“That doesn’t mean I fathered any of them,” Lucky went on, “and I sure as heck didn’t father Ethan.” He cursed some more, which was out of the ordinary for Lucky. Despite his hellion, bed-hopping reputation, Lucky usually kept his language fairly clean.
“What’s this phone call really about?” Lucky barked a moment later. “Why would you think I’d ever sleep with Claire?”
“You had that sex talk with her, the one where you told her for a guy there was no such thing as bad sex.” The moment he heard the words come out of his mouth, Riley felt as if he were back in junior high.
“Say what?” Lucky questioned.
Of course Lucky wouldn’t remember talking about sex to a woman since it was probably something he did on a daily basis. He was thirty-three now, which meant he’d had thousands of such conversations. Maybe millions.
“You shouldn’t have talked to Claire about sex,” Riley settled for saying, mainly because he didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s not like that between us. Yeah, we’re friendly, but she’s like a sister to me, Riley.”
The fit of temper disappeared just as quickly as it had come, and it left Riley feeling as though he’d just earned the label of the idiot brother.
“It was just something someone said,” Riley explained. “And Claire won’t talk about it.” He paused, figured since he’d already made an ass of himself that he might as well continue. “Has she said anything to you about the father of her son?”
Lucky made an isn’t-it-obvious sound. “I always figured it was you.”
Now it was Riley’s turn to shout. “No!”
“Well, my bad, then. The kid does look like you, though.”
Riley wanted to reach through the phone, rip off Lucky’s dick and beat him senseless with it. Hell, he wanted to beat those hot actors senseless while he was at it.
“Ethan’s not my son.” Riley was in pain now, not from his shoulder but from his too-tight jaw.
“Too bad. I always figured... Well, never mind.”
“Say it,” Riley demanded. The temper was making a comeback.
“All right. I always figured that sooner or later Claire would do something to make you forget all about those stupid man-rules.”
“They’re not stupid.” Sometimes they were constricting and frustrating, but they definitely weren’t stupid.
“Right. Whatever. You know, for a hotshot special ops guy, you’re a turd head. You just don’t get it, do you?”
Riley didn’t think they were talking about the man-rules just now. “Get what?”
Lucky cursed again before he answered. “That Claire’s been in love with you for years.”
His brother hung up, leaving Riley to stand there, staring at the phone. He felt a little as if a fully loaded Mack Truck had just slammed into him.
Claire was in love with him?
But wait. He shook off the question before an answer could even form in his mind. Of course she wasn’t in love with him. Riley had to consider the source—Lucky—and his brother had never been a font of reliable information. Lucky probably just wanted to put an end to the conversation.
Which he’d managed to do.
Riley considered calling him right back and interrupting another round in Lucky’s latest hookup, but the sound of someone talking stopped him. At first he thought maybe Jodi was on the phone, but it wasn’t just her voice. He heard two people. And it wasn’t a call on speaker, either.
Then he recognized who she was speaking with. Daniel.
Great day. He so didn’t need this right now, but Riley wasn’t about to hide behind the pain or the frustration that he was suddenly feeling.
He took a minute, steadying his nerves. “Jingle Bells” didn’t do squat for nerves, but he had something in his hand that helped. Right there on his phone’s screen saver.
Claire’s picture.
He’d caught the shot with her partway between a smile and a surprised look. Not exactly a soothing pose, but it had the intended effect.
How long that effect would last was anyone’s guess, especially if Daniel had come there to invite him to Claire’s and his wedding. Certainly Claire had had time to call him by now, and Daniel had probably scurried right over to tell Riley the good news.
Riley made his way back into the living room. There was definitely a celebratory vibe in the air. Jodi and Daniel were both smiling, and even though he didn’t know the reason for it, something Daniel said caused her to erupt into a giggle.
They were so involved in their conversation that it took them a couple of seconds to hear Riley and turn in his direction. Jodi would be plenty pleased with the news of Claire’s wedding, too, but that still didn’t mean he was going to invite her into his bed.
“There you are,” Jodi said.
She went to Riley, hooked her arm through his as if that was something they did all the time. It wasn’t. Cuddling, romance and the lingering look she was giving him were things that just didn’t happen.
Saying hello was Jodi’s idea of foreplay.
“You two have met, I see?” Riley nearly groaned.
He couldn’t have possibly sounded any more wussy if he’d been dosing up on wuss pills. But he didn’t have much of an alternative. He needed to keep this visit pleasant—and short. Punching Daniel wouldn’t accomplish that, but hell in a handbasket, he might burn off some of this restless energy if he punched something.
“Yes, we met.” Daniel wasn’t just smiling. He was grinning. An ear-to-ear kind of grin. “Didn’t know you were involved with anyone.”
If that was the truth, then Daniel clearly wasn’t in the gossip loop. Riley was certain Trisha had spilled the handful of details that he’d given her about Jodi and then added some details of her own for embellishment. Like maybe Jodi being a substitute for Claire. Which she wasn’t.
“Riley and I have been involved for a couple of years now,” Jodi explained. “I had a week off before my next assignment, and I decided to nurse him back to health.”
A week? Oh, man. He really needed to nip that in the bud. First, though, he had some bud nipping to do with Daniel.
“Was there something I could do for you?” Riley asked. It was better than barking out, Why the hell are you here anyway?
Daniel just kept on smiling. “I just dropped by to catch up. But I can see this is a bad time.” He checked his watch. “I need to be at Claire’s soon anyway.”
“Claire?” That perked Jodi up even more. “You mean the woman who was here earlier, the one with the kid?”
That perked up Daniel, too, but not in the same way as Jodi. “Claire was here?” Daniel asked.
Riley nodded. “Logan’s doing. He had to go out of town, and he asked her to check on me.”
There went the rest of Daniel’s smile. “Do you still need someone to check on you? I thought you’d be past all of that now.”
“Still healing.”
Daniel lifted his shoulder. “Well, it’s not as if Claire has any nursing skills. And she stays so busy with Ethan these days and going through all that junk at her grandmother’s place. I’m just surprised she had any free time to come over here.”
Riley wouldn’t dare mention the near kiss. But mercy, he was thinking about it right now. Thinking about that stupid thing Lucky had said, too, about Claire being in love with him.
“I met Claire,” Jodi volunteered. “And her son. He was peeing on a tree in the backyard.”
Daniel turned his head so fast that Riley was surprised he didn’t dislocate his neck. “I hope you stopped him,” he said to Riley.
“Wasn’t really my place.”
Daniel gave him that look, the one that implied he was waiting for Riley to confess what everyone else already knew. That Ethan was Riley’s.
“Sometimes,
Claire’s too easy on him,” Daniel finally continued. “Of course, I help her, but Ethan’s strong willed. He’s already behind other kids his age, and Claire’s not making much progress with the Baby Genius packets.”
“Ethan’s as smart as a whip,” Riley argued. “He potty trained himself in thirty seconds.”
“By peeing on a tree.” Daniel’s look was flat. The run-over-twice-by-a-bulldozer kind of flat.
“It worked for Lucky.” Which, of course, was a terrible argument. Lucky was as maladjusted as they came.
Daniel huffed. “You clearly don’t know much about kids. But I’d have thought you would have at least read some books about it.”
“And why would Riley have done that?” Jodi asked.
For seven little words, her question was a powerful gauntlet. Daniel stared at him, waiting for an answer. Jodi stared at him, too. And Riley decided while it might not be very mature, he wouldn’t be the one to answer Jodi’s question.
Finally Daniel said, “Well, it doesn’t matter who Ethan’s father is. Even if it’s you, I’m the one who’s been there for him, and I’ll continue to be there for him. And for Claire, of course.”
Riley broke his stare when Jodi made a slight gasping sound. “You said the kid wasn’t yours. Is he?”
It was the renewed anger over the question that caused Riley to pause and generally look pissed off. But Jodi—Daniel, too—apparently took that pause as a confession.
“Ethan’s not my son,” Riley finally said. But it was too late. It sounded like a lie.
“Well.” Jodi flexed her eyebrows, said another well, then did more eyebrow flexing. “You know I have fun with you,” Jodi said to Riley, “but this isn’t fun. Jodi-rule number six—don’t get involved with men who have kids.”
Yeah, he knew about that rule. Ironically, it was ahead of the Jodi-rules about her not getting involved with a married man or convicted felons.
“Is there a hotel in town?” she asked Daniel, not him. “I need to get some pictures edited.”
Daniel nodded. “There’s an inn on Main Street, just up from my office. It’s not that far, but you can follow behind me if you like. I’m headed in that general direction anyway.”
Where he was headed was to Claire’s.
Jodi grabbed her duffel bag and hoisted it up over her shoulder with all the efficiency of a lumberjack and his ax. Riley nearly stopped her. Nearly went on the offensive so he could try to dispel once and for all that he hadn’t slept with Claire. But he’d just be wasting his breath.
Besides, he really didn’t want Jodi hanging around for a week. The only time they could tolerate each other was when they were in bed, and no way was that happening.
“Be seeing you,” Jodi said, patting Riley’s cheek.
That was it. Apparently the only goodbye he was going to get after a two-year semirelationship. Of course, Riley wasn’t feeling any tugs of his heartstrings, either.
Jodi went out the door and down the porch steps, but Daniel lingered in the doorway. “She might change her mind when she’s had a chance to deal with the shock.”
No. She wouldn’t. But Riley decided not to prolong this conversation, so he nodded.
“I’ll check on Jodi later,” Daniel went on. “After I see Claire, of course. I’m pretty sure that in the next hour or two, I’ll become an engaged man.”
“Really? I thought Claire was still thinking about it.”
Daniel smiled again. “I talked to her right before I came here, and the thinking is finally over. I’m ninety-nine point nine percent sure that this time Claire will say yes.”
CHAPTER TEN
“NO,” CLAIRE SAID.
She wasn’t sure who was more surprised by the word that came out of her mouth—her or Daniel. She hadn’t hesitated, hadn’t blinked. She’d put on her big-girl panties and delivered the answer that she should have delivered years ago.
“No?” Daniel asked. He didn’t look just thunderstruck. He looked as if he’d been hit with a sledgehammer.
“No,” she repeated, and since she was ready for this moment, Claire took his hand and put the engagement ring in his palm. “I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you.”
His mouth didn’t drop open exactly, but it was close. “I thought for sure you’d say yes. Claire, we’re so good together, and you know how much I love you and Ethan.”
“I know.” She glanced at Ethan to see if he was hearing any of this, but he was sacked out on the sofa. Obviously the walk to and from Riley’s had worn him out. The tree peeing, too, since he’d repeated that once they made it home.
“Then, if you know I love you, why don’t you say yes? I even told people you’d say yes,” he amended.
Great. So it was all over town, and it wouldn’t be long before she’d start getting congratulatory calls. Calls where she would have to dodge questions about not only why she’d dumped her longtime boyfriend but also whether it had anything to do with Riley.
“Does this have to do with Riley?” Daniel snapped.
Obviously she’d have to deal with that question a little sooner than planned. “No.” And that wasn’t a lie, either.
Daniel clearly thought it was. “He has a girlfriend, you know?”
She nodded. “I met her.” Claire considered adding something polite like that Jodi was lovely, but she couldn’t even muster up the effort.
“Then you know they’re right for each other,” Daniel went on. “They’re not like us. They’re adrenaline junkies. They want to live their lives on the line. You should have heard the stories she was telling me about some of the missions she’s been on with Riley.”
Claire didn’t want to hear. She saw the proof of one of those missions every time she looked at Riley’s face. The pain was right there, and judging from the conversation she’d had with Logan, Riley was still having flashbacks. He might never get over those, and even if he did, Riley would just want to go back into situations where he could be hurt.
Or worse.
It crushed her heart to think of Riley dying. Crushed it even more to know there was nothing she could do to stop him.
“Are you listening to me?” Daniel snarled.
“Of course.” Now, that was a lie.
For a moment she thought he might call her on it, but he finally huffed. “Even if Riley and Jodi don’t agree on everything right now, they’ll be together.”
Claire was with him on all but one point. “Uh, what don’t they agree on?”
Daniel promptly waved that off. “I don’t want to talk about Jodi and Riley. I want to talk about us. Look, I’ll give you an extension on the proposal. Take another week to think it over. Just know that this time, I’ll expect the answer to be yes.”
She took in a long, deep breath. Had Daniel always been like this? Persistent to the point of being a bully?
Maybe.
But she’d been so comforted by the notion that he had a safe job and safe expectations that she’d overlooked that particular aspect of his personality. Well, he’d obviously overlooked one of hers. Her need for a safe, white-picket-fence life didn’t mean she was brainless and spineless.
“I don’t need a week,” she assured him, “because my answer won’t change. It’ll still be no.”
He huffed again, looked ready to gear up for what would be more of the same argument, but Claire took Daniel by the arm and led him to the front door. She hoped to usher him out and then have a huge glass of wine before Ethan woke up. But a quick ushering wasn’t in the cards.
That’s because Livvy and Riley—yes, Riley—were making their way up the porch steps.
Daniel spun toward her, the accusation all over his face. “What are they doing here?”
“I saw Riley walking this way, and I gave him a ride,” Livvy volunteered. “Clair
e and I have some work to do.”
Partially true. Livvy had called her about forty-five minutes earlier to say she had to see her, that they needed to talk. That was possibly work related, but Claire suspected Livvy had come over for what would have no doubt turned into some wine drinking and consoling.
But she didn’t have a clue why Riley was there.
“I just need to talk to you,” Riley said. That sounded a little ominous. Had he come to tell her he couldn’t see her, not even as a friend, because of his relationship with Jodi?
Livvy pulled her into a hug and put her mouth right against Claire’s ear. “Don’t say anything until we’ve talked.” Heck, that sounded ominous, too.
What was going on?
Daniel looked at all of them as if expecting an explanation. Riley shrugged. Livvy smiled. Claire stayed quiet, too afraid to talk after Livvy’s warning. Daniel obviously didn’t appreciate any of their responses.
“Claire, I’ll expect your answer in a week.” Daniel slapped the engagement-ring box on the table next to the door and stormed out.
“I thought you were going to tell him no,” Livvy said.
“I did. I guess he didn’t believe me.” Claire looked at her friend, hoping for more clues about that warning, but Livvy headed toward a still-sleeping Ethan to give him some air kisses and air cuddles before she started for the bathroom.
“I’ll give you two a couple of minutes to talk. Remember what I said, though.”
Claire wanted to throw up her hands. She still had that blasted engagement ring in her house, which meant she would need to go another round with Daniel. And now here was Riley, no doubt ready to deliver news that she didn’t want to hear.
“Did Lucky call you, by any chance?” Riley asked.
Okay. That wasn’t the news Claire had been expecting. “No. Why? Is anything wrong?”
He shook his head. Looked relieved, or something. “I was just wondering.” Riley wasn’t actually fidgeting, but she thought he might start at any moment. “I, uh, wanted to apologize for what happened with Jodi. She can come on a little strong.”
“That’s okay.” No, it wasn’t, but Claire did want to be nice now. This was already going to end on a sour note, so there was no sense her adding yet more sourness to it. “I think she was just surprised to see me there with you.”
Texas on My Mind Page 10
