The Paternity Pact (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags To Riches Book 3)

by Cat Schield

  “Someone like Harley,” his sister continued as if reading his thoughts. “You are both dedicated to helping women and families. Her nonprofit helps women lift themselves out of poverty. You help women get pregnant and create new families.”

  “She’s too young.” The response came out reflexively.

  Rose waved her hand. “Men date and marry younger women all the time.”

  As tempting as it was to wonder if he could put aside his bias about their age difference and see where their explosive chemistry would lead, Grant knew better. When it came to his personal life, he struggled to think outside the box and his failed marriage hadn’t exactly nudged him toward a more flexible attitude.

  “Dating is the last thing I should be thinking about,” he said, uncomfortable with the emotions his sister’s advice was stirring up. “I need to focus on being a father.”

  “But have you considered that Harley and her son are a package deal? You could have both with very little effort on your part.”

  It was all too much to think about. Before marrying Paisley, he’d never really paid attention to his private life. He’d certainly never had good luck in relationships that would lead him to think a family was in his future. Turns out, he’d been right.

  “I think my marriage to Paisley demonstrated that I should stay single.”

  “That’s only because she wasn’t right for you. If you marry the woman of your dreams, and open your heart to love, the intimacy you experience will be everything you ever imagined and more.”

  Rose’s suggestion reminded Grant of all those times he’d resisted dropping his guard when Paisley had asked him to share how he was feeling. Tension filled him as he remembered the pain he’d caused her. He hadn’t deliberately set out to close himself off from his wife, but the woman he wanted to reveal his deepest thoughts and most vivid emotions to hadn’t been Paisley.

  Nor was he certain he could ever let himself be vulnerable. Especially when in the past doing so had left him gripped by disappointment.

  “It isn’t as easy as you make it sound,” Grant said, his tone indicating he was done with the conversation.

  “I never said it was easy. You’re more comfortable with things you can investigate and control. Love isn’t like that. You need to take a leap of faith. A bit like your patients do. They trust you to take them from infertile to parents. All I’m asking for you to do is to trust someone and let them take you from loneliness to love.”

  “Someone?” he probed. Or Harley Wingate? He was letting the possibility tempt him more than it should.

  “You deserve a woman who will love you despite all your flaws.”

  Grant took refuge in dry humor. “So now I’m flawed?”

  “We all are,” his sister said tartly. “The challenge is to find someone who accepts you as you are, warts and all.”

  Rose spoke as if simply changing everything he believed in would be the keystone to his future happiness. And maybe it was. How often had his patients struggled with fertility issues only to give up and miraculously find themselves pregnant with no help from science?

  “Did it ever occur to you that she may not be interested in getting involved with me? After all, she’s been doing quite well for herself in Thailand.”

  “You are handsome, wealthy and successful. I can name a dozen women who would be thrilled if you asked them out. If you made even a little effort, I’m sure Harley Wingate would fall at your feet.”

  Obviously, Rose assumed that now that Harley was back in Royal, she planned to stay. Grant didn’t share his sister’s confidence.

  “I’ll give it some thought,” he replied, knowing his sister would continue to pester him until he gave in.

  “Good.” Rose nodded in satisfaction. “Now, when can I meet Daniel?”

  “About that.” Irritation flared. “He doesn’t know I’m his father yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “Harley wants to wait.”

  “That’s unacceptable,” Rose retorted. “That boy’s an Everett.”

  Grant shook his head. “Not legally.”

  Although he and Harley had not discussed custody, he knew her dedication to her nonprofit’s success meant she needed to stay actively involved and that meant returning to Thailand. Pain erupted at the thought of losing his son before he had the chance to get to know him. He needed a plan for keeping Harley and Daniel in Royal. Perhaps he could offer her a bargain. The funding she needed for Zest in exchange for her promise that he could spend as much time with Daniel as he wanted.

  Just Daniel? The thought crept out of his subconscious and waved its arms to get his attention. Okay, so he was enjoying spending time with Harley, as well. She was beautiful, smart and injected a joyfulness into his life he hadn’t even noticed was lacking.

  “That’s easily remedied.” Rose’s gaze grew steely. “Do whatever it takes to make sure you’re a part of your son’s life.”

  * * *

  Harley sat on Jaymes’s couch, her feet tucked beneath her while she struggled to stay focused on the dire news story she was reading on her phone. Her stomach roiled as she considered the implications of all the financial reporter had laid out. While she’d known the company’s situation was bad, Harley hadn’t appreciated the full scope of what was happening. She’d thought their troubles were limited to the negligence lawsuit and DEA investigation into WinJet, but the story she was reading at the moment involved the sizable number of jet contracts that were being canceled.

  Maybe if the trouble had been limited to one segment of their business, they might have been able to weather the storm, but Wingate Hotels were under siege as well, as an apparent boycott of the properties had caused people to cancel their reservations. These empty resorts had then fed into the ever-cycling rumors that the hotels were mismanaged and the staff was racing for the door. In fact, Wingate Enterprises had been forced to lay off a significant number of employees based on their lower occupancy. No doubt these frustrated former staffers had been happy to bad-mouth Wingate Hotels.

  Harley finished one article and queued up the next. This one proclaimed that with their stock in freefall, the company was so devalued that their assets couldn’t even be sold to stop the financial hemorrhaging. As one terrible thing piled on another, the public grew greedy for more stories about the troubled Wingate holdings. Exasperated, Harley tossed her phone to the cushion beside her.

  With all the turmoil the family business was in, combined with her current situation with Grant, she felt as if her world was crashing down around her. Was it any surprise that she longed to run back to Thailand and leave it all behind?

  “Oh dear, more bad news?” Jaymes asked, setting two cups of tea on the coffee table before sitting beside her on the couch and bumping her shoulder against Harley’s in sympathetic affection. “You really need to stop reading those stories. You’re only making yourself crazy.”

  “I’m not sure if I’m upset or relieved that my family hasn’t told me about a lot of this. There’s nothing I can do to help them and reading all of this news is really upsetting. On the other hand, they always treat me like I’m a baby and that gets old.”

  As frustrated as Harley was feeling at the moment—and she was far removed from the problems confronting Wingate Enterprises—no doubt her brothers and her mother, who had recently taken a stronger interest in the day-to-day running of the corporation, were at their wits’ end.

  “They know you can handle yourself,” Jaymes told her.

  “I might agree with you if I hadn’t come home with my tail between my legs after they cut off my financial support for Zest.” Thanks to the Wingate wealth, Harley had never had to work a day in her life. “All I’ve done is rely on Wingate’s charitable donations for Zest and my trust fund to live on.”

  She’d gained access to her personal trust when she turned eighteen. A mixed portfolio of
stocks and index funds, it contained enough Wingate Enterprise stock that her net worth had taken a hit thanks to the financial crisis surrounding the family’s corporation. Still, even if Wingate Enterprises’ stock declined considerably, she would have enough money to live on for the rest of her life, providing she spent carefully.

  Moving to Thailand had been spiritually transformative for Harley. She’d taken up meditation and found awakenings in the breathtaking mountain scenery, helpful villagers, even the filthy alleyways and mangy dogs scavenging to stay alive. It was all so different from her life in Texas and she’d decided that instead of living a lavish lifestyle that would certainly ensure that she blew through the trust, she’d pursue a simpler existence and put her energy into philanthropic pursuits.

  “You’ve done a lot more than that,” Jaymes said. “Zest has been so successful.”

  “You have to say that,” Harley teased, despite her heavy heart. “You’re my best friend.”

  “And because I love and support you,” Jaymes said. “Oh, and guess what? I have good news for you.”

  “Yay!” Harley faced Jaymes and fastened on a hopeful expression. “I could really use some.”

  Her friend nodded in understanding. “A college friend of mine who lives in Fort Worth just took a position on the board of a charitable foundation that specializes in women’s issues. I mentioned Zest to her, and she would be interested in talking to you about funding. She’s available for lunch tomorrow if you can swing it.”

  “That would be incredible,” Harley enthused. “Between that and Beth’s charity circuit connections, I might be able to secure lasting funding for Zest.”

  And then what? Return to her life in Thailand and pretend that she hadn’t dropped a bombshell into Grant’s life? Part of her reason for coming home had been to tell him he had a son because Daniel needed to know his father. But Harley had been so focused on this drama-inducing event that she hadn’t thought about what happened beyond the difficult confession. She hadn’t a clue to how he’d react to her being back in his life in a big way. Never expected that he’d kiss her nor that she’d be indulging in daydreams of her and Grant together as...what? Lovers? Harley shuddered as longing swept through her. Parents? Of course, because of Daniel, they were bound together for the rest of their lives. But what was she to do with her feelings for him that had resurfaced with a vengeance?

  Once upon a time, there had been an amazing, transformative moment for her that had ended before she got a chance to see where it might lead.

  Harley thought she’d accepted that she and Grant weren’t meant to be together. What if deep down she hadn’t given up when he’d declared he wanted nothing more to do with her? Or when she’d left town? Or when she’d heard he’d married Paisley?

  Instead, she’d pushed down the fantasy of what could’ve been, something that had been a lot easier when she’d been living halfway around the world. Now, once again involved with her former lover, she was confronting a dozen conflicting emotions that left her confused and uncertain.

  By coming home to tell Grant about Daniel, she’d manufactured another chance to get to know him, to let him get to know her. Did she want to be with him? Harley trembled as the dueling memories of their lovemaking and his rejection played through her mind. The stakes were higher than ever now, with more hearts at risk than just hers.

  Her father had been fond of the saying: the greater the risk, the greater the reward. It was at times like these that she missed him the most. He’d been the only member of her family who’d appreciated her bluntness and didn’t try to control her spirited ways. His belief in her skills enabled Harley to find the confidence to make Zest happen.

  “What are you thinking about?” Jaymes asked, regarding her friend over the rim of her teacup.

  “My dad.”

  “He would’ve been so proud of you.”

  Harley cleared her throat and fought down a wave of melancholy. “I wish he’d been well enough to get to know Daniel.”

  “How would he have felt about Grant being his father?”

  “After he got over the shock,” Harley said with a halfhearted chuckle, “I think he would’ve approved.”

  “So what’s next for you and Grant?”

  “He’s invited us to his house tomorrow to swim and have lunch.” She shivered in anticipation of seeing Grant stripped down to his swim trunks. All that bronze skin and hard muscle would be an excellent test of her willpower.

  “Oh, dear,” Jaymes murmured, her blue eyes reflecting concern. “Are you falling for him again?”

  Harley shook her head. “That would be crazy, wouldn’t it?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. I watched you two at the fundraiser and he wasn’t immune.” Jaymes had always moved more cautiously than Harley when it came to romance. “Still, he’s barely dated since his marriage ended and word is, he’s not looking to get serious with anyone.”

  “I don’t know what I’m thinking,” Harley said, waving her hand dismissively. “The only reason I connected with Grant was to tell him about Daniel. As long as he and I can be friendly for the sake of our son, that’s good enough for me.”

  Six

  Following his first dinner with Harley, Grant had made dramatic changes to his work schedule to carve out as much time as possible for his son. He had four years to make up for and intended to prove to her how committed he was to being a good father to Daniel.

  She’d been clear and forthright with her concerns and although he’d never admit it, not knowing the first thing about being a parent made him anxious. He could learn techniques to raise well-rounded children and read articles listing scientific tips that would enable Daniel to grow up happy and healthy, but eventually he’d have to set aside the reading material and put the advice into practice.

  To that end, Grant invited Harley and Daniel over to get better acquainted. The pair arrived promptly at ten o’clock already dressed in swimsuits, eager to escape the August heat with a refreshing plunge in the pool. To Grant’s shock, Daniel launched himself across the pool deck and into the water. The spray hit Grant’s chest and thighs as the boy’s head disappeared beneath the surface. He jumped into the water to rescue his son only to see the four-year-old pop up like a cork.

  “Sorry,” Harley called, amusement making her eyes twinkle even as she struggled to keep her expression contrite. “I should’ve warned you that he’s part fish.”

  “So he can swim.” Grant kept Daniel in his sights as he ran shaky fingers through his hair. He backed toward the edge of the pool.

  “I started teaching him when he was a baby.” Harley had stripped off her light cotton dress to reveal a modest two-piece before coming to sit near Grant. She dangled her feet in the water and smiled as she watched her son. “Jaymes and Sean don’t have a pool so he was really excited that he could come here and swim.”

  Irresistibly drawn toward Harley, Grant shifted closer and rested his elbows on the sun-warmed tile that ran around the rim until his right arm was an inch from her slender thigh. The hot sun had warmed her skin, releasing the faint tang of sunscreen. Contentment suffused him as he gathered the scent into his lungs.

  “You’re both welcome anytime,” he offered. “Even if I’m not here. I’ll give you the code to the front door and let Franny know you will be using the pool.”

  Harley scissored her legs, stirring the water. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “Daniel belongs here,” he insisted, keeping his voice low so only she heard. “And I want you to feel comfortable, as well.”

  “That’s really nice of you,” Harley murmured. “And Daniel will be thrilled to swim whenever he wants.”

  Grant glanced at Harley’s profile, drinking in her fond expression as her gaze lingered on her son. Although Grant knew he should focus on Daniel as well, being close to her awakened strong cravings. He wanted to pull her into hi
s arms and savor the yielding softness of her body. The urge to touch her was only partially sexual in nature. He longed to reconnect with her and physical contact was an easy way to communicate his desire for her company.

  “Tell me about your life in Thailand,” he said, curious to discover how she and Daniel had been living.

  “Sure, what do you want to know?”

  “Start with why you ended up there.”

  She smiled. “Aside from the fact that it’s a fascinating country, it has a relatively inexpensive cost of living, which has attracted a lot of foreigners. You can’t beat the tropical climate and modern conveniences are readily available, including good medical care. On top of that, the Thai people are incredibly friendly, and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. I love how exotic it is with the brightly colored markets and the ancient temples, and yet I can go to an English-speaking movie on a whim.”

  “Sounds like the best of both worlds,” he said. “Where did you live?”

  “For the last year, I’ve been renting a small house in Hua Hin. It’s a seaside town two and a half hours from Bangkok where Thailand’s royal family built a summer palace in the twenties. It has beautiful beaches, great seafood restaurants and a jazz festival, but what I love most of all is the small-town feel and the sense of community among the expats.”

  Grant was surprised to discover that her description stirred his interest. He’d never considered living abroad, but she was definitely making a case for immersing himself in other cultures.

  “You sound like you miss it,” he declared, this realization sparking concern about her future plans. How long would he have with Daniel before she was drawn back there?

  “I really do. The country’s long history means there’s so much to learn and explore. The slower pace and our simpler lifestyle really allowed me to tap into my spiritual side.”

  “I have to admit, you seem very different from the girl I met at the TCC ball.”