Come Home to Me

by Brenda Novak

  That was a fair question. Aaron had been wondering the same thing. There didn’t seem to be many options yet. “Don’t ask me. I’m new at this.”

  “He plays with the dogs,” Mack volunteered.

  “And he loads up his diaper.” Aaron hoped he wouldn’t have another experience like the last one. “But we’ll get to the good stuff eventually.”

  “Wouldn’t it be cool if he turned out to be a professional baseball player?” Grady asked.

  “Hey, we’d get free tickets.” Mack clearly liked that idea.

  “Maybe he won’t be athletic,” Rod chipped in.

  Aaron scowled at him. “Of course he’ll be athletic.”

  “I’m just saying he might be smart instead—a brain surgeon.”

  The possibilities that lay ahead were exciting. Aaron sure hoped Wyatt had a better childhood than either he or Presley had endured. He decided to make sure of it, and was grateful to Presley for trying so hard to outdistance her past. “You’re going to be smart and athletic, right, Wyatt?” He grinned at his brother. “And let’s not forget handsome.”

  When Aaron said his name, Wyatt toddled over, and let Aaron lift him into his lap. Aaron suspected that Rod, Mack and Grady, who were watching to see how the two of them interacted, were wondering if Wyatt was going to tolerate this. But the kid seemed perfectly content, as if he’d wanted Aaron to hold him.

  Then something extraordinary happened, something Aaron had thought would take much more time. The look or the feel of this child, or some magical quality, some chemistry between father and son, evoked a poignant and unfamiliar emotion that swept through Aaron so suddenly it took him by surprise.

  “Wow,” he breathed as he gazed down at Wyatt and Wyatt gazed back at him, unblinking.

  Grady spoke from the chair to his left. “Wow, what?”

  Aaron hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud. He glanced over at his brothers but returned his attention to Wyatt. “That was easy.”

  “We have no clue what you’re talking about,” Mack complained.

  Of course they didn’t. And Aaron couldn’t find the words to explain. Or maybe it was just that he didn’t want to admit how, deep down, he’d been afraid he wouldn’t be able to love his own son. Been afraid that not being part of his life from the beginning would somehow rob him of what other dads felt naturally.

  But now he knew those fears had been unfounded. He’d only known he had a son for a few days, and he’d had minimal contact since then. Yet the little guy had already stolen a piece of Aaron’s heart.

  * * *

  Presley was trying to enjoy her picnic with Riley. The Sierra Nevada foothills were gorgeous this time of year, so she should’ve been enjoying the scenery, if nothing else. But she was too preoccupied thinking of Wyatt and Aaron. She couldn’t imagine what they were doing. She’d never seen Aaron around children. To her knowledge, they’d never even discussed kids, besides the throwaway statements when he’d indicated he didn’t want any—certainly not yet. And there was that diaper incident, which had emphasized his lack of experience....

  She surreptitiously checked the time on her phone. She’d thought Riley hadn’t noticed. He was busy packing up the picnic basket. But when she glanced up, she saw him frowning at her.

  “Are you that worried?”

  Worry wasn’t the right word, not exactly. Perhaps regret, since she wasn’t where she really wanted to be. Even though her brain insisted she’d made the correct choice when she’d turned Aaron down, her heart and her body weren’t so sure. It felt more like she’d missed a prime opportunity to be with the people she loved most.

  “He’s never been around children.”

  “But you trust him to be kind.”

  “Of course. He’d never purposely hurt Wyatt. It’s just that he’s a fish out of water right now.”

  “Do you want to call and check in?”

  She was about to say no, but then broke down. Why not put her mind at ease?

  “We don’t have a very good signal,” she said.

  “We’re heading back. Wait until we get closer to town.”

  They didn’t talk much on the drive. Had Riley figured out, once and for all, that their relationship would never evolve into anything other than what it already was? Perhaps he was looking at it practically: he’d been attracted to her, investigated the potential and eliminated the possibility. Now he could move on to someone else.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been so quiet today,” she said.

  He adjusted the volume on the radio. “With everything that’s happened recently, it’s understandable.”

  “Aaron is asking me to see him.”

  “When?”

  “I mean, go out with him.”

  His eyebrows went up. “And you’re considering it?”

  “He’ll only be around for six more weeks.”

  “And then?”

  “And then he’ll be leaving, and I won’t have to see him as often. Maybe then I can get over him.”

  He rubbed his chin. “You’ll still have contact. Now that he knows about Wyatt, you’ll have contact with him for at least the next eighteen years.”

  “But he won’t be right...here, right around the corner.”

  “That makes a difference?”

  Presley shrugged. “It’s driving him crazy that I’m hanging out with you.”

  “Then you should be leery of his interest. If it’s all about the competition, it won’t last. Don’t let him fool you.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  He’d heard her sarcasm. “What?”

  “Is it so impossible to think he might be able to care about me?”

  “You have to face the truth or you’ll never get over him.”

  She didn’t want to hear it, but Riley had a point. Her sister would say the same thing, which was why she hadn’t brought up the subject. And with Cheyenne she couldn’t attribute that reaction to male rivalry. Cheyenne loved Aaron and still warned her to keep her distance.

  “You’re right,” she said. Burn me once, shame on you; burn me twice, shame on me.

  23

  Once she and Riley returned to town, Presley had tried to check in with Aaron. She hadn’t reached him, which worried her—and now that she was home alone she could obsess without distraction. So it was fortunate that he called her back after only thirty minutes.

  “Why didn’t you answer my call?” she asked.

  “I didn’t hear my phone,” he said. “What’s up?”

  “I wanted to see how it’s going.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Fine? That was it? “Are you bringing Wyatt home soon?”

  “Not real soon. Can I have him for another couple of hours?”

  “This is turning into a pretty long stay for the first visit. What are you doing?”

  “Shopping.”

  “That’s not easy with a baby. Wouldn’t you rather I watched him?”

  “He’s asleep in the stroller I just bought.”

  “Why did you buy a stroller when you could’ve used mine?”

  “This one is much nicer,” he said. “It’s the Cadillac version. You’re going to love it.”

  “But strollers are expensive.”

  She’d gotten hers secondhand, just like all her baby equipment and most of Wyatt’s clothes.

  “It wasn’t too bad. So what do you say? Can I keep him longer? It’ll take us an hour to get back, anyway. We might as well go to a few other places while we’re here.”

  “Where’s here?”

  “Sacramento.”

  “You took my son all the way to Sacramento?”

  “He’s my son, too, remember?”

  “That means you’ve done the DNA test?�
��

  “We swabbed, and I’ve put the samples in the mail for the lab, but we won’t have the results for a few weeks.”

  “Is that what took you out of town?”

  “No. There’s no Toys “R” Us in Whiskey Creek.”

  She’d expected him to be overwhelmed and eager for her to take Wyatt off his hands, but it didn’t sound that way. “Fine. Go ahead and finish whatever you’re doing.”

  “Maybe you can grab some shut-eye while Wyatt’s gone. You sound tired.”

  She was tired. She hadn’t been getting enough sleep. Juggling a business, a baby and an obsession with the wrong man—it wasn’t easy. If one wasn’t keeping her up at night, the other was. “That’s tempting. But I have a few things I need to do at the studio. I should go over there while I’ve got the chance.”

  “Sleep,” he insisted. “You’ll feel a lot better if you do. I’ve got Wyatt, and I’m taking good care of him.”

  “We’re having fun,” someone in the background called out.

  Presley had assumed Aaron was alone. “Who’s that?”

  “Grady came with us.”

  “What exactly are you shopping for? Besides the stroller you already bought, of course.”

  “More kid stuff. What else?”

  “But there’s no need to double up. You don’t even know what I’ve got.”

  “I’ve seen what you’ve got.”

  The sexual innuendo was unmistakable. He was teasing—that took her by surprise, too. It told her he was enjoying himself and wasn’t feeling harried or pressured or angry with her. “I can’t believe you said that with Grady right there.”

  “You and I have a son, Pres. I’m sure my brother can figure out that we slept together.”

  “He’ll think we’re still sleeping together!”

  She thought he’d remind her that it hadn’t been all that long. But he didn’t. When he spoke again, he asked, “How was the picnic?”

  Not particularly exciting. She’d spent most of it dwelling on how badly she wanted to be with him and Wyatt. “Really fun,” she lied.

  The way he dropped his voice led her to believe he’d turned away so that Grady wouldn’t hear him. “How much fun?”

  “None of your business,” she replied, but she couldn’t help feeling a measure of satisfaction that he didn’t like thinking of her with another man.

  “Is he gone?”

  He seemed reluctant to use Riley’s name. “Yes.”

  “Good. Get some sleep. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  She was already climbing into bed. It felt like forever since she’d had an afternoon to herself without something putting pressure on her—fear that Wyatt would wake her too soon, the knowledge that she had to pick him up from Cheyenne’s or an evening of massage appointments or yoga classes ahead. It was a mellow spring afternoon and she was all alone and confident that Wyatt was safe.

  For the moment, all was well. She refused to think of the future....

  “That’s what I’m going to do,” she told Aaron. Then she must’ve dropped off, because she didn’t remember saying goodbye. The next thing she knew, it was three hours and twenty minutes later, and he was knocking on her door.

  “Hey, so you did get a nap,” he said when she finally opened up.

  Struggling to collect her faculties, she covered a yawn. With the sun setting behind him, it was difficult to see much more than his outline, but she could tell he was carrying Wyatt, still strapped in his car seat, in one hand. He clutched her diaper bag in the other. She wished it was that effortless for her to tote Wyatt and all his stuff around.

  “I didn’t mean to sleep so long.” She bent to release her son from the car seat’s restraints as soon as Aaron put him down. “But I have to admit it felt good.”

  “Maybe having me involved in Wyatt’s life won’t be so bad, after all, huh?”

  She would’ve kissed Wyatt, but his face was sticky. “Mama!” he said, clapping until he could get his arms around her neck.

  “Not if you’re always as nice as you are now,” she said to Aaron.

  He gave her an exaggerated scowl. “When have I ever been anything but nice?”

  “You’ve had your moments.”

  “I apologized for being a jerk the night your mother died. You know I feel bad.”

  “I’m not talking about that. Anyway, the past is the past. It’s the future that concerns me. What will you be like later, when you get married and have a wife to please?”

  “That’s what has you so concerned?”

  She patted Wyatt’s back as he hugged her. “Of course it is. It’s the possibility that frightens me the most.”

  He put the diaper bag in the empty car seat. “So it’s not necessarily me you don’t trust.”

  “Not as long as you’re on your own.”

  “Presley, I’ve never even told a woman I love her. How do you know I ever will?”

  She sensed that he wasn’t being flip; he was looking for reassurance from someone who knew him well. But he didn’t have anything to fear. He attracted women, and one day there’d be someone. “With my luck you’ll fall in love with a woman who can’t have kids, and she’ll want Wyatt.”

  He caught her arm. “I would never take Wyatt away from you.”

  “Is that a promise?” she asked, studying his face.

  His gaze moved to her lips. “Yes.”

  Her heart was suddenly beating in her throat. He was too close, and so were the memories of their night together. She stepped back. “I hope not,” she managed to say. “He means everything to me.”

  Although he was no longer touching her, he was still close enough to rub Wyatt’s knee. “I can see why.”

  “Da!” Wyatt said, pointing.

  Presley blinked in surprise. “Did he say what I think he did?”

  The pride that showed on Aaron’s face delighted her. The fact that he seemed so happy made her happy, too. Whether he was with her or not, at least he seemed to be doing well these days. She liked seeing that, believing it. They’d both come a long way.

  “Grady and I taught him that.”

  “How?”

  His lips twisted into an endearing smirk. “We gave him an M&M every time he got it right.”

  She gasped. “You fed him sugar?”

  He held up a hand to calm her. “Just a little. I knew we shouldn’t, but...” That boyish grin appeared again. “God, it was hard to stop. He liked them so much.”

  Occasionally she, too, fell prey to Wyatt’s excitement over certain things, so she could hardly get angry with Aaron. It was too easy to picture his pleasure at hearing Wyatt call him Da for the first time.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “He’s had a sucker every now and then, when I’ve needed him to behave in his car seat and he was fussy. But if we’re both going to overindulge him, he won’t turn out too well.”

  “I think he will,” he said. “You’ve done a great job with him, Pres. He’s happy, well-adjusted. Grady and Rod and Mack couldn’t believe how unafraid he is.”

  She hadn’t expected the compliment. “Thank you.”

  His hand moved from Wyatt’s knee to her chin, which he cupped as he lowered his head. He was going to kiss her. She knew what was coming and yet she didn’t have the willpower to stop him.

  When their lips met, the charge that ran through her stole her breath. She felt the same tension in him, but he just gave her a soft kiss. Then he pressed his forehead to hers. “Go out with me,” he murmured. “I won’t push you into bed. I promise. Whether or not we ever make love again...I’ll leave that entirely up to you. We’ll go out and have fun.”

  “Aaron—” She tried to step back, but he clasped her arms.

  “Don’t say no,” he said. “Let me
be part of your life until I move. That’s only six weeks.”

  But if she lost all the ground she’d gained, would she be able to recover it when he was gone?

  When she continued to hesitate, he said, “Think how much fun we could have with Wyatt.”

  “And Riley?” Truthfully, Riley wasn’t much of a reason to refuse. She cared for him as a friend, nothing more, and he understood that. But Aaron didn’t, and she was desperate for something or someone she could put between them.

  He grimaced. “You can go out with him, too, if you want. I’ve told you that before. I’m just asking you to quit getting defensive every time I come around.”

  Wyatt was wiggling to get down. Presley crouched to set him on the floor so he could reach his toys—which gave her a few more seconds to think. But the extra time didn’t make any difference. She knew when she was beaten. “Fine. I guess we could go out to dinner once or twice before you move.”

  Now that he’d achieved his goal, Aaron’s expression lightened. “Are you hungry? I’ll take you out right now. Wyatt can go with us.”

  She ran a hand through her hair. “No, I just woke up, and I’m a mess.”

  “You look great to me.”

  Sure she did. She rolled her eyes while she considered whether she could repair her appearance.

  “You never believe me when I tell you how beautiful you are,” he complained.

  Because she couldn’t believe him. He’d befriended her out of pity. He’d barely been able to tolerate her affection. And he hadn’t acted as if he’d missed her much. If he really thought she was beautiful, she’d know it by now. Besides, most of her actions in the first thirty years of her life had left her feeling anything but beautiful. Cheyenne was the beautiful one. Presley had always paled by comparison. “Give me a minute to brush my hair.”

  “You’re not going to say anything about what I told you?”

  She had him wait in the living room as she hurried down the hall. “Just watch Wyatt, okay?”

  When she came out of her bedroom, she found Aaron carrying in what looked like a heavy box. Several other boxes already littered her living room. “What is all this stuff?” she asked.