Still Here: A Secret Baby Romance (3 page)

“
D
id you see her
?” Luke set an iced coffee down onto my desk. I was just about to read a set of reports when he barged into my office, late for work as usual.

“Who?” I asked, looking up bleary-eyed. I wanted to be out on one of the farms, pitching hay and hauling ass like when I was a kid. It was the only thing my father had ever done right. He made me work every damn aspect of the job. This was nothing like that. It was all paperwork and the occasional ride out to the farms to talk with different “managers”.

Instead of following my dreams I was here, and Luke was the one who got to live the dream. But right now he was staring at me, waiting for an answer.

And he was grinning like he knew something I didn’t.

“Her. Rose.” Ah there it was. He knew she was back in town, thought he could surprise me. My best friend knew just about everything there was to know about me. He knew the story.

Knew how she ran off on me. How she was back in town. Of course he would ask me. She was the only one I ever missed. The only one who knocked me down a peg.

I knew who he meant. I just wanted to mess with him.

“Oh, you mean the young lady I plan to take out tonight?” This time it was me who was smiling as I took a sip of the coffee. “You forgot the almond milk.”

I’d gotten a taste for the finer things, chasing all of those fancy women around town.

“Oh shut up and drink your sugar. Where are you taking her? Does she know it yet?” he asked.

“I haven’t decided yet.” I dodged the second question. I still had to find a way to ask her out.

A proposal that she wouldn't turn down. I knew Rose. She was unlikely to succumb to my charms, but not entirely immune.

Maybe an honest approach was the best one.

“Ah, you haven’t even told her yet. Planning on showing up at her house?” he asked.

“You know me too damn well,” I admitted. It was like he could read my mind.

“I thought you only had one plan in mind when it came to her? Take her out to the field that she broke your heart in and make her want you, and then turn her away?” He could be such a jerk. I’d told him that years ago in the anger and pain of a fresh breakup.

“I was pissed, three sheets to the wind, and had just been rejected. You know I didn’t mean it,” I said.

“Well, if you decide to keep her around for more than just a spanking, let me know. I still need to congratulate her for putting the great Wyatt Graves in his place.That girl did more good for you than you know.” Luke pointed at me, nodding and clicking his teeth together.

“You’re a real jerk. You know that?” I laughed and threw a crumpled up piece of paper at him from across the desk.

“Hear your dad is in town. Must be why you look angry as a cat whose tail got rocked on.” He laughed. One of his mother’s silly sayings.

“Oh, don’t remind me. Old windbag was already at me yesterday. Wants to inform me that the only way to get ahead is to be corrupt, as if I don’t already know.” I was still angry about it. I couldn’t believe he would flat out tell me to bribe a judge.

“Hey, the man’s name is on my paycheck, you know I am not gonna say a word about my boss.” He took a sip of his own coffee, a slow smile coming over his face.

“Why doesn’t that apply to me?” I asked. We’d been best friends since I could remember.

“It will when you’re the one who officially signs the payroll,” he said. “Hey, just being honest.”

“You know that’s just a stamp, right, I can have one made up of my signature too.”

Luke turned and walked to the doorway before saying, “If you do decide to, what were your exact words, ‘tan her ass’ don’t do it too hard, okay? It’s a mighty fine set of curves she’s got, and I’d hate them to get damaged.”

“Shut the hell up, and get to work.” I thought about the last time I felt that ass, it spooned up into my body while she laid next to me on a blanket in the middle of a field. It was one of the best memories of a woman I had, and it was also the last good night I had with her. She broke up with me the very next day.

“Yes, boss.” His voice trailed off.

I didn’t know how I was going to approach this. How I was going to convince her to go out with me again, but I had some calls to make.

It was going to be memorable. That’s for sure.

I
wasn’t
sure if Wyatt Graves was a romantic, or a stalker.

He gave me flowers early in the day and now he was standing there at my car.

I didn’t know if I should smile or turn and run.

S
eek shelter
, a part of me said,
seek it now, or you will be hit with a tidal wave of good looks and muscles.

It was one storm I wasn’t sure I could weather.

Turn and run. Turn. You can do it, just swivel your hips and-
“What are you doing at my car?” I asked as I ignored my inner voice.

It could be a real pain in the ass.

“Oh, I don't know. I thought I would just break in, see if you have any spare change sitting around." He smiled that wicked smile of his. He thought he was being cute. "I was waiting for you. I thought I’d see how your first day of work went.”

“Who told you?” I asked. “Who is your informant?”

“You have a mole. It’s true. It was good source, too.” He took a step towards me, a grin on his face. “Your mother, she’d pretty easy. I just called her up and asked where you were.”

Of course. She loved sticking her nose into my love life. Even when I lived hours away, she’d call to ask all kinds of questions.

Now she didn’t have to pry. It came right to her.

Not that I had a love life. Not that he was my love life. I sighed. I couldn’t even convince myself that there wasn’t an attraction. I was doomed when it came to her meddling.

My stomach flipped as I looked up at Wyatt. He’d always had an effect on me, even if I didn’t want to admit it. He was the kind of guy who could get whatever he wanted with a smile. No words were necessary.

It’s what got me to open up to him the first time, after all.

"So, why are you here?" I asked. I didn't want to shy away from it, or him. I knew the best way to take him on was to do it without any sidestepping.

"I wanted to ask you to dinner."

"What?" I asked. Then I considered him. He'd given me flowers, done his best to make sure that I had a good day, and he was waiting for me after work. Either he was one hell of a stalker, or he was genuine. "Why?"

"I have this last minute investors’ dinner that I have to attend in Billing, and I need a date. They'll all be bringing their wives or their flavor of the month. At least in my father's case. I need someone on my arm." He reached out and touched my arm. I tried to ignore every little spark that shot through me. It was like the warmth of his touch spread through his fingers and into me, up my arm and down to parts of me that should've stayed dormant.

Why did he have to have such an effect on me?

"No tricks, just dinner?" I asked again. I tried to ignore that hand on my arm, but ignoring it was like ignoring a burning coal touching flesh.

"No tricks. Just dinner," he confirmed. "I want to take you for a meal and some exceedingly boring conversation."

"Sounds like my idea of a smashing time."

"Will you do it? Will you help me out?" he asked.

He was so damn hot that I couldn't help but be swayed by him. It had been a long time since a man looked at me that way. Hell, it had been a long time since I'd felt the way he was making me feel.

I couldn't help it. I shivered.

"Fine." I said, not willing to give him the satisfaction of a smile. This was a test. I wanted to see if he'd changed.

"Don't look so glum about it," he said as he smiled at me. “It’ll be a good time, I promise.”

"When is this dinner?" I asked.

"Now." He flashed another grin and started walking away. I followed him, my brow furrowed as I tried to catch up and understand what he was saying.

"What?" I asked as I swallowed hard. I wasn't dressed. I wasn't ready. This wasn't possible. "I can't," I started but he put a finger to my lips.

"Calm down. I've already got a dress picked out for you, shoes too." He was always so confident. Even more so when he was playing a game. Games were Wyatt’s specialty. And they were why I pulled myself from his playing field a long time ago.”You’ll look amazing. I’ve seen to it, darlin’.”

I didn’t have time for a man who was adept at the hunt. Especially when I was the prey.

"What if I said no?" I asked as I crossed my arms and glared up at him. He was impossible.

"You wouldn't," he said. He was so sure. But that was Wyatt Graves. He dripped masculinity and confidence, with a charisma that no woman could deny. But at least I could put up a fight.

"You don't know that." He didn’t. At least, that was what I told myself. It didn’t help that he was sex on a stick, and he was staring right at me.

"I know you. Doesn't matter if it has been five years or five minutes. I know you,” he said. “No was never an option when it came to us. It never will be.”

I glared at him. That wasn't true. It couldn't be.

"
S
o what do you think
?" I asked as she emerged from the fast-food restroom door dressed to the nines. It was easy to size her, I just had to call her mom and ask.

I sure as hell knew what I thought. She was knockout gorgeous in a dress that fit her curves perfectly. They left just enough to the imagination to make me wonder what was under that dress.

And if it was just as good as I remembered it.

I took a bite of my apple pie and grinned.

"I think you're a jerk." She said it in such a manner of fact manner that I almost spit the pie out onto the floor from laughing. She had no idea that the dress she was wearing cost more than her monthly salary, or that the shoes could feed a family of six.

She'd rather insult me than be grateful. But she was honest. Genuine. It was part of what I liked about her. The way she filled out that dress didn't hurt.

"Oh, I'm sorry, do you want a bite?" I said as I offered her the last of my pie.

She rolled her eyes and walked past me, but there was a little slink in her step. That woman wanted me to stare. She could give me as much grief as she wanted as long as she looked that darn good in a dinner dress.

I followed her out to the car and opened the door for her. I could've hired someone but I opted to take my favorite car. Not my "rusty old Ford", as she'd dubbed it, but my 1967 Chevelle Super Sport.

That thing was my baby. I'd spent an entire summer restoring it to perfection.

Rose slid into the coupe and looked up at me as I closed the door. She wasn't angry with me, no, that clenched jaw was more determined than anything else.

But what was she determined to do besides get under my skin? I slid into the driver’s seat. We were only a few minutes away.

It was a stunt. My father would be furious. He knew who she was. Knew what she was, but he wouldn’t say a word. Not to me, not to her.

Still, he’d be furious. Miranda Shannon’s daughter. The one thing he wanted. The one woman he wanted. She chose a different man. Had his child.

And I had her on my arm.

It was a direct hit. One I wanted to make. One I needed to make. This was my business, and my land, and my life.

His time was over. It was done.

The proof was in the beautiful woman sitting beside me. I snuck a glance at her as I drove down the street.

“Promise the next time I take you to a fancy dinner I skip the fancy. And the dinner.” I winked at her.

She was cute as hell when she was angry. And she was downright flustered at the the suggestion. She huffed and hemmed before she said, “there won’t be a next time.”

Oh yeah? Wanna bet?
I knew her. I just had to find a way to appeal to her.

“This was just a momentary lapse in judgement,” she said as her eyes lingered over my body. If that was the case, she was still having it.

“Are you sure about that?” I couldn’t help but toy with her.

She wanted to be here just as much as I wanted her here. I wasn’t going to let her forget that. Especially when she looked so damn hot in that tight little black number. And open back did wonders for her.

I bet she tasted better than any drive-thru pie I’d ever had.