by Brenda Novak
“Right. You’re probably nervous. I don’t know if I remembered to tell you, but I took some flyers to my friends when we met for coffee this morning.”
“Was the one I posted in the coffee shop still there by the register?”
“It was.”
“How did your friends respond?”
“Several of them said they’re planning to come.”
She was offering free ten-minute massages as well as cookies and punch. “Hopefully, they’ll like what I can do enough to become clients.”
Her sister squeezed her arm. “I’m betting Riley will.”
“I owe him. He spent a lot tonight. And he did all that work on the reception area.”
“Which looks great, by the way. He must really like you.”
When Wyatt began to stir, Presley waved Cheyenne to silence. She was afraid he’d wake up too completely and not be able to go back to sleep. She had to get some rest to face such a big day. But that didn’t become a problem. Cheyenne took the diaper bag, put it down and pulled her out of the bedroom.
“Leave him for tonight,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to move him if you have to bring him back first thing in the morning, anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Presley smiled in gratitude. She hadn’t been blessed with a good mother, father or extended family. But, quite by accident, since Cheyenne was just a little girl when it all happened, her mother had stolen her the best of sisters—not that being raised by Anita could ever be construed as a blessing to Cheyenne. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“What are sisters for? I’ll see you tomorrow. Wyatt and I will stop by to check out the grand opening, so leave me the stroller.”
“Dylan won’t be coming to get a free massage?”
“He’s got to work.”
“Tell him I’ll give him a massage some other time, then. Longer than the ten-minute samples I’ll be doing tomorrow. He’s earned it.”
She carried her clothes home with a smile, but as she approached her house, she saw Aaron sitting in his truck across the street and realized her night wasn’t over quite yet.
* * *
Presley had never looked less like her old self than when Aaron saw her coming down the street in a pretty cocktail dress and high heels. If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought she was some classy stranger—a small, compact woman with short, choppy hair and dark eyes as big as saucers.
It was partly the dress that made her seem different. She’d never worn anything like that when she lived in Whiskey Creek before. He’d seen her in a sundress or, when they went clubbing, far sexier clothing. But this simple sleeveless number...
He liked it. A lot. It enhanced her improved figure, something that was quite evident since she wasn’t wearing a coat. Speaking of which, what was she doing meandering down the sidewalk as if she was in no hurry whatsoever when it was only forty-five degrees outside?
This wasn’t how he’d been hoping to find her. From all the signs, including that dreamy smile, her date with Riley had gone well. Where the heck was her baby? There’d been no one at home when he knocked, and she was obviously coming from Cheyenne’s but didn’t have him with her.
“Hey,” he said as he got out.
Her smile had disappeared the moment she noticed his truck. She’d also come to a stop. Now her expression was...wary.
“Hey.” Her response held far less enthusiasm than he would’ve liked. Somehow, he’d become the bad guy. He wasn’t sure how. For years, he’d been just about her only friend.
He grabbed the sack he’d tossed in his passenger seat and closed the door before crossing the street. “I expected you to get home ages ago.”
He shouldn’t have said that. He had no reason to be monitoring the time she spent with Riley.
She smoothed her dress. “How long have you been waiting?”
“Not long,” he replied. But it had been an hour or more. He hadn’t been able to make himself leave. The later it grew, the more frightened he’d become that she’d gone home with Riley, that Riley was touching her the way he’d touched her, and that had bothered him so much he’d driven over to Riley’s. When he didn’t see Riley’s truck where it was usually parked, he’d returned to her house, but the sick feeling in his gut hadn’t dissipated.
It wasn’t until he’d finally spotted her, alone, that his anxiety eased. But that flash of relief turned out to be short-lived. The way she was dressed and walking on air indicated that the date had convinced her Riley had potential.
She’s looking for a husband...
“So how’d it go?” he asked.
She hugged herself, rubbing away the chill bumps that had sprung up on her arms. Apparently, now that she was face-to-face with him, she could feel the cold. “Fine.”
“What’d you do?”
“Went to San Francisco.”
He almost took off his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders, but he was afraid she’d think he was making some kind of move on her. She’d already told him that she didn’t even want him coming over.
At least he had a good reason for being here tonight.
“For dinner?” he asked. “I thought you were going to Just Like Mom’s.” He’d figured out that they hadn’t gone to the local diner hours ago—he’d checked when he and Grady went to the drive-in down the street. But she didn’t know that.
“We decided to do something different, get out of town. I tried lobster for the first time,” she added with a touch of wonder. “And the moon over the bay was so full.”
He refused to let his smile wilt. Riley was putting some effort into pursuing Presley; Aaron had to give him that. “Nice. So you like him?”
“Of course. What’s not to like?”
That didn’t tell him much. “He’s not your type.”
“Then who is?”
Someone who could understand her. Someone who could relate to the life she’d led. Someone more like him. But he knew he couldn’t say that; it wouldn’t come out right, since he wasn’t really interested in the kind of relationship she was looking for. “No one from around here.”
Her gaze shifted to the bag he was carrying. “What’s that?”
He opened it to show her the pregnancy test he’d purchased.
“Of course. I understand now.”
“What?” he asked. “What do you understand?”
“Why you’re here. Where did you get that, by the way?”
“Jackson. Don’t worry. I wasn’t stupid enough to buy it here.”
“Come on in. It won’t take long.”
“Where’s Wyatt?” he asked as she led him to the porch and pulled out her keys.
“Cheyenne’s keeping him overnight. I have my grand opening in the morning.”
“Are you excited about that?”
She pushed the door open. “A little. Nervous, too.”
“Why would you be nervous?”
“I’m afraid no one will show up,” she said as they went in. “It’s a small town, and I wasn’t exactly popular when I lived here before. I wasn’t even considered respectable.”
“You’ve always been a nice person. You were just confused.”
“No one cares about the reasons.” She closed the door with a bang. “But Riley said he’d bring some people, and Cheyenne asked Eve and some others to come, so...maybe there’ll be a decent turnout.”
Riley was certainly doing all he could to win her over. Aaron had never disliked the guy before, but that was beginning to change.
“I just hope I get some real clients out of it.” She gestured at the sofa. “Would you like to sit down?”
He shook his head. “You’re afraid there might not be a market here for yoga and
massage?”
“That’s a very real possibility.”
“You could’ve gone to a big city. What made you come here?”
“I wanted to be close to Chey and Dylan, wanted Wyatt to have some family around. And I figured, if I worked hard enough, I should be able to establish something. This place is the closest thing I have to home.”
“It’ll work out.” At least, he hoped it would. She deserved it.
“You’re probably right,” she said. “I’m just feeling a little jittery, since I’ve sunk everything into a business that involves so much risk.”
He could understand why she might be nervous. She’d never had much of anything go her way. He wanted to support her grand opening, too, but he wasn’t sure whether or not to offer. He doubted she’d want him there. Besides, Riley had beaten him to making the commitment, so it would just seem like he was trying to compete.
“You’re good. The massage you gave me was incredible.”
She blanched. “That’s not the kind of massage I’ll be giving everyone.”
“I wasn’t suggesting that. I only wanted to reassure you. I hate...” He let his words trail off when he couldn’t decide how to say what he wanted to say.
“What?” She tossed her keys on the coffee table and looked up.
He hated that she regretted being with him. But she was so convinced that he didn’t care about her, she wouldn’t take him seriously even if he said he did.
“Never mind.”
She didn’t press him. She actually seemed relieved that he’d backed off. “Okay. I’ll be right out,” she said, and disappeared into the bathroom with the sack.
* * *
Presley’s hands shook as she removed the pregnancy test from its box. She already had one child by Aaron. What would she do if she was pregnant with another? And how would he react? It certainly wasn’t a secret she’d try to keep a second time. If she was pregnant, he was going to hear about it. But after having Wyatt, she knew she could never get an abortion. It just wasn’t an option for her. Which meant she might wind up raising two children alone....
“This is what happens when you screw up,” she breathed. “It’s your own fault. You knew better.” She had to keep chastising herself; otherwise, the desire to be with Aaron again would take control. The second she’d seen him sitting in his truck she’d forgotten all about her date with Riley, all about everything, except him. Them. For her, the pleasure he could provide went far beyond the physical. And since Cheyenne had kept Wyatt, the whole night stretched before her without any of the responsibilities of motherhood. That made her even more vulnerable.
“Did you say something?” Aaron’s voice came through the door.
“No.”
“Well? What’s the verdict?”
“Sorry. Working up the nerve.”
There was a brief silence. Then he said, “I won’t leave you to face the consequences alone—if there are any. Maybe that’ll make it a little easier.”
That was a nice thing to say, but what exactly did it mean? He’d pay for an abortion? Drive her to the clinic? How would he respond when she told him she wouldn’t get one?
“Thanks,” she said dully. She had no real hope of his support. Not the kind she wanted, anyway.
Gathering her courage, she read the information included with the kit so she’d know what she was doing.
The test strip would read the levels of hCG, the pregnancy hormone, in her urine. It could detect a rise in these levels as early as six days from fertilization. She’d been with Aaron last Monday, which meant it hadn’t been quite that long.
Maybe she’d be smart to wait another few days.
“You done yet?” he asked.
He was nervous, too, of course—and impatient to alleviate his concern. So she decided to go ahead. Her period was due any day. If it didn’t come as expected, she’d buy another test in a week or so—and if it turned out to be positive, she’d just have to tell him later.
“Takes three minutes,” she said.
“Are you timing it? Or should I?”
“I will.”
“I could use the stopwatch on my phone. But...is there any chance I could come in?”
“No.” Absolutely not. She certainly didn’t plan on keeping the truth from him, but she felt vulnerable enough.
“Why? I’ve seen every inch of you, touched every inch. So what’s with the sudden modesty?”
“It’s not sudden,” she told him. “It’s taken two years.” Besides, she wanted to be the first to see the results. If the answer was yes, she’d need a moment to recover.
“Hurry up, then.”
After she performed the test, she set the plastic tray on the sink and held her breath while she waited. It would turn pink if it was positive, blue if it wasn’t.
Was that pink she detected?
“It’s time,” Aaron announced, startling her.
Her phone indicated the same thing. She bent closer, staring at the results.
Blue. Thank God. Sinking onto the toilet, she let her breath go. “You don’t have anything to worry about,” she called out. If the test could be trusted. “According to this, I’m not pregnant.”
He didn’t respond right away, but she imagined he was out there thanking God as much as she was.
She threw everything away, washed her hands and opened the door to find him waiting in the hallway.
“That was a close one,” he said.
“Too close.”
“Are you relieved?”
“Aren’t you?”
He looked chagrined. “Sorry for the scare. I can’t tell you what I did wrong—if anything.”
“That sort of thing happens sometimes.”
Silence fell as they stared at each other. Aaron was the first to break it. “So...I guess I’d better go.”
“Okay,” she said as he straightened. “Thanks for buying the test.”
“No problem.”
She expected him to cross to the door, but he didn’t.
“They had this big makeup case at the drugstore,” he told her, turning back. “I almost bought one.”
“You want makeup?”
He came close enough that she could smell his cologne. “Of course not. I thought you might like it. It has all these layers and tons of stuff inside. With a mirror.”
“Sounds interesting. I’ll have to check it out.” Or not. She wouldn’t have the money for something like that for quite a while.
“I’ll pick one up next time.”
“That’s okay. Don’t get it for me.”
“It looked like the sort of thing a girl could use.”
“There’s always Cheyenne.”
He scowled at her. “Dylan can get one for Cheyenne. I’m trying to be nice.”
“You don’t need to be,” she said. “I can’t return the favor.”
“Why the hell not? You’re being pretty damn nice to Riley.”
She braced one hand against the wall. “Riley’s different.”
“In what way?”
“We have no business talking about this.”
“You’re right. Good night.”
She thought she’d said good night in exchange, so she had no idea why he didn’t leave. Or how, a split second later, she came to be plastered against him, kissing him openmouthed and wet, as if she needed his tongue more than oxygen. One second he was walking away from her; the next an invisible force took hold—and it didn’t seem to be her fault any more than his. The sudden kiss was...mutual.
“We can’t do this,” she gasped as his lips moved down her neck.
“Okay,” he said, but neither one of them stopped. If anything, the intensity grew. Soon, he was suckling her breast while his hand
worked pure Aaron magic between her legs.
Presley wanted him so badly, too badly to stop. She clung to his broad shoulders, instinctively thrusting in response to what he was doing with his fingers.
Why was he so different from every other man? Why couldn’t she resist him?
She couldn’t concentrate long enough to answer those questions. She was already charging down the road that led where she wanted to go. But she forced herself to stop responding, to stop feeling, and caught his face between her hands. “Are you going home? You have to go home.”
Suddenly, he withdrew, leaving her blouse open and her clothes disheveled. “Is that what you really want?”
Anger glittered in his eyes. He didn’t like the mixed signals he’d been getting, the confusion, the frustration, the disappointment–and then the surprise of her giving in. But she wasn’t any happier with the situation. She was involved in such a battle. Sometimes she gained ground; sometimes she lost it.
“Okay. You can stay. But it’s only for tonight,” she told him. “You have birth control?”
“I do. Plenty. And they’re brand-new. Not like that old piece of shit I used the last time.”
“Fine. Then we’ve got tonight. That’s all. And you can’t act possessive afterward or tell anyone, especially Dylan.”
He hesitated, seemingly torn. It wasn’t like Aaron to accept less than everything he wanted. He didn’t like that she wasn’t allowing him back in her life with all the rights, access and privileges he’d had before, didn’t like that she wasn’t letting him call the shots.
She could sense his resistance, his inclination just to walk out.
Part of her prayed he would. She needed him to remove the temptation he posed. But he seemed to be entangled in the same ropes of desire that held her fast, which was a surprise. Why didn’t he head over to Sexy Sadie’s and pick up some other girl?
“If you want me to be your dirty little secret, you’d better make it worth my while,” he growled, and the next thing she knew, he was carrying her into the bedroom.
13
By morning, Aaron was so exhausted he could hardly move. He’d never made love so many times, and so rigorously, in a single night. He and Presley had both wanted to get their fill of each other so they could move on.
