Close to Heart (16 page)

“But he’s not here, and he didn’t ask for any custody in the response. So, Samuel,” she whispered, tipping her chin up to look at Justin. He could see the sorrow coloring her eyes, in spite of her effort to pretend she wasn’t hurt by Elijah’s actions. “How could he not want him?”

Justin clenched his jaw, not wanting her to see the rage bubbling to the surface. If he ever got his hands on Elijah Cole, he’d rip him to shreds. No wonder Franklin hated the man so much. He brushed a kiss on the top of her head. “I don’t know.”

He wanted to tell her that he would do anything to prove to her how much he wanted them. He wanted to tell her he loved her, loved them both.

She bit her lower lip and looked down at the child sleeping in her arms. “I need to tell him. I don’t think he’ll even care, but I need to let him know.”

Why?

Justin didn’t want Lyssa to be subjected to talking to her ex-husband at all if he could help it. “I’ll call Franklin. He can decide the best way to let him know. You have a restraining order for you and the baby for a reason.” His voice came out more bitter than he’d expected, and she looked up at him suspiciously. “We need to get you checked into the hospital. Let Franklin take care of the details you’re paying him to take care of.”

She looked back down at the baby in her arms, and he felt his heart swell with desire to protect the two of them. Justin wondered how it was possible to fall this deeply in love with two people he barely knew.

J
USTIN STOOD AT
her side as the nurse showed her how to swaddle Samuel. Alyssa saw the surprise in Justin’s eyes when she told him his name would be Samuel, after her father. She didn’t explain to him how it was one more act of defiance, one more step away from Elijah’s control over her she didn’t think she would have made if it weren’t for him. Justin made her feel powerful and independent, strong enough to stand on her own two feet, knowing that he would stand beside her. With him, she felt as if she could take on the world. Elijah and the media were formidable, but neither was a match for her with Justin at her side.

“I’m going to take him so the doctor can do a quick exam on this sweet boy, then he’ll be off for his first bath.” The nurse looked up at Justin. “I’ll come back then and get Dad so he can do it, okay?”

“Oh, I’m not—”

Lyssa laid her hand over his, interrupting his denial. “That would be wonderful.” Nothing would have given her more pleasure than for Justin to have been Sam’s father. He’d already shown the child far more love than his biological father ever would.

Justin looked down at her and brushed the back of his knuckles over her cheek before bending to take her lips in a reverent kiss.

Perhaps, someday.

Alyssa didn’t want to get ahead of herself. She and Justin hadn’t talked about a future, not really.
Not yet.

The nurse laughed. “You two must be newlyweds.” Alyssa felt heat creep over her face at the nurse’s assumption that they were married. It was as if she were reading Alyssa’s thoughts. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, so don’t go too far,” the nurse informed Justin as she wheeled the bassinet from the room.

Justin followed her to the door and closed it. “Alone at last,” Lyssa teased as he turned back to her.

He stared at her so long she began to fidget. She had to look like a mess in her hospital gown with her hair in a loose ponytail at the top of her head and makeup smudged under her eyes. She needed a shower. Without a word, he walked to the side of her bed and cupped his hands around her face, pressing his lips to hers in a scorching kiss. It was a shocking jolt of electricity to her system, as if molten silver had just replaced the blood in her veins, and it shook her to her core. Justin plunged past her lips, his tongue sweeping, tasting, mating with hers in a kiss that sealed her longing to become his. She sighed against his lips and curled her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her, and he groaned, drawing himself back to sit on the edge of the bed.

“How long do we have to wait before I can touch you again?”

Color crept back into her cheeks and the corners of her lips turned up in a shy smile. “I think it’s six weeks, but I’m not sure I can wait that long.”

He bent forward so that their foreheads were pressed together. “This is going to be the longest six weeks of my life.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead, and she brought her hand up to his cheek. He hadn’t shaved yesterday, so the beard growth rubbed against her palm, making her insides flip and twist. He reached for her wrist and pressed a kiss to her palm, watching her eyes darken with hunger. “Six, huh?”

She nodded and gave him a wicked smile. “But I’ve always been an overachiever.”

Justin shifted on the bed and growled at her. “You’re going to kill me,” he warned.

She laughed as he brought her hand to his chest and wound his fingers in hers. “Samuel.” He tested the name on his lips. “What made you change your mind?”

Lyssa shrugged. “Samuel Stone, for my father and with my maiden name.” She felt her heart swell with adoration and pride at the thought of her son. “I want him to grow up to be a good man. I didn’t want to set him up for failure by naming him after a man like Elijah. I named him after the two best men I know.”

“Two?”

“Samuel Justin Stone.”

His chin dipped toward his chest and she saw him close his eyes. Justin took a deep breath, and she wondered if she’d said too much. When his eyes met hers she saw the mist of moisture in them as his thumb traced the edge of her wrist. Warmth spread through her, curling and dancing, like a drug that would never leave her system.

“Justin, say something.”

She smiled up at him, waiting for him to comment, but he didn’t speak. She recognized the pride and devotion choking him with emotion but she remained silent. He let go of her hand and let his fingers trail over the curve of her neck, sending shivers of yearning down her spine. Justin leaned forward until his lips were only inches from hers.

“I love you.” The declaration slid past his lips on a husky whisper of sound, and she wondered if he realized he’d spoken them aloud. He cleared his throat. “Lyssa, you have turned my life upside down with puppies, reporters, and now a baby, but I can’t imagine it any other way. I am completely, ridiculously in love with you.” She couldn’t stop the tears of joy that filled her eyes. “Please, tell me those are happy tears.”

She laughed and nodded, unable to speak. She didn’t want to talk, she wanted him to kiss her. Again and again. Alyssa slid her hand into his hair and leaned forward, just in time for the nurse to return. Both of their faces turned toward the doorway.

“Are you ready?”

Lyssa pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Go. Spend some time with Sam. Start making memories.”

There would be so many more to come
.
A future together.

Justin stood and pressed another kiss to her lips, as if he couldn’t stop touching her. “I have a few errands to run when I’m finished with Sam, and I’ll try to clear my appointments for the next few days. I’ll be back first thing in the morning though, okay?”

She nodded. “You know where to find us.”

She didn’t want to be away from him any longer than necessary, especially now that she was free to confess her feelings for him. As soon as they arrived back at the ranch, she’d make sure he understood the depths of her love, even if she couldn’t actually show him yet.

L
YSSA NAMED HER
son after me.

It was more than her bestowing an honor on him, it was a statement. A bold declaration that Justin had made an impact on her life, a reminder that she was no longer under her ex’s thumb. She’d changed since her arrival, become stronger, and it made him proud of her. He wanted to see what she was able to accomplish in the coming weeks, as she was able to put more of her past behind her, to walk away from the life that had torn at her confidence.

Would she walk away from it?

Last night, he’d asked her to stay and she’d agreed. Today, he hadn’t planned to tell her he loved her, but he wouldn’t take it back now that he’d confessed the truth. Alyssa made him feel complete. He had everything he’d ever dreamed of with her and Sam. It wasn’t a perfect situation, there were still issues they would have to confront—namely her ex-husband—but they could be happy. He would make her happy or spend every day trying.

He wondered what she would do if he asked her to marry him. It was a crazy thought but as soon as it crossed his mind, he knew it was exactly what he wanted. There would never be anyone else for him. As Julia had promised, he just
knew
. It was as if her name had been sealed in his heart and revealed the moment they met. He wasn’t normally given to such melodrama—he left the romantic notions to his sisters and Bailey—but when it came to Lyssa, everything he thought he believed was tossed out the window.

He pulled into the driveway and saw Bailey’s truck. He owed her. No matter how much of a jerk he’d been, she’d still come by to help him.

“Bailey?” he called, walking into the house.

“In here with the pups.” He walked in to find Bailey sitting on the floor with Lucky’s head in her lap and all of the puppies crawling over her feet on wobbly legs. He laughed at the sight and she looked up at him quizzically. “Been a while since I heard laughter around here.”

Justin tipped his head to the side and rolled his eyes. “Overdramatic much? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a lot for me to be stressed about.”

“And now?” She gave him a lopsided grin, trying to look past him. “Where’s Alyssa?”

Justin leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb. “Alyssa is in the hospital with Samuel. She went into labor this morning and had a healthy little boy.”

“What?” He could see the excitement in Bailey’s blue eyes. What was it about women and babies, even his perpetually single cousin? “Is she okay? Is the baby all right? Isn’t it too early?”

“The baby and Alyssa are both fine.” Justin shrugged a shoulder. “The doctor said the due date must have been miscalculated. I’m just glad Dylan was close.”

She climbed over the baby fence and washed her hands at the sink. “Dylan delivered him?”

“With a little help.” She eyed him as he slid into the kitchen chair, still in awe over delivering Samuel. It still shook him, making his chest swell with devotion for the baby and admiration for what Lyssa went through. “Bailey, it was amazing.”

She took the chair across from him. “Birth always is. You should be used to it by now, though.” She waved a hand at the litter of puppies in his mudroom.

Justin shook his head. “It wasn’t the same. I held him as he took his first breaths and cried. I saw him even before she did. It was like . . . ” He didn’t know how to explain the awe he’d felt as he held Sam just before Alyssa had.

“Like you were connected?”

He took a deep breath, considering Bailey’s question. That was certainly part of it, but it went deeper. “It was like he was my son, like this was the way it was supposed to happen.”

Bailey laughed at him again. “Are you talking about destiny and fate? Because I have to say, it’s a little over the top for you, Mr. Logic.”

“I’m going to ask her to marry me.” He looked up at Bailey, feeling even less sure of himself after saying it out loud. What was he thinking? Lyssa didn’t want to be trapped on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Just because it made him happy didn’t mean it would be enough for her. His mind began to rain doubts on him again, even as his heart tried to answer each with reason.

Her mouth fell open with shock. “Are you serious? What about her divorce?”

“It will be final in six months as long as it doesn’t get dragged out. I don’t care how long it takes.” He stood up from the table, using it to give himself some sort of stability because right now, he felt as if the world had just tilted on its axis. “I came back to get Mom’s ring.”

“Have you told Julia and Jessie?” He shook his head. “Wait, you told
me
first?”

He swung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, dragging her against his chest. “Why wouldn’t I tell you first? You’re one of my best friends, even if I don’t always act like it. You’re practically my youngest sister.”

“Aw,” she gushed, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him tight. “I so prefer this Justin to the horse’s ass you’ve been.” Bailey looked up at him. “Alyssa’s been good for you.”

E
LIJAH COLLECTED HIS
baggage from the carousel and waited for James to return with the rental car. It was ridiculous how much time this was already taking. After several delays and a cancelled flight due to an engine malfunction, he wasn’t in the mood to wait another thirty minutes for a car then drive an hour to the house James had rented in El Dorado Hills. He took a deep breath, trying to squash the thrill that centered in his gut as he realized how close he was to Alyssa. Only an hour away.

She might have obtained a restraining order against him, but once James delivered his investigator’s package, complete with compromising photos of her and that cowboy, she’d practically beg him to take her back. After her press conference, his evidence would make her look disreputable. Once he had her back in the house, the first thing he’d have her do was sign off her share of his business. He should have done it sooner, before she found out about his affairs, but he could still remedy that situation.

He saw the Lexus sedan pull up to the curb, and James jumped out, opening the trunk and lifting Elijah’s bag into the back. “You know I think this is a bad idea, right?”

“You know I don’t care, right?”

James shook his head, sighing, before he walked to the driver’s side of the car. “Some days you make me sorry I ever got involved working with you.”

“Remind me of that again when your ass is sitting comfortably in that hot tub in your house in Bel Air.” Elijah slipped into the leather seats of the luxury sedan and wrinkled his lip up. “
This
is the best they had?”

James rolled his eyes. “It’s Sacramento, not LA, and it was short notice. Deal with it.”

Elijah pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled to Alyssa’s number.

James eyed him suspiciously as he dialed the number. “Why, hello, may I speak with my wife, please?”

“You can’t talk to her,” James warned sternly.

A smile spread over Elijah’s lips as he held up a hand to quiet him. “I’m returning her call.”

J
USTIN WANTED TO
pull the man through the phone and beat him to a pulp. He could hear the cocky smirk in the other man’s tone. He sounded so sure of himself, so certain Alyssa was available to speak to him.

Surprise, asshat.

“She’s not here.”

There was a long pause and Justin couldn’t help but smile at the trepidation he now heard. “Who is this and why do you have my wife’s phone?”

“My name is Justin Hart—”

“Ah,
Dr.
Hart, if I’m not mistaken. You’re the hero who rescued my wife when she was in her
accident
.” Justin could hear the condescending skepticism in the other man’s voice and wasn’t about to take the bait.

“Why are you calling?”

“I’m returning her call to me, one of several actually. Thank you so much for taking such good care of her.”

Justin wasn’t sure he believed Alyssa had actually called the man, not after the discussion they’d had. She agreed to wait and let Justin talk it over with Franklin.

“Someone had to. What kind of man are you?” Damn his mouth, moving faster than his brain again.