“Kelly, I’m sorry.”
She inhaled a deep breath before easing it out and letting go of some of her fury. “It’s okay. Just take him to bed. I don’t want us to argue around him. He’s had enough of that throughout his life.” The inquisitive look Trey threw her said she had some explaining to do. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut?
When Trey returned, he cautiously took a place beside her on the couch. “Kelly, I didn’t mean to demean what you’ve done. I respect you. Most women would be living with their family, but here you are. The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about finances or anything else. I’m here now.”
Unease skittered across her arms, raising goose bumps. “And what does that mean, Trey? Does that mean you will agree to pay child support?”
“It means I will handle everything. You two can move in with me. You can even quit working to stay home with our son.”
“What? We can’t do that. You have a life. We have a life. We’re complete strangers.”
“We’re not complete strangers, Kelly.” His hand rose, his palm warm against her cheek. “Don’t you want our son to have everything he needs?”
Kelly jerked away from his touch. “TJ has everything he needs.”
“Dammit, Kelly. You’re being unreasonable. Between my family and me we can give TJ everything. A home. Education. A family and ranch for him to run and play on. It’s his heritage.”
Oh God. The knot in her throat grew to the size of a baseball. The fact he was implying that he and his family had money didn’t escape her. If she didn’t agree, did he plan to take her to court? Take TJ away from her?
“Get out,” she said breathlessly.
“Kelly?”
“Out! If you think you’ll take my baby from me, I’ll fight you. Dammit, Trey, I’ll fight you.” She didn’t know until he wiped tears from her cheeks that she was crying—crying like her heart was breaking, because it was.
“Christ, Kelly. Is that what you think I’m trying to do?”
She couldn’t speak, only tremble with fear and anger for the second time today. But this was a completely different kind of panic, because no one was taking her baby. What she wouldn’t give to wake up and have all of this be a dream, but it wasn’t a dream—it was a nightmare.
He reached for her. “Shhh. Darlin’, don’t cry.”
It did Kelly no good to struggle against his overwhelming strength. He easily pulled her resisting body against his, his masculine scent nearly choking her between sniffles as she fought to regain control. It didn’t help that he held her or gently stroked her damp hair. He was her enemy, the only one who could rip her heart from her chest.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry. Please, baby, stop crying. We’ll work something out, together.”
Kelly wanted to believe him—needed to believe him.
As she calmed down, her mind began to churn. Maybe giving him a taste of actual fatherhood, a trial run, would solve her problem without getting the court system involved. Because who knew better than she that raising a child wasn’t all fun and games?
TJ was a ball of energy and the little devil would make that point clear sooner rather than later. After the holidays, she and TJ would return to their home. Trey could go back to whatever he was doing before he walked back into her life.
This time when she pulled away he let her go.
“Just hear me out, Kelly. I have a house and acreage on my family’s ranch outside of Chandler. It’s a four-bedroom home, with a big fenced yard. You and TJ will have your own rooms. You can come and go as you please. And more importantly, I’ll be there to help you while I get to know my son.”
As if on queue, TJ let out a blood-curdling scream. She jumped to her feet and ran for the stairs, Trey right behind her. When she entered the bedroom, she went straight to the boy and picked him up. Immediately she could tell he was feverish. Tears stained his reddened cheeks as he pulled on an ear.
God. Not another ear infection.
“What’s wrong with him?” Trey’s eyes were huge.
“Well, it looks like you get your first dose of parenting. Your son has an ear infection. We need to take him to the doctor.”
One thing Trey could say about his son was he had good, strong lungs. The baby screamed when his mother wrapped him warmly in a blanket. He shrieked all the way down the stairs, where they stopped to get Trey’s hat and her purse. TJ was still howling when they stepped outside. Trey got the car seat from Kelly’s beat-up old car and fastened it in the backseat of his truck before she buckled him in. And damn if the boy didn’t cry all the way to the doctor’s.
Night had fallen. His vehicle’s lights bounced off the street, casting shadows. Trey had been around sick children throughout his life, but there was something about his own that made this personal and frightening. What if it wasn’t an ear infection? What if something else was wrong? The thought made his teeth grind together. And yet Kelly acted so undisturbed. Yes, she was concerned for TJ, it was in her wary eyes and her tight expression, but she spoke so softly, so reassuringly to the boy.
“Go left at the light. When you make the turn you’ll be able to see the facility,” she informed him.
The building was lit up and the entrance easy to find as he pulled into the parking lot that held only a few vehicles. “Would you like me to carry him in?”
Kelly agreed to his suggestion, but TJ had other ideas. He wanted his mother and nothing would change his mind as they made their way inside the building.
Juggling him on a hip, Kelly went straight to the front desk. When she began to struggle, trying to hold TJ and retrieve her insurance identification out of her purse, Trey took TJ, but the child wasn’t happy. He shrieked so loud, Trey swore the high-pitched wail busted his eardrum. In fact, he was grateful when Kelly tucked her things back in her wallet and opened her arms. TJ crawled eagerly into them, hugging her like she was a lifeline as she took a seat.
The woman had the patience of a saint as she jostled the boy while they waited. He was so upset that he didn’t pay attention to the brightly lit Christmas tree or the presents beneath it or even the television, which played some kind of children’s movie.
Thankfully they didn’t have to wait long before a nurse appeared and ushered them back into a room. Several more minutes passed before a doctor of Indian descent entered the room with the same brunette nurse who had lead them into the back.
Since Kelly had her arms full, the doctor held out his hand to Trey. “Good evening, I am Dr. Nair, Mr. McMaster, what do we have here?”
The misconception caught Trey off guard. Of course TJ would have his mother’s name since she hadn’t even known what Trey’s last name was when the child was born. Still it rubbed him the wrong way.
Before he could gather his wits and respond, Kelly stepped forward and began to explain the events of the child’s day and his symptoms. Trey stepped aside. Intrigued, he watched how she conducted herself, interfacing with the doctor as he examined TJ. And it wasn’t an easy task. Kelly had to hold the squirming, bawling child firmly during the entire ordeal. Trey offered to help, but she shook her head.
As soon as the doctor shined a light in TJ’s left ear, he hummed, “Ahhh. It appears you’re right. An ear infection is the cause of his discomfort.”
Dr. Nair spoke quietly to the nurse and she left the room, returning with a little squeeze bottle. She held TJ’s head to the side while the doctor applied the medicine directly to the ear.
“The eardrops will deaden the pain and allow him to relax.” He handed the bottle to Kelly, gave her the instructions on usage, and then he typed something in his computer. “You can pick the antibiotic prescription up on your way home.”
That’s when Trey noticed that TJ had stopped crying. His face was still beet red as he laid his chubby cheek against his mother’s shoulder, his body shaking from the energy spent.
Kelly cooed something in the child’s ear and he smiled, both of them appearing happy
while Trey remained wound as tight as a top about to spin out of control. And he was a cop. A man who had dealt with life-and-death situations, but this event almost forced him to his knees.
How did Kelly deal with raising a child, or for that matter his two brothers when it came to rearing their kids?
When they left the office and stepped outside, a cool breeze chased fallen leaves around the parking lot. Kelly pulled the blanket over the baby’s head to guard his ears. Her beautiful long hair blew behind her as a strong wind nearly knocked Trey’s hat off his head.
TJ took one look at Trey’s truck and started to fuss again.
“I thought the doctor said the eardrops would pacify him,” he said, opening the door to the backseat while TJ got louder.
“He doesn’t want to go back into his car seat. It’s natural for him to want to be held when he’s not feeling well,” she explained.
“But he has to.” It was the law.
“Yes, Trey, I know. Just give me a minute.” Again, she spoke tenderly to the child, but he was having none of it. He wanted his mother and he wanted her now. “Baby, please. I’ll hold you as soon as we get home.” When that didn’t work she regretfully buckled him in. Releasing a heavy sigh, she climbed into the front seat and sat quietly.
“Why don’t I take the two of you home, and then I’ll go to the pharmacy for the medicine?”
“Thank you. I would appreciate that.”
When Trey pulled up before Kelly’s condominium, TJ had finally cried himself to sleep. The silence was breathtaking.
“Do you want me to carry him in?” Trey asked, getting out of the vehicle and opening her door.
“No.” She slid out, digging into her purse and wallet to extract a prescription and credit card, extending it toward him. “If you’ll pick up the prescription, I’d appreciate it.”
Selecting only the insurance card, he said, “I’ll take care of this.”
She stared at him for a moment and then dropped the card into her bag. Throwing the strap over her shoulder, she opened the backseat door and peeled a sleeping TJ out of the car seat.
Trey watched her disappear into the house before he climbed back into his truck and crammed it into gear, pressing the accelerator.
On the way to the pharmacy he thought how he’d woken up this morning to one life, but everything had changed in the blink of an eye.
How would his parents and siblings react to the news that he was a father? Could he get Kelly to see what he had to offer TJ? And what would happen between him and Kelly? Under the stressful undercurrents of all that had happened today, Trey still felt that electrifying pull of attraction between them that had been there in Denver.
He wanted her.
Switching on the radio, he listened to the country twang of the male singer. He didn’t even know what kind of music she liked. From her neat, tidy home he knew she wasn’t a slob. She was articulate and intelligent, based on speaking with her and the position she held as a lead teller. Her transfer hadn’t been a problem according to the bank manager, who said that Kelly was a stellar employee. She further went on to say that Kelly was trustworthy and above reproach.
Judging how Kelly reacted to a gun shoved in her face, she appeared levelheaded. Sure there had been reasonable fear and some tears, but she didn’t freak out. The only time she had lost control today was when she thought Trey planned to separate her from her son. Which meant she was protective and obviously proud and stubborn. All endearing qualities he had never found packaged in one woman, until now.
They were also values that would help her survive in a family like his, a group of headstrong men and women who didn’t take crap from anyone.
Yes, she would be able to hold her own with his family, but what about their relationship? Could they become a family for TJ’s sake? And was it what either of them wanted? One thing he did know, family was family. He was in it for the long haul.
Still, the more Trey contemplated the rash of questions assaulting his brain, the more nervous he became. What the hell was he going to do if Kelly refused his offer of help? Would she force him to fight for his rights? Because he would, with everything he had.
Trey remained plagued by more questions then answerers as he pulled up to the drive-through window of the pharmacy. When the clerk opened the bin, he placed the slip of paper inside.
“Birthdate?” the short blonde with glasses asked.
“I-I don’t know.” The fact he knew very little about his son hit him hard.
“Address?” she asked.
That he could help her with and gave her the information.
“It will be about ten minutes. As long as no one is behind you, you’re welcome to wait here. Otherwise I’ll need you to come inside. Alright?”
“Sure.”
She turned away and walked off.
While he waited, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his parents’ number.
“Hello,” his mother’s sweet voice came over the telephone.
“Mom?”
“What’s wrong?” she asked immediately. His mother had a knack for knowing when he or one of his siblings was hurt or in trouble. His predicament didn’t fit into any of those particular categories though. No, this one had a category of its own.
“Nothing. But I do have something to talk to you and Dad about. How long will you be up tonight?”
“Tonight? Trey, you’re scaring me.” He tried to laugh off her concern, but failed horribly, and she insisted, “What is it, son?”
“Well, I think you’ll need to add two more chairs to the table for Christmas dinner.”
“Who should we expect?”
“My son and his mother.”
Dead silence stretched between the phone lines.
“Your dad and I’ll be up as long as it takes. Swing by when you’re finished with whatever you’re doing.”
Chapter Four
Kelly woke with a start when she heard the doorknob rattle and twist open. “Ohhh,” she groaned, discovering her left arm had fallen asleep beneath TJ’s head. She fought not to move it as Trey entered, quietly shutting the door behind him.
“How’s he doing?” he asked.
“Exhausted. He collapsed back to sleep the second I sat on the couch with him.” No way would Kelly admit she had done the same. Today had proven to be trying. “The pharmacy should have included an eyedropper. If you’ll fill it to the appropriate level, I’ll give it to him now.”
Trey took a minute to read the instructions, which surprised her. She didn’t think any man read directions. When he began to shake the bottle with gusto, she hid a smile. Then he wrenched open the bottle and measured out the correct amount. Weariness tugged on his brows as he handed her the medicine. Today couldn’t have been easy on him either.
She gazed down at her son who looked so much like his father. His rosebud-shaped mouth made little sucking motions as she slipped the dropper between his lips. Instinct had him swallowing the liquid as it slowly flowed upon his tongue. As she handed the dropper back to Trey she was again taken by surprise when he began to wash the remainder of the medicine from the applicator and then place it back into the bottle before opening the refrigerator and slipping it inside. When he was finished, he sat beside her.
“Have you thought about what I said earlier? Moving in with me?”
“I thought perhaps after tonight you might be ready to rescind your offer. This is just a small sampling of parenting. Are you ready for the whole enchilada?”
“I think I deserve the opportunity to be TJ’s father and not a part-time or a weekend dad. The child deserves it. And you do too. These last two years couldn’t have been easy on you.”
“No. They haven’t been easy years, but I have concerns. It isn’t good for a child to have a father who comes and goes at will. TJ needs stability. A home. Parents he can trust to provide for him not only financially but also emotionally. Are you sure that’s what you’re offering?”
�
��Absolutely.”
Kelly chuckled uneasily. “You answered way too quickly. I don’t think you’ve had the time to really consider what’s involved.”
“I answered quickly because there isn’t any choice in my mind. The boy is my son. He’s my responsibility. Besides, my mother would skin me alive if I shunned family, especially my own flesh and blood.” His attempt to make light of the situation warred with the intensity in his eyes. “I want the two of you to move in with me tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, Trey.” Things were happening too fast for Kelly.
“Please? I deserve the chance to make things right with TJ, with you.”
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“You’re the mother of my son. I owe you plenty.”
“What about your girlfriends. Do you plan to traipse women in and out of your house in front of our son?” In front of me? But she left those words unspoken.
“There will be no girlfriends, as I expect there will be no boyfriends around our child.”
Now Kelly was really confused, but she had already made a decision, remembering her plan from earlier in the evening. “Fine. This holiday season can be a trial period. We can stay for a week or so. When you get tired of being a father and change your mind about us staying with you, we’ll have our place to fall back on.”
He stood, leaning over to pinch her chin between his thumb and forefinger so their gazes met. “If that’s what you’re counting on, don’t hold your breath. This is more than a trial run, darlin’.”
Then he did something that surprised the hell out of her. He kissed her. And it wasn’t just a peck. It was a full-blown, make-your-toes-curl, sultry kiss that included plenty of tongue. With TJ in her arms she couldn’t do anything but surrender to the sensual attack against her senses. When Trey pulled away, her lips were still puckered, making her feel beyond stupid.
Christmas Showdown Page 3
