Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
BLAKE
It really is her.
I stare over the roof of my truck at the woman standing across the street, too dumbfounded to move.
What the hell is she doing here?
All that golden hair is shining under the bright sun. At some point after I left, she pulled it in a knot on top of her head, but a few strands have slipped and are now curling around her pale face. She’s still dressed in that tight dress that hugs her body, accentuating every fucking curve to perfection.
When I went to pick up Levi, I was determined to talk to Savannah and get to the bottom of this, but then another woman brought the kids to the pickup line, and when I asked about Miss Parker , they told me she had an emergency and had to leave early.
Emergency, my ass.
She was avoiding me.
I knew it.
And I was right.
Only now she’s here.
“Too fucking small.”
But at least this time, living in a small town went in my favor. Miss Parker could try to avoid me, but our paths would meet at some point.
While I’m trying to figure out my next move, Levi runs across the street, not even bothering to check if a car is coming.
“ Fuck .”
This kid is going to be the death of me.
I rush after him as he suddenly stops in front of Savannah, and even from here, I can hear him chatting a mile a minute, something that hasn’t happened in the last year. Ever since his mother left, Levi hasn’t been himself. He’s shyer, almost guarded in a way, with everybody, especially strangers, but apparently not Miss Parker.
“It is you, Miss Parker! I thought so when I saw your hair. Why didn’t you come back to class? I didn’t really like Mrs. Dawson. You’ll be coming back tomorrow, right?”
Wait… what?
Savannah tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear as she warily glances toward me. “Umm… Yes, I’ll be back in class tomorrow.”
“Great!” Levi all but beams at her. “Everybody was worried when you didn’t come to get us after lunch. We asked Mrs. Dawson, and she said that you had an emergency, and then she wanted us to write. It was boring.” He tilts his head to the side. “Do you live here?”
“I—”
I come to a stop behind him, my hands falling on his shoulders. “Levi, you can’t run off like that. And you shouldn’t be bugging people.”
“I’m not bugging. I’m talking to Miss Parker!” He rolls his eyes as if that makes it better before he turns his attention back to her. “So do you live here?”
Live here? Nobody in their sane mind would live here.
I glance over her shoulder.
The place was falling apart. I’d noticed it that day I came to check on our house, and the place had only gotten worse in the last few months. I was pretty sure that the steps leading to the front porch couldn’t take the weight of a regular adult; forget about a grown-ass man.
“Yes, I do, actually.”
My head whips in her direction.
She couldn’t be serious.
I open my mouth, but Levi is faster. “Really? That means you’re our neighbor!”
Like hell.
“Levi.” I give his shoulders a squeeze. “Why don’t you go into the house and grab a snack? I have to talk to Miss Parker about something.”
Savannah’s throat bobs as she swallows, but she doesn’t try to protest.
Good.
I was getting my answers, and I was getting them now.
“But Dad…” He tries to protest, but I leave him no room for argument.
“Levi. Home. And make sure to check the road before crossing it this time around.”
“Fine.” He stomps his foot and glares at me before turning his attention to Savannah. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Parker. You promise?”
The corner of her mouth tilts upward. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Levi.”
With a wave goodbye, he runs back home. I keep an eye on him, only returning my attention to Savannah when I know he’s safely inside our house.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I slowly turn toward the woman next to me. The little color that was left on her face disappears, and her throat visibly bobs as she swallows.
“Mr. Walker, I?—”
“Blake.” I take a step closer, and she has to tilt her head back to keep eye contact. “I think after everything that has happened between us, Blondie, the least you can do is call me by my name.”
Her tongue darts out, sliding over her lower lip. “I don’t see how that makes any difference.”
“I think it makes all the difference.” Another step closer. Her intoxicating scent reaches my nostrils. It’s sweet and flowery with just a little bit of bite to it. It’s perfect for the woman in front of me. My finger slips under her chin, and I tilt it up, tracing the outline of her mouth with my thumb. “Tell me, Savannah, is the baby you’re carrying mine?”
Different emotions flicker across her face. Fear, anxiety, and finally resignation as she gives me the faintest of nods. “Yes, the baby is yours.”
The weight that’s been sitting on my shoulders since the moment I saw her this morning finally lifts, and it feels like I can breathe again.
Mine.
The baby is mine.
I knew it.
The moment I saw her, I knew it. I’m not sure how or why, but I knew that baby was mine. Still, hearing her say those words out loud…
“I never wanted to hide it from you,” she hurries to add. “I tried to call the hotel after I found out, but they wouldn’t tell me anything. I even went back to that bar in hopes of running into you, but you never showed up. If I had any info to go off of… If I just knew your name, I would have found you and told you what happened.”
I slide my thumb over her lips. Savannah sucks in a sharp breath, those doe-eyes fixing on me.
“I know. I believe you.”
I watch as a shudder goes through her. Her shoulders sag, and for a second, she closes her eyes, letting out a long breath.
Why the hell did we think not sharing names was a good idea? It seemed reasonable at the time to give the night a little bit of mystery and excitement, and I needed that. But what a fucking disaster it turned out to be in the end. Five months. I’ve lost five months with this woman.
“Why run away from school?”
Her eyes snap open, fire blazing in those blue irises. “I wasn’t running away today. There really was an emergency that I had to deal with. And I’ll admit, maybe a teeny-tiny part of me was relieved I didn’t have to face you just yet, but I would have told you. That being said, I want you to know I don’t expect anything from you. I don’t want your money or anything like that.”
“You… what?” I blink, my whole body going still. She couldn’t be serious, could she?
“I would have told you. It was never my intention to keep the baby a secret from you, but since it was my decision to continue with the pregnancy, I’m ready to take one hundred percent of the responsibility. I don’t want your money, and if you don’t want to, you don’t have to be in the baby’s life. I mean it; you don’t have to worry about it.”
“I don’t have to worry about it?” I feel like a parrot, repeating everything she says, but my brain is still trying to process the implications of what she’s saying.
She thinks I will just walk away? After she told me that this baby is mine? She just expects me to turn around and leave them to fend for themselves?
“Yes, we’ll be fine.” She nods once, the determination written all over her face. It’s as if she made her decision, and there wasn’t anything swaying her mind. “I planned to raise this baby on my own anyway, so the fact that you live here doesn’t have to change anything. We can both continue with our lives as we did before.”
As we did…
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I grind my teeth together, and it takes everything in me to keep my cool.
Does she seriously think so little of me? Sure, we don’t really know each other all that well, but damn it. Did she seriously think I would walk around this town and pretend like I didn’t know her? Pretend like the kid she’s carrying isn’t mine? What does she think will happen if we run into each other in town or in a store? That I’d just ignore them and go on my merry way?
Hell to the no.
“No,” I say softly, but it’s like she doesn’t hear me at all because she simply continues.
“It’s honestly better this way. I think it would be—” Savannah stops mid-sentence, and I can see the moment my words register in her mind because her mouth falls open. “What did you say?”
“No.”
She blinks and takes a step back, her arm sliding to her stomach. “What do you mean, ‘no?’”
As if she wants to protect the baby.
Our baby.
From me.
Fuck. That.
“Just like I said, Blondie. No.” I take a step closer, and she retreats until her back touches her car. I let my palms brace against the warm metal, caging her in. “There will be no continuing with our lives as usual. No fucking pretending like you’re just my son’s teacher, no pretending that I don’t know every fucking inch of your body. This baby is as much mine as it is yours. So, no. I don’t agree with this bullshit. I don’t know about what kind of men you’ve dealt with in the past, but I’m not some asshole that walks away from his responsibilities.”
Savannah flinches slightly at my words.
What the ? —
“Then what do you suggest?” she asks, lifting her chin up a notch, her voice strong, although I can see apprehension on her face.
I watched her a moment longer, trying to see if I’d imagined it, but she schooled her features well. Not that I’m surprised. I saw it that night we met. This woman has built walls as tight as Fort Knox around herself, but every now and then, traces of that softness hiding beneath them would show. I saw it that day, and I saw it again now. Just a glimpse, but it was there. And I wanted to see more. I wanted to get to know her better. I wanted to be there for her and for our baby.
“We should get married.”
The words fall off my tongue before I can think better of them.
It’s impulsive and crazy, but the moment they’re out in the open, I know it’s the right thing to do. The past was repeating itself, but while all I could feel back in college was immense pressure and uncertainty about marrying Reina, now things were different.
I was different.
I’ve come a long way from that eighteen-year-old boy from the suburbs of Baltimore. And Savannah wasn’t Reina, not even close. We’d figure this out. I know we would. It might take time, and there are the boys to consider, but?—
“Are you insane?” Savannah hisses, looking left and right as if she’s scared somebody might have heard me.
“What? It’s the perfect solution.”
“Perfect solution for whom?” She shakes her head. “No. I’m not your responsibility , Walker.”
Her palm connects to my chest, pushing me back as she grabs her suitcase and pulls it toward the house. When she gets to the steps, she grabs the handle.
“Sav—” I start to yell, just as there is a loud crack.
Fuck.
She stumbles, the suitcase falling from her hand as she tries to reach for the railing and steady herself, but it’s useless.
I run to her, my arm sliding around her and pulling her against my chest as the step beneath her breaks. I can feel her heart thunder against my hand, the erratic beat matching my own.
“ Holy… ”
Her body is shaking in my arms, so I tighten my hold on her. I put her down on the ground and turn her around so she’s facing me. Those blue eyes are wide like saucers as she stares at me blankly.
“Are you okay?” I cup her cheek as I take in her body, making sure she didn’t get hurt.
She blinks, turning her attention to the big hole in the step. “I almost fell.”
“That house is a death trap. Just another reason why you should marry me. I don’t want you living here.”
My words snap Savannah from her daze. Her head turns in my direction, her eyes shooting daggers my way. “I’m not marrying you. And want it or not, this place is my home.”
Stubborn, infuriating…
I grind my teeth together. I could see that she was still scared and upset about the whole situation, and any added stress wasn’t good for her or the baby. “And what will you do when the baby starts walking around?”
She takes a step back, breaking the connection between us. “Well, it’s a good thing that we’re far, far away from that problem, isn’t it?”
“Savannah…”
“I’ll deal with it. The house just needs a little love, that’s all.” I open my mouth to protest, but she shoots me a glare. “It will be fixed by the time the baby comes.”
With that, she spins on her heels and starts to reach for the suitcase, but this time, I see it coming. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I gently move her out of my way. “Don’t you dare touch it.”
“I don’t need?—”
“I don’t care, Blondie. You’re not carrying that damn thing up the stairs that are already breaking down. Hell…” I eye the floorboards covering the front porch for a second before I lift her up.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asks as I lift her over the steps and put her onto the porch. I hold my breath as I wait for a heartbeat and then another one, just in case, before I let go.
“Get your ass inside. I’ll bring in your things.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and gives me her best teacher look. Although, it doesn’t have the effect she wants because I can feel my dick twitch in interest as she glares at me. “Blake Walker, you’ll do no such thing.”
“Oh, yes, I will. You’re not carrying shit around when you’re pregnant.”
“Well, I’ll have you know I was doing just fine on my own so far.”
“Glad to hear that, but now I’m here, and I don’t want to hear a word about it.”
Her lips part, and I move forward. Since she’s standing on the porch, it puts her at the perfect height for me to look her in the eyes. “I swear to God, Savannah, if I hear you protest one more time, I’m going to shut that stubborn mouth with my own.”
She closes her mouth immediately, pink spreading over her cheeks as her gaze drops to my lips for a split second before she looks away.
“Get inside, Blondie,” I mutter, my voice coming out rough.
This time she doesn’t try to protest.
Letting out a long breath, I watch her as she turns around and pulls the key out of her bag, sliding it into the lock. Once she’s safely inside, at least I hope the inside is better than the outside, I grab the suitcase and test the second step. It groans at my weight but doesn’t break, so I quickly make my way up and into the house.
Savannah’s footsteps echo inside the dark house. I leave the suitcase by the door and go back to the car. It takes me a few trips, but finally her car is empty just as she comes from down the hallway.
“Do you need me to carry anything upstairs?”
She glances toward the stairs, her throat bobbing as she swallows. “No, this is fine.”
“Blondie…”
“There is a guest room downstairs. I’ll just use that until I figure things out.” Those blue eyes find mine. “You should probably go home. Levi is there alone.”
“Daniel is also home.” At her quizzical look, I explain. “My other son. He’s sixteen.”
“Oh…” Her lips part, and the initial surprise on her face is replaced by uncertainty. She ducks her head, a strand of hair falling from the bun and shielding her from me. “I didn’t realize you had two sons.”
“Yeah, it’s just the three of us. Well, and Mrs. Maxwell. She’s going to be around occasionally. She helps me around the house and takes care of the boys when I travel.”
Tucking the runaway strand behind her ear, she nods. “I should get to work. I have to at least clean up a little bit and settle in.”
She was dismissing me.
I wanted to tell her I could help and convince her that it would be best for everybody involved if she would just move in with us, but I could see the determination on her face mixed with exhaustion.
“Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” I start for the door and exit the house. “Our earlier conversation isn’t done, Blondie. I was serious when I said I wanted to ma?—”
“And what about your kids, Blake?” Savannah interrupts me.
My mouth falls open. I close it as I turn around to face her.
Her lips are pressed into a tight line, her expression unyielding. “How are you going to explain an unfamiliar woman in their home, huh?”
She had me, and she knew it. Daniel and Levi didn’t know about what happened. God only knew how they’d react once they found out Savannah was pregnant. They’ve gone through so many changes in the last year, and they were still processing it. We all were.
I run my hand over my face and through my hair.
“I thought so.” She grabs the door. “I have nothing to think about, Blake. My answer will stay no.”
With that, she shuts her front door in my face and turns the lock for good measure.
Fucking hell.