Chapter 23
Reagan
The following evening, the gymnasium is packed as we grab our seats near the front. I’m glad that so many people are showing up and taking an interest in Wilde's future. It tells me most of the citizens still have hope. This couldn’t be happening at a better time.
Tiago starts the meeting, tapping the microphone to make sure it’s live before reintroducing himself, reminding everyone about his brother, Ryder, and then bringing Dallas into the fold.
The townsfolk are calmer tonight than the last time the Wilde brothers held a town meeting. People are starting to believe that change is coming. Good change.
There’s a wave of gasps when Tiago announces the rent freeze. A lot of people had heard about it through the grapevine, but many hadn’t believed it.
A commotion at the back of the gym catches my attention, and I turn at the same time most heads spin toward the door. But I’m close enough to Tiago to hear him mutter “fuck” and look back at him to see him handing the microphone to Dallas before he starts jogging toward the exit.
I jump up and follow him. After all, he’s my fiancé.
Dallas starts talking, drawing most people’s attention back to the front. Bless him. Whatever is happening outside, I don’t think Tiago needs everyone in the building to witness it.
I reach the doorway and step outside several seconds after Tiago. My grandfather is next to me in a flash, too. He must have come after me. We were sitting together.
Ryder rushes past me and jumps down the few steps to join Tiago, who is face-to-face with Silvia. I should have known. None of us really believed she had left town, but it’s mindboggling how she thinks she can extort money from Tiago to pay for a child he did not father.
Thomas McAndrews jogs past me next and joins the brothers. Two men are blocking Silvia from approaching any closer. They aren’t touching her, but they won’t let her past them either.
I realize one of them is the sheriff when he turns toward Tiago. “We tried to keep her from entering, Tiago, but she was persistent.” The other man is one of his deputies.
Tiago stands tall, arms crossed. “What are you still doing here, Silvia?” he asks, exasperated.
I move closer to him and put a hand on his back. I want him to know I’m behind him, physically as well as metaphorically.
“I need money, asshole. Isn’t that obvious?”
“You can’t squeeze blood from this turnip, Silvia.”
I almost laugh at his comment.
“Oh please… You’re fucking rich now, and you’re awfully chummy with the people in this town. How do you think they’ll feel about you if I start spreading around the fact that you fathered a child in New York and fled to avoid paying child support?”
I inhale sharply. What a bitch.
“None of that is true, and you know it, Silvia,” Tiago responds.
She laughs sardonically. “Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, does it? If you want to get rid of me, you’ll have to make me an offer. I think ten grand is a good starting place.”
Tiago growls. “You think you can blackmail me and I’ll just hand over a check? You’re certifiable. How about I call social services in New York instead and have them investigate the living conditions of your child?”
She growls. “There is nothing wrong with my child’s living conditions, asshole. You only have one choice here, or the news is going to spread like wildfire, and that little whore you’ve hooked up with won’t want to have anything to do with you.”
Now, I’m fucking pissed. I step around Tiago, intent on…well, I don’t know what, but it doesn’t matter because Tiago wraps an arm around my middle and hauls me back against him.
Tiago is amazingly calm. “Silvia, go home.” He speaks as though she’s incredibly pitiful. “You’re making a fool out of yourself.”
Thomas steps closer and speaks to Silvia. “Ma’am, I don’t know what the hell you heard, but Tiago doesn’t have access to a single dime of his inheritance. I’m the executor of the Wilde estate. Tiago can’t buy toilet paper without my permission.”
I have to stifle a laugh. Thomas is exaggerating.
He would never decline to give any of these men whatever they ask for.
I know for a fact he approved the purchase of my engagement ring just this morning, and he’s given all three men open-ended permission to buy new vehicles.
However, Thomas is also right . He sure as hell wouldn’t give any of the grandchildren ten thousand dollars in blackmail money.
Silvia gasps.
Thomas nods. “If you’d come to my office to turn over the paternity test like you were instructed, I would have explained it to you.
Even if that child were Tiago’s, he doesn’t have access to money, not even for child support.
He’s worth less now that he’s arrived in Wilde than he was while he lived in New York.
So, let me suggest that you pick up whatever remaining dignity you have left and get the hell out of town. ”
Silence reigns while Silvia stares at Thomas and then me and Tiago. Her gaze lowers to my left hand. “Where did you get that ring then, whore?”
Thomas steps closer, getting into Silvia’s space. “I approved it when I approved the toilet paper. Go home.”
“I don’t believe you,” Silvia declares, crossing her arms.
Thomas is ordinarily a very calm man, but he’s losing his patience, and he growls, “If you’d like to discuss the terms of the will, I’d be happy to share them with your lawyer when you prove paternity. Have him call my office.”
I’m honestly shocked by Tiago’s light grip on me. His arm is around my waist. I’m definitely trapped. But he’s also stroking my arm gently as if we’re at a dinner party with friends instead of a standoff with his batshit-crazy ex-girlfriend in front of the town hall meeting.
Silvia finally stomps her foot like a toddler, screams, and spins around.
As she stomps away, Tiago kisses my temple. “Go back inside, baby. Stay with your grandfather. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I tip my head back and meet his gaze. “But…”
His lips come to my ear. “Reagan…” he warns. “Inside now. Don’t argue with me.”
“Okay,” I whisper. This is not the time to pull the defiant-fiancée card.
Tiago turns me toward my grandfather and hands me over.
I should probably feel insulted that he thinks I need a man to protect me, but instead, I feel loved.
He’s protecting me, and there’s no denying I’m too small to defend myself from most altercations.
Though, I’d argue I could take on Silvia in combat.
The sheriff, deputy, Ryder, and Tiago follow Silvia down the street. She’s so pissed that I can hear her complaining even a block away. The woman is unhinged. Apparently, she was not like this when Tiago dated her, or she hid it really well. Either way, she needs help.
I let my grandfather lead me into the gymnasium, but I stand at the entrance without shutting the door and watch the four men who are making sure the batshit woman gets the hell out of Wilde.
Thomas stands next to me. He chuckles and looks at me, his eyes dancing. “Congratulations on the engagement, by the way. Do let me know if you’re ever low on toilet paper.”
I laugh, grateful he’s able to lighten the mood. I lift my left hand up. “Guess I should be grateful you approved our marriage.”
His expression narrows and his next words are more serious.
“It would seem to me that the Wilde heirs who have arrived so far have the best intentions in mind for the town. I will do everything in my power to ensure they are successful and happy. I will not deny any of them whatever expenses they request, not even wedding rings. However, there will be no payouts for blackmail. Ever. It’s possible other people will show up along the way and try to extort money from the Wilde coffers. They, like Silvia, will not succeed.”
I nod. “Thank you, Thomas.”
My grandfather sets a hand on my shoulder. “He’s a good man, Ray. You’ve done well.”
I turn and smile at him. “Thank you.” I’m filled with gratitude.
I’m especially grateful my grandfather didn’t flinch when we showed up this morning to tell him about our engagement.
He’s excited and pleased. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t believe me that we’re not sleeping together, but I can’t fix that, and it doesn’t matter.
I rub my hands together, waiting for my man to return. I hate that he’s been out of sight for so long. It occurs to me that in the past ten days, I’ve rarely been apart from him. Hell, I barely even get to pee without him watching me with his narrow-eyed gaze.
The man is so intense and so intimately involved with every single aspect of my life. It’s both unnerving and oddly calming. It’s weird for him to know every damn thing about me, but on the other hand, he would know in an instant if I needed medical attention.
I shudder at the thought. I hope he doesn’t decide I need to go to the doctor every time my pee is slightly too yellow or if I haven’t emptied my bowels that morning. I stifle a chuckle at the idea, but it’s probably not far from the truth.
Tiago is going to be an overbearing father, hovering so close I won’t be able to breathe when I’m pregnant. If I need an example, all I have to do is look at Claire and Ryder.
A week ago, I would have run for the hills and never looked back. Now, I’ve come to accept his intensity. And to be honest, I’m mostly looking forward to his coddling. It makes me feel like a princess.
Finally, Tiago, Ryder, and the sheriff come around the corner and head toward me. Relief fills me. It’s so overwhelming that I rush out the door, run down the stairs, and leap into my man’s arms, wrapping my legs around him.
He chuckles as he grabs my face and kisses me. “How long was I gone?” he teases.
“A million years.”
Tiago slides his hands down to my bottom and gives a squeeze.
“Is she gone?”
“Yes. She’s gone. The deputy is escorting her out of town.”
“Do you think she’ll come back?” I’d rather not have to confront that woman ever again.
“Nope. I threatened to send someone to her home to do a paternity test. She finally snapped and admitted the child is not mine. My sister will keep an eye out and make sure the child is safe and cared for.”
I blow out a relieved breath and hug Tiago tighter. He’s mine. That bitch cannot have him.