His Temptation, Her Secret

by Barbara Dunlop

  Natalie gestured to the hospital room door. “For all our fancy facilities, nothing replaces family.”

  “Thank you.” For some reason, emotion welled up in Sage’s throat.

  “I’m not suggesting she won’t see him,” TJ said as they walked, the barest hint of exasperation in his tone.

  “Highside is a long way from Seattle,” Natalie said.

  Sage was now completely convinced Natalie wasn’t part of any plot to sway her.

  “She can stay in the parents’ residence,” TJ said.

  “I have a job,” Sage put in.

  Natalie halted. “Mr. Bauer, we love you dearly, and we are beyond grateful for your financial support—”

  “This isn’t about my money.”

  “The decision is Sage’s alone. It’s her son. She knows what’s best for her family.”

  Sage struggled not to look at TJ, but she couldn’t help herself.

  The set of his jaw betrayed his annoyance, but it didn’t look like he was going to blurt out the fact that he was Eli’s father.

  “Do you have any more questions?” Natalie asked Sage.

  “No. Thank you so much for your time.”

  Natalie took both of Sage’s hands. “Good luck with your son. I hope his recovery is fast. We’re here if you need us. But there’s no wrong choice for you to make.”

  A wave of guilt passed through Sage. She liked Natalie. She liked her a lot. And she liked everything she’d seen at Highside.

  But she couldn’t leave Seattle, and she couldn’t let TJ pull her and Eli apart. She had to believe Eli would recover equally well at St. Bea’s. She had to believe it.

  * * *

  TJ didn’t know how he’d failed. But he had. He’d counted on Natalie, or anyone else at Highside Hospital for that matter, to point out the merits of the institution and impress Sage with the level of care Eli could expect. What he hadn’t counted on was for Natalie to take Sage’s side.

  He hadn’t wanted to blurt out that he was Eli’s father. That wouldn’t have been fair to Sage, and he was determined that Eli would be the next person he told. But maybe that was a mistake. Maybe Natalie’s attitude would have been different if she’d known that it wasn’t just a mother’s support at stake here, but a father’s support as well.

  “Can we go back to Seattle now?” Sage asked as she tucked her phone into her purse.

  They were driving down the coast highway toward the Crab Shack. The helicopter was on standby in a parking lot nearby.

  “Any news?” he asked, referring to the text message she had just checked.

  “He’s still asleep.”

  “That’s good.” TJ hoped Eli would have a restful night.

  “It’s getting late.” She made a point of looking at her watch.

  “I just need to make one stop.”

  “Are you kidding me?” The exasperation in her tone was clear.

  “It’s at my house. It’s not out of our way.”

  “Fine,” she said tersely.

  “Are you angry?”

  “I’m frustrated.”

  “You couldn’t make the right decision without all the facts.” It hadn’t gone his way, but he still believed that. Not that he was giving up this easily.

  “I’d already made the right decision.”

  “You’re too smart to make that argument.”

  “Okay. I saw Highside. It’s good. It’s terrific. But you already know that. And I never disputed it. My argument was never that Highside wasn’t a great facility. It was that I wasn’t in Whiskey Bay.”

  “We can change that.” They could easily change that.

  “I’m not quitting my job. I’m not giving up my apartment.”

  “It’s not much of an apartment. That’s blunt. But you know it as well as I do. And you can get another job.”

  “Really?” She turned her body to glare at him. “I can get another job?” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that, I can get another job?”

  He didn’t understand her point. “Yes. There are jobs here in Whiskey Bay.”

  “For people like me.”

  “For people like anybody. What do you mean, people like you?” He flipped on his signal, taking the road that led to his and the three other properties along this stretch of the bay.

  The houses belonged to Matt and Tasha, to Caleb and Jules, and to Caleb’s sister-in-law Melissa and her husband, Noah.

  “A single mother with no college degree?”

  “There are lots of single... What do you mean no college degree?”

  Sage was a bona fide genius. She could earn any college degree without breaking a sweat.

  “I didn’t go to college, TJ.”

  “What about all those scholarships?” He knew she’d had a dozen offers, everybody knew that. How could she have turned them all down?

  Her tone was flat. “I’ve been a little busy.”

  “What about part-time?” Sure, he understood a baby added a complication.

  “That didn’t work.”

  “What do you mean it didn’t work? What kind of an attitude is that? When it’s that important, you make it work.”

  Her voice rose. “Spoken like a man who hasn’t got a clue about taking care of a baby.”

  “I know there’s such a thing as childcare.”

  “And do you know they don’t give scholarships for that? I could get a full ride, sure. But I can’t live in the dorm with a baby. So, I’d have to pay rent, buy food, cover day care, study in the evenings instead of reading stories and giving baths.”

  “And later? When he was in school?”

  Surely she could have made something work at some point in the past nine years. She had a brain in a million. It was tragic to let it go to waste.

  “Do you have any idea how insulting you’re being?” she asked.

  He pulled into his driveway and parked out front between the two garages. “Go now,” he said.

  She closed her eyes, shook her head and gave a long-suffering sigh.

  “You’re only twenty-seven. Go back to school now. Get a degree.”

  “Take me home, TJ.”

  He realized he’d pushed too far. “Come inside.”

  “No.”

  “This won’t take long. And then we’ll walk down to the helicopter.”

  At first, she didn’t move. But then she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door.

  He was sorry if he’d insulted her. But he couldn’t believe she’d given up on herself so easily. There were options. There were always options. There was always an alternate strategy or approach to any situation. You just had to keep looking until you found the right one.

  He led the way up the short, concrete staircase and opened his front door. The light was on a motion sensor and came on automatically in the foyer. The living room in front of them was dimly lit by the pot lights above the fireplace to the right side. And the deck and lighted garden beds were visible through the glass wall on the far side of the living room.

  Her steps slowed in the doorway and she gazed around in silence.

  “It’s big for one person,” he acknowledged.

  “Big?” She took a couple of steps forward. “I was going to go with huge.”

  “Yeah. I barely ever go upstairs.”

  “There’s an upstairs?”

  “The stairs are around the corner, across from the study.”

  “Of course they are,” she said a little weakly.

  “Are you thirsty?”

  “We’re not staying.”

  “Iced tea?” he asked, moving into the living room, taking the right-hand turn that led to the open-concept kitchen.

  In front of the kitchen was a dining room and then a family room, where he spent much of his time. It opened ont
o the biggest part of the deck, where there was an outdoor kitchen and small bathroom.

  He gestured to the oversize refrigerator. “I’ve got cold beer. Or there’s always wine.”

  He glanced behind him, but Sage hadn’t followed.

  He went back to the foyer. “Come in.”

  She looked a little frightened. “Exactly how rich are you?”

  “I don’t know how to answer that question. I guess I’m to the point now where I can do pretty much whatever I want.”

  She took a couple of hesitant steps into the living room, taking in the furnishings. “Do you have a housekeeping staff?”

  “There’s someone who comes in to clean. And I have a gardening service. It’s a big house,” he found himself defending. “But nobody lives in.”

  She looked to her left, where a short hallway led to his study, his bedroom and the stairs to the second floor.

  “Have a look around,” he invited. “Maybe a glass of water?”

  “Sure,” she answered absently, wandering down the hallway.

  “The wine cellar is locked, but I can open it up if you’re interested.”

  “Water’s fine.”

  He chuckled. He’d meant if she wanted to have a look. But he’d happily open a bottle of wine if she saw something interesting.

  When he returned from the kitchen with two glasses of ice water, she was gone. He guessed she’d taken the stairs, so he followed.

  “There’s no furniture up here,” she said, peering into one of the bedrooms.

  “My wife...” He paused to gather himself. “Lauren wanted us to have several children. She expected we’d need the extra room.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sage said. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

  “It’s fine.” He’d told Sage about Lauren while Eli had slept.

  Sage gave an apologetic smile. She seemed to sense he’d rather move on, and she obliged him, glancing in each of the five upstairs bedrooms. “You could fit three of my apartments in here.”

  “It is roomy,” he agreed.

  Mostly, he ignored this floor. It was a waste of space, but there was no way he’d sell the house Lauren had designed. And despite the wasted space, he couldn’t imagine having anyone live with him—except for Eli. TJ would love to have Eli live here with him.

  He knew it was impossible. Though he’d stated a hard line with Matt and Caleb that night, there was no way he’d take Eli away from his mother, and no court in the land would let him do that.

  Ironically, there was more than enough room up here for both Sage and Eli.

  His brain took a pause. That would be perfect. It would be beyond perfect.

  He turned to consider her, taking in her profile, his mind galloping along the idea.

  “What exactly is your job?” he asked.

  She glanced at him. “What?”

  He handed her a glass of water. “What do you do in Seattle?”

  “I told you, I plan events for the community center.”

  “Is it administrative?”

  “Mostly.”

  “That sounds like a transferable skill.”

  She caught his meaning immediately. “TJ, don’t.”

  “Don’t shut the door on this, Sage. You could live here. You and Eli. There’s no reason why not.”

  From the look on her face, he knew he’d misplayed. He’d made the suggestion way too soon.

  “I mean—”

  Without a word, she spun on her heel to march back down the hall.

  He went after her. “I mean that’s one possibility. We should talk about it. Rent would be free. The schools are fantastic.” He trotted behind her down the stairs. “You could get any job you wanted, maybe part-time. You could go to college here. I’m a platinum donor, so tuition wouldn’t cost anything. Not that cost matters—”

  “Stop!” she shouted, pivoting on him. “Just stop it.”

  “I’m stopping.” He’d gone too far. And he’d gone too fast.

  “I’m not moving to Whiskey Bay. Yes, you have a right to visit Eli. And yes, we will work something out. But I’m not walking away from my entire life to suit your needs.”

  TJ battled the sense of defeat. He didn’t want to merely be a visitor in his son’s life. He wanted to be there all the time, for all the little things.

  He wanted to hear about Eli’s day at school, throw a ball with him on summer evenings, tuck him in at night, pour his cereal in the morning and patch his cuts and scrapes. He wanted to do it all in real time, not on two weekends a month and every other Christmas.

  He wanted Eli to be with him, day in, day out. But he understood that Sage wanted that too. She deserved that too. To make that happen, there had to be more for her in Whiskey Bay than free rent.

  “Thank you,” she said. She drew a shaky breath and headed for the front door. “We need to get back to Seattle.”

  He knew she was right. They weren’t going to solve this tonight. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but he found himself bitterly disappointed that it hadn’t happened.

  He followed her, feeling cheated and angry at their circumstance. Parents all over the world lived with their children. It was the normal state of things. He wasn’t asking for the moon and the stars.

  How were they all more deserving than him? How were they different?

  Even as he framed the question, he knew the answer was patently obvious. Those parents were in love. And if they weren’t in love, they stayed married anyway.

  And then it hit him.

  “Wait!” he called out. “Wait just a minute.”

  Her hand was on the doorknob, and her lips were pressed tightly together. But she waited.

  “I’m not being fair,” he said.

  Her shoulders lowered a little bit, and she looked relieved. “No, you’re not.”

  “I can’t ask you to give up your entire life for free rent.”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “There has to be more to it than that.”

  She tipped her head to one side, looking puzzled now.

  “Marry me,” he said.

  She didn’t react, and he wasn’t sure if she’d heard the words.

  He continued talking. “Share my life, my whole life.”

  She started to laugh. Her hand rose to her mouth, and she kept laughing.

  He was vaguely insulted. “How is that funny?”

  “It’s not funny.” She removed her hand and schooled her features, swallowing. “It’s preposterous.”

  He’d admit it was unorthodox. “It’s logical. We share a son.”

  “We barely know each other.”

  “A marriage of convenience, obviously.” As he said the words, he pictured her in his bed. The vision startled him. He shook it away and pressed on. “Look at the size of this place. We can stay completely out of each other’s way. You and Eli can have the entire upstairs to yourselves.”

  “Take me home, TJ.” She looked sad and tired, really fragile and forlorn.

  She also looked beautiful, and he wanted to draw her into his arms and comfort her. He wanted to hold her, and he wanted to kiss her.

  “What is wrong with me?” he muttered.

  “You’re tired. We’re both tired.”

  “Maybe.” But he knew there was something more going on.

  * * *

  Exhausted as she was, Sage couldn’t sleep. Because, ridiculous as they were, TJ’s words kept echoing through her brain.

  It was likely the worst marriage proposal in recorded history. But, no matter the complex circumstances, it was also the only one she’d ever received. He’d asked her to marry him. Nobody had ever done that before.

  She sat up in bed, gazing at the glow from the street through her thin curtains, hearing the buzz and clunk o
f the refrigerator and the intermittent drip of the kitchen faucet. A car drove past, its headlights sweeping across the bedroom wall, flashing in the mirror.

  TJ was handsome. He was buff and sexy. He was also smart and wealthy. What woman wouldn’t want to marry him?

  None, that was who.

  She tossed off the covers and came to her feet, chilly in the faded tank top and plaid flannel boxer shorts she wore to bed. She headed to the kitchen for a drink of water.

  There was no way she could marry TJ and move to Whiskey Bay—even if he did have what was probably the greatest house in the world. It wasn’t an idea that was even worth considering. This wasn’t 1955. People didn’t get married because they had a child.

  They made agreements, arrangements. They figured out logical systems that would make it work for everyone. Eli would just...

  She retrieved a glass from the cupboard and turned on the faucet.

  As she filled the glass, she tried to imagine what Eli would do. Take a bus back and forth between Seattle and Whiskey Bay? Then she pictured the helicopter and gave a fatalistic chuckle. Yeah, Eli’s daddy wouldn’t let his son ride the bus.

  Eli’s daddy. It was another phrase to rattle around in her head.

  It wasn’t that she hadn’t known. She’d known all along. What she hadn’t known was anything about TJ beyond the little she’d learned in high school. To say the least, he was a formidable man. He was determined. And he was strong. And he was...

  She suddenly felt hot instead of cool.

  Then a noise startled her. It sounded like glass smashing on the sidewalk, maybe a bottle—possibly soda but probably liquor.

  It wasn’t the first time it had happened. There would be a mess in the morning for her landlord, Hank, to clean up.

  Her phone pinged with an incoming text.

  Her first thought was the hospital, and she rushed back to the bedside, picking up the glowing screen.

  It was from TJ.

  Sorry was all it said.

  She sat down, holding it in both hands. Sorry for what? Sorry he’d dragged her to Whiskey Bay? Sorry he’d pressured her to move there? Sorry he’d proposed? Sorry he’d behaved like a lunatic?

  She typed back: It’s okay. She realized all of those things were okay.

  He deserved a little latitude. Okay, more than a little latitude. She’d blindsided him with the knowledge of Eli, and since then he’d stepped up at every turn. He was desperate to forge a relationship with his son. Maybe he was grasping at straws. But at least he wasn’t threatening to take her to court.