Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Find your Bliss with these great releases… His Outback Nanny
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Victoria James. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
2614 South Timberline Road
Suite 105, PMB 159
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.
Bliss is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/bliss
Edited by Alethea Spiridon
Cover design by Bree Archer
Cover art from iStock, Shutterstock, and Depositphotos
ISBN 978-1-64063-473-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition February 2018
Prologue
“Where were you this morning?”
Haley wrangled her wrist out of her husband’s painful grasp and crossed the immaculate kitchen to the other side of the oversize island. Play this cool, Haley; don’t act guilty. He was going to leave for work in a few minutes and then she’d be free. She was so close to freedom. Her bag was packed. It was all she needed. “Here,” she said, handing him his espresso in the white china cup. She had already wiped the drop of espresso that had dripped onto the rim, knowing that would set him off. “Your espresso is getting cold.” She forced a smile, hating herself, hating every fake smile she’d ever forced. More than she hated herself, she hated him.
“You didn’t answer my question, Haley.”
She ignored the jolt of panic in her stomach. “I…” She looked down at the spotless hardwood floor, frantically trying to come up with something he’d buy. “I was praying, David. Praying for another chance at having a child together.” So, she had been praying, while frantically packing her bags and doing a re-count of the cash she’d been collecting secretly over the last year. But her prayers weren’t for a baby with him—her prayers were for courage and safety. Her prayers were for a new life, away from him.
He looked somewhat mollified by her explanation and took the cup, sipped, and then sighed, placing it back down on the white marble counter. “You can never get this right, can you? I can see why you were never able to teach anything other than first grade. Speaking of which, have you handed in your resignation letter yet?”
She lowered her eyes from his menacing green stare and set her gaze on her perfect French manicure. She wasn’t ever going to leave teaching, her career, her passion. She loved children. She loved first graders. But, yes, she’d handed in her letter, but with a completely different plan that he wouldn’t know about until it was too late. “Yes, David.”
He gave her a satisfied smile. It was disgusting, really. It was so sad to think that she’d once thought him the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Jet black hair, perfectly styled, a face masculine enough that it wouldn’t make him a total pretty boy. But it was a face that had been born into privilege, without any signs of hardship or character.
He reached for her and she flinched, instinctively backing up, the hard edge of the marble digging into the small of her back. “Don’t back away from me, Haley. I was only going to say how proud I am of you for finally seeing things my way. You don’t need a job. You don’t need to be around all those kids. Now you can concentrate on us and our family. I’m glad you still want that. I can get us into the best clinics. Dr. Wallace mentioned all the experimental procedures we can try. Those other babies weren’t meant to be. We were meant to have a baby together. At least now you can give it all your attention. You can try harder to be a mother, to hold on to a baby,” he said, his hand too firm to be comfortable on the nape of her neck, controlling her, holding her still as he leaned down to kiss her.
She shut her eyes, vowing to herself this was the last time he ever kissed her.
This was the last time he held her still, silent.
Tomorrow, she’d be miles and miles from her husband, from the man that had almost destroyed her.
Tomorrow, she’d find her brother.
Tomorrow would be the first day of her new life, of the new Haley.
Chapter One
One Year Later
“Here’s to Haley. Congratulations on your job offer and going after your dreams…even if it means your dreams are in another state.”
Haley smiled at her older brother, Luke, and blinked back the tears that threatened as everyone at the table clinked glasses at his toast. How far she’d come this past year. She’d left her husband, her old life, her old self behind and had been rewarded with all these new friends. They were all her brother’s in-laws and they’d accepted her as one of their own right from the first day. All except one—a very hot, handsome, brooding one who was the other outsider. Connor O’Leary. He also happened to be the one who wasn’t looking at her right now. Instead, he was taking a long, lazy drink of his beer.
Despite the weekly Sunday night dinners at Luke’s in-laws that Connor also attended, she’d barely had a conversation with the man. Connor was…mysterious. He certainly wasn’t the kind of guy she would have ever found herself attracted to. Well, not entirely true because even if he wasn’t her type there was no denying he was a fine-looking man, all hard lines, rough edges, and tattoos.
“Thank you,” she said finally. “You know there’s no place I’d rather be than in Shadow Creek, but I have to go where there’s a teaching position available.” She and her brother had been over this so many times and she knew he was worried about her, but she wanted to earn a living, to be independent.
“We get it,” her sister-in-law, Gwen, said. “And we’ll just keep scouting out teaching positions in the area so you can come back as soon as possible.”
Haley smiled, trying to be polite. “Sounds perfect.” She knew it wasn’t going to happen. Shadow Creek was a small town and new, full-time teaching opportunities were very rare.
“Though, you know if you want that job at our chocolaterie it’ll always be available for you,” Gwen said. Gwen was a co-owner of a newly established chocolate shop in downtown Shadow Creek.
“Yes, we’d love to have you on board!” Lily Bailey said. Lily was the other co-owner of the business and married to Gwen’s brother, Jack Bailey.
“I know. I so appreciate you offering it, but I miss teaching so much,” she said. It was hard to imagine that a little over a year ago she’d almost given it all up for David. She loved kids, adored them. And knowing she couldn’t have any of her own made her want to be around them even more.
“I know, we get it,” Gwen said. “Just trying to help your brother out,” she said, leaning forward and giving Luke a quick kiss. They were so c
ute together. Haley knew he was worried. Luckily a few trays of food arrived and they were soon distracted by the appetizers they were all sharing. She looked around the table at them, wondering how the people she’d come to know in such a short time had become so important to her.
They gathered once a week at Gwen’s parents’ house, but tonight Luke and Gwen had arranged this to celebrate her new job. It was still months away, but Haley had just found out today. As they all dug into the food, everyone took turns telling her how much they’d miss her; everyone except Connor. She tried not to take it personally—they had nothing in common and he’d never shown any interest in her. The last thing she needed was a relationship with a man. Especially a hot man. A hot, silent man. She stuffed a nacho in her mouth and tried not to look in his direction.
Really, the man couldn’t express his disinterest in her any more plainly. Could she blame him? Of course not. She had arrived here a wreck and it only felt like she was finding her footing now. She was also assuming she wasn’t his type. Connor looked to be the very definition of a…bad boy. She was the very definition of…not a bad girl. She was a sad girl. Yes, that would be the appropriate adjective. Or divorced girl. Or unemployed girl.
He was the only one who hadn’t really wished her well or asked her about her job.
“Well, we’d better get going,” Jack said, he and Lily standing. “My parents are looking after all the babies tonight and I promised we wouldn’t be late.”
Chase and Julia Donovan also stood up. They were related to the family in a sad story that broke her heart whenever she thought of it. Chase was also the county sheriff and they were the proud parents of an adorable little girl, Maggie, and now a baby boy. “Yeah, we should, too,” Chase said.
The table emptied out and soon it was just Gwen, Luke, Connor, and herself. Gwen carried the conversation a few more minutes, but then Connor stood.
“I’m going to head out, too. It’s been a long week,” he said, adding a few bills to the pile to cover his share. She gave him what she hoped was a natural smile, but she didn’t even think he noticed. She tried not to be disappointed as she watched him leave the restaurant.
“He looked uncomfortable,” Gwen said with a frown. “I like Connor, but I feel like we’ve barely gotten to know him this last year.”
“He’s not exactly the talkative type,” Luke said, polishing off the remains of the nachos.
“I know Jack said he’s the most loyal person he’s ever met, and he really got him through those difficult years. He claims he probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Connor.”
Haley digested that piece of info as she watched Connor put on his leather jacket at the door and then walk out. He hadn’t even bothered with a backward glance or wave. Gwen was right, they barely knew him. She knew he and Jack were very close, but he never spoke about his life before here. He never mentioned family, a girlfriend, nothing. She didn’t even think he’d dated in the last year—because in a town the size of Shadow Creek it would be common knowledge.
She had first met Connor on the night of Gwen and Luke’s wedding. She’d been trying to soothe her broken heart as inconspicuously as possible at the open bar and Connor had been standing there, looking like a man who’d rather be anywhere but a wedding. She’d immediately felt attracted to him, and that had come as a complete shock because she hadn’t looked at a guy in a long time. But with his disgruntled expression, his reluctant conversation, and his undeniably handsome face, he’d intrigued her. He’d made her laugh. Then he’d walked away, before their conversation could turn real.
She focused her attention on Luke and Gwen, forcing her thoughts away from the man that would probably always remain a mystery to her, happy to be enjoying the rest of her night with them.
…
Connor, you’re an idiot.
Connor swore under his breath as he pulled into his driveway. He hated that he was so cold to Haley, and he hated even more that she seemed hurt by it. He never should have gone tonight, but his best friend Jack’s family was pushy. They wouldn’t let him be alone. First with the Sunday night dinners, now with a congratulatory get-together for the woman he tried to ignore for the last year.
He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the rearview mirror, his gaze zeroing in on the scar above his lip, courtesy of his father. You’re trash, Connor O’Leary.
Hell. He really hated that line. One day, he was going to rid it from his memory. The problem was it had been said so many times to him as kid, it was part of who he was. His dad, his teachers, his ex. None of those people meant anything to him, and yet the words clung to every memory of his childhood. He knew why he was thinking about it now; it was because of Haley. Because he knew that was the reason he could never get involved with someone like her. He’d never be enough. She was a teacher, her brother was a doctor, and from what he’d gathered, she’d been married to some wealthy guy. He hadn’t even finished high school.
He pulled the key out of the ignition and leaned his head back in the cold truck. He wasn’t part of their family, of their circle. He wasn’t part of any family. And yet, here he was, in Shadow Creek for almost a year, attending traditional Sunday night dinners and get-togethers like he was part of their clan. He hadn’t mingled with people like the Baileys in all his thirty-two years. They were educated, upper-middle-class, respectable people—not the kind he usually associated with.
Yes, he’d known the first second Jack Bailey had walked onto that oil rig he was different from most of them.
Yes, he’d thought that Jack wouldn’t cut it with them.
Yes, he’d thought that Jack was just a pretty boy running away from home.
He’d been wrong on all counts—except the running from home. Bit by bit, the two of them had become friends. Jack didn’t have a pretentious bone in his body and hadn’t judged him. There were too many weekends with nothing but bottles of whiskey and guy bonding, and he’d found out why Jack had gone running from his family.
He pushed his thoughts of his new friends out of his head and got out of the truck. A blast of wintry air hit him and he quickly made his way up the walkway. He frowned as he spotted something on his doorstep. It was too late for deliveries. As he approached, an uncomfortable feeling ran through his body and he paused for a second.
He blinked, wondering if maybe he was losing it. He blinked again and sure enough it was still there. Panic shot through him at the sight of a baby on a ratty blanket, on his doorstep. He walked forward, feeling like he was in some kind of dream; maybe nightmare. Blood rushed to his ears, his heart beat painfully slow as he crouched down after seconds of standing still. His eyes went from the baby, who was making tiny noises, to the papers that were flapping in the wind and sticking out of the baby’s hat.
He slowly crouched down, his limbs feeling heavy, and reached for the papers that were taped to the hat. Here’s your baby. I don’t want her. Tess.
The baby let out a whale of a cry at the same moment ice pellets rammed the back of his neck in an unusual force, as though the universe agreed about his status as a fool. He stared at the baby—his baby.
She started crying and he fumbled, grabbing the paper and the baby awkwardly and going inside the warm house. He shut the door and placed the baby on the couch, panic increasing as the baby’s crying only got louder. He looked at it. Her.
His daughter?
Her face was pink and all scrunched up with her mouth opened wide. She looked tiny. And mad. He couldn’t blame her. How long had she been out there? He didn’t know anything about babies, but he could tell it couldn’t have been long because her skin color didn’t look too abnormal. Thankfully she was wearing a snowsuit, or whatever these contraptions were called.
He pulled off the other note—a birth certificate—almost one month to the day, and squeezed his eyes shut. That date…it was his mother’s birthday. It was a coincidence that sent a shiver down his spine. What were the odds? He brushed aside that thought and continued readi
ng. Tessa, his ex, was listed as the mother, and there was no one listed as father. Images of his ex battered him, engulfing him with shame for the stupidity of his choices.
He closed his eyes for a second as he spotted the baby’s name: Tess Jr. Holy hell. He couldn’t deal with that. He wanted to yell or punch something. He wanted to swear. He wanted a drink. He was a damn fool. You’re trash, Connor O’Leary.
He felt a bead of sweat slide down his back. He couldn’t process what this meant. Yes, this could be his kid. Maybe it wasn’t. She wasn’t. But he couldn’t think because the crying was increasing exponentially with every minute. He eyed the baby. Okay, he needed to pick the baby up, stop the crying, and then he could think. He’d seen Jack do this lots of time. He fumbled with the zipper of her snowsuit thing that didn’t even have arms—who would like that? It was basically a potato sack. He unzipped it and gently pulled free the little arms that were trying to flail around. With one motion, he scooped one hand under her so that he was bracing her neck and the other hand her bottom.
She stopped crying and opened her eyes, and he swore to God in that moment, when her large blue eyes latched onto his, when he felt a jolt of recognition run through his body, that this was his kid. Except she was scarier than him, especially as her mouth opened wider and she let out a roar that would scare the crap out of a bear.
What the hell was he going to do?
Jack. Jack knew about babies—he had two. He grabbed his phone and called his friend.
“Yeah?”
“I have a situation,” he managed to choke out.
“Take a cab.”
“No, you idiot, I’m not wasted, I’m at home. You need to get over here. Now.”
He heard grumbling, muttering, and then finally, “Be there in ten.”
“Wait. Bring baby things.”
“What?”
“Baby things. Like, whatever a baby would need to, you know…live.”
“Oh man, this is starting to sound really bad.”
He hung up the phone and looked down at the baby. His daughter. Or Tess Junior, as the name on the birth certificate stated. He was going to have to change that when he applied for paternity. If he applied. If she was his.
Baby on the Bad Boy's Doorstep (Shadow Creek, Montana) Page 1
