Little White Lies (2 page)

“Stop it, Maggie,” he thundered, just about at the end of his patience.

The tone of his voice succeeded in halting her for a moment but not long enough for Nick to get a grip on this bundle of fury.

“Maggie,” he panted, yelping when her foot finally did connect with his shin. “Damn it woman,” he warned. “Stop it right now, or I swear I’ll blister you right here in front of God and everybody!”

“Go ahead,” she screamed in outrage, “and I’ll have you arrested Mr. Hot Shot Lawyer!”

“Ah, but I have bail money,” he grunted when he finally managed to get her into a position where she couldn’t do any more damage—her back to his chest, arms pinned, and one long leg wrapped around both of hers. “I’m sure the boys down at the station would love to take a few pictures of that delectable behind of yours. Maybe I’d even have to come down and match up my hand to the prints I’m going to leave there,” he told her, grinning as he kissed the top of her head. “Go ahead and have me arrested sweetheart, but don’t plan on sitting down for a month.”

Maggie’s eyes were shut as she tried to catch her breath. Unable to move a muscle, the clearing of a throat made her eyes snap open. Jesus, she moaned under her breath.

“You want me to get the boss man, Maggie?” Charlie Brooks asked, twisting his hat in his hands, not sure how to handle the situation. Maggie was her own woman. She didn’t like interference, but all the same, if it had been anyone but the boss’s brother, Charlie would have jumped in first and asked questions later.

“Thanks, Charlie, that won’t be necessary,” Mason’s deep voice boomed from behind Nick. “I’m right here.”

Mason Kord surveyed the scene before him without betraying a single thought. Eye to eye with his older brother, a silent communication passed between them, and his big shoulders relaxed.

“Let her go, Nick,” he ordered softly, patting his brother on the back in understanding. I can’t begin to comprehend what’s going on here, but you cannot come on my job site and assault my foreman, who also happens to be a very good friend.”

Surprisingly, Nick released her, nodding to Mason.

Maggie jumped away and stumbled. Mason’s arm shot out to catch her, sliding consolingly around her shoulders.

“Are you all right?” he bent to inquire, looking straight into her eyes.

“Yes,” she huffed, brushing the dust off her and trying to pull her hair into some semblance of order, “but I want him arrested,” she told the big man beside her.

Mason stepped back slightly in surprise.

“Arrested? Just what the hell has been going on out here?” he demanded of Nick.

“Ask the lady,” Nick responded, turning his head away to hide his grin.

“Maggie?”

“He threatened me!”

“Threatened you with what?” Mason asked, wondering at the high color of Maggie’s face.

“Threatened to—” Maggie’s furious eyes met Nick’s, his raised eyebrow daring her to go on.

“He was going to—”

Nick was openly grinning now, arms folded across his massive chest, rocking back on his heels. He was the picture of the superior male, and Maggie choked on the words.

“Never mind. Just keep him off my work site from now on,” she shouted. Storming away she bent down to retrieve her hat. If she hadn’t glanced behind her to catch him openly admiring her backside, she might have kept on walking, but the smug man so infuriated her that she marched right back to him. That he topped her by at least a foot didn’t intimidate her in the least, especially now that Mason is here, a little voice whispered.

“Don’t think you’re going to get away with this,” she informed him, a slim finger poking his chest. “You can just get on a plane, and go right back where you came from. There’s nothing here that belongs to you.”

“You’re wrong, honey,” he whispered, his eyes a penetrating blue now. “There’s plenty here that’s mine, and I won’t walk away from it ever again.”

Maggie’s throat went dry. How could one look from him, a softly spoken word, affect her so? Turning, she stumbled away from him before he saw the response in her eyes. Damn you, Nick, damn you.

* * *

Mason steered Nick to the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. For a moment he watched the crew listening attentively to what Maggie was saying. He hoped today’s display hadn’t cost her any authority with the men. Maggie was thought of as an equal on the job, and having Nick reduce her to a screaming, flailing bundle of femininity wasn’t going to reinforce that.

Glancing at Nick’s hard profile, Mason sighed and started the truck.

“Care to talk about it?” he inquired, not wanting to intrude but prodding nonetheless.

“Not especially,” Nick responded.

“Look Nick, I don’t mean to butt in but—”

“Then don’t, Mace.”

For a while, there was silence between the brothers. Mason drove the five miles into the city and pulled into the parking lot at Casey’s Tavern. By unspoken agreement they entered the dimly lit bar, Nick going directly to a table while Mason ordered a couple of beers.

Mason straddled his chair and poured the brew into glasses, watching the slight tremble in Nick’s hand as he reached for his drink. The sprinklings of silver at Nick’s temples and the tiny lines in his face were more pronounced than they’d been a few months ago. Mason couldn’t say that Nick had been happy before, but he’d been content. That was before he’d learned about Jason.

Mason could understand his brother’s pain. Mason’s wife, Rebecca, was expecting their first child, and already Mason loved it. The thought of someone keeping that child from him was enough to send waves of panic through him. Always impulsive and independent, Rebecca had been a spitfire from the get-go. He had been through many sleepless nights worrying about this exact situation. Rebecca hadn’t been interested in marriage, and Mason had always been afraid that a passionate encounter would result in a child. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a child; she just didn’t want a husband. The thought of that had been unacceptable to Mason, and it took a lot of patience, love, and a few trips over his knee to bring her around. Now that she was pregnant, she had calmed down somewhat, and he was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

Nick drained his glass and nodded to the barmaid for two more. The pretty blonde responded immediately and winked as she brought them over.

“There are other women in the world you know,” Mason stated offhandedly, observing the admiration in her face.

“Yes, there are,” Nick admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “If Maggie doesn’t want me, I’ll handle that, but I want contact with my son.”

“I know you do, and I don’t blame you, but you can’t force her. You have to take things slow and easy.”

“For Christ’s sake, Mace, if I went any slower I’d be backing up. I’ve done everything but stand on my head to get through to her. I’ve called, I’ve dropped in, and I’ve even sent flowers. She won’t bend an inch. My practice is starting to suffer, and I’m going to have to make a decision soon. Either I go back to Colorado and give up my son, knowingly this time, or I move back here and force her to accept me as Jason’s father.” Nick’s eyes darkened with pain.

“Mace, I love Maggie. I have since we were kids. If I’d known she was pregnant, this never would have happened.”

“I realize that, Nick, but there are other people involved now. What about Jason’s feelings? How do you think he’s going to feel when he finds out Jim wasn’t his real father, and Todd and Caitlin are only his half siblings? This is going to affect the whole family. Is he going to blame Maggie for not telling him the truth? Jason is at a difficult age right now. Something like this could really affect his stability,” Mason said, sighing deeply.

“I’ve thought about that, Mace, and I just don’t see how perpetuating this lie is going to help anyone involved. It’s not like I’m some criminal. I happen to be a respected professional.”

“Yeah, well, you certainly didn’t look too professional twenty minutes ago,” Mason drawled.

Nick laughed.

“No, I guess I didn’t. You have no idea how mad that woman makes me.”

“You think not? It seems to me you’ve stepped between me and Rebecca on more than one occasion.”

“Only because I didn’t want to have to represent you in court.”

Now it was Mason’s turn to laugh.

“I’d never hurt her,” Mason defended himself.

“I was figuring on you being the victim,” Nick stated smoothly, finishing his beer and standing up to leave.

“Yeah, right. By the way, what did you threaten Maggie with?”

“I told her I would blister her butt right there if she didn’t straighten out. She took it as a threat; actually, it was more of a promise. On one hand, I can’t believe she managed to reduce me to that level, and on the other hand, well, let’s just say that’s the hand that wants to do the blistering.”

“I get that part, believe me,” Mason told him finishing his own beer. “Just don’t do it at work. It would be kind of hard to explain to OSHA if they happened to be around.

“Right,” Nick agreed with a grin.

“So, where to from here, Nick?” Mason asked as they got into the truck.

“I guess you can drop me off at your place. I really appreciate you letting me use the apartment.”

“No problem, we only keep it for out of town clients or family now, but that’s not what I meant and you know it. What are your plans as far as Maggie is concerned?”

“I’m not giving up, if that’s what you’re asking. What happened with us over the holidays wasn’t planned, but it sure wasn’t a mistake either. Mace, when she came into my arms that night the years just melted away,” Nick sighed.

“I really can’t blame you,” Mason told him smiling. “Maggie is one hell of a woman. Just take it easy on her. She’s had it tough.”

“I’ve been trying too. I think the kids really like me. Caitlin is absolutely priceless, and she’s done a great job with both boys. I can’t fault her there. I have no problem taking on the entire family, but she won’t give an inch.”

“I wish I had some advice for you, Nick, but I’m still trying to find a balance with Rebecca. Just when I think I don’t have anything to worry about, she up and shocks the hell out of me with some new escapade. I go between wanting to wrap her in cotton to keep her safe and wanting to roast her ass till she can’t sit for a week.”

Nick struggled with laughter. The rueful tone of Mason’s voice was more than he could take. Little Rebecca was more than his match. He’d seen grown men quail at his brother’s temper, yet the petite blonde, who barely came to his shoulder, gave back as good as she got. Unbelievable.

“You better talk to the doctor about that,” Nick said grinning. “You might have to find a new hobby until the baby comes.”

“Already did,” Mason laughed. “Doctor Maxwell knows Rebecca pretty well, and he suggested a wooden spoon—not much force, but it will give a hell of a sting. I don’t actually intend to use it, but she doesn’t know that.”

“Hey, how about picking me up tomorrow?” Nick asked. “I think it’s about time I rented my own car.”

“You’re staying then?”

“I don’t have much choice. I’m not ready to give up, so I guess I’ll give that Irish temper of hers a chance to cool off. If she still won’t see reason, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands, one way or another.”

“Well, Rebecca and I are rooting for you. See you in the morning, bro.”

Chapter Two

Maggie came in the back door, kicked off her work boots in the mud room, and dragged herself to the living room sofa. For once she didn’t worry about the dirt and dust on her clothes as she swung her feet up onto the coffee table, another uncharacteristic move. She could hear the sound of video games coming from the upstairs bedroom, and Caitie was singing a lullaby softly to her doll in the den. For the first time in a year she didn’t call out to the kids. Instead, she brushed her disheveled hair back, a long sigh escaping as she sank deeply into the cushions.

It was a tremendous relief to be away from the questioning eyes of her curious co-workers. The day had gone from bad to worse after her confrontation with Nick. A new man, Jack Harley, had tipped a few on his lunch hour, and although she’d given him a firm reprimand, she knew she was going to have trouble with him. Witnessing Nick’s arrogant attitude wasn’t conducive to keeping control of her crew. Jack had been cocky from then on. Losing her patience, she sent him home for the rest of the day. It crossed her mind to tell Mason, but it didn’t sit right with her to dump it in his lap. Sure, he was the owner and her boss, but it was her responsibility to keep her crew in line and get the work completed on time, something she’d never had a problem with before.

Maggie sensed another presence in the room and opened one eye. Caitlin stood there, sucking her thumb and twisting her blonde hair around her finger. It only took a second for her to jump onto her mother’s lap, and Maggie hugged her close.

“Whew, you are getting to be such a big girl,” Maggie huffed. “Why don’t you take your thumb out of your mouth and tell me about your day?” Maggie cuddled her and savored the incredibly warm feeling.

“Mommy, what’s sass?” Caitlin asked, looking directly into Maggie’s eyes.

Maggie smiled. Now there’s a word she hadn’t heard in a long time, not since she was a little girl.

“Well, sass is like um—back talk. Like when Mommy tells you to do something, and you say no. Being sassy is naughty. Why?”

Still twirling her curls, Caitie drawled, “Nicky says you gots more sass than is good for you. Are you naughty, Mommy?”

Maggie’s face flamed. Nick always did have an old-fashioned attitude, even when they were kids.

“Sweetheart,” she started, trying not to let Caitie see how annoyed she was. How dare he tell her daughter… “You can’t believe everything Nick says,” she continued.

“Why not?”

“Well—you know how tall he is?” Maggie asked, bringing her hand way up above their heads.

Caitlin nodded wide-eyed.

“Sometimes the blood doesn’t get all the way up to the top of his head, and—” Maggie stopped cold. She couldn’t believe she’d just told her daughter a fib. Nick really was making her crazy.