Wildwood Wishes (Wildwood Meadows #3)

Chapter 1

Rhodes

“You better be careful,” Briggs was saying. His eyebrows drew together in what I knew was his concerned look as he leaned on the bar. “That one is just using you. She’s cutthroat.”

The place was busier than I’d like tonight, and I was wishing we had gone to the quieter lounge up the street that wasn’t so close to base.

“I was going to break it off with her anyway,” I admitted.

My current hook-up, Catherine, was beginning to show her true self, and it wasn’t someone I was particularly interested in.

She picked me up after a stressful mission when I needed to blow off some steam, and we made that into a steady thing.

My best guess was that she was more attracted to the money I had in my pocket than anything else.

“Oh?” Briggs’ eyebrows rose. “That’s good, man. She’s …” his eyes widened, and he hit me on the shoulder. “Here, and looking for you.”

“Well, fuck.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “Guess it’s time to bite the bullet.”

“Good luck, boss.” He slapped my back with a grimace as he stood up from his stool, just as Catherine arrived. “Nice to see you. I’ll leave you guys to it.”

“Briggs. Always a pleasure.” She touched him on the arm as he passed, even as he cringed away and then made a big show of getting onto the stools. Maybe she thought I didn’t notice the way she flirted with other men, but it was just one of the things that was a huge turn-off.

“How’d you know I’d be here?”

She shrugged, and then copped to what I’d guessed. “I know one of the waitresses here. I asked her.”

“Must be important.” It didn’t really matter because this was the end of the line anyway and I’d already made up my mind.

Girl really was two shades of crazy to be tracking me around the place.

I’d been a little off my game to be involved with her anyway, but she’d been convenient, which wasn’t really fair to either of us.

“It is. I needed to talk to you.” She rummaged through her purse for a minute. “I’m fucking pregnant.” She pulled out a test and slapped it against my chest, her face so disgusted that I froze for a second.

“What?” My hand moved over the piece of plastic, fumbling with the stick, before I turned it over to look at it. “Pregnant? But we used protection, and you were on the pill. Double protection.”

She sneered at me and pointed at the test. “Nothing is foolproof, genius. You aren’t very smart, are you?”

Apparently not. I looked at the stick again.

Sparks of happiness filled me at the thought of a little boy or girl.

There could be family barbecues and the chance to teach my kid to throw a punch.

My childhood had been a good one, but I’d love to take those memories and make them even better.

Camping with a dad who was active. Outdoors stuff, or hell …

maybe my kid wouldn’t be into that. Shit, if my parents were alive, they’d have been thrilled.

Looking up at Catherine, I saw her frowning at me. “You’re happy? Are you joking? I don’t want your kid.” Then her eyes gleamed, turning calculating. “But,” she licked her lips. “We can make a deal.”

Cold washed over me. The idea of family picnics disappearing into smoke. Recalibrating everything was what I was good at. Catherine had my baby in her belly. She wasn’t happy about that, but she loved money most of all.

“A price?” I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to keep myself calm. Jesus, what a bitch.

“Yeah. This is a complication,” she said, wrinkling her nose and looking at her nails, even though they were perfect.

They should be, since I knew she’d charged my card for them just a few days ago.

It had been a fucking fortune. “When a woman has a baby, it messes up her whole body, Rhodes. I’ll need work done afterward.

We’ll need to get married, too, and stay married for at least a few years.

Five, maybe. I need security. Compensation.

Just think about it. Or I’ll get rid of it.

” She gave me a long look before sliding off the stool.

“Bye, sweetie.” She gave me a chaste kiss on my cheek before sauntering out of the bar.