What Tears Us Down: A Single Dad Standalone Romance (Arrow Creek Book 3)

by A. M. Wilson

  She studies her shoes. “I’m trying not to.”

  “You have to know I had no idea she was your client.”

  “You made that pretty clear,” she retorts dryly, finally returning eye contact. An unreadable storm churns in hers.

  “I was trying to protect you. Nora turns nasty when she wants to be, and I didn’t want you caught up any more than you already were.”

  She gazes at the field beyond my shoulder as if contemplating her next words. My fingers involuntarily squeeze her arm in my grip, and she returns her attention to mine.

  “I need time to unwind. Not only did I lose my biggest client today, but I realized all the money she paid me actually belongs to you. I told myself I wouldn’t accept handouts.”

  “You earned that money,” I growl, not liking the direction of her thoughts. “Doesn’t matter whose checking account it came from. You cleaned that fucking house like she asked.” The image of her on her hands and knees scrubbing my bathroom will haunt me. Fucking, fucking Nora.

  “And she paid me a ridiculous sum to do so!” Her voice rises. “Now I realize she was just trying to get back at you by throwing your money away.”

  Her words spark a memory I need to share. I sway her arm still in my grasp. “It no longer matters. After her ridiculous setup failed, I got her to agree to the terms.”

  “Setup?”

  Ghost whines, prompting us to keep walking.

  “She admitted she saw us the other day. Here, in the parking lot. She orchestrated tonight hoping to ruin whatever it is you and I are doing.”

  She bites her bottom lip. “Oh.”

  “I also want to know what we’re doing.” The announcement shocks even me, regardless that it came from my own mouth.

  “Rhett…” Her voice sounds pained, but like the Evie I’ve come to know, she faces the challenge head-on. “I think we’re just having fun.”

  “Is that all you think this is?”

  She takes her bottom lip into her mouth again. My fingers itch to tug it free and occupy her fidgeting lips with my own. Her shoulders rise in a shrug. “I don’t know.”

  We reach the end of the grass and return to the blacktop. Time is running out for tonight, and I don’t want to leave this unfinished.

  “I’m not asking for marriage. You have until my divorce is finalized for that.” I attempt to lighten the mood. “But this is more than having a little fun.”

  Putting pressure on her for a definitive answer isn’t going to help, so I let off the gas a little and tap the brakes.

  “I have to get back to the house. I left to give Nora time to pack alone, but I’ll be staying with Tommy for the foreseeable future. Can you come by tomorrow so we can finish talking?”

  Her head jerks around. “You have him back?”

  I can’t contain the grin or the several blinks necessary to keep my eyes dry. “I have my boy back.”

  “Why didn’t you start with that?”

  The air is knocked from my lungs as she throws herself bodily at me and hugs me tight. I nearly drop the leash in surprise but manage to hang on as I hold her equally firm. From behind her back, I lower her hood off her head and situate my mouth at her ear.

  “Because that part is settled, but this isn’t. Starting with I’m sorry was more important.”

  Evie pulls back an inch. “But how? How do you know she won’t try something else?”

  “The operative word is try.” I brush a wayward strand from her soft cheek. “She’s already made all the wrong moves to get her way and failed.”

  “I’m really happy for you,” she murmurs, flicking her gaze to my lips. The attention entices my tongue to wet mine. The Evie I’ve come to know peeks through.

  “As much as I’d like to stay with you and celebrate, I have to get back.” My forehead kisses hers for half a second. A moment of contact before I’m unable to pull back. “Will you come by the house tomorrow?”

  Her answering nod settles some of the unease. “I’m going to get breakfast with Eric and Caiti. They have to leave for the airport at eleven.”

  “Wish them well for me. And give Eric my number in case he needs to check in and can’t reach you.”

  Her torso presses against mine. “I will.” A cloud passes by overhead, bathing her in a moonlit glow and highlighting her perfections.

  I seal my lips over hers in a demanding kiss, desperate for a single taste after the evening we’ve had. She opens easily, allowing me to claim her ruby lips that drip with smarts and sass.

  “I need to go.” I pull back, touching my forehead to hers in order to catch my breath.

  Her forehead rocks against mine with her nod.

  “You have to go inside, Rosie.”

  “What if I don’t want to?” Her words drip with a desire we share. “What if I’m not finished kissing you?”

  “Be careful, or the next thing I shove between your lips won’t be my tongue.”

  “Is that so?” A lick of her lips follows the husky murmur.

  I release a guttural groan in the back of my throat. “I’m not leaving until I know you’re inside, so you’re going to make me late getting back.”

  “Sounds like a you problem.”

  I slide my teeth along my lower lip to disguise a grin. “An ex-wife problem, to be exact, one I don’t really give a fuck about. The part I do care about is getting to see my son sleeping in his own room for the first time in months.”

  “Then I’ll go inside so you can go.”

  There’s my Evie. Easy. Simple. Caring about others even with her own problems.

  As she releases me to cross the parking lot back to the hotel, a new feeling emerges in my gut. One filling me with the thrill of excitement.

  With my ex-wife issues finally falling into place, I’m able to make good on my promises.

  Starting with helping Evie out of her fucking car.

  Convincing her permanently into my bed is a close second.

  And finding out what comes next for us is third.

  22

  Evie

  The morning air brings a hint of summer warmth as a breeze tosses my hair. I wrangle the wild strands into a low ponytail as Eric and I walk the hiking trail once more before he leaves. We traveled about half an hour in before deciding to turn back, not having enough time to reach the end. Caiti waits at the hotel under the guise of packing, but I suspect there’s a reason she’s not here. Whatever Eric plans to say, she thinks he can persuade me on his own.

  Only one topic remains untouched, and discussing my ex doesn’t bring me happy flutters.

  Birds chirp a melodious tune overhead. I tip my face to the sun and bask in the warmth and the song. Each step brings us closer to a goodbye I’m not ready for.

  “What happened with Tate?”

  The blunt question doesn’t throw me. He and I grew up with a forwardness that frightens most people and the confidence to face confrontation head-on. Except in my case, when I fled across the country when my problems grew too big.

  “What has he told you?” What better place to start than discovering what he already knows.

  “Not much. When you two broke up, he said he’d let you stay until you could support yourself on your own. Then two months later, I get a call asking if I knew where you were.”

  I snort. “And then you blabbed, so I had to keep the secret from you the second time.”

  “Maybe if I had the full story, I wouldn’t have felt the need to tell him where you were.”

  The leaves and twigs beneath my feet crunch in answer.

  “When I was twenty-two, I saw a specialist for my horrible period pains. Remember when I was a kid, after Mom and Dad died, and I was curled in a ball every month? You and Tate did as much internet research as you could to solve the problem and kept coming into my room with heating pads and water bottles and snacks trying to help.”

  “I should have taken you to a different doctor.”

  He’d taken me to my primary doctor more than on
ce, but I was told period pain is normal and to take some medicine. We were too naïve to know better, and I got tired of racking up medical bills that Eric had to pay when I wasn’t getting any answers.

  “We didn’t know what to do back then, but Tate suggested I go after I moved in with him. The specialist suspected I had endometriosis, so I had surgery to confirm.”

  “You what?”

  I hold my palm up to him. “I’m not going to run to you with my menstrual problems. When you were my parent figure, sure, but not in my twenties. Anyway, it gets better.”

  “Go on.” He pushes a leafy branch out of my path.

  I duck beneath his arm and wait for him to come out the other side.

  “The procedure confirmed the diagnosis. It spread so much that my chances of getting pregnant were slim. So Tate and I decided right then to try to have a baby.”

  “Evie,” he utters darkly, but whether in shock or anger, I can’t be certain. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  “Don’t act like you didn’t know he and I had premarital sex, dude. I’m not Mother Teresa.”

  “You were two kids who decided getting knocked up would help your situation.”

  “No.” The word slips from my sharp tongue, effectively cutting him off. “We were two kids who thought they were in love and already planned to get married, so why wait? When the statistics already said conceiving wouldn’t likely happen? Think of it as testing the theory.”

  “Look how it turned out? Now imagine if you had a kid in the mix.”

  I rub my temples. “I can’t say for certain how an alternate universe would have played out, but if we had a kid, a wedge wouldn’t have grown between us.”

  The rock in front of my toe skitters across the trail with my next step.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “After we tried for a year, Tate settled into the idea that we’d never have kids and we’d enjoy our life together. I did the opposite. I became more desperate. It got to the point we were fighting about it nearly every single day. I fell into a depression while he withdrew completely. And then I did something really stupid.”

  Eric pinches the bridge of his nose. I see the opening to the trail up ahead and know I need to hurry this up. He needs to get to the hotel to pick up Caiti, and I have plans with Rhett.

  “What did you do?”

  I seize his arm and turn him to face me. The pain on my face is unconcealable, and I don’t even try. “You have to understand how desperate I was. After having mine ripped brutally away, I wanted a family more than anything. Whole. Complete. I wanted to hear the word ‘mom’ in my life again and not only when I spoke it at her grave.”

  “Evie.” Eric’s voice cracks around my name.

  I drop his arm and tilt my face into a warm gust of air. “The specialist mentioned a surgery to remove some of the invading tissue from my reproductive organs. Tate was adamant he didn’t want to go through extreme measures. That if we couldn’t conceive naturally, then it wasn’t meant to be. Obviously, I disagreed.” I draw in a lungful of fresh air before marching on.

  “I took the money we were saving for our wedding to pay for the surgery in full. Then I opened credit cards in my name to charge my wedding dress and deposits, thinking he’d be none the wiser. None of which was refundable. I scheduled the surgery when he was out of town for work and lined up a friend to help me.”

  “You made a mistake,” he says with understanding.

  “I made a huge mistake.”

  Eric wraps me in a swift hug before I can even react. But my story isn’t finished.

  “Not only did I rack up debt that I’m working to pay off, but the surgery wasn’t considered highly successful. The specialist said reoccurrence is likely. I may never have kids of my own. Even after all that.”

  “You make me not want to leave.” Eric’s choked reply sends a fresh wave of tears to my eyes. I scrub my cheek against his shoulder, stemming them.

  The sigh pulled from me sounds more painful than it is. “But you have to. And I’ll be here, kicking life’s ass day by day.”

  “You will be. I’m going to send you some money.”

  “Eric, no.” My retort is firm. “I got myself into this mess, and I’ll get myself out. I’m halfway there already.”

  “I’ll get you all the way there.” Determination is chiseled in the set lines around his mouth.

  I stomp toward the parking lot, not about to have this conversation with another alpha male in my life. Unfortunately for me, he catches up easily.

  “If you don’t want help from me, fine, but you need to talk to Tate and demand he pays half.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “The two of you were a partnership. It doesn’t matter if it was your mistake. You were about to sign until death do us part.”

  I jab my finger into his chest. “Listen and listen good because I don’t want you to leave with us fighting. I made the mistake. I went against what Tate wanted, and I knew the consequences. People are so quick to find someone to share the blame, but sometimes, Eric, there isn’t anyone else.”

  “Lord help me,” he mutters to the sky. “You’re too stubborn, and I don’t want to fight with you either. So leave me with some peace and tell me that if you get stuck, you’ll ask for help.”

  “You know I will.”

  We embrace once more, and I hold extra tight, knowing this is my last hug from him for at least a month, possibly longer if plans change.

  “Have a safe flight and give Caiti my love. Tell her to call me when you land.”

  With a choppy wave, we climb into our respective vehicles. I throw it in drive and follow Eric’s billowing cloud of dust out of the lot and onto the dirt road, focusing on his taillights rather than the tears that want to fall. When we hit the highway, he turns right toward town, and I go left. With watery vision, I watch him in my rear-view until he blends with the horizon.

  23

  Evie

  An inkling of something unpleasant trills up my spine as I stand on the front steps to Rhett’s house. Thinking that phrase feels so strange after cleaning this house for the past few weeks. If I had known…would I have done anything differently? I can’t say I would have after receiving her helpful wages. Hurt pride be damned.

  The door swings open, a mockery to last night with me outside and Rhett holding Tommy in the foyer. His warm smile chases away any lingering insecurity. He immediately steps back to let me in just as a rumble of thunder groans overhead.

  “Puppy!” Tommy exclaims and reaches excitedly for Ghost.

  “I hope it’s okay she’s here. I’ll keep an eye on them and make sure he doesn’t startle her.” I slide off my sneakers and nudge them out of the way of the door.

  “Of course,” Rhett answers. His voice steals my attention from the baby, and I catch him perusing my body with blatant interest. The black mesh shorts were perfect for a short hike—cool and flowy. The loose tank top is functional though nothing to write home over. I dress for comfort above all else. Though Rhett’s expression uncovers no issue with my workout attire.

  “I came straight from hiking with Eric.”

  “How was it?” He jerks his head toward the hall. The farther we get inside, the more the initial feeling intensifies.

  “Liberating.”

  Rhett sets Tommy down, who makes a mad dash for his playroom. Our following gait is slower.

  “And you? Did last night go okay?” I ask hesitantly.

  A muscle jumps in his clenched jaw. My fingers itch to rub the spot. To soothe the tension away.

  “She threw in the towel. I won’t believe anything until the judge’s ink is dry, but she said she’s finished.”

  My brows dip over my eyes. “Finished? What does that even mean?”

  “She packed everything. Her office is cleared out. Her clothes are gone.” Rhett rests his hands on his hips and studies his socks, giving the impression all is not well.

  “Isn’t that what you wa
nted?”

  He rubs his palm over his mouth before lifting his head. The hurt in his eyes sends my heart into a tizzy. Oh my God. He wasn’t still in love with her, was he?

  “She left Tommy. Fuck, but I don’t think she’s coming back for him.”

  His words crack my heart for an entirely different reason. I follow his pained gaze to the adorable little boy smacking a stuffed gray elephant against a rocking horse.

  “No,” I whisper.

  He keeps his voice low. “She wouldn’t discuss anything pertaining to him. Not custody or visits. I chewed her out for orchestrating that little drama between us, and we fought. Then we talked about the house and money, and I left to give her space to pack. By the time I got back from the hotel, she refused to talk about anything else. Crammed the rest of her shit in her car and drove off.

  “I never wanted that for him,” he continues. Nothing I say here will fix the betrayal he feels for Tommy. He needs to get this into the open before it festers into something more. “I’d protect him from her at all costs if I thought she was a danger. I knew she was selfish by the way she cheated on me, but never in a million years did I think she’d abandon her son. What was all this for if not a fight for custody?” The confusion he feels expands in the room until I can feel it too.

  “To hurt you.”

  “Yeah, well she succeeded.”

  “She might come back,” I add carefully.

  “I had a lot of time to think last night. After she left, I was pissed, and to get a handle on that, I thought of other things.”

  Rhett takes my hand in his warm grip, stroking his finger along the length of mine where they rest along his palm.

  “You are a million times the woman she ever endeavored to be. And you do so effortlessly.”

  My breath lodges in my throat as his eyes capture mine. The turbulent storm from his clear, replaced with sunny beaches.

  “I want you in my bed, Evie. Starting now.”

  I bristle. The muscles in my back snap my spine straight. “We aren’t arguing about this again.”

  “It’s not about the handout.” His grip tightens around my fingers in a warning squeeze. “It’s about wanting to fall asleep with you lying next to me and waking beside you in the morning.”