She’d gotten too distracted to mention it, but she wasn’t about to go after him. Not right now. Although she’d survived their encounter, her confidence was badly shaken. If he hadn’t stopped touching her, if he’d slid his hand up her shirt instead of letting go, would she have been able to deny him?
Chances were, she would’ve dragged him into the back room and showed off her sexy underwear. She knew how much he liked lace panties—and she knew she’d never looked better in them, which certainly wasn’t helping. She felt she finally had the kind of body he could admire, so vanity was working against her, too. That was the downside to the improvements she’d made. While they boosted her self-esteem, they didn’t do a lot for her resistance.
“You have no willpower,” she muttered. “Not when it comes to Aaron.”
She needed to stay away from him in the future—and pray he left for Reno soon.
* * *
Damn it! What the hell was he doing? He’d received Presley’s forgiveness, knew she didn’t hold anything against him. He had her pie in his passenger seat to prove it. So why had he stirred up those dying embers? Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone?
Because he’d missed her. And he still wanted her. Although he’d slept with several women since her, none of them had brought him the same level of fun, comfort or satisfaction.
But why would he do anything to threaten her chance of catching a great guy like Riley—someone who, if he married her, would treat her like a queen?
What she’d said was true. That night when he first approached her at Sexy Sadie’s, he’d simply been trying to include a lonely woman, someone he’d seen around town for several years but who’d never quite fit in. Thanks to her mother, she was so battle-scarred that she made most people uncomfortable. But he could relate to someone who elicited distrust and hesitation. He had his own detractors, and there’d been a time when his circumstances weren’t a whole lot better.
She didn’t need him anymore, though; she’d said as much. He should be
glad
she was doing so well on her own. Instead, he was screwing with her head because she was screwing with
his
and she wasn’t even trying. She was giving him what he’d always assumed he wanted—for her to be happy and strong and less needy, less clingy. There’d been times when he’d thought he’d suffocate beneath her adoration. So why did he suddenly feel bereft now that she’d decided she was done with him?
She’d gone too far. Did she have to cut him off completely? He could understand if she had someone else in her life, but she didn’t.
“It’s confusing,” he told himself. Somehow it had been easier to move on when she wasn’t around, easier to make himself believe he wasn’t missing out on anything. Seeing her again, especially seeing her looking so healthy, reminded him of the details that made her unique, all the little things he’d pushed into the back of his mind. Her laugh. Her quirky sense of humor. The way she could roll with the ups and downs of life without growing bitter. Even some of her insecurities were endearing because she was so damn honest about them. He’d spent more time with her than any other woman....
He turned up the radio, hoping the pounding of his subwoofer would soothe his restlessness, or at least distract him. He didn’t like the way he was feeling. He wasn’t accustomed to jealousy, but he was pretty sure that was the emotion picturing her with Riley evoked.
Are you going to date him?
I think so.
Why wouldn’t she? Riley was universally admired. After college, he’d started his own contracting business, which was successful,
of course
. He’d never been picked up by the police, never gotten into a fight, never been thrown out of a bar. He’d messed up by getting a girl pregnant back in high school—not the best girl to put in such a vulnerable position, as it turned out—but he’d redeemed himself by raising the child and proving to be a devoted father.
“Forget Presley,” Aaron grumbled. “You won’t be living here much longer, anyway.”
But it was impossible to forget her when he could smell the pie she’d baked. So instead of going home, he drove to Jackson and went to a drive-through to get a plastic fork. Then he pulled over and dug into the pie. He was determined to eat as much of it as he wanted before his brothers got hold of it. After all, he was the one who’d spent his entire day painting, and he’d done a damn fine job, too. He deserved some of the most delicious pie he’d ever tasted, since he wasn’t going to get what he
really
wanted from Presley....
He was jamming another bite into his mouth when his cell phone vibrated against his leg. He thought it might be one of his brothers, or maybe one of his friends wanting to head out for a drink. It was Saturday night, after all. He wasn’t in the mood for the usual weekend revelry, but what good was it going to do him to sit around by himself?
Straightening his leg so he could get his phone out of his pocket, he checked caller ID. The number wasn’t in his contacts.
“’Lo?”
“Aaron?”
Noelle. Recognizing her voice, he turned down the radio. Music blared in the background as it was. Where was she? Sexy Sadie’s? “Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
He swallowed what he had in his mouth. “Eating.”
“You could do that here with me. I’ve got a plate of wings, and a seat with your name on it.”
He didn’t ask where “here” was. “How’d you get my number?” Sometimes they hooked up if they bumped into each other, but those occasions were few and far between, and he’d been careful not to let the relationship become more than that.
“Your brothers are at the club having a drink.”
Damn it! They knew better than to give out his number. He guessed whichever brother she’d gotten it from was drunk—or wanted her to leave him the hell alone.
“You should come join us,” she said.
He tapped his leg. “I’m not in the mood.”
“You’re not in the mood to see
me?
”
If only he could go back and talk to Presley, convince her to let him touch her again. That was what had him so worked up—what he really wanted. But he refused to be the kind of jerk who’d push for that if she didn’t want it, too. “I’m busy.”
“Eating?”
He didn’t answer.
“I have some more modeling pics to show you,” Noelle added with a suggestive giggle.
He hadn’t been particularly impressed with the last set. She was getting too carried away with surgeries and Botox and liposuction. Although she put every dime she made into improving her appearance—and charged the rest—in his opinion she’d actually looked prettier before. That was partly what he liked about Presley. She was so natural. She looked as good without makeup as she did with it. “Not tonight. I’m tired.”
“Come on! You can’t be
that
tired. I’ll make it worth your while....”
She wanted a man in her bed. And because he’d been crazy or drunk or stupid enough to accommodate her a few times, she was coming back for more.
Setting the pie aside, he leaned back. “You said my brothers are there?”
“All of them except you—and the one who doesn’t like me.”
She meant Dylan. But there weren’t many people who did like her, including her own family. Getting pregnant by her sister’s boyfriend, and using that pregnancy to wrangle a wedding proposal, had sealed her fate. Aaron prided himself on being more forgiving than most. He kept telling himself that whatever she’d done in the past was
her
business. But he had yet to find anything redeeming about her. “Dylan’s taken, anyway. Maybe Grady would like to see your pictures.”
“You don’t care if I show them to him?”
Her affronted tone made him nervous. The first time she asked to come home with him, he’d warned her that he wasn’t interested in a relationship. He’d reminded her since. The fact that he wouldn’t give her his cell phone number should’ve made that abundantly clear. But Noelle couldn’t stop herself from pushing too hard for whatever she wanted. “Noelle, we’ve been over this.”
“Never mind,” she snapped, and ended the call.
With a sigh, Aaron put his phone on the console, closed the plastic container that held Presley’s pie and started his truck. At this point, he knew for sure that he didn’t want to go to Sexy Sadie’s.
When his phone buzzed, indicating an incoming text, he almost ignored it. He suspected it was Noelle sending him the equivalent of a rude hand gesture. But he couldn’t keep himself from glancing at the screen.
Noelle hadn’t texted him; Cheyenne had.
Putting the transmission back in park, he picked up his phone.
Is there any chance you could get away sometime tomorrow to meet me in Sutter Creek? I need to talk to you in private. Please don’t mention this to Dylan or anyone else.
His sister-in-law was probably trying to act as mediator. Even after two years of dealing with him and Dylan, she didn’t realize that their arguments never lasted long. He’d see Dylan at the shop on Monday, and they’d go on as if nothing had happened. But Cheyenne loved her husband so much, she had to try and make them talk it out every time they had a disagreement.
You don’t need to get involved,
he wrote back.
Dyl and I are fine.
This isn’t about Friday.
Then what’s it about?
I have a favor to ask.
Of me?
What could that be? Dylan provided everything she could possibly want. Dylan would walk through fire for her.
I’d rather not put it in writing.
I won’t apologize to Dylan. I didn’t do anything.
I’m not asking you to apologize.
Then what on earth could it be?
Can you come see me now?
No. Dylan’s home. I can’t get away until tomorrow afternoon. I’ll tell him I have to help Presley and meet you at JB’s Steakhouse in Sutter Creek, if you’re willing.
This was turning into quite a mystery. His sister-in-law had never approached him in such a clandestine manner.
Another thought occurred to him.
Does this have anything to do with Presley?
Absolutely nothing.
I won’t talk to you about her.
He was adamant that she and Dylan mind their own business.
I promise.
Why are you being so secretive?
You’ll understand once I’ve had the chance to explain. I’m nervous about this. I’m only doing it because I trust you. Next to Dylan and Presley, I trust you most in the world.
Now she was making
him
nervous. What could it be?
He came up with a few alternatives, but didn’t like any of them. Especially the ones that had to do with catastrophic illnesses. Did she have cancer?
Maybe she’d received bad news from her doctor and couldn’t tell Dylan....
What time?
he texted.
Dylan’s planning to work on the deck he’s building in back. He should be well into it by three. Will that work?
That’s fine. Meet you at JB’s.
I’ll text you if anything changes.
Sounds good.
Thanks, Aaron. I really appreciate it.
He had to try to clarify one last time.
And this has nothing to do with Presley? You’re not going to warn me off?
Didn’t Dylan already do that?
He tried.
This has nothing to do with her. But let me point out that you don’t really want Pres, or we wouldn’t say a word.
He sat staring at her last line for probably fifteen minutes. How did she know that when even
he
wasn’t sure?
7
J
B’s was a traditional steakhouse with branding implements on the wood-plank walls and a bar along the right side. The interior was darker than the average restaurant, particularly in contrast to such a bright, sunny afternoon, and the candles sitting on the tables did little to offset that.
Aaron stood at the entrance for a second so his eyes could adjust. Then he spotted Cheyenne in a corner booth, looking like she was about to step in front of a firing squad. Her agitation heightened his own anxiety as the hostess hurried over from where she’d been rolling silverware into napkins. This was between meals—not a busy time of day, even on a Sunday.
“Would you like a table?” she asked.
He pointed at Cheyenne. “My party’s been seated.”
She waved him past her. “She said she was expecting someone. I left a menu for you.”
With a quick thanks, he strode across the restaurant and took the seat opposite Cheyenne, who offered him a fleeting smile. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” he said.
She slid his menu toward him. “Would you like to order first?”
He preferred to find out what the hell was going on, but to prevent the waitress from interrupting, he scanned the menu, decided on the porterhouse and closed it. “This is all very secretive.”
Color suffused her cheeks. “I’m sorry, but it’s something that has to be handled in person.”
“We couldn’t have met in Whiskey Creek?”
“I was afraid someone would see us together.”
“And do or say...what?”
“I just didn’t see any reason to raise eyebrows.”
He put his napkin in his lap and arranged his silverware. “We’re related now. I’m not sure anyone would find it strange for us to share a meal.”
She didn’t have a chance to respond. The waitress came to ask what they’d like to drink. Although Cheyenne seemed too agitated to care about such mundane details, she ordered an iced tea. He wasn’t really interested in eating
or
drinking—not while he was this curious—so he decided to stick with water.
“I’ll give you a few more minutes,” the waitress said, but neither one of them needed the time. Aaron opened his mouth to say they’d go ahead and order, but she was already walking away, and since Cheyenne didn’t call her back, he figured his sister-in-law wasn’t in any hurry to reveal whatever it was. Maybe she needed time to work up the nerve. The way she kept fidgeting with her purse strap told him it wouldn’t be easy for her.
“If you’re thinking you’re going to say or do something that will piss me off, don’t worry,” he said. “I’d never even raise my voice to you.”
This was rewarded with a sweet smile. “That’s partly why you’re here.”
So her nervousness didn’t stem from fear....
“You can tell me anything,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t call into question the loyalty I feel toward my brother.”
She nodded. “I appreciate that. I love Dylan, too, so I would never pit you against him—unless I thought it was for his own good.”
That sounded ominous. He studied her as she folded her arms, crossed her legs, repositioned her purse, took a drink of water and glanced repeatedly at the big-screen TV in one corner. A baseball game was on, so she couldn’t be
too
interested. She didn’t care about sports. But until the waitress returned, she acted as if that game was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen.
Once they’d placed their order, Aaron scooted his chair back so he could stretch out his legs. “Okay,” he said, “let’s have it.”
She bit her lip, apparently searching for the right words until he leaned forward and prompted her again. “What is it, Chey?”
“I want a baby.”
The words came out so softly he wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly. Or maybe he didn’t see how this could possibly relate to him. “Excuse me?”
Her chest rose as if she’d just drawn a deep breath. “I want a baby,” she said, louder.
“Okay.” Was this a joke? He looked around to see if he was being punked by his brothers but there was no sign of them. “So...why don’t you and Dylan have one?”
“We’ve been trying.”
Dylan hadn’t said a word one way or the other. But neither had Aaron asked. He assumed they’d start a family when they were ready. “Are you trying to tell me you’re pregnant?”
“No, I’m trying to tell you I’m
not
pregnant. Even though we’ve done everything we can.”
How was he supposed to respond? He was fairly certain she’d just divulged information Dylan would rather he not have. He finally settled on, “Sometimes these things take time.”
“It’s been two
years
.”
“You’re not...”
“I’m fine. It’s not me.”
The way she said that tipped him off. “You’re saying Dylan...”
“May need some help.”
Aaron lifted his hands as if she held a gun. “There’s not much I can do to help there.”
She clasped her hands together. “Actually, there is. It’s a difficult request for me to make, but...who else can I turn to?”
Other than
him?
“Go on.”
“I’m considering—” she cleared her throat as she met his gaze “—I’m considering artificial insemination.”
At last he understood. “And you want
me
to be the donor?”
“This is so awkward. I’m sorry I have to ask, but—”
“Why isn’t Dylan here with you?” he broke in. “Shouldn’t he have handled this?”
“He can’t.”
“Why? Because he has to build the damn deck in your backyard?”
Her voice dropped again. “Because he doesn’t know I’m asking.”
Aaron stiffened.
“You haven’t made sure he wants to do this?”
She sent him a look that pleaded with him to understand. Then she said, “I want him to believe the baby is his.”
“Holy shit!” He stood up, turned around as though he’d walk out, then realized he couldn’t leave her sitting there alone and fell into his chair again.
“This is killing him, Aaron,” she said. “I want a baby so badly. And he wants me to have one.
His
baby. He feels he needs to do that for me.”
“He wants you to have
everything
you want.”
“Because he takes pride in how well he cares for the people he loves.”
“There’s a lot doctors can do these days.”
“I know that, but according to a test I secretly ran, he’s basically sterile. And if he finds that out, he’ll feel he’s let me down.”
“A test
you
ran? How can you rely on that? You have to explore every option—”
“And let it destroy his self-esteem and damage our marriage in the process? Why? The test was legitimate. There’s very little chance he could ever father a child.”
“But if he knows it’s not you...”
“He doesn’t. I went to see the doctor on my own and didn’t tell him.”
“So...what? You want to get pregnant and let him believe the child is his?” He was saying this in shock and incredulity, but she nodded.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I want.”
The waitress approached with their food. Aaron warned Cheyenne with a glance that she was coming, and they fell silent until they could speak without being overheard.
“Am I asking too much?” she whispered when the waitress walked away.
He couldn’t resist the entreaty in her voice. She was Dylan’s greatest blessing, the one thing he’d never had to use for the benefit of his siblings. As conflicted as Aaron sometimes felt toward his older brother, he couldn’t bear the thought of how greatly Dylan would suffer if anything came between him and the woman he loved.
But Aaron wasn’t sure he could go behind Dylan’s back. What would Dylan say or do if he ever found out about
this?
And what would it be like to have a
child,
a child who didn’t know his true father?
“You’re hoping I’ll help you have a baby but never say a word about it.”
“To
anyone
. Yes.” She didn’t attempt to disguise any aspect of her plan. “You’d sign away your parental rights, be the baby’s uncle, nothing more.”
So he’d have contact. He could have a lot of contact. But would that make it harder—or easier?
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I want to say yes, but...I’m afraid this would just give Dyl and me something else to compete over.”
“Which is one of the primary reasons I think this should be done secretly. That way there’ll be far less chance it would affect your relationship. He won’t have to feel indebted, and you won’t ever have to feel that he’s being ungrateful, because you’ll know he has no clue of the sacrifice you made,” she said. “You’d have to do it because you love him, and you’d have to relinquish all claim and forgo all credit.”
Aaron let his breath seep out as he ran a hand over his chin. “Is there a clinic around here or...”
“There are probably several. My doctor even suggested one. I just haven’t contacted anyone yet because I needed to know you were on board before I moved forward.”
“How would it work?”
She gestured at his food. “You should start on your steak. It’s getting cold.”
He’d lost what little appetite he’d had when he walked in but made a halfhearted attempt to cut off a few pieces and chew, which was more than he could say for her. She merely pushed her salad around with a fork.
“It must feel really strange to think of making a baby with me,” she said, “but...if you could just look at it through my eyes. I love you as my brother-in-law, so I’d be happy to know my child came from you. Of all the Amos boys, you look the most like my husband. And, sure, he could weather this the way he’s weathered all the other difficulties in his life, but why put him through that when we can so easily get around the need for it? I want Dylan to be happy. He hasn’t been himself lately.”
Aaron struggled to swallow the piece of steak in his mouth. “You think this is why?”
“I know it is.”
Dylan
had
been uncharacteristically irritable and preoccupied. But...
“I need some time to consider it,” he said.
She took a sip of her iced tea, but her manner told him she was stalling while she decided how to spring something else on him.
“Is that a problem?” he asked when she put down her glass.
“That’s just it.”
“What is?”
“Time. There isn’t much of it. Dylan is talking about going to the doctor. And if he does...”
“He’ll learn the truth.”
He managed to chase his steak with a bite of his baked potato. “Maybe that’s for the best, Chey. I mean...I’d be open to this if...if the two of you wanted to meet with me later. It’s not that I begrudge you the... What you need to make it happen.” Or...he didn’t think so. He hadn’t quite wrapped his mind around that part of it, either. But he forged ahead. “I’m mostly worried about keeping this a secret.”
“You’re not convinced it would work better that way? Since your relationship with Dylan is so...complicated? You know how humbling it would be for
him
to have to ask, and how indebted he’d feel afterward.”
It was a legitimate concern. “How soon would you need my answer?”
“You guys are so busy at work that I could probably give you a few days. He wouldn’t even be able to book an appointment before then. But the process will take several weeks to complete—to schedule with the clinic, to have the procedure done and see if it takes. If it doesn’t, we’d have to go through the entire process again.”
“Would we go in at the same time?”
“No. From what I’ve read online it could be completely separate.”
“But...shouldn’t someone be with you?”
“Presley will go.”
He was glad. It was weird enough that he’d be donating the sperm. He didn’t want to take his brother’s place at Cheyenne’s side, as well. “You and Pres talked about this?”
“I called her yesterday.”
He cut off another piece of his meat before looking up. “Did she encourage you to ask me?”
“Not really.”
“She doesn’t think it’s a good idea?”
“She’s worried about how it might affect you.”
Unable to keep eating, he reached for his water glass, wiping off the condensation. “Even though she no longer wants to associate with me?”
His sister-in-law squeezed his wrist. “That’s nothing personal, Aaron.”
“It’s
very
personal,” he said, “and we both know it.”
Giving up on her salad, she shoved her plate away. “She had the worst time getting over you.”
“From what I’ve seen, she’s managed quite nicely. I haven’t heard from her once since she left.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy not to contact you. You’re a hard act to follow.”
“But you think Riley can manage it.”
She clasped her hands together. “Riley’s looking for a wife. You’re not.”
He wasn’t opposed to getting married. He was at an age where he
should
settle down. He just hadn’t met the right woman. A guy needed to be in love to make that kind of commitment, but there were times when he wondered if his heart was even whole enough to give away. Maybe Dylan was capable of such complete devotion, but Aaron feared that part of him had been destroyed in the turbulence of his childhood.
Or he’d been defective from the beginning.
Taking out his wallet, he tossed sixty bucks on the table and stood. “I’ll call you when I decide.”
“Aaron?”
He glanced back.
“It’s a difficult decision to make. I won’t hold it against you if you say no.”
With a nod, he walked out of the restaurant.