04 Reilly's Wildcard

by Anne Rainey

  “We’re so going to be late to dinner at this rate.”

  Because they were eating at the Blackwater, Reilly said, “It’s cool, I happen to know the owner.”

  She laughed and cuddled closer. God, how Reilly wanted this moment to last. In the back of his mind, the ticking of a clock grew increasingly louder, as if his time with Lucy was fleeting. He wished like hell he could smash that damn imaginary clock.

  Chapter Eight

  They’d been back together for a little over five months, and Lucy was still no closer to figuring out if they were going to be an item once the babies were born or not. God, there were so many things to think about, and it overwhelmed her at times. One thing she’d decided not to worry about was a new and bigger apartment. Her place was going to have to do for now, because the thought of moving sent her into an anxiety attack. Her mind was so consumed with thoughts of Reilly. Like, would he want to be a part of both her and the babies’ lives?

  They’d gotten into a comfortable routine. After work, they spent their evenings talking and making plans for the birth. On weekends, she sang at the Blackwater. It’d been rough at first, but the customers had quickly warmed up to her and she’d gotten more comfortable performing in front of a crowd. Her baby bump was a constant source of discussion. There was even some betting going on as to the sex of the babies. Lucy felt more and more at home with Reilly and his family.

  It scared her to death.

  When Reilly had her alone, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. Lucy certainly had no complaints when it came to their sex life. At over seven months pregnant, she would have thought Reilly would have lost interest in her by now. At least chilled a little. He hadn’t, despite the fact that her flat belly was a thing of the past. She feared her skinny jeans might never come out of storage. She wore maternity clothes all the time, which weren’t terribly flattering.

  “Why do all maternity clothes look so…so cutesy? God, it’s enough to make me gag.”

  Reilly chuckled. “I like you cutesy.” He stopped tucking in his shirt and came up behind her, staring at her in the dresser mirror. He kissed the top of her head. It was gentle and swift and so sweet that Lucy felt it clear to her toes. With his shirt half opened, his tanned chest and the sprinkling of dark hair peeked out. He appeared every inch a calendar model, mouthwateringly gorgeous. His big, strong body took up enough space that the room appeared to shrink around them.

  “You’re sexy no matter what you wear,” he growled, then placed his hands protectively over her protruding abdomen. “Are you certain you should still be working?”

  Lucy narrowed her eyes. “We’ve had this discussion. The doctor says I’m fine. There aren’t any problems with the babies, and working keeps me active and healthy. Quit being such a worrier.”

  He grunted and caressed his way upward. Lucy halted his curious hands with one of hers. “I know where this is going, and we’ve both got to get moving. You’ve made me late as it is. Again.”

  Reilly descended on her neck, licking and nibbling. “I didn’t hear you complain when you were coming. What was it, three times? I lost count.”

  Lucy felt her face heat up. She was so damned sensitive lately. Every touch sent her libido into overdrive. “It’s this pregnancy. I can’t seem to get enough.”

  Reilly hummed his approval at that notion. “Then I shall keep you pregnant. Suits me just fine, sweetheart.” Lucy elbowed him in the ribs. “Oomph.” His head snapped up. “What was that for?”

  “It’s comments like that right there that make me so nuts. You’re such a chauvinist!”

  He stepped away and finished tucking in his shirt, a satisfied expression on his face. “I can’t help it if I like seeing you all soft and round with my babies.” His gaze scorched her as he looked his fill. “Your breasts are bigger. Your hips rounded. And all I do is touch you and your pussy is sopping wet. If I had my way, you’d be naked right now, and I’d be on my knees lapping you up.”

  “I—”

  The ringing of the phone cut her off. She rushed around the bed to answer it and heard Reilly say, “Saved by the bell, sweetheart.”

  It was still early in the morning. Who could be calling? “Hello?” she said, as she picked it up on the fourth ring.

  “Hi, Lucy, it’s Dad.”

  “Dad?” Lucy screeched. “How did you get this number?”

  “What, no hello, how are you?”

  She gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay calm. “We dropped the courtesies when you told me to go to hell the last time we talked, remember?”

  “I raised you and your sister, and this is the thanks I get?”

  She didn’t have time for this argument. It was the same one they’d had a million times before, and she wasn’t doing it anymore. Enough was enough. “I don’t have time for this. What do you want?”

  “I need money,” he groused. “The bill collectors are threatening to repossess my car. Hell, the electric company cut me off once already this month.”

  “What did you do with your paycheck?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer. Booze—it always came before all else.

  “I needed to unwind a little,” he shouted. “My boss has been on my ass like a tick on a hound.”

  Oh Lord, she knew where this would lead. Where it always led when it came to her father—to Lucy caving and giving him money. He’d use it to buy more alcohol and still be in a bind. The depressing game would never end until she finally put her foot down.

  “No,” she said, her voice unsteady. Her father’s mean, selfish ways wouldn’t keep her from loving him, but she didn’t have to continue to be an enabler either, not anymore.

  When her dad began blasting profanities at her, Lucy was about to hang up, but she didn’t get the chance as the phone was suddenly yanked out of her hand.

  “This is Reilly Jennings, Lucy’s boyfriend,” Reilly said, his voice so cold the temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees. “If you can’t talk to her in a civil tone, then lose her number.”

  Lucy couldn’t tell what her dad had said, but, judging by the muscle jumping in Reilly’s cheek, it must not have been good. “You’ve been warned,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument, then pressed the End button.

  Reilly set the phone down carefully and took her into his arms. “You’re trembling,” he stated gently.

  She hadn’t realized. “God, why do I let him get to me like that?”

  “Family always knows the right buttons to push.” Reilly smoothed a hand over her back. “He’s not worth the stress, sweetheart.”

  She sighed. “I know,” she mumbled as she cuddled closer to Reilly.

  He kissed her forehead. “You’ll tell me if he tries to contact you again?”

  Lucy nodded. She had no reason not to tell him. “I don’t usually say no to him, so he might very well call again.” She spied the clock next to the bed and yelped. “My boss is going to strangle me, darn it!”

  She pushed out of Reilly’s arms and flew around the room, chaotically finishing her morning ritual. “I’ll see you tonight,” Lucy tossed out, then sprinted for the front door.

  “What time?” he asked, following close behind.

  “Seven. If the traffic isn’t horrible, I should be home by six thirty.”

  “Lucy.”

  The tenderness in Reilly’s tone stopped her the way nothing else could. She turned around and saw him standing with his arms crossed, legs braced wide. God, he was handsome. So damn handsome it took her breath sometimes. “Yeah?”

  His serious expression filled with concern. “Be careful.”

  She was sure he was going to say something else. Maybe she was just seeing things. Wishful things. Damn pregnancy hormones. “You too,” she replied as she left the room. By the time she’d reached her car, she’d effectively put thoughts of her dad out of her head and turned her attention to the day ahead.

  Reilly stared at the door for a long time after Lucy left. His instinct
was to pull her back inside the safety of her apartment and lock the door. He didn’t like the prickly feeling he was getting after talking to Lucy’s father. Everything in him screamed that the man was going to be a problem. Lucy had told him that her father was a drinker, and not a happy drunk either.

  Why would he seek her out now? Lucy had said they’d stopped talking some time ago. She didn’t want to admit it, but the phone call had rattled her. It pissed him off. Lucy was beginning to get comfortable with Reilly. The past five months hadn’t been a walk in the park, but she was coming to rely on him. To seek his opinion, to laugh and tease with him. Her wall was crumbling. Reilly sure as hell didn’t need her dad’s dysfunctional bullshit causing Lucy to go back to building the protective wall around her heart.

  He went to the phone and called the only person who might shed some insight into the mind of Lucy’s dad. “Sarah, it’s Reilly. How’s my brother treating you these days?”

  “He’s driving me bonkers, if you want the truth. He’s pushy and arrogant.”

  Reilly laughed, mostly because he heard the teasing in Sarah’s tone. “He can be a bit overbearing, can’t he?”

  Sarah snorted. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.” She paused, then asked, “How’s Lucy? Everything okay with the babies?”

  “She’s fine. Cranky but good. I want her to cut back her hours, but she refuses. The woman is very stubborn.”

  “Yep, that’s Lucy. She wasn’t always so hardheaded, though. After the divorce, she changed.”

  “Speaking of change, Lucy’s dad called a little bit ago.”

  Sarah sucked in a breath. “Oh boy.”

  “Yeah,” Reilly bit out. “Just how big a pest is he going to be?”

  “I hate to say this—and Lucy’s going to kill me—but you might want to keep an eye on her. Her dad can be extremely annoying, especially if he needs money. That’s usually the reason he seeks her out.”

  Reilly wanted badly to find the man and knock some sense into him. But he didn’t think that would go over well with Lucy. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of letting him hurt Lucy,” he reassured her. Then just to irritate her, he added, “And do as Brodix says. We Jennings men always know best.”

  “Oh Lord, not you too,” she grumbled.

  They said their good-byes and hung up. Reilly grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, unscrewed the cap and took a drink. He swiped a hand over his mouth and cursed. Damn, in a matter of months, he’d gone from not having a care in the world to being in a steady relationship with the mother of his children. No doubt about it, his life was getting complicated. But where would he be if Lucy hadn’t gotten pregnant? Just imagining it made him feel hollow inside. Did that mean he was in love? The very thought of Lucy with another man made him grit his teeth. He didn’t know much about falling in love, since he’d never done it before, but he was pretty sure what he felt now for Lucy was the real deal.

  She was obstinate and passionate and smart and everything that mattered to him. He’d once envisioned himself as head of his own company. Now, all he wanted was to be a good father and, hopefully someday, a good husband to Lucy. He couldn’t screw up with her. Losing her would leave him empty. He knew it in his gut.

  Reilly left the apartment and turned his mind to business. Brodix was taking a few days off, and Reilly had promised to help out at the restaurant. When he walked through the back door of the Blackwater twenty-five minutes later, Eddie confronted him with yet another problem.

  “I cannot work in this environment!” the huge man shouted. “I need proper ingredients, Reilly.”

  Oh good, more problems. He sighed and headed to the office with Eddie in tow. “Why don’t you have proper ingredients? I placed the order myself.”

  Eddie crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Then there’s a mix-up, because it never showed.”

  “I’ll take care of it. In the meantime, use what you have.” Eddie started to protest, but Reilly stopped him with a hand in the air. “I’m well aware it won’t be your usual quality, but I know you can make it work.”

  Eddie sputtered and walked away. Reilly started tallying the profits from the night before. When he screwed up the numbers and had to start over, he knew the truth. He was distracted with thoughts of Lucy. How she’d looked earlier, all sweet and flushed after he’d brought her to orgasm. God, how he wished he was back at her apartment with her in his arms. She disarmed him with her killer smile and brought him to his knees with her sexy glances. Maybe they could take a few days away. Drive up north and stay at a little bed-and-breakfast or something. Just the two of them. He wondered if it’d be safe for Lucy to travel. He made up his mind to ask her later if she could rearrange her schedule and take a few personal days. Besides, if they were away, then her dad couldn’t get to her, and Reilly would have two entire days and nights to further cement their relationship.

  His day seemed brighter now that he had a plan. First, he needed to run it by her doctor. Reilly picked up his cell phone and hit speed dial six.

  When the now-familiar Nurse Becky came over the line announcing, “Dr. Shaffer’s office, this is Becky speaking, how may I help you?” Reilly smiled. He’d called the doctor’s office more than a few times in the last few months with questions and concerns. They were probably getting good and tired of him.

  “Hi, Becky, it’s Reilly Jennings. I had a few questions for Dr. Shaffer.”

  The woman chuckled. “You always have a few questions for Dr. Shaffer.”

  He cringed. “Becoming a nuisance, am I?”

  “Of course not,” she replied. “It’s wonderful the way you care for Lucy. She’s lucky to have a man like you so willing to help and be involved in the whole process.”

  “Thanks,” Reilly said, not entirely comfortable with the compliment.

  “Dr. Shaffer’s with a patient, but I can have him call you back when he’s finished.”

  “That’s fine. He can call my cell.”

  They hung up, and Reilly dialed Lucy at work. She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

  “You busy?”

  “Just finished up an article,” she replied. “I have a few minutes. What’s up?”

  “I missed you and wanted to hear your voice.”

  She laughed, and the husky tone vibrated clear through to his bones. “I just saw you a few hours ago, Reilly.”

  “Doesn’t seem to matter if it’s a few hours or an entire day, I still miss you.”

  She was quiet a moment, and then, “I miss you too,” she replied in a softer tone.

  It was the first time Lucy had admitted such feelings. His hopes soared. “I have a proposition for you.”

  “I can’t leave early,” she quickly injected. “I have way too much to do today.”

  “I wasn’t going to ask. I have a load of things here to do myself.”

  “Oh.” She sounded disappointed. What was that about? “Then what is it?”

  “I was wondering if you’d like to take a trip. We could make it a long weekend. I was thinking of visiting the Amish Country up north. It would give us a chance to have some time alone, and it’s only a few hours’ drive. What do you think?”

  “I don’t know, Reilly. It’s sort of short notice, and my boss can be a little rigid about that.” She paused, then asked, “Or were you thinking of leaving Friday after work?”

  “Actually, I was thinking of taking Friday and Monday off. If that’s not doable, then the weekend would work too.” Hell, Reilly would take what he could get. Any alone time with Lucy sounded like heaven.

  “It does sound heavenly,” she softly answered. “Hm, let me check with my boss. It can’t hurt to ask.”

  A bell chimed in his ear, signaling he had another call. “Hold that thought, I’ve got another call.” He switched over before she could say anything else. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Reilly, it’s Dr. Shaffer, returning your call.”

  “Great timing, Doc. I wanted to ask if it was s
afe for Lucy to travel.”

  “Would she be flying?”

  “No. Just a drive up north. Three hours at the most.”

  He chuckled. “No, that really shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  Reilly switched back over. “Lucy?”

  “Yep, still here.”

  “That was Dr. Shaffer. He informs me it’s safe for you to travel. So, what do you say? Feel like getting away?”

  “Oh, why not? If Patrick doesn’t like it, he can fire me.”

  Reilly’s heart sped up as he imagined having Lucy all to himself. “You’re pregnant, Lucy. He’ll cut you some slack.” She agreed, and they talked for a few more minutes. After they hung up, Reilly went into action. First he needed to call and reserve a room. He prayed to God the week would fly by. He was already counting the hours.

  Thirty minutes later, River strode through the door. His characteristic frown was firmly in place, and when their gazes locked, Reilly saw a muscle in River’s jaw twitch. River wasn’t just grumpy, he was good and pissed.

  Reilly pushed away from the desk. “What’s up?”

  River stopped in the middle of the room and pointed a finger at him. “What’s this about Jeanette spending the night at your place?”

  “Huh?” Reilly rubbed a hand over his jaw. “What are you talking about?”

  “She told me she went to see you that night she walked in on me with Holly,” he gritted out.

  Ah, so that was what had him in a lather. “Yeah, so? Why would you care if Jeanette stayed with me?”

  “This is Jeanette we’re talking about. She’s my best friend, and I don’t want you taking advantage of her, damn it. Besides, you’re with Lucy, and you have twins on the way.”

  Reilly passed a hand over his face. “Christ, River,” he grumbled, “when are you going to get a clue?”

  “Don’t start with me. Just answer the damn question. Are you and Jeanette…” River’s face went pale as his words trailed off.

  “Of course not, dumbass. Jeanette cried buckets that night because of you. She stayed the night because I didn’t want her driving home after she’d had a few beers.” He shrugged. “You know how she is. One beer and she’s tipsy.”