Man of the Month (Willowdale Romance Novel) (18 page)

“Because we used protection. But you didn’t with him?”

She dropped her head in her hands. She was lobbing a bomb at him, and he was so far in denial, he couldn’t see the truth hunched over in the chair in front of him. “Brad, it wasn’t Walt.”

His eyes were wide and desperate. He rubbed the back of his head, then paced a bit. Then rubbed his head again.

Lily peeked her head into the kitchen. “You guys need any help?” She looked lovely in a pink satin strapless dress highlighting her pancake flat tummy. Like Jeanne needed a new reason to dislike the girl.

Brad’s eyes lit up when he saw her. “Just give us a minute, hon. You can help us carry some stuff out. I’ll find you. We’ve got a few things to talk about, then we’ll be ready.”

Lily smiled and blew him a kiss and backed out the door.

Jeanne’s stomach lurched. Brad was in love, and she was going to ruin it. He was going to lose Lily because of her.

Brad looked back at Jeanne. “If it’s not me, and it’s not Walt, who is it?”

He was so scared of the idea he couldn’t even consider that it could be him. She couldn’t do this to him. She just couldn’t. This news would most certainly destroy everything for him. He had a woman he loved, who he was taking things slowly with and showering with flowers. All that would change once he found out. And she just couldn’t do that to him.

She took a deep breath. “I don’t know who the father is.”

He jerked back. “What are you talking about?”

She closed her eyes. Maybe it would be easier to weave the lie without looking at him. “That night I didn’t come home? I wasn’t with Walt.”

“Who were you with? I’ll kill him.”

She opened her eyes and walked over to him. “Calm down, Brad. His name was Jim. That’s all I know.”

“And how did this Jim come into the picture on the night of your date?”

Oh, lordy. She’d never seen that particular vein pounding on the side of his head before. She swallowed. “Walt was great, and should have been perfect for me. But I didn’t want him. And I was feeling bad and didn’t want to come home early.”

She sucked in another breath, and the smell of all the food simmering overwhelmed her senses. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“So, I went to a bar in Whitesville, drank a few too many and hooked up with this guy Jim.” She finished up her story quickly and shrugged. “First and only one night stand, and look what happened.”

His fists were clenched. “You’ve got to find him and tell him. He’s gotta own up to his responsibility.”

She shook her head. “He was in town on business. We went to a hotel. I don’t know his last name. I don’t know where he lives.” She turned up her hands. “I’m on my own.”

“The hell you are,” Brad said. His face was red, his voice harsh.

She reached for his arm and lowered her voice. “Brad, it’s going to be all right. You know how badly I want a baby. Didn’t happen like I thought it would, but it is what it is. I’ll be able to handle it on my own. Besides, I wouldn’t want someone to be involved in my child’s life who didn’t want to be.” She let that idea settle between them like a dog turning ’round and ’round before hunkering down for the night. “What if you got someone pregnant? How would you deal with that?”

He was rubbing the back of his neck like he’d been rolling in poison oak. “I don’t know. If I got someone in trouble, I’d own up to my mistakes.”

There were those words again
 . . .
. Trouble. Mistake. “I’ll make it easy on him. The only thing worse than not having a father is having one who doesn’t want the role.”

He shook his head. He wasn’t picking up on any of her hints, subtle as the wallop of cayenne pepper. “But Jeanne, he should support you financially at least.”

“Lots of women do this on their own. I’ll be fine. Really.” She stood up. “Now come on, we’ve got to get these appetizers out there and then prep the salads.”

He didn’t move. “There’s got to be something I can do to help you.”

She sighed. “Actually, there is something you can do.”

“Anything. You name it.”

“Come over and clean my cat box.”

He laughed. “What?”

“Seriously. Pregnant women aren’t supposed to do that. Some possible disease in cat feces.”

He shook his head and laughed. “If that’s what you need, sign me up.”

“Good. Thanks. Now let’s get to work.”

Brad’s arms were strapped across his chest, but he finally nodded, and started gathering the bins to set in the chafing dishes.

“Brad?”

“Yeah?”

She couldn’t look at him. “Don’t tell anyone yet. I’ll handle it.”

“Whatever you need, Jeanne. I’m here for you.” He reached for her, but she hurried away from him and grabbed one of the chafing dishes.

“Oh, no you don’t,” he said. “Not in your condition.”

She rolled her eyes. “Brad, I’m perfectly capable—”

“Absolutely not.” He cut her off. “You can dress the salads. I’ll carry these out.”

She knew she wasn’t going to win this one, so she turned to the cooler and pulled out the salads and with a shaky hand spooned her homemade Italian dressing over each one. How could she have lied to Brad? But how could she have told him the truth? It was clear he didn’t want to hear it.

It’s for the best. He doesn’t want this.
She rubbed her belly again.
We’ll manage, little one, all on our own.

BRAD KEPT a smile plastered on his face as they served the guests. He dished up the roasted lamb to lots of praise, but couldn’t keep his mind off Jeanne. Who was this guy who’d gotten her pregnant? Jeanne would need the man’s support. Not only financially, but with raising the baby, too. Her baby would need to know its father.

He refilled waters and cleared plates as he hatched his plan. He would hit every bar in Whitesville and find this guy. Someone had to know who it was. He’d hire a private investigator if he had to. And no way was he telling Jeanne what he was up to.

While he was scraping dishes in the kitchen, a soft hand snaked around his waist. He dropped a plate, and Lily jumped back.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m just sick of keeping my hands off you all night. Especially after catching the bouquet!” She held the bunch of flowers over her head in triumph.

He couldn’t take out his bad mood on Lily. She didn’t deserve this. He took her in his arms and kissed her head. Her hair was silky soft, she smelled sweet, and she’d been on the radar of dozens of men at the reception. But, still, his heart wasn’t into it.

Lily snuggled her head against his chest.

That’s when Jeanne walked into the kitchen. “Oh, sorry. I was just
 . . .
” She hurried over to the other side of the room.

Brad’s heart dropped.
Poor Jeanne.
How was she going to handle this on her own? He didn’t want to hurt her more by flaunting his relationship with Lily.

Lily looped her hand in his. “When are you going to be ready to leave?”

He scratched his head. “I’ve got loads of cleaning up to do. Go on home, honey. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She pouted and crossed her arms. “Brad, I want you.”

She widened her eyes, letting him know exactly what she had in mind. He’d seen that look many a time from her.

He draped his dishtowel over a chair and set his hands on her shoulders. “I’m useless tonight. We’ll catch up tomorrow for dinner, okay?”

She pursed her lips, then smiled. “Okay. The reception was great. Everyone was talking about how good the food was.” She pecked him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She drifted out of the kitchen, and he went over to Jeanne. “You get home. I’ll finish here.”

“I’m not injured, Brad.”

“But you’ve been on your feet all night, and I’m sure today was emotional for you. I’m sure you were thinking about your parents and how much they would’ve loved seeing the wedding.”

She hung her head and didn’t fight the tears.

He walked over and took her hand in his. Pulling her toward him, he set his cheek on the top of her head.

She looked down at her feet. The poor things, they looked like mounds of dough rising up out of her shoes. “Yeah. It was happy and sad. Happens sometimes. I’ll bet it was hard for you, too.”

“I’m used to things being hard, Jeanne. I don’t want you to settle for that, though. Your life’s been hard enough. That’s why you need to find the father of this baby.”

He rubbed her tummy, and she jerked back.

“Brad, leave it be. That’s the best thing you can do for me.”

No, the best he could do for her was to find the father of this baby, and he wouldn’t stop looking ’til he did.

THE PHONE RANG earlier than Brad would’ve liked, considering he’d been up all night worrying about Jeanne.

“‘ello?” he answered, yawning.

“Bro, it’s Tommy.”

“Where are you?” It was Saturday. Tommy was usually home.

“Aw, had a few things to tie up at the office. Listen, I’m calling to tell you before you hear it from someone else.”

Damn!
Had news gotten out that Jeanne was pregnant? “What?”

Tommy sighed. “Just read in the paper that the State DOT is going ahead and installing that new traffic light.”

“Okay, we thought that was going to happen.” Brad sat up in bed.

“Yeah. Well, they’re doing it on New Year’s Eve as part of the big bash. Trying to turn a tragedy into a celebration of life and all that nonsense. Just thought you should know.”

Brad blew out a long breath and flopped back onto the bed. “You know Jeanne and I are catering that, right?”

“It’s going to be a tough night for you two.”

“It’s not like we can turn down the job. The money’s going to save us. And it’s going to put Elegant Eats on the map. We’ll have to get through it.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage. Just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“Thanks for telling me.” He hung up with a sense of dread. It would be painful for Jeanne. It would be hard on him, too. Just one more thing to worry about.

And with that thought, he hauled his sorry self out of bed and hopped in the shower.

Lily deserved a night out on the town together—and another bouquet of flowers Monday morning. He hadn’t paid her proper attention at the wedding. She wanted a whole lot more than he was giving her. But giving her that would be sending the wrong message. Jeanne would be needing his help soon if he couldn’t find the father. And that would make Lily about as happy as a cat left out in the rain. With that reminder, he made plans to head to Whitesville after they finished catering a small anniversary party that night.

He called Jeanne. “Take the night off. Lily’s going to help me at the banquet tonight. She’s upset we don’t spend more time together, and she loves working in the kitchen. This gives you some time to relax.”

“I can manage just fine.” There was subtle grit to her voice he heard whenever his bossy side showed up. Happened more often than he liked to admit.

“Jeanne, I don’t need you there.”

She said nothing.

“And one more thing. The night of the New Year’s bash? They’re installing the traffic light at the intersection.” He didn’t need to say which intersection. They both knew. “Instead of a ball drop, they’ll be turning it on. Are you going to be able to handle it? With your condition and all?”

“Of course I am, you fool. Unless you’d rather have Lily there instead.”

“Jeanne
 . . .
it’s just going to bring back a lot of memories. And you’ll be pretty far along at that point. When is the due date?”

She paused. “Doctors say the beginning of February. I can handle it. And I have to be looking forward, not backward, now that I’ve got a baby on the way. I’ll be fine.” And she hung up.

Yep, he’d definitely be heading to Whitesville. Lily would have to wait.

THERE WERE dozens of bars in Whitesville, and Brad had no idea which one Jeanne had gone to. Once he’d cleaned up after the event, he started at the nightspots near the airport, but he wouldn’t be drinking, even though he hadn’t reached his six-drink-a-week maximum. This night would be hard enough, and who knew what he’d do if he did find the guy? Adding alcohol to the mix certainly wouldn’t help.

He nodded to the bartender and asked for a coke. She slid it across the bar to him, with a flirty smile, and let her hand linger near his. He pulled out the picture of Jeanne. “Do you remember seeing this woman here on April Fool’s Day?”

Pulling her hand back, her smile quirked into a frown. “That your girlfriend?”

Hell, he wished she was. “No. Just a friend, and I’m trying to track down someone she met that night at a bar in Whitesville.”

The girl shook her head, her dangly earrings swaying. “I remember being glad I wasn’t working that night with every fool in Carson County trying to live up to the namesake of the day. I think Mark was working. I’ll go get him.”

“Thanks.”

She walked to the other end of the bar and looked back over her shoulder at him.

A good-looking guy came over, drying a beer mug. “You’re looking for someone?”

“I’m trying to find a guy named Jim. My friend, Jeanne, met him at a bar on April Fool’s Day.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I was here that night, but I don’t recognize her. Wouldn’t mind getting to know her, though. She single?”

“No,” he lied. Which was ridiculous. Months ago, he was pawning her off to men he barely knew. And look what had happened. This was all his fault. The Larsen family was screwing things up for the Clarks again.

The guy frowned. “Too bad. But no, she wasn’t here. I would’ve remembered her.”

He hit four more bars, but had no luck from passing around her picture to the servers and the regulars. No one remembered seeing the blond hottie, but he could’ve set her up with dozens of men. If he didn’t find the guy, Brad was going to have to help her make this right, but he couldn’t imagine her saying yes to a sympathy proposal.

And he couldn’t imagine being father to any child, especially one that wasn’t his.

IN SEPTEMBER when Jeanne hit month five of her pregnancy, she had to break down and buy maternity clothes. There was no hiding it now. Monday morning she squeezed into a pair of pants with a stretch panel and headed for work. People would be gawking soon enough. And asking questions soon after.

She read the note taped to the refrigerator. “Got in early to deliver your pies.”

Jeanne’s eyes pricked with tears. He was as thoughtful as if the baby were his own. Which it was, of course, only he didn’t know that. She kept trying to gain the courage to tell him. But that would be the same as ruining his life. Hadn’t Brad suffered enough through the years? Maybe this was the way to make things right for him, relieving him of this burden.

The bells on the front door jangled, and she perked up at the thought of seeing him. Then her smile fell when Lily wandered into the kitchen.

Lily’s smile fell, too. “Where’s Brad?”

“Out delivering pies.”

“Don’t you usually do that?”

Jeanne sighed and put her hands on her hips, which only accentuated her tummy. Lily’s eyes darted from Jeanne’s baby belly to her face and back again. “Jeanne?”

Jeanne closed her eyes. She could tell her it was pecan pie that had an express train right to her waistline. But Lily would find out soon enough. “Yep. I’m pregnant.”

“Who?” Her face was pale.

Jeanne sank onto a stool because standing sure wasn’t as easy as it used to be. “I don’t know. Met him at a bar one night. He was in Whitesville on business. I have no way of tracking him down.”

Pink returned to Lily’s cheeks. “Oh. You don’t know the father. You’re going to raise the baby alone?”

“Yep. I’ve always wanted children. This isn’t how I planned it, but we’re going to be happy, me and the wee one.”

Lily leaned against the counter and propped her chin on her hand. “I’m so glad Brad doesn’t want kids, because I don’t, either. I spent most of my teenage years raising my little sisters while my parents worked. It sucked. I figure I’ve paid my dues.” She opened the fridge and grabbed a handful of blueberries.

Jeanne hated her even more for snacking healthy. “Makes sense.”

Lily tossed a blueberry into her mouth. “Not that it matters. Brad sure is taking his sweet time getting me into bed.”

Jeanne dropped her measuring cup. “Really?” She figured they’d done the deed a long time ago. She’d agonized over it many a night.