She had to check the anger that boiled up within her. Maybe she was being irrational and thinking too much; getting upset with him for this simple action would only lead to a fight. That wasn’t what any of them needed. Not now, not ever. At least, not really.
What she needed was an ally, a friend, and a father. He could be all of those things; she would just need to check herself and allow him to be them.
This was going to be so much harder than she had ever imagined.
She dropped her arms to her sides.
Let him do this, she thought. Let him be Joe’s father.
There was no going back on the choices either one of them had made; he had chosen to leave and she had chosen to bring him back into their lives. The only option was for them to move forward together in whatever way they needed to be for Joe to have the support systems and family that would bring him comfort and success as he grew up.
Joe needed this.
And truth be told, so did she. She needed them to be a family.
Chapter Five
Joe was nestled into the car seat in the back as they drove to Summer’s apartment. The only sound was of the road and the occasional happy squeaks of the baby playing. Mike could get used to that.
“If you want, I can put you up in a hotel. We could both stay there.” Summer shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she drove.
“You don’t want me at your place?”
“Well... It’s not that, it’s just...well, it’s not exactly put together right now.” She sounded nervous, but he couldn’t tell if it was because they were going to be staying another night so close to one another or if it was actually because of the state of her place.
“You know I’ve spent more than my fair share of nights in Connexes with dozens of other dudes. My standards for sleep and comfort are pretty low.”
She laughed, releasing some of the tension. “You have me there.”
“Besides,” he continued, “I have no room to judge you for your accommodations. I’m the one holing up in my company’s ranch. I don’t even have an apartment to call my own.”
“You were never one to be strapped down.”
There was a needle in her voice and it made him wonder if she had meant for it to be there or if it had just been a convenient jab, one she couldn’t miss the chance for taking.
“You know my world. Any day could be my last.”
“Mmm-hmm,” she said, a dark expression settling on her face like a shadow. “I always hated when you talked like that.”
If he wasn’t careful, this could lead to an argument. They had been down this road so many times. Yet he couldn’t just let her comment go without some sort of response. If he did, she would get to the fight all by herself, anyway.
“You know how it can be.” He paused. “Luckily, this new job with STEALTH has me mostly working in the States. For now, at the very least.” Though he had meant it to assuage some of the anger and perhaps trepidation she was feeling, the look on her face didn’t change. Her eyes were still dark and solidly focused on the road.
She was definitely gearing up for combat. He couldn’t let things go in that direction.
“I think it’s great that you are working with STRIKE. I’ve heard good things.”
She chuffed, but that look disappeared. It was replaced by something more stoic, less readable. “They are a good company. They have good goals at heart, but I’m sure things are a bit different than they are at STEALTH. STRIKE was very much about the bottom line.”
“It sounds like there is something there, something you are resenting.”
She jerked, looking over at him. Clearly, he’d struck a nerve.
“That’s not what I was saying at all. I’m just saying they aren’t a family-run company. STRIKE is all about measurable and marketable achievement.”
“And they have you feeling pressured?” he pressed.
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel and her jaw clenched. “If you don’t want to tell me anything about Rockwood, that’s fine. But I’m not going to sit here and allow you to grill me.”
Yep, she was definitely looking for a fight. But why? What was she hiding? What was she hoping to get him to do for her?
“Look, Summer, I don’t want to argue with you. I want us to get along, especially now that Joe is in the picture,” he said, glancing back at the baby, though all he could see was the back of the car seat.
She sucked in a long breath. “I wasn’t looking for a fight.”
“You and I both know how the other communicates, we’ve been together way too long to try to lie to one another. I mean, we were together.” He cleared his throat, wishing he hadn’t made the stupid misstep. “Something is wrong, and when there was something wrong, you always took it out on me. You made me jump through hoops in an attempt to break down your walls before you could just open up and tell me what it was that was bothering you in the first place. We’ve played this game a thousand times.”
“Are you implying that I’m trying to manipulate you?” she countered.
He had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I think you have just learned a way, albeit an unhealthy one, to get a man—me—to get you to open up. You obviously had to get to this point for a reason. Maybe it was my fault, or maybe it was something left over from something else in your life. All I’m saying is that I wish we could just openly talk to each other without fighting. It would save time and a whole hell of a lot of unnecessarily hurt feelings.”
Her jaw clenched even tighter.
Sometimes he really needed to learn when to shut the hell up. “Don’t be offended. That’s not what I’m going for here, I just...”
What in the hell am I trying to say? Damn it. This was going so wrong.
“I just want to help you,” he sighed.
“Mmm-hmm,” she grumbled.
Say something. Give me a clue that I’m forgiven. That I wasn’t wrong in saying what needed to be said, even if it sucked. It sucked for both of us. Tell me there is hope...hope for a friendship. I—no, we—need each other more than ever.
She pulled her car to a stop in front of an apartment complex. It was three floors, and people were coming and going around them. As he moved to unbuckle, she stopped him with the touch of her hand to his chest. “Wait.” She stared out the window to her left. “Damn it.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Er,” she said, biting her cheek, “my ex is here.”
“Here? As in the parking lot? In the building? In your apartment? Explain.” His fingers twitched toward the Glock always tucked into his waistband.
“Whoa there, Quick Draw McGraw, I said it was my ex, not the lead terrorist on an international watch list.” She sent him a sexy half smile, one that had the power to make him almost forget his damned name.
Ex, terrorist, what difference was there when it came to people screwing with his personal life? He should have assumed she’d dated, but somehow, especially after learning about Joe, he’d figured she’d been alone. That was crazy, though. She was a beautiful, smart woman. Even if she’d not been interested in being a fish in the dating sea, some eager man would have tried to reel her in.
He had so many questions about the man, but he barely knew where or how to start asking about everything he wanted to know. So he went with the most obvious. “Are you guys still seeing one another? You know, late-night hookups or whatever?”
“No.” She laughed, the sound high and scoffing. “Besides, would you really want to know?”
So he was yet to be forgiven for his saying the truth. Some things between them would never change. As it was, there was no chance they were ever going to be anything other than two single parents working to raise one single child.
How had his life gotten so screwed up in just a matter of hours?
“His
name is Ben.” She paused, waiting to be barraged by questions.
Mike remained silent out of fear that whatever he said would later be used against him in the Summer Daniels court. He had never liked a single dude named Ben, and apparently that trend wasn’t going to come to an end anytime soon.
“He says he’s an engineer for a petroleum company out of the North Dakota oil fields.”
So, this Ben was rich, probably hot, and probably a total ass.
Then again, what should it have mattered to him? So what if she had moved on and started dating again? Just because Mike hadn’t, it didn’t mean that she would follow the same trajectory. Besides, it wasn’t like they would be getting back together. He and Summer could barely have a civil conversation, let alone attempt to build a future together.
“If you guys aren’t still hooking up, why would your ex be here unannounced?”
She chewed at the inside of her cheek. “He isn’t exactly a nice guy. I thought he was great at first, he was so helpful and kind about Joe, and then... I don’t know. Something shifted and he became this possessive man-demon. I made him leave.”
“Is he harassing you?”
She sighed. “I wouldn’t call it harassment exactly. He is definitely not taking the breakup well, and he doesn’t want to let things go between us, but he usually respects my boundaries. And then sometimes he just shows up like this. Usually, he is making some kind of grand gesture in hopes that I will take him back.”
“Then that is not him respecting your boundaries. If anything, it’s him pressing against them and hoping you will relent, loosen up what lines you’ve drawn with him. He is trying to wear you down.”
She rolled her eyes, the motion somewhat juvenile and in direct contrast to the woman he knew. That meant one thing: she knew he was right and didn’t want to admit it aloud in front of him. Of course she was smart enough to know exactly what was happening in her personal life, even if she didn’t want to face the truth.
“No matter what Ben thinks, he is not going to be allowed back into my life. At least, not in any kind of meaningful way.” She paused. “And you’re wrong. I don’t think he wants me back, well, at least not just me. I think he liked the little family unit we had going for a while. He loved Joe and the patriarchal role he got to have in our lives.”
Though Mike knew it wasn’t her intention to stab him square in his heart, her words still landed a blow. Here was a man, Ben, who was fighting to have what Mike himself should have been fighting for...what he was trying to fight for.
But which battle was harder—the one to garner a place in Joe’s and Summer’s lives, or the one in his heart?
All he wanted to do right now was to get Ben out of the picture. If that meant him charging over to Ben’s car and giving him a piece of his mind, and likely a quick kick to the ass, so be it. As long as it meant he was out of his way. There were a lot of battles he could fight, some of which he could win, but he didn’t think he could also take on this fight and come out of this looking like a superhero.
He’d have to be careful. He didn’t want to step on Summer’s toes, but at the same time he wanted her to know he would do whatever it took to make her happy.
“If you want, I’d be more than willing to have a chat with him. I could make it clear to him that you no longer want him showing up at your place.”
She sent him a look that made Mike question the validity of his offer. Maybe he’d already overstepped his bounds when it came to the other dude. He was never going to get anything right when it came to Summer.
“I appreciate the offer, but in case you forgot, I have never been one of those women who want others to fight their battles for them.” She put her hand down on the door handle, readying to step out.
He raised his hands in surrender. “I...just... Fine. Whatever.”
This whole thing? It was going to be impossible.
There was a knock on the trunk of her car and, looking back, Mike saw that there was a tall, Mack-truck-size guy staring daggers at him.
If this was her ex, it was no wonder she hadn’t wanted him to go have a talk. Mike wasn’t a small man by any means; he had even prided himself on being thick with muscle...not bodybuilder thick, but still stacked. And yet, if this thing came to blows, not even Mike was sure that he would win. This dude must have been the kind who lifted at least twice a day, seven days a week.
Yep. He had been right. The guy was an ass.
Or maybe, if Mike was being completely honest with himself, maybe there was a dash of inadequacy peppered through his psyche.
The man walked up to Summer’s side of the car. She opened the door in a hurry and jumped out, slamming the door behind her. Maybe she was afraid Mike would lose the fight too.
The guy kept moving, so Summer couldn’t block him from seeing him, calculated actions that indicated the dude wasn’t as stupid as Mike had initially assumed. Though he probably couldn’t take him at fists, he did have enough street skills to bring the man to his knees.
Though Summer had closed the car door behind her, Mike tried not to listen to their conversation, though it was barely muffled through the thin glass of the car’s windows. He turned around and faced the back of the car seat where Joe was sucking away on a pacifier.
“Hi, little guy,” he said, smiling at him in the mirror attached to the headrest of the back seat.
Joe smiled up at him, the pacifier teetering at the edge of his mouth.
“We are going to play football when you get bigger. Would you like that?” he asked, his voice high and pleasing.
Joe gurgled in response. The sound made him chuckle. But as the noise escaped him, Summer yelled, “No! That is crap. You have no business. How dare you!”
The teetering blue pacifier dropped from Joe’s lips and, at the sound of his mother’s angry voice, tears started to well in the baby’s eyes. His lip quivered. A piercing wail filled the air.
Mike unbuckled his seat belt, turned fully around and unstrapped the baby. “It’s okay, little guy. They are just doing adult stuff. I don’t like it, either,” he cooed, trying to comfort his son.
If this was how Summer and her ex communicated with one another, it was no wonder they hadn’t lasted. Though she and Mike had had their fair share of problems when they had been together, they had never fought like that. They had both respected each other enough not to let their disagreements turn into screaming matches.
He scooped Joe into his arms and started to gently rock back and forth with him as he hummed “Two Little Blackbirds.” Joe’s cries started to subside, but he still whimpered as his mother and Ben stood outside the car and yelled.
Mike’d never seen Summer like that before, that angry or that loud. Even when she had been royally pissed with him, she had stormed away. Had she changed since they had broken up? Had he turned her into this raging woman?
Ben called Summer a word that didn’t bear repeating.
That was it. That was the final straw.
He stepped out of the car, Joe perched on his hip as he walked around to the driver’s side. “Look, I know there is something going on here, and frankly I don’t care. But what I do care about is that you are having a screaming match out in the middle of the parking lot in front of your neighbors and my son. If you guys can’t control yourselves, then you need to go inside or put a pin in this until you both come to your senses and decide to act like adults.”
Ben stared daggers at him. “And who the hell do you think you are that you think you can come out here and talk to me like this?”
Mike handed Joe off to Summer. “First of all, I’m Joe’s father. The name’s Mike. And, second of all, if you are looking for a fight, I’m more than happy to oblige. At least you would be picking one with someone who stands a chance. Or do you just face off with women?”
Ben moved his head side to side as though popping h
is neck in preparation for a rumble.
Oh yeah, Mike was definitely going to get his butt kicked, but if it meant taking the pressure off of Summer, at least it was for a good reason.
“Look, Ben, I’ve heard all about you and what a crappy dude you were to Summer. So, I don’t know how you think you can stand there and talk to me like you have some kind of moral high ground. You are the lowest piece of garbage—”
Summer stepped between them. “Stop. You two need to stop.”
Two apartments down, a man opened his front door and stepped outside.
They were definitely drawing all kinds of the wrong attention.
“Look, let’s go to my place. We can all talk and—”
“There is no way that I’m going to walk into an apartment with this jerk,” Ben said, thrusting his thumb in Mike’s direction.
Yeah, he certainly felt like a jerk right now for stepping into the middle of Summer’s personal relationship, but then again, he wasn’t the one using expletives to talk about Summer. The man didn’t have any kind of room to judge him; at least he knew how to treat women.
“Yeah, you’re right, Ben, if we both walk into that apartment, only one of us will walk out.”
Ben laughed, the sound low and dangerous. “I know you think you are some kind of badass, that you kill people for a living and get away with it. But I’ve got your number. I know exactly who you are and what you are actually capable of.”
Summer talking about Mike to anyone, especially another one of her lovers, felt like a huge slap in his face. He had always thought that, given the nature of his work and the promises they had made to one another, she would never divulge any of the information that he had shared with her about him or what he did. He was supposed to be nothing more than a shadow in her life, a faceless someone from her past—as far as other men were concerned. And yet it seemed as though she had compromised his safety. But that was a fight he was going to have to shelve for now.
Mike smiled, matching Ben’s malice. “That’s good. Then I don’t need to tell you how serious I am, and how much I mean that if I ever see you again, or if you are ever around my son or Summer, I will hunt you down.”
Rescue Mission Page 4
