by Tess Summers
“I’m sorry, Bren. I’m exhausted and feel like I don’t know if I’m coming or going right now.”
“Let’s order takeout from the Chinese restaurant around the corner from the house. You can prop your feet up on my couch and relax. I don’t want you to get too overwhelmed. A lot happened this morning.”
“You’re telling me,” Cassie grumbled.
“Are you okay? With… well, all of it?”
“I’m thrilled I’m having a little girl although a boy would have been fine too. I don’t really care as long as she’s healthy. As far as Luke and Lucas… Let’s just say, I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“You don’t think he’s really going to ask Adriana for a divorce?” Brenna prodded.
Cassie burst into tears.
“I don’t know. He shows up out of nowhere and drops this into my lap, typical Luke Rivas style. Am I supposed to be happy? Angry? He doesn’t give me time to process things. First, we’re in love, and he asks me to marry him, then the next thing I know, he’s living with his wife and son and trying to make it work.” She put air quotes around trying to make it work. “Then he’s at my condo last week, going all sexy alpha-male, and I end up sleeping with him, only for him to say nothing’s changed between him and his wife. Now, he…”
“He did what?!” Brenna interrupted.
“Yeah. I thought I told you that was why I was mad at him and didn’t invite him today. Which, by the way, how did he find out the day and time?”
“I swear, I didn’t tell him, Cass. I have no idea how he found out. But he did what?!”
“Yeah, we slept together. It was a mistake.” She shrugged, too tired to try to figure out how he found out or tell her sister much about last week’s encounter with Luke. “
Brenna continued the recap of the morning’s events, “And now he wants to move in with you and bring his son.”
“Like I said,” Cassie sighed, “I’ll believe it when I see it. He hasn’t wanted to be with me since Adriana showed up, what’s different about today from yesterday? He just woke up and thought, I’m going to ask my wife for a divorce today? I have a hard time believing he’s really going to do it.”
Her sister pursed her lips. “He found out he was having a daughter today, that’s what’s different. He was pretty excited. I think he seemed sincere.”
“We’ll see,” she replied with a shrug of the shoulders. “Besides, do I really want to have a relationship with someone who only wants to be with me so he can be with his daughter?”
“He’d want to be with you, no matter what, Cass.”
“Hmm…” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know if I believe that. He only decided he wanted to be with me once he found out I was pregnant. Before that, he was going to make it work with his other baby mama.”
Brenna looked at her skeptically. “I don’t think that’s true. I think your pregnancy spurred him to do what he’s wanted to do even before he found out you were pregnant.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore, Brenna,” Cassie sighed in resignation. “I’m not even convinced he’s going to leave her.” Truth was, Cassie didn’t want to get her hopes up. She didn’t think she could handle having them quashed again.
Brenna cocked her head. “Do you think she loves him? Do you think that’s why she came back? Or do you think it was for money?”
“I only know what she did to Luke before Lucas was born, and she kept Lucas away from him for over three years. I have to wonder why she decided to show up now.”
“He served her with divorce papers in Mexico, right?” her sister asked as she slowed for a stoplight.
“I guess. But why didn’t she just sign them there? Why did she come back? Was it because she developed a conscience or because she saw an opportunity to get more money out of him? Or maybe she realized she is still in love with him, who knows.”
“I highly doubt that’s it.” Brenna made a face. “If she really loved him, she wouldn’t have left him in the first place, ya know?” She accelerated off the light. “But let’s think positively and say she developed a conscience about keeping her son from his father. A divorce settlement will be a small price to pay if he can get custody of Lucas and be done with this, once and for all.”
“Let’s hope so,” Cassie sighed. She wasn’t convinced it was going to be that easy but agreed, she needed to think positively. “That is if he even actually asks her for a divorce. I’m still skeptical,” she murmured as she put the passenger seat back and closed her eyes.
Cassie dozed until they arrived at Brenna’s beach house. Luke’s Challenger was in the driveway when they pulled in. Cassie had woken up disoriented when the car slowed down, wondering if she was imagining it being there until Brenna said softly, as if to herself, “I guess he decided to come today.”
They walked into the house through the garage to find Luke with his son sitting at the kitchen island, talking to Ron. Well, Luke and Ron were talking, Lucas was happily munching on cookies, swinging his legs on the barstool as he did.
“Madrastra Cassie! Tia Brenna!” the little boy squealed, and before Luke could stop him, he jumped off the stool and hugged each woman around one leg at the same time. The little guy was already finding his way into her heart.
“Hi, buddy,” she said quietly in English as she stroked his hair.
Luke must have noticed her look of exhaustion because he was at her side before she even had time to greet him.
“Madrastra is tired and needs to lie down for a little while,” Luke told his son in Spanish, then addressed Cassie in English, “Why don’t you rest in here,” he suggested as he guided her to the guest room.
Cassie leaned against him for support as they walked and whispered, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to drop Rex off, remember?” he replied as he helped take her shoes off. “Rest for a while and we’ll talk when you wake up, okay?”
If she wasn’t so exhausted, she would have argued and been unable to fall asleep from the questions seeing him brought. As it was, she was out as soon as her head hit the comfy pillow. She vaguely remembered feeling little hands stroke her face and give her a sloppy kiss on the cheek before she fell fast asleep.
*
Luke
While they were at Cassie’s appointment, Brenna had told him Rex could stay with her until he had resolved things with Adriana. Knowing Rex was safe and being taken care of was one less thing he’d have to worry about.
He didn’t waste any time and picked his dog up while he knew Adriana was still at the classes she was taking at the community center on Fridays. Rex and his son were the two things he cared most about getting situated right away. If Yanna agreed to his terms, his intention was to let her stay in the house and buy all new furniture and clothes for Lucas.
Apart from his clothes, tools, guns, and weight set, Luke was going to leave everything else. If Cassie didn’t agree to let him and Lucas move in with her, he was going to rent a furnished apartment in Ben’s building.
“Together again,” Ben had teased when Luke called to ask him about his complex.
“Not quite,” Luke corrected. “And no offense, but I’m really hoping not to be your neighbor.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame ya. I’d rather live on the beach too.”
“She doesn’t live on the beach.” Ben knew where she lived since he’d been to her condo, so Luke didn’t understand why he’d say that.
“Not yet, but her new place is right next door to her sister’s.”
“No shit?” He had no idea that’s where she was moving although the thought of her being so close to Brenna comforted him.
“Did you really not know that?” his former roommate chided.
“I knew she was moving, but I didn’t know where, and for the record, I’d live in a fucking shack as long it was with her.”
“The record is noted. And fortunately for you, that’s not gonna happen. I still can’t believe you knocked her up, fucker. Am I
going to have a niece or a nephew?”
“I find out tomorrow.”
“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” Ben asked.
“I don’t care as long as it’s healthy.”
“Yeah? So, when you find out you’re going to have another boy, you won’t be disappointed?”
“Okay, maybe a little,” Luke confided. “I’d love to have a little girl. But if we’re having a boy, it’s a good reason to try again.”
“You probably should work on getting her to forgive you before you go planning more kids.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. She will,” he responded confidently.
“I hope so, for your sake, brother.”
“Me, too,” Luke sighed nervously. He refused to even think about what he would do if she didn’t forgive him.
“Keep me posted on what you find out,” Ben said.
“I will,” Luke promised before hanging up.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Cassie
Someone was stroking her arm and whispering, “Cassie, time to wake up, doll” when her eyes fluttered open.
“Let me rest a little while longer,” she moaned in disagreement.
“Come on, baby, you need to eat.”
She deduced Luke was the offender trying to rouse her out of this comfy bed. Why was he there? And more importantly, why was he trying to make her get up?
A little voice called out, “Madrastra, despierta.” Stepmother, wake up.
The events of the day came back to her in a flash. She felt Luke’s lips on her ear.
“Cassie, baby, you need to eat something so Brenna will let me take you home and put you in your own bed.”
“Alone,” she grumbled as she sat up.
“No, baby, we’re going to take you home, okay?”
“Fine, but I’m going to bed alone,” she corrected.
His tolerant smile when he responded, “Of course” suggested he was placating her.
Still, he was true to his word. After feeding her the Chinese food Brenna had picked up earlier while everyone else had pizza, Luke and Lucas took her back to her condo. There Luke put Lucas down in the guestroom, promising, “It’s just a nap until I take him home,” then came back to sit on the end of the couch where she was currently lying, propping her feet into his lap so he could rub them for her.
“Thank you for being so great with Lucas,” he observed as he kneaded the pressure points on her feet. It felt heavenly. Feeling herself relax, she laid her head on one of the throw pillows resting against the arm of the couch.
“He’s a wonderful little boy, Luke. He’s lucky to have you as his father.”
“He’s going to be an awesome big brother to Claire.”
Nodding with her eyes closed, she opened them suddenly and lifted her head slightly, propping up on her elbows.
“Wait, who’s Claire?” She had an idea who he was talking about by the sly smile on his face.
“I thought maybe we could name our daughter that.”
“Why Claire?”
“Well, so our kids’ initials would match ours. L and C. Claire was my grandmother’s name.”
She actually liked the name Claire, and his reasoning was adorable, still she knew better than to give in too easily. This was a bargaining chip.
“I’ll think about it,” she said noncommittally, leaning back against the cushion.
“That’s all I can ask.”
Cassie knew he was going to make it difficult for her to stay mad at him, but she was determined to make him work for her forgiveness. Damn, this foot rub is a nice start.
“The contractors are actually ahead of schedule. It looks like I’m going to be able to start moving boxes into the beach house by this weekend. If you want to move your things into the house guest room instead of the condo’s, we can maybe go shopping for furniture for Lucas’ room on Saturday. I’m assuming you’re not going to want to share a room with him if you don’t have to?”
His smirk suggested she was the only person he was planning on sharing a room with and moved his fingers in circles up her calf, lingering right below her knee, not going any higher. His caress was firm yet tender, and all she wanted was for him to keep moving his hands north.
Damn him and his alpha maleness for making her lady parts tingle. Which wasn’t hard these days. Sleeping with Luke last week had only served to make her more horny, not less.
“Whatever you say, doll. You’re the boss.”
That made her sit up straighter, something he noticed because he chuckled, “Don’t get any ideas. You know what I mean.”
She slumped back against the cushions in defeat, but quickly added, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Again, with his smirk. “Sure, you don’t.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Luke
He left Cassie’s feeling lighter than he had in a long time even though he had a feeling things with Yanna were going to get ugly. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he was ready. After hearing his baby girl’s heartbeat today, nothing was going to keep him from being a family with Cassie. He’d fucked things up royally with her, but hopefully, it wasn’t beyond repair. She didn’t give him the impression she’d never forgive him just that she was going to make him earn it.
He could do that.
Lucas slept the entire evening in Cassie’s guestroom, not even waking when Luke carried him to the Challenger or when he tucked him in his toddler bed. God, Luke missed the days of being able to sleep through anything.
Ah, to be a kid again.
Unfortunately, being a kid also meant having no filter, and at breakfast the next morning, Lucas told his mama all about his madrastra and his little sister in her tummy and visiting Cassie’s house, which was “in a big building in the sky,” as well as his Tia Brenna and Tio Ron’s house on the water where Rex was staying. Adriana clenched her jaw and shot him a dirty look but didn’t let on to Lucas she was upset although she did set things down on the counter a little harder than necessary and muttered under her breath.
Adriana didn’t speak to him the rest of the morning, and Luke didn’t pursue a conversation with her until Lucas went down for his afternoon nap.
“Yanna,” he said quietly behind her as she loaded the lunch dishes into the dishwasher.
She kept at her task, ignoring him, and refusing to turn around.
He walked over and shut the water off, gently leading her to the kitchen table. He wanted to be as kind as possible because he wasn’t an asshole, but also because he wanted her to be amenable to giving him custody of Lucas.
“We need to talk,” he told her then took a deep breath.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be gone by morning.” Adriana’s voice was quietly menacing. “I was hoping you’d want to be Lucas’ father. I made a mistake coming here with my son.”
“You mean, our son,” he corrected with a growl.
“Your son?” Her cold smirk sent chills down his spine. “Your name isn’t on his birth certificate. I will take him back to Mexico tomorrow and be out of your hair so you can be free to be with your new family.”
That got his ire up, but he remained calm. He’d play her game until he got the DNA test and his lawyer to take care of the necessary paperwork solidifying his legal rights as Lucas’ father. Then he’d ask her for a divorce.
He bit back anything nasty he wanted to say and even put his hand tenderly on her hip. He should get an Academy Award.
“I don’t want you to leave, Adriana. You and Lucas are my family. You belong here with me.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Luke
He noticed the white delivery truck at the house next door to Brenna’s when he and Lucas stopped by the following day to pick up Rex. He was bringing the pup home since his grand plans of moving out had been set back.
“Tia!” Lucas squealed when Brenna opened the door.
“Hey buddy,” the older Sullivan sister said as she bent over and hugged him, asking h
im in Spanish, “Are you hungry? I’m baking Tio Ron’s favorite cookies.” Brenna opened the door wide, allowing his son past her with a smile.
“Is Rex here? We’ve come to take him home.”
She tilted her head. “He’s next door with Ron, helping Cassie with the furniture delivery and installing her garbage disposal.”
Yet another thing she didn’t rely on his help for.
Or couldn’t.
“You don’t need Rex to stay here?”
“No,” he shook his head solemnly. “It looks like I’m not moving out right now after all.”
“Oh, I see.” Brenna pursed her lips in disapproval. “Why not?”
He took a deep breath, about to offer some token of an explanation when she stopped him.
“You know what? It’s none of my business. I’m not the one you owe an explanation to. She’s next door. Take your time, Lucas will be fine here helping me bake cookies.” With that, she politely closed the door in his face. Well, as politely as one can close the door in someone’s face.
Three men in coveralls were getting in the cab of the delivery truck as he walked through the grass and landscaping between the two houses. His baby mama was standing at the entry, smiling brightly at him.
“Hey, you! What are you doing here?” she called, stepping onto the front steps as he crossed the paved circular drive leading to her front door.
Rex came barreling past Cassie, followed by Zona to greet Luke excitedly, almost knocking her over in the process. He sprinted to cover the remaining distance, sliding his arm around her waist to steady her.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently before admonishing the dogs in a stern tone. “Rex! Zona! Inside, let’s go!” he said, then snapped his fingers and pointed in the house. The two wagged their tails gleefully and complied with his command, oblivious to their offense.
“Are you okay, doll?” Luke repeated himself, pushing her hair behind her ear.
