Chapter 2
Apit the size of his fist settled in Lane’s gut. He swallowed hard, searching for words to say to Celine.
Any words.
But his mind was blank. His heart hammered against his chest and a million questions clamored for attention in his head. But one rang out louder than the rest.
How old was the baby she held in her arms?
“Oh, my goodness,” Suzy squealed. “Look at that little bundle you’ve got. I’ve been dying to get my eyes on him. How are you both doing?”
Celine tore her gaze from Lane and focused on Suzy. “Umm, we’re good,” she stammered.
Either he still knew Celine better than he knew himself or her nerves were blinking louder than the neon signs behind the bar.
Not like he could blame her. The last time he saw her, he’d snuck out of her bed like a coward. That had been twelve months ago. He didn’t know much about babies, but the boy in Celine’s arms couldn’t be more than a handful of months old.
He studied the chubby cheeks and brown eyes.
The dark hair that curled along his neck.
No hint of his mother’s blond strands or blue eyes.
Even the child’s naturally tanned complexion was the opposite of his mother’s.
The rest of the room disappeared, the noise relegated to ringing in his ears. Lane’s chest tightened.
“Celine?” Her name caught in his throat and came out as more of a plea.
“I…I’m busy. I can’t talk right now.” She handed the baby to her mother and plucked an order pad from the back pocket of her jeans.
He frowned. “Do you work here?”
She lifted her chin, fire sparking in her eyes. “Yes, and I need to get back to my job. Are you two dining in? I can find you a table.”
“They can sit here with me,” Lisa said with far too much enthusiasm. “This place is packed, and they don’t want to eat at the bar. Besides, it will give Lane and me a chance to catch up and Suzy can help with Parker while I eat.”
Lane noted the blood draining from Celine’s pretty face. His instincts went wild, and he fought the urge to drag her outside and demand answers. “We’re not staying. I’m not hungry anymore.”
“But you said you wanted a burger,” Suzy said, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I’m starving.”
“Then order something to go. I’ll wait in the truck.” He spoke each word through gritted teeth. He needed air, needed space—hell, he needed to be anywhere but standing in front of a child that he knew was his.
Celine stood with her back straight and stiff as if bracing herself for his anger.
But he wasn’t angry. He was confused, and if he was being honest, a little hurt. And maybe terrified of the sudden shift his entire world had made.
Again.
Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck and forced himself to look in her eyes. The hesitation and fear he saw threatened to take him out at the knees. “Can we talk later?”
She nodded. “Sure. I’m off in a couple hours.”
He had no choice but to wait but damn, two hours would stretch like an eternity. “My place or yours?”
Her brows shot up, but she didn’t voice whatever questions brewed in her mind. “Mine. I need to get back to Parker.”
“Same place?”
“No. I’ll send you the address. Or did you change your number since the last time I saw you?”
He cringed at the bite of her words. “It’s the same.” Pulling out his wallet, he plucked out cash and handed it to his sister. “Order whatever you want. I’ll meet you in the truck.”
Marching toward the exit, he stormed outside and pulled in a large breath of fresh air. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. First his father’s death, leaving him with land he didn’t want. Then a devastating career-ending injury that destroyed his future. Now this.
A freaking baby.
His stomach rolled, and he rushed to his truck and climbed behind the wheel.
He turned on the engine and cranked the air conditioner.
He tilted the vents so cool air slammed against his face, but it didn’t help the rising heat in his body.
He squeezed his eyes closed and prayed to the heavens that when he opened them again, he’d find the last month was nothing but a bad dream.
That he’d wake up back in Texas in his little trailer with a ride waiting for him.
The passenger door opened, startling him back to the present. His heart rate went from zero to sixty and he snapped his attention to Suzy as she climbed inside.
“Holy shit, you scared me to death.”
Suzy hooked her seatbelt into place and settled the to-go bags on her lap. “What’s you deal? You acted so weird in there. I mean, I know you and Celine have quite the history but it’s not like you to get so flustered. Especially by something that’s practically ancient history.”
Leaning his elbows against the steering wheel, he scrubbed a hand down his face. He should keep his suspicion to himself. There was a chance he was wrong and getting Suzy all riled up would just add to his own anxiousness.
But damn, if he didn’t say something he’d explode right here in the parking lot.
“I saw her a year ago.” He blurted it out before he could change his mind.
Suzy’s forehead crumpled into a ravine of concern and confusion. “How’s that possible? I haven’t seen you in two years. You didn’t even come back for Dad’s funeral. You left me alone, dealing with everything.”
He winced at the pain in her voice. When his father passed, he’d had no intentions of paying respects to a man he despised. He hadn’t realized his choice left his sister shoveling through a ton of crap. He should have been there for her—his father be damned.
“I’m sorry for that,” he said.
She gave a little shrug like she didn’t exactly believe him.
“But,” he continued before he lost his nerve. “I was on the circuit last year and it brought me close to town. Figured I’d stop in and grab some food then hit the road. I ran into Celine and things went in a different direction.”
Suzy’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Was she still married then?”
He shook his head. “They’d just split. She was upset about something she’d learned and one thing led to another…”
Suzy held up a hand. “Stop. I don’t need to hear any more. There’ve been rumors about Kevin and what led to their divorce, but it’s none of my business. The way he’s always hanging around her, I thought they’d patch things up. Especially after the baby came.”
A wave of anger washed over him. Kevin had never been one of Lane’s favorite people, and his disdain had grown after he’d married Celine. But if that asshat thought he could swoop in to rekindle things with Celine and have a hand in raising his kid, he had another thing coming.
A gentle hand on his arm drew his attention back to Suzy.
Her eyes were impossibly large and her mouth drawn into a small O. “The baby? Is he?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out in,” he glanced at the clock radio. “One hour and thirty-five minutes.”
“Dang. I’d suggest we head back inside for a drink, but you probably don’t want to do that.”
He chuckled. “Not a good idea.”
She slipped her hand into the white bag and pulled out a container. “Fries could help.”
Letting out a long sigh, he accepted her offering and nibbled a fry as he pulled out of the parking lot. “Thanks for listening.”
“Anytime, big brother.”
The vise squeezing his chest loosened a bit. No matter what happened, he had a sister who’d lend an ear and offer support. Maybe he’d been wrong to write off Hillmore. Not everything about this town was bad, and if he had a child here, no way he could just walk away like he’d planned.
Hillmore might be filled with broken promises and bad memories, but he refused to be anything like his own father. No, he’d do right by that baby, even if it meant being trapped in the one place he’d vowed to never return.
The minutes ticked by far quicker than Celine wanted.
Her feet were still sore and body tired, but she’d take rushing around a busy restaurant over having a conversation with Lane.
Now, as she maneuvered up her driveway with Parker asleep in the backseat, she’d give anything to turn back around and put in another ten hours.
But that wasn’t an option.
Maybe it was better to get it over with. To rip off the Band-Aid. Even if she already knew exactly how the conversation would go. Lane had always been clear fatherhood wasn’t in his plans.
And the last night they’d spent together, he’d been very straightforward. He wouldn’t be back to Hillmore if it was up to him, and nothing would extend their time together. He’d hammered that point home when she’d woken to an empty bed and an evening filled with regrets.
She glanced behind her at Parker. No, not regrets. Because without that night she wouldn’t have her son.
Now she just needed to brace herself for the shitshow that waited. Lane would be there soon. It’d be best to transfer Parker to his crib so she wouldn’t be distracted. Not to mention throwing him off his bedtime routine for one night would ruin the next few days.
Stepping outside, she hooked her elbow on the top of the car door and stared at the rental she now called home.
The old, faded blue siding had offered her and her child shelter when she’d needed it most, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Lane would think.
The little bungalow nestled on the crowded street with similar houses was a far cry from where she’d lived with her ex-husband.
She rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Kevin thought of her new place. He’d tried to use his money and promise of taking care of her and Parker to lure her back into a toxic marriage.
A marriage built on nothing but lies.
So she’d said no—over and over again. Then set about tending her garden and building a home she could be proud of. She might not have the money she once had, but her heart was full and her life fuller.
No matter what anyone else thought about it. Including Lane Tipton.
A shrill cry from the backseat snapped her out of her reverie. Sighing, she shut her door then hurried to unhook the car seat in the back. So much for a peaceful transfer to Parker’s crib. Hopefully she could feed him a little and settle him back down before Lane arrived.
A sense of urgency quickened her pace. The porch light illuminated the outside of the house, helping her to find the deadbolt and unlock the door.
With Parker’s carrier looped on her forearm, she stepped inside and made a beeline for his nursery.
Once in the room, she placed the seat on the navy shag rug that covered the wooden floor and released the straps keeping Parker’s little body safely confined.
Parker raised his arms high over his head and whimpered.
“It’s okay, little man. Mama’s here. Let’s get you all settled for the night.” Her mom had already decked him in his pajamas, and a quick check revealed a dry diaper. “Looks like all you need is a full belly and a little love, huh?”
She turned on the sound machine on the dresser before settling into the rocking chair situated in the corner of the room. She waited for Parker to latch before melting against the soft cushions. Staring down at Parker’s face, she hummed one of his favorite lullabies until his eyelids drifted shut.
She checked her watch. Five minutes before Lane was due to arrive, and if he was anything like the Lane she used to know, he wouldn’t be a second late.
She rocked a couple more minutes then slowly stood and carried her precious bundle to his crib.
Tossing up a quick prayer to the bedtime gods that he wouldn’t wake, she slowly laid him on his back then tiptoed out of the room.
The door clicked close with no cries from Parker, and she let out a long breath. One impossible task complete, now it was almost time for the next.
Facing Lane and telling him that he was a father.
The conversation would be hard, but she’d make sure he understood she had no expectations of him stepping up and playing a role he never asked for. He could go back to riding his bulls and living his life exactly the way he wanted.
The idea of Lane walking away from her—again—sat heavy on her chest as she moved down the short hallway to the kitchen. Time was a luxury she didn’t have. She might as well clean some bottles before Lane arrived.
With one ear tuned for the doorbell, she turned on the faucet and fiddled with the temperature until it was right below scalding. She dipped her hands into the hot surface, wishing she could sink her whole body in a bath. Maybe after Lane left, she could indulge in a little self-care.
A creaking sound set her nerves on edge, and she stilled. A quick peek behind her shoulder showed her nothing but bills scattered over her kitchen table and recipe books lined up on a shelf she’d put up the week before.
Okay. She was just nervous about seeing Lane.
Turning back to the sink, she continued cleaning the bottles then slid some dishes from that morning in the now lukewarm water. A plate, some silverware, and her favorite coffee mug.
The energy in the room shifted, a weird tension causing goosebumps to prickle her skin. She was more in her head about this whole Lane thing than she realized. Maybe she just needed to sit for a second and—
A hard hand clamped over her mouth, the smell of rubber from the latex glove invading her senses. An arm snapped around her waist, pinning her to a wall of muscle. “Don’t bother fighting,” a hot, deep voice said against her ear. “There’s nowhere to run.”
Fear churned in her gut. Thoughts of Parker asleep in his room pumped adrenaline through her veins.
She tip-toed her fingers through the murky suds until she found a knife.
Her breaths came out in sharp, short huffs through her nose as she latched onto it and swept it backward, plunging into the man’s thigh.
“You bitch!” His hold dropped.
She sprinted toward the hall—toward Parker. Blind panic pushing her forward.
A hard tug on her long strands yanked her backward. Her feet flew out from under her and she landed hard on the tile floor.
A masked man stood over her, blood gushing down his leg. “You’re going to pay for that.”
Celine opened her mouth and screamed.