as though resigned to talking. “Not since the divorce. We’ve exchanged emails these past couple of weeks, but I’ve been”—he sighed—“humoring her, I guess. I think she honestly believes I’m going to pay her off.”
“Are you?” Based on their previous conversation, she didn’t think he was going to go that route. Based on his expression now, he might’ve changed his mind.
“I don’t want to, no.” He met her gaze again. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
She wasn’t sure about anything. Shit. She’d spent the evening with Jared, hanging out with their families and friends, laughing and joking, listening to stories and sharing a few of their own. Honestly, Hope couldn’t remember a time she’d had that much fun. Not in a long, long time anyway.
Being with Jared seemed natural. As though they’d known each other for years, not weeks. She liked being with him, listening to him laugh and joke. She enjoyed the possessive way he touched her, keeping her close.
Still, she knew she should keep her distance. It was much easier to convince herself of that when she wasn’t around him. But when she was … it was as though all common sense fled and her heart was leading the charge.
“I’m sure,” she said when she realized he was waiting for her answer.
“When I paid her off the first time, she told me that she was moving on. She had a new man in her life.”
“The one she thought was his father?” Hope couldn’t even imagine how hard that had been for Jared. In the little time she’d known him, Hope had learned one thing for sure. The man loved his kid.
“No. Well, not completely. I told you how she went runnin’ to the guy she said was Derrick’s father. She took my son with her. The fact that I had an ironclad prenup infuriated her. Apparently she hadn’t thought things all the way through, because that guy asked for a paternity test. She provided him with one, and it proved that she was lying. Derrick wasn’t his. Sable finally admitted she didn’t know who the father was. However, while all of this was going on, she met another guy. One with money and time on his hands. Older guy. This one didn’t want any more kids, his were grown, and Sable realized she couldn’t be saddled with one and get what she wanted. When she said she would allow me to adopt him if I would give her twenty-five thousand dollars in the divorce, I didn’t even blink.”
Hope still couldn’t believe the woman had sold her son for … for any amount of money. What mother did that? Knowing what she knew about this man, it wasn’t at all surprising that Jared had paid it. Not that she blamed him. Hope would’ve done the exact same thing if she’d been in his shoes. He was absolutely right. Blood did not
make family, love did.
“Everything went through legal channels. I haven’t seen her or talked to her since shortly after I moved here. Not since Derrick came to live with me.”
“What does she want now?”
“Money.”
“She said she wanted to see her son.”
Jared’s expression looked tortured. If that was true, she wondered if Jared would let Derrick see her so the little boy wouldn’t go without a mother. The thought made her chest hurt. It was a brutal reminder that Hope was an outsider in Jared’s world. Even if she did spend time with Derrick, even if she and Jared had a serious relationship, she wouldn’t be able to protect the little boy the way she would want to. It would always be up to Jared.
They pulled into the hotel’s parking lot at the same time Hope’s phone rang. She grabbed it out of her purse and hit the talk button. “Hey, Faith. Everything all right?”
“Well, if having to spend a night in one room with only two beds sounds all right to you, then yeah. We’re just peachy.”
“We’re supposed to have four rooms,” Hope assured her.
“Well, we don’t. I even had Trinity lay on the charm. The guy at the desk said every single room is full. So, I just wanted to let you know since … you know.”
Hope glanced over at Jared. Yeah. She knew. She would be sharing a room with her sisters, which meant no privacy for them.
“Problem?” Jared looked concerned.
“We only have one room,” she told him, trying to cover the mouthpiece on the phone.
“Hey, Hope,” Faith said. “We’re in room 317. I’ll let you go. If we see you up here, we see you up here. If not … don’t do nothin’ I wouldn’t do.”
Hope didn’t have the chance to respond before Faith disconnected.
“Looks like tonight’s just not meant to be,” Hope told him, forcing a smile. “But I had fun. I’m so glad you were there.”
Jared’s eyes bored into hers, as though he was trying to find an answer to some unasked question. She expected him to lean over and kiss her, tell her good night, and send her on her way, so what he said next caused her heart to lodge in her throat.
“COME HOME WITH me,” Jared blurted.
The instant the words were out, he saw sadness pass through Hope’s brilliant blue-green eyes.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “You know I can’t.”
He didn’t know that. “My son’s not there. He’s stayin’ with my aunt and uncle tonight.”
“That doesn’t change anything,” she told him, although he was fairly certain she did consider it for a moment. “I shouldn’t’ve been there the other night, Jared. It’s … not what I want. I told you that in the beginning.”
Perhaps he couldn’t read every one of her expressions, but Jared got the sense she was lying. Yeah, in the beginning, she’d told him a relationship wasn’t possible, but they’d been seeing each other for weeks. Things changed, people changed, what they wanted changed.
But Hope looked both sincere and torn, so he decided not to push the issue.
Rather than argue with her, Jared nodded. He would not be coming to her hotel room with her tonight, and she would not be in his bed. That alone was disappointing, but something else was nagging at him, too.
If he was right, tonight would be the last time he saw Hope until the family reunion. She was retreating right before his eyes. Ever since she’d gone off on Sable, then when he’d started talking about Derrick, she’d been slipping out of his grasp. After this incredible night, the fun they’d had… Apparently that wouldn’t last for them.
Tonight had felt like they were a real couple. And it’d happened so easily. From the moment he’d seen her at Moonshiners, Hope had remained by his side. He’d touched her as often as he could, making sure the cowboys whose eyes had strayed to her knew that she was his. And he couldn’t lie, he’d wanted that. For a while, he’d even allowed himself to believe it was a possibility.
Only he had a son who would come first, and Hope… God, he didn’t even know what Hope wanted when it came to kids. One minute she seemed terrified of them, the next she was defending Derrick against Sable. She’d been so passionate, so angry.
Do you have any fucking idea the gift you were given?
When she’d asked Sable that question, Jared had paused momentarily, unsure what to think.
But if she had no interest in kids of her own…
No way would he chase a woman who didn’t want kids, didn’t want Derrick. Jared would never subject Derrick to that again. It was going to be hard enough explaining to the little boy why his mother wasn’t there, why she wasn’t a part of his life. No matter what Sable said, Jared knew it wouldn’t be long term. If he thought for a second that she’d changed, that she wanted to be a mother to Derrick, he could very easily be persuaded to let her back into Derrick’s life. But that wasn’t Sable. She wasn’t interested in being tied down to anyone or anything. Not even her own flesh and blood.
“Let me walk you up to your room,” he told her, opening the door before she could argue with him.
He helped her out of the truck, took her hand, and led her inside. From there, she led the way. They took the elevator to the third floor, then wandered halfway down the hall, stopping in front of room 317.
“I really am glad you were there tonight,” she said, her voice soft and sweet and filled with what he believed was regret.
Yep. This was the last time he would see her.
And because he knew that, Jared cupped her face as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He slid his tongue along the seam of her smooth mouth, licking his way inside. It was then that the chemical reaction neither of them could deny gathered like a storm around them. The heat between their bodies intensified as Jared pulled her close, pressing against her as she clung to him. God, he could spend all night kissing this woman, tasting her sweetness, inhaling the fire he knew burned brightly inside her.
But he wouldn’t be doing that, so he forced himself to pull back.
“Good night, Hope.”
“Good night.”
And then he forced himself to take a step back while she knocked softly on the door. A few seconds later, it opened, and Mercy stuck her head out, frowning at him before opening the door and letting Hope in.
Only when she was inside and he heard the lock engage did he head back out to his truck.
There were two weeks between now and the time he would go to Dead Heat Ranch for the family reunion. He only hoped that in that time, he’d be able to get over this woman who had somehow inched her way inside him in ways he hadn’t expected.
Chapter Twenty-Six
One week later
HOPE SAT ON the bed in the room they had commandeered as the bridal suite. Trinity was working her magic, prettying Gracie up, doing her hair and makeup for the wedding that would take place just over two hours from now.
“So, what did you think of that resort?” Mercy asked, her question directed at Grace.
The soon-to-be bride grinned from ear to ear as a blush stained her cheeks. “It was … different.”
“Different good?”
“Oh, yeah.” She swiveled her head in Hope’s direction. “And oh, my God. I never knew a place like that existed. It was so”—Gracie turned back to face Trinity—“hot.”
“Hotter than the loft in the barn?” Mercy asked, deadpan.
Hope felt her own cheeks heat at the memory of her and Jared in the hayloft. God, she missed him. The last time she’d seen him had been a week ago when he dropped her off at the hotel. Although neither of them had said anything, she had known that the kiss they’d shared in that dimly lit hallway that smelled vaguely of pizza and beer would be their last.
The man had invited her back to his house that night, but she had refused because she’d been a chickenshit. Too scared
to indulge in something that could possibly lead to more heartbreak. Only she still experienced the heartbreak. Apparently she didn’t do casual well. She’d found out the hard way that she’d become quite attached to Jared Walker.
But she had saved herself some pain because she’d only had the opportunity to meet Derrick briefly. She hadn’t had a chance to fall in love with the little boy, just his dad.
“Definitely hotter than the hayloft, although seriously … I love the hayloft.” Grace giggled.
“I get the feeling other people love the hayloft, too,” Mercy said, looking directly at Hope. “I went out to the barn one night after dinner and I heard these noises…”
Hope glared at her sister, silently telling her to shut her pie hole.
“How is Jared, anyway?” Mercy questioned.
“He’s fine,” she lied.
“Really?” Mercy lifted one golden eyebrow. “That’s not what he said when he called today, trying to work out the final details for the family reunion.”
Great. And now her sisters knew that she’d gone and fucked this one up as well. Not that it mattered what they knew. They already expected that from her. For the past week, she had buried herself in work, refusing to give up for the day until she was too tired to keep her eyes open. Only then could she give in to sleep and not have to worry about dreaming about a man she couldn’t have.
“Oh,” Faith added, “I forgot to mention that he’s coming by on Monday. He’s bringing his cousin Travis so they can check out the cabins and give us the down payment.”
Hope would need to be gone on Monday.
“Okay, ladies,” Grace said, a smile in her voice. “What do you think?”
“We think you need to put on the dress,” Mercy offered.
Grace met each of their eyes, smiling. “I’m so glad y’all are here with me. This… I honestly never thought this day would come.”
Hope fought the tears that threatened. Her sister did look beautiful, even without the gown on yet. And she looked so ridiculously happy. That smile met her eyes and lit her up from within.
Jared (Coyote Ridge) (Volume 2) Page 20
