by Brenda Novak
Aaron had never had a better day, at least not in recent memory. Once Presley returned from teaching her morning yoga class and taking two massage appointments, she spent the rest of the day with him and Wyatt. They didn’t do anything most people would consider particularly fun. He tinkered around her place, fixing things while she cooked and cleaned and looked after their son, but helping out made him feel useful. He liked the appreciation she showed him—and he especially enjoyed how excited his little boy was to see him. Every time they encountered each other, even if Aaron had merely walked outside for ten minutes, Wyatt acted as if he’d just shown up.
Because Aaron considered the day to be far more successful than he’d dared hope, he couldn’t be mad at himself for approaching Presley when he’d promised only a week earlier that he wouldn’t. He wasn’t used to playing the role of supplicant, but at least his persistence had worked. She’d stopped backing away when he touched her. From what he could tell, she’d stopped closing off her heart and mind, too. Finally, she snuggled comfortably against him, meshing her body with his as she’d always done before—and that was as enjoyable as he’d expected. They’d already made love twice, once in the shower and once when Wyatt was taking his afternoon nap. Although Aaron was the aggressor—she never reached for him—the fact that she was still holding back was a small quibble. They’d just barely worked out their differences. Maybe, in time, she’d fully engage with him again.
“So this is how you eat these days?”
She’d made a vegetable stir-fry for dinner and was feeding Wyatt some of the softened vegetables. “You don’t like it?”
He’d be hungry again in an hour. “It would be great...as a side dish.”
“I’d offer to add meat, but I don’t have any,” she said with a laugh.
“We can go over to Just Like Mom’s later. I’m just surprised that you’ve turned into such a health nut. So...are you a vegetarian?” She’d never mentioned that but everything she’d eaten today—nuts and berries and yogurt and a whole-wheat bread and cucumber sandwich—certainly suggested it.
“Not completely. But I don’t eat a lot of red meat, or processed foods, for that matter.”
“That’s it. I’m taking you out for a big steak this week before you put me on the same diet.”
They were interrupted by a knock at the door, and a hint of apprehension entered Presley’s expression. “That’s got to be Chey.”
“Are you expecting her?”
“She’s sent me a few texts—says she has ‘news.’”
“She hasn’t told you what that news is?”
“I haven’t given her the chance. Since you didn’t ask how things went after you kindly donated what you donated a week ago, I thought you were trying to forget about it for the time being...maybe forever. I was going to respond when I could focus on her.”
Some of the contentment he’d been feeling faded. He’d gone through with the insemination, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. “She doesn’t yet know if it took?”
“I’m guessing she does now. What else could her news be?”
He pushed a piece of zucchini around his plate. “Why would she wait so long to take a pregnancy test? I assumed it was a go, that she’d call me if it wasn’t.”
“You can’t check right away.” She started across the room. “It’s probably still a bit early for total accuracy, but I know she was having a hard time waiting. She wants to be pregnant so much–before Dylan can find out she isn’t.”
He remained at the table but braced himself in case it was Cheyenne. He wasn’t sure which answer would be worse. That he’d helped her create a baby without Dylan’s knowledge, which was a secret he’d have to live with for the rest of his life. Or that she hadn’t conceived and they’d have to try again.
But it wasn’t Cheyenne. Aaron might’ve considered that fortunate, except Presley’s visitor was even higher on the list of people he’d rather not see.
“Riley,” she said awkwardly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
Riley’s eyes cut to him, to Wyatt sitting in his high chair, to their plates, and Aaron knew it looked like they were in the middle of a family dinner. “Sorry to interrupt, but when I saw Aaron’s truck and realized he was here visiting Wyatt, I thought maybe he’d be willing to babysit so I could take you out.”
Aaron had watched Wyatt for them once before, but he hadn’t liked it. He’d spent the evening imagining all sorts of things that made him want to punch Riley. But he wasn’t convinced that Riley really believed he’d do the same thing again. He’d probably been driving by, noticed the truck and stopped to see what was going on. So when Presley seemed uncertain about how to respond, Aaron got up and walked over. “Actually, Pres and I have plans this evening.”
“You do?” Riley said, but he kept his attention on her. “What kind of plans?”
Aaron answered even though he wasn’t the person who’d been asked. “Plans that will last until I leave town in a month.”
Presley opened her mouth as if she had something to add. Maybe she was going to tell him they weren’t exclusive. They hadn’t agreed not to see other people, and he’d told her before that she could. But he was feeling far more possessive and far less generous now. Anyway, he didn’t get to hear what Presley might’ve said. Riley spoke first.
“Is that true? Are you seeing him again?”
Even Aaron could hear the accusation in that question, as if she was making the dumbest mistake in the world. It angered him that Riley was acting so superior. However, Presley was trying to be polite, and he was trying to show some respect. “Yes, but...we’re not making any big commitments.”
“Of course not,” he said with a bitter laugh.
She blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“I could’ve guessed that. Aaron’s not the type.”
“You have no idea what type I am,” Aaron snapped, but Riley, clearly unhappy with this turn of events, couldn’t seem to control his emotions.
“Are you sleeping with him?”
At that point, Aaron couldn’t restrain himself. “What we do or don’t do is none of your damned business.”
Again Riley ignored him. “Are you?”
When Presley didn’t answer, he laughed mirthlessly. “He won’t ever be what you want him to be. I thought you’d finally figured that out.”
Aaron felt his hands curl into fists. He didn’t want to let his temper get the better of him. He was still embarrassed about the way he’d behaved at her opening. But Riley seemed to be itching for a fight.
“I’m sorry you’re so upset.” Presley gently pushed Aaron back. “It’s not as if you and I were exclusive, Riley. Or...or that there was any expectation of that.”
“Expectation,” Riley repeated. “I guess that’s it. I expected too much.”
Presley spread out her hands. “How could I have been any clearer?” she asked, but Riley had already stalked off.
Jealousy often brought out the worst in people. Ever since Presley had returned to town, Aaron had felt his share. Still, he was surprised that Riley had gotten so angry. And he felt bad that Presley had taken the brunt of it. He would have shielded her from that if he could. She was taking a leap of faith in trusting him again—she didn’t need Riley or anyone else creating doubt.
“Don’t let him upset you,” he said, slipping his arms around her. “How can he say what’s best for you? He hardly knows either of us.”
“Maybe he knows us better than we think,” she said.
She’d stiffened again, grown worried, but he turned her around and held her face between his hands. “I can’t promise you the moon,” he said. “But neither can he.”
He never got to hear how she might have responded. Cheyenne and Dylan drove up just then. He heard the car engine, could see them through the open doorway.
&nb
sp; 26
Aaron sat on Presley’s couch, feeling uncomfortable for a number of reasons. After what had happened with Riley, he was sensitive to how people were going to react to him and Presley getting back together. Cheyenne and Dylan would certainly be skeptical, especially since he’d be leaving town soon. They’d think he was hanging around just long enough to interfere with her progress. So he preferred that the subject not come up. He wasn’t going to allow Presley to be lambasted again, which meant they could easily get into an argument.
As if those concerns weren’t enough to strain relationships, there was a strong possibility that Cheyenne was pregnant with his child, and Aaron knew Dylan would not be happy if he discovered the details. So what if he’d merely been trying to help? That wouldn’t be much of a defense. The fear that their secret wouldn’t remain a secret forever would linger, and it could affect his relationship with his older brother—not to mention Cheyenne and even Presley.
Aaron could sense that Cheyenne was equally uncomfortable. Probably frightened that she’d make Dylan suspicious in some way, or that he would if she gave him the opportunity, she wouldn’t address him directly or meet his eyes. She and Presley exchanged a few significant glances, but he had no idea what they signified. Was she pregnant or not?
If she wasn’t, he was getting out of the arrangement while he could.
“So you’ll do it?” Dylan asked. He and Cheyenne had dropped by to see if he’d take over the running of the auto body shop while they went to Hawaii. Apparently, they’d received some kind of travel brochure in the mail this morning and, on the spur of the moment, decided to take a vacation.
“It’ll be a lot harder to get away after the baby’s born,” Dylan added. “You’ll be in Reno by then, anyway, so we’ll be shorthanded.”
His brothers would have to hire someone to replace him, but there wasn’t anyone with his experience in or around Whiskey Creek. That meant they’d be in a weaker position than they were now, at least until they could train someone.
“Of course. No problem.” Aaron was more than willing to take on his brother’s responsibilities for ten days. Dylan deserved a break. But they were going to celebrate their baby, a celebration that could end very badly if Cheyenne wasn’t pregnant.
“And you’ll be able to line up babysitting for Wyatt?” Cheyenne asked Presley. “I hate leaving town when you’re counting on me. But like Dylan said, we may not get another chance.”
“I’ll be okay,” she said.
“How?”
“I’ll try to shift my standing massage appointments and schedule the rest for evenings and weekends, the hours Alexa is out of school.”
Aaron had given her enough to cover the rent, so that should help.
“And Eve said you can leave Wyatt with her at the B and B when you have your yoga classes,” Cheyenne told her.
“That’s nice of her.”
“We’ll only be gone ten days,” Dylan reiterated.
Presley smiled. “I’m sure we can muddle through.”
They talked for another half hour, mostly about the baby and their plans for the nursery. Presley did a better job of entertaining them than Aaron did. He focused on playing with Wyatt while waiting for them to go, but Presley seemed even more relieved when that happened than he was.
“Is she or isn’t she?” Aaron asked as soon as he heard them drive off.
Presley perched on the arm of her orange chair. “She is. She whispered it in my ear when she hugged me goodbye, and you were talking to Dylan.”
With Cheyenne’s obvious excitement about the nursery, he’d guessed as much.
* * *
After Aaron left and she’d put Wyatt to bed, Presley tried calling Riley. He didn’t pick up, which made her sad. She liked him, but even if he decided he was no longer her friend, it wouldn’t change the situation. She was planning to apologize if she’d somehow misled him, despite their conversations about Aaron. She was also hoping to explain that whether or not it was a mistake to let Aaron back in her life, she had the right—maybe even the obligation—to try to make things work with the father of her child.
Riley would probably have insisted that Aaron was only going to disappoint her–and he’d probably be right. Aaron hadn’t been able to give her what she wanted when they were together before. But things had been different with him today, different enough to show her what life could be. And if she gave up too soon she’d be the one walking away from that possibility. Why be defeated so easily? No one ever won a boxing match hiding behind their gloves. She had to drop hers, be willing to take a hit, because trying to stay out of the ring certainly hadn’t worked. She’d walked away two years ago. It’d been the right decision then. She’d been fighting for far more basic things—her health, her survival, her future. But now?
Now she was back where she’d begun. There had to be a reason. There had to be more for her here in Whiskey Creek than heartbreak.
So maybe it was time to quit doubting, time to push past the fear. If she and Aaron ended up together, she’d be the happiest woman in the world.
And if they didn’t? She’d make the best of it. She wouldn’t go back to drugs under any circumstances. She had control of her life at last, and that gave her options.
* * *
As he was lying in bed, trying to sleep, Aaron received a text from Cheyenne thanking him again, but he couldn’t make himself respond. Instead, he erased her message. He wanted to pretend he’d never had any involvement in her conception, that she’d gotten pregnant just as Dylan thought. Dylan was going to love the child she had regardless, so maybe it would all work out.
At the moment, Aaron was more worried about his relationship with Presley. Riley’s visit had spooked her. He knew because she’d been so reserved after Cheyenne and Dylan had left, and she hadn’t argued with him when he mentioned heading home for the night. So much had changed in one day that they needed time to think. Aaron hadn’t set out to hurt her, but everyone was so damn certain he would that he was beginning to doubt himself.
Maybe he was being selfish to knock down her defenses and try to stir her interest. Would she be better off with someone else? Someone like Riley, who considered himself such a great family man?
Aaron couldn’t say for sure. He needed a trial period. Was that too much to ask?
His phone rang. When he saw that it was Presley, he almost didn’t answer. He was afraid of what she might say. Earlier, she’d given him the impression that she was already changing her mind.
But just in case it had to do with Wyatt—in case he was sick or something—Aaron picked up.
“’Lo?”
“Did I wake you?” she asked.
He tried to prepare himself for whatever was coming next. “No.”
“It’s late. And you have a big day tomorrow.”
Pressing a thumb and finger to his eyes, he wondered where she’d go from here—and surprised himself by trying to head her off with the truth. “I’m having trouble sleeping without you.”
“Good,” she said. “Come back here.”
He dropped his hand in surprise. “You heard Riley. I’m a womanizer out to break your heart.”
There was a slight pause. “Maybe he’s underestimating me.”
“You? How?”
“Maybe this time I’ll break yours.”
He laughed when she hung up, then got dressed and hurried over. He wasn’t worried. But once he climbed into her bed, he could tell that she was no longer as tentative as she’d been before—and he liked it.
* * *
The days that followed were heaven for Presley. May was filled with long, sunny days that were neither too hot nor too cold. Cheyenne was ecstatic over her pregnancy. Presley’s business was growing and so was Wyatt, and she spent almost all her free time with Aaro
n. The only negative was Riley, who was still put out enough with her defection that he barely spoke to her. She didn’t let that bother her, however; she didn’t have any time to give him, anyway.
Determined to simply enjoy what Aaron offered and leave it at that, she refused to become obsessed with what he was or wasn’t feeling. So she never brought up their relationship or asked him to talk about his emotions. Besides going to work and shopping for baby things with Cheyenne, she played with Wyatt and made love to Aaron, and they had fun as a family in other ways—eating at Just Like Mom’s, going hiking, having picnics and touring the Kennedy Gold Mine. They even visited Moaning Caverns, which weren’t far, although they couldn’t go spelunking since they had Wyatt.
Everything was wonderful, until he took her to Reno for the first time to see the location he’d settled on for his Amos Auto Body franchise. It was a corner lot that had once been a small dealership and seemed to have plenty of potential. But she felt a niggle of concern because he made no mention of the role she and Wyatt would play in his life once he moved there.
Still, she said nothing. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t press him, and she wasn’t going to. When he was ready to make the commitment, he would.
“You’ve changed, you know that?” he said once they were driving back home.
They had the windows down at her request. They could’ve used the air conditioner, but she liked the feel of the wind on her face. “How?”
“You’ve become so responsible. And you have a lot more confidence in your own abilities.”
“Haven’t you changed, too?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe. But you’re more flexible than I am. I love how much fun you are, how easy to be with.”
She smiled as he took her hand. That was the closest he’d come to any type of declaration. She was happy he was thinking positive thoughts. But it was a little harder to take the following week in stride, because that was when he found the housing accommodation he’d been looking for.
* * *
Presley sat outside Black Gold Coffee, stirring sugar into her chai tea. Wyatt was in his stroller on one side, with Cheyenne across the table. Presley knew her sister met friends here every Friday, but this wasn’t Friday. It was a Wednesday, the day before Cheyenne and Dylan were set to leave for Hawaii, and it was just the two of them.
