by Evans, A. K.
“We’ve got to dig into the personal life,” Holden suggested. “See what he’s doing with himself. Once we know that, maybe we’ll have a better idea of what he’s contacting his daughter about. Are you going to wait to talk to Delaney about this?”
I didn’t know what any of this was telling me. This was mostly because it wasn’t telling me anything. The last thing Delaney needed was one more problem to deal with. At the same time, I didn’t want to hide it from her.
“You said that this woman Amelia mentioned already contacting Delaney?” I asked Holden.
He gave me a nod. “Yeah. She said that she’d reached out and made contact, but Delaney made it clear she didn’t want to talk. She also said that prior to her reaching out, Delaney’s father had tried. He’d been given the same treatment.”
Damn it.
I shared, “He’s the kind of guy who is used to getting what he wants. If this doesn’t go the way he’s hoping it will, I’m afraid to think of what he’ll try next. Considering she’s living alone with Tate right now, making her more vulnerable should he somehow locate her, I think I need to address it with her. Delaney needs something else to deal with about as much as I need another house to renovate, but I don’t want her being caught off guard either.”
Holden understood where I was coming from and agreed it was best to talk with her about what was happening. While I considered all of that, I got back to work on digging into his personal life. Holden decided to take a drive past the Rogers’ family residence.
By the time he returned several hours later, I hadn’t accomplished much. There were more than ten years of research I had to do. And everything I’d found so far hadn’t amounted to anything useful.
“I sure hope you’ve got more than I do,” I stressed.
One look at his face told me he had something. And that something wasn’t just a little thing either.
Intrigued and a little anxious, I urged, “Tell me what you found.”
Settling himself in the seat across from me, he shared, “I honestly hadn’t expected I would have found anything this quickly. But I pulled up outside his residence. There was a vehicle in his driveway that I knew was not his.”
My brows pulled together. “How do you know?”
“That car did not fit that house,” he started. “A guy like that who owns a house like that does not drive around a base-model Kia.”
I had to agree. Dennis Rogers was all about status and a base-model anything, let alone a Kia, would have been a serious blow to his ego. “Okay, so any idea on who the vehicle belongs to?”
“Not yet,” he began. “At least, not specifically. I’ve got a plate number so we can run it, but I already know who the person was and why she was there.”
I waited and braced myself for it.
“A young woman walked out of the house after I’d been there for a few hours. My best guess is that she was probably in her early thirties, right around Delaney’s age.”
Before Holden could proceed any further, I cut him off, leaned forward, and warned, “Locke, do not tell me he’s paying some woman, who’s young enough to be his daughter and is in a desperate situation, to be his toy.”
He shook his head and assured me, “That’s not it. There’s no doubt the girl isn’t well off, but she’s not there for that reason.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“She was working.”
My brow shot up. “Working?” I repeated.
“She came out wearing a pair of scrubs,” he stated. “Unless he’s got someone else living with him, I think Delaney’s dad is sick and unable to care for himself.”
I sat back in my chair, setting my elbows on the armrests and pressing my fingertips together in front of my face. My mind whirled with a million different thoughts.
“If that’s what’s going on, it would certainly make sense why he suddenly left his job well before the age of retirement. And even though they haven’t spoken in years, if he’s now spending his days being able to do nothing but think about his life, he’s probably realizing he’s made a few errors in judgment. I’m not going to make any assumptions, and I’m certainly not giving Dennis Rogers the benefit of the doubt, but what you’re telling me does lend a logical explanation to why he’d be reaching out to her now.”
“So, what are you going to do now?” he asked.
I glanced to my computer screen. It was just after five-thirty. Delaney would probably already be on her way to pick up Tate from daycare.
“I’m going to get out of here and use the next fifteen minutes to figure out how to break this news to Delaney. Do you think you can hold this woman off until Monday? I’d like to take the weekend to give her time to think about what she wants to do.”
“Yeah. I’ll give her a call back and let her know I’m looking into a few leads but should have something for her by Monday. That should keep them sitting tight until then. Once we know where Delaney stands, we’ll come up with a game plan,” he assured me.
After shutting my stuff down, I stood and said, “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
With that, Holden and I walked out of my office and moved back toward his as I went to the front door.
Then, I spent the rest of my drive trying to figure out the best way to break this news to my woman.
It was the best day ever.
And it seemed it was about to get better because Tate and I got home a little bit ago, and I was making dinner because Trent was coming over to hang with us tonight. I was chopping up vegetables for the creamy chicken potato soup I decided to make while simultaneously watching my little boy play in his bouncer.
Once I’d gotten the veggies in the pot with the chicken broth, there was a knock at the door.
“Our favorite guy is here, buddy!” I practically squealed.
Tate gave me a shriek in response. Apparently, he was just as excited for Trent’s arrival as I was.
I opened the door, threw my arms around Trent, and gave him a great kiss. One that included tongue and moaning.
When I pulled my mouth from his, he declared, “That was one heck of a greeting, sweet cheeks.”
I grinned at him.
“How was your day?” he asked.
“Fantastic,” I bubbled as I made my way back toward the stove so I could make the roux. “Come on in and take a load off. Do you want a beer?”
“Sure,” he answered. “Hey, baby Tate. How’s it going, my man?”
Tate banged his hands on the top of his bouncer in response while I grabbed Trent’s beer.
After handing it off to him, I turned and moved back to the stove. “What’s going on today?”
“What do you mean?”
He took a pull of his beer, swallowed, and smiled at me. “I love seeing you this happy, Delaney. I’m just curious what’s got you so cheerful.”
“I intend to share all of the lovely things that happened today just as soon as we sit down for dinner. In the meantime, you can relax and hang with Tate.”
“Fair enough.”
I got back to work on the soup while Trent played with Tate. It was the perfect addition to what had been an already magnificent day. And because I hadn’t had a lot of those lately, I found myself glancing over at the two most important men in my life and soaking it all up. At the same time, I felt myself falling deeper and deeper in love.
While the soup cooked, I asked, “Do you mind if I go take a quick shower before dinner?”
Trent shook his head. “Not at all. Do I need to do anything with the food?”
“Nope. It’ll be good until I get back.”
“Okay.”
With that, I dashed off and took a shower.
By the time I came back, the soup had finally finished. I ladled it into bowls, cut up some sourdough bread, and set everything out on the table. I quickly heated up some of Tate’s food, cut it up into tiny pieces, and set it out on the tray that attached to the top of his highchair.
“Dinner’s ready!” I called out.
“Let’s go, bud,” Trent said as he picked Tate up and came over to the table.
Once Tate was strapped in, I set his tray in front of him and watched him reach for his first carrot. He picked up the soft, cooked piece, held it up to his mouth, and pushed it in. He didn’t have many teeth yet, but he was becoming a pro at gumming everything.
“Is that good, baby?” I cooed, smiling at him.
Tate grinned right back at me and reached for more.
I turned my attention to Trent and exclaimed, “Today was the best day ever.”
“I’ve already figured out that much,” he began. “I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting to hear precisely what happened.”
“Alright, well there are two things that happened. The first piece of news I have is that when I got to work this morning, I found out that my company posted a position for an interior designer!”
A look of surprise washed over Trent. “That’s great news. I assume you’re going to apply for it.”
Nodding my head, I replied, “I already did. There’s obviously no guarantee that I’ll get the position, but they are more willing to hire someone who already works for the company before they seek outside interest. And I’m pretty confident I’m not going to have much competition. Most of the people I work with are men and they aren’t even remotely interested in the design portion of the builds we do. The majority of them prefer working with their hands.”
“Will your hours change?”
“Nope. In fact, there will probably be less likelihood of me being late ever again because I won’t have to worry about cutting and fitting tile or countertops and having something go wrong. I’m so excited; I really hope I get the position.”
Trent smiled at me and reached out to squeeze my hand.
“Ma, ma, ma.”
I turned my attention to Tate to see him reaching for more food. I pushed a couple pieces closer to him.
I took a few bites of my food before I continued, “The position is going to pay more, too. Obviously, that’s great because well, making more money is always good. But I was so excited about that part of it because I know I’m going to be facing all of the legal fees.”
“Do you know how long you’ll have to wait before you find out if you’re getting the position?”
Nodding, I replied, “I’ll know by next week. They’re going to interview me for the position on Monday. Assuming there aren’t many other people interested and they think I’ll do well in that position, I should know by the end of the week.”
“I’m really proud of you, Delaney. I hope it all works out for you.”
I grinned at him again, even though I hadn’t wiped the smile off my face all day. “Thanks, baby.”
I managed to get a few more bites of my food in while Trent pushed a couple more pieces of food toward Tate. When Trent turned his attention back to me, he asked, “So, what’s the second piece of news you’ve got for me?”
My excitement took over. “My attorney called me just as I was leaving work.”
Trent’s eyes rounded. “And?”
“And he said that Keith has decided not to fight me on the divorce and he’s suddenly content to keep the custody arrangement we’ve already worked out.”
I watched as Trent’s brows pulled together and he sat back in his chair. “Really?”
I nodded. “There was one stipulation, though.”
“And that is?” he asked.
“I can’t ask for alimony and Keith wants to make sure that he’s able to see Tate on certain special occasions.”
“Alimony, I’m guessing, is not a concern for you?”
I shook my head. “I never wanted him for his money, Trent. When we were together, I worked and made my own. Yeah, we were working for the same business, a business he owned, but I still made my own money. He covered most of the bills in the house, but I’m not living there now, so I really don’t need any of his money. I know I can support myself and my son on my own.”
Trent tore his gaze from mine, looked at Tate for several moments, and looked back at me. “Is he planning to pay child support?”
“My attorney didn’t have any official numbers, but preliminarily what is being proposed is that we both take care of Tate on our own when he is with each of us. Since Tate is going to be with me more often, Keith is willing to pay a set amount each month to cover some of the cost of Tate’s food, clothing, and diapers. He’s also willing to split any costs of doctor bills and, as he gets older, any activities he might get involved in.”
“Wow,” Trent muttered.
“I know,” I agreed. “I couldn’t believe it. Part of me doesn’t want to get too excited in case it doesn’t happen, but I can’t help it. I just wish I knew what caused the change in him.”
Trent took in a deep breath and blew it out. “I think I might know the answer to that.”
Now I was the one with the look of surprise on my face. “You do?”
“I talked to Detective Baines this morning. The only good news they gave me was that they’d picked him up and brought him in after he dropped Tate off at daycare on Monday. Unfortunately, he refused to answer any questions without his lawyer. Worse yet, the prosecutor wasn’t willing to file charges against him. Hearing what your attorney told you today, I’m wondering if being hauled off in a police car from a job site was part of it.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “They arrested him when he was at work?”
Trent nodded.
“Keith does not like to be embarrassed. That job, that business, means everything to him. If he waited for his attorney to get there and they discussed things, it’s possible his attorney made him see what he stood to lose if things went my way.”
“Are you going to agree to the terms?”
I glanced at Tate briefly before looking back at Trent. “I’m not going to lose my son and I could be officially divorced within a few weeks, Trent. As long as the documents they draft up don’t have anything ridiculous in them, I’m more than willing to accept the terms. I just want to be able to move on with my life.”
“I’m so happy for you, Delaney. I really hope this all works out the way you want it to. You won’t need to be stressed about what’s going to happen with Tate anymore.”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I’m praying this is for real. My attorney said he’d reach out to me sometime mid-to-late week, next week.”
Trent, Tate, and I all finished dinner. Afterward, Trent offered to clean up the dishes while I took Tate into the bathroom to give him his bath. Following Tate’s bath, Trent hopped in the shower while I sat down in the glider I had in Tate’s room and read my little boy a book. Once we finished the book, I cuddled him close, gave him lots of kisses, and nursed him to sleep.
After Tate was sound asleep in his crib, I quietly snuck out of his room only to run right into a half-naked Trent. He had on just a pair of bottoms and he looked incredibly delicious.
“Hey,” I whispered, throwing my arms around him.
“Hey,” he returned as his hands slid along my hips and to my lower back until he was holding me tight to him.
Pressing up on my toes, I brushed my lips against his. “This has been such an amazing day,” I continued to whisper there. “Got any ideas on how we can make it even more amazing?”
For a moment, I thought I saw Trent hesitate, but he quickly smiled against my lips and rasped, “Yeah, sweet cheeks. I can give that to you.”
Before I had a chance to say anything else, Trent crushed his mouth to mine. He lifted me off the ground, keeping one arm around my waist while the other slid under my bottom. I crossed my ankles behind his back as my fingers moved along his neck and around the back of his head.
My eyes were closed, but I could feel the movement of Trent’s body as he carried me back into my bedroom. Seconds later, my mouth still connected to his, Trent carefully lowered me to my back and positioned himself over me.
He pressed his erection into me, causing me to angle my hips and seek out the friction. Trent’s mouth left mine and began moving along my jaw and down my throat. His hands slid down my sides as I found mine roaming over the smooth, hard planes of his torso.
In the next second, his hands were moving back up my sides, but I could feel his skin against mine. Effortlessly, Trent whipped my shirt over my head. His mouth dropped to my chest, his lips and tongue teasing my nipples.
“Baby,” I breathed.
Knowing he’d end my day in the most magnificent way possible, I had the overwhelming urge to make it the same for him. I planted my foot into the bed and pushed hard. Trent rolled to his back, taking me with him.
Slowly, I worked my way down his body, trailing my mouth along his chest and abdomen. When I reached the waistband of his sweats, one of the few pieces of clothing he’d brought and left at my place, my fingers curled around the material at his hips and began tugging it and his boxer briefs down his legs.
Tossing them to the side, I crawled back up his legs, wrapped one of my hands around the base of his cock, before taking the tip into my mouth.
“Delaney,” he groaned.
I took more of him into my mouth, lifted my eyes to his, and saw the desire burning in his. I loved it. I loved the way seeing him like that made me feel. It served to make me take him deeper and work him harder. Trent gave me time to play, allowing me to lick, suck, and stroke him while he watched.
But at some point, he’d lost his control.
He reached down, slid his arms under mine, and yanked me up his body.
“Bottoms off,” he ordered, reaching over to the nightstand to grab a condom.
By the time he had it on, I’d managed to lose my bottoms. Trent guided me back over him, positioned himself, and kept a hand on my hip as I slid down on him.
I moaned, loving the feeling of fullness between my legs.
