All About You (All Series Book 6) (21 page)

Gripping his face again, she held him still, kissing him with an intensity she’d never felt before, a pain of longing so deep she felt she was going to burst.

Then he found a rhythm with his hips and his hands, and in that moment everything around her went dim. She was spinning out of control, she was making him lose control, and together they took that final leap into the flame.

Stubborn

“Have you heard anything from the lawyer yet?”

Once Olivia regained some composure, she lifted herself off of him and made her way to the bathroom, trying to put herself back together as best she could.

She could have used an iron for her skirt but figured why bother at this point. She had the nice soft look of a woman used during her lunch hour, and she was actually pretty thrilled about it.

“No, not yet.”

She sat back down on the couch to face him, seeing he’d put himself back together, too. His eyes were all soft and tender looking over at her, and she was pleased about that.

“Have you tried to call again?”

“I did this morning and left another message. I know it’s only been two days, but now that Becca paid you a visit, I’m thinking I might need to call another firm if I don’t hear anything by tomorrow.”

“Call and ask for Ryan.”

“Why? He isn’t going to take this case. It’s not what he does. I’m not high profile enough for him. It’s just another custody case.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s his firm. He’s a friend.”

“Loosely, Olivia. He’s a friend to you. He’s just someone I’ve met a few times.”

“His kids and Trey play together. It’s not loosely and you know it.”

She was trying not to show any urgency, but she hadn’t told Finn everything that happened this morning, and she was afraid she might have made matters worse.

She’d known who Becca was the minute she strolled into the store in her tight skirt and shirt, dressed to the nines, trying to give off the illusion of sophistication with her knock-off Prada bag on her arm and her overly made-up face.

There was no doubt Becca was beautiful, but she was trying too hard. So much so, it came off as desperation.

Olivia had watched as Becca surveyed the store, her eyes landing on her target, then looking quickly away like she was there to browse.

Becca had walked around the store, but Olivia never missed the quick glimpses sent her way to see what she was doing. Once Becca settled herself before the custom-made pieces, she started to look around like she needed help. Olivia waved Kristen aside and made her way over.

“What can you tell me about these earrings?” Becca asked her, trying to act cool and collected.

“They’re Australian opals, Becca. Are you really interested in them, or are you here to see me?”

Becca hadn’t done a good job of hiding her surprise, but Olivia never blinked an eye. She’d never seen a picture of Becca before, but she knew who she was the moment she walked into the store. Women like Becca weren’t hard to miss.

“Actually, I’m here to see you.”

“As I figured.”

“I’m sure Finn has said all sorts of bad things about me,” Becca started to say.

“Actually, your name never came up until you paid him a visit, but go on.”

Becca faltered, but quickly regained her composure. “I want to give my side of the story.”

Olivia had listened to Becca go on and on about how she’d gotten pregnant by mistake and Finn talked her into keeping the baby, but that meant she had to quit college. He’d said he'd take care of her, but he didn’t do half of what he said, and it was
so
hard and she was so young.

“Last I checked, twenty-one was considered an adult.”

It didn’t take long for Becca to realize that tactic wasn’t working, so she changed courses.

“You don’t know the real Finn. He’s controlling and demanding of everything. The minute I said I was pregnant, he started to tell me what I was going to do and where I was going to live. He demanded I quit my job.”

“You mean being a bartender in a night club several nights a week, working until well past midnight? That’s hardly a job a pregnant woman should have, standing on her feet for hours on end.”

“You don’t get it. After I quit I had nothing to do all day but sit around in the house by myself. All he did was work.”

“Work to pay for the house he bought for you to live in and help raise your child.”

After that, Becca obviously decided it wasn’t worth her breath to say anything else negative about Finn. She wasn’t getting the reaction she wanted. So on to stage three of her plan, and what Olivia suspected had been the ultimate goal in seeking Finn out.

“That necklace right there is stunning. I bet it’s worth quite a bit.”

“Depends on your idea of worth. But you’re right, it’s probably well out of your price range.” The diamond and pearl necklace cost more than the average sedan.

“So what’s it worth to
you
?”

“Is that your subtle way of saying you could be bought to go away? To not cause me any trouble?”

Becca pasted a smile on her face, her eyes shooting venom. “You can take it any way you want.”

“I know women like you. I’ve handled women tougher than you.” Olivia placed her hands on the glass case and leaned forward, closer to Becca, close enough to whisper and know she’d be heard, a smile never leaving her face. “I hope you have a good lawyer. You’re going to need it to defend scum like you, wanting to be bought to never see the child she didn’t want to begin with.”

Finn pulled her thoughts back to the present, arguing, “Our kids playing together a few times doesn’t mean I can call him for a favor,”

“Don’t be stubborn or bullheaded. If you don’t hear from them by the end of the day tomorrow, then call and ask for Ryan.”

“I’ll think about it.”

***

Then next morning Finn heard his cell phone ring and reached forward, recognizing the Mathews firm’s number, and answered.

“Hey, Finn. Ryan Mathews. How are you feeling? Did I catch you at a bad time?”

He couldn’t fathom why Ryan was calling him personally, then decided he could hazard a guess, but didn’t want to assume.

“I’m doing good. I’ll be better when I start working again. And no, this isn’t a bad time. I was expecting to hear from someone else, though.”

“Abigail is a little behind on her case load, and we just got out of our staff meeting going over cases for the week. I recognized your name and took the file.”

Okay, that made him feel better. “Yeah, I’ve got a possible situation. Not sure yet, but I want to cover my bases.”

“Can you be at my office in two hours?”

“Sure, I’ve got nothing but time on my hands.”

Finn walked into Ryan’s office at the appointed time and stopped at the reception desk to give his name, but Ryan walked down the hall first.

“He’s here for me, Carol. Thanks. Finn, follow me.”

Finn had seen Ryan a few times, but never like this. Never in a suit that cost more than his entire wardrobe together. Never this polished, with almost a sparkle to him.

He was trying not to feel so out of place, but he couldn’t help it. He hated even being here, hated the reason he had to be here and was dreading bringing the past up again, let alone sharing it with people who knew him and Trey personally.

On top of that, in the last two hours, he’d thought about the phone call and Ryan’s explanation for calling him. Though it was plausible, he didn’t believe it.

“Did Olivia call you?”

Ryan shut the door to his office, gestured toward a small table, and took a seat, Finn following. “No. Was she supposed to?”

Finn wasn’t buying the smirk on Ryan’s face or the laughter behind his answer. “I don’t necessarily need the biggest defense attorney in the area, or the owner of the firm to take my case.”

Ryan laughed, put one loafer-clad heel on his knee and got comfortable in the chair. “You
have
met my wife, right?”

“So Olivia called Kaitlin?” Finn wasn’t sure if that was worse or not.

“I honestly don’t know the chain of the calls, if there even were phone calls. I just know that my wife has me wrapped around her finger and I’m not ashamed to admit it. And if she didn’t, then Harper does. I can tell you right now, if I didn’t take this case personally and Harper found out, she’d never let me live it down.”

Finn laughed, relaxing more with the conversation about their kids and Ryan’s joking manner. “I hope Trey hasn’t hurt her feelings. He really isn’t interested in girls right now.”

“That works just fine for me. Trust me, I’m good with it. I’d be happy if Harper was more like her mother used to be, but I don’t think I’m getting that wish. All I can say is I’m happy I’m having another boy. Poor Cameron and I couldn’t take another female in the house.”

“Boys are great,” Finn said, thinking of Trey and why he was here.

“They are. And I wish you’d called me personally. I always know the cases in my office, and I would have taken it over eventually anyway. So please, don’t feel like Olivia put pressure on anyone to talk to me about it, if that even happened. Now, let’s talk about your problem.”

In the end, Finn walked out of Ryan’s office feeling more comfortable and confident than he did when he walked in, but that still didn’t stop the annoyance he felt over Olivia possibly having made the call.

Incompetent

At the end of day, Finn was putting dinner on the table for Trey, his frustration over the day’s events mixed in with his worry, and the possible fight ahead of him had him on edge.

“I don’t want mac and cheese tonight,” Trey said, pursing his lips. “Can I have a hot dog instead?”

He’d just spent the last hour making the mac and cheese from scratch, something he didn’t often enjoy doing, but it was one of the few things that Trey liked. Not wanting to argue, he offered, “I’ll make you a hot dog to eat with your mac and cheese. That’s the only offer, though.”

“Okay. I’ll eat both of them.”

He opened up the fridge, grabbed a hot dog out of the package, put it in the microwave, and then pulled a bun out of the bag just when the timer went off. Once the hot dog was coated with ketchup and on a paper plate next to the mac and cheese, Trey started to eat with gusto.

Filling his own plate with mac and cheese and a leftover burger from the night before that Trey had said he didn’t want either, Finn sat down to eat.

He heard his front door open and Olivia’s voice. Great, just what he needed. He was still too keyed up and in so much of a bad mood that he was pretty sure some of it was going to be spewing out toward her.

He would have been happier if she didn’t have time to stop tonight, but hadn’t wanted to tell her that.

“In the kitchen,” he yelled and looked over at Trey’s dish to see his mac and cheese gone. The kid complained about food, but when he wanted to eat, he couldn’t shovel it in fast enough.

“Hot dogs. Yummy,” Olivia said and leaned down to kiss Trey on the cheek. “Can I have a bite?”

Trey didn’t hesitate to offer the remaining half of his dog to Olivia, who actually took a healthy bite.

“Not bad. It’s better with mustard, though. Sorry to interrupt dinner. I just wanted to stop and say hi before I headed to Sophia’s house for the night.”

“Do you want something to eat?”

“No, I’m good. Sophia is grilling salmon.”

“Eww, fish is gross,” Trey said, his mouth half full.

“Don’t talk with food in your mouth, Trey,” Finn said.

“It’s not that gross. I like it. And it’s pink. Pink is one of my favorite colors.”

“Cuz you’re a girl.”

She tapped Trey on the nose. “I am, and very proud of it.”

“If you’re done, Trey, why don’t you wash up and go play in your room while Olivia and I have a talk.”

Trey finished chewing, grabbed his plate, put it in the sink along with his fork, and ran out of the room. At least his son could clean up without being asked. That was something. And all it did was bring up more deep-rooted issues from his past.

“Is there a problem?” Olivia asked, pulling out Trey’s chair and sitting down. “You look upset.”

“I talked to Ryan today.”

“Oh. See, he did call you. I told you he would.”

He choked back a nasty laugh. “Of course he would when you get involved.”

“What does that mean?” She looked confused, but he wasn’t buying it.

“It means Ryan said Kaitlin mentioned something to him. So I’m guessing that had something to do with you.”

“I didn’t talk to Kaitlin at all. And I don’t appreciate you accusing me of something.” She held her hand up when he went to speak again, her spine going straight and her eyes narrowing. It was the first sign of annoyance he’d ever seen, but he was too pissed off to care. “No. Let me finish. Even if I did call Kaitlin, which I didn’t, what’s the big deal? It’s a phone call, Finn. It’s not a big deal.”

“It
is
a big deal. I don’t need other people doing things for me. I can take care of Trey on my own. I’ve done it for years. I hate even having my mother and sister watch him as much as I do, but I don’t have a choice.”

“So you think it’s some kind of charity, is that it? That everyone thinks you’re this poor single father and you can’t handle it? That’s the furthest thing from the truth I’ve ever heard.”

“Listen, I don’t know how things are done where you came from, but in my life, I do things on my own. I don’t ask for help unless I absolutely have no choice. And even then I hate it.”

“That’s crazy. There is nothing wrong with people who love you wanting to help you. Just because you’ve never asked before or don’t think you need it doesn’t mean someone thinks you’re incompetent if they offer. And I repeat, I didn’t call Kaitlin.”

He wasn’t listening to her. What she was saying was hitting a little too close to home, bringing up bitter memories and sidelong glances full of sympathy that he’d had to deal with when Becca left.

He’d blocked it out as best he could and just moved on one day at a time. Having it all front and center again was more than he could stomach right now.

“I don’t have a rich daddy to bail me out when I need it. Or to come riding in on a white horse and take away all of my problems. I’ve learned to take care of myself and my son, and I’m raising him to do the same thing.”

Vaguely, he realized he was yelling at her. She pushed the chair back from the table and stood up stiffly, squaring her shoulders and blinking her eyes, then looking at the ceiling. He fully expected her to yell back at him, maybe throw something, even a temper tantrum. He was prepared; that’s what Becca always did.

But instead she composed herself and said, “Guess I know what you really think of me. I thought you were different.”

“Daddy, why are you yelling?” Finn turned to see Trey standing in the doorway, almost hidden behind the frame, tears on his cheeks. Great. “I don’t like it when you yell.”

“I’ll leave now. Then you can stop yelling and take care of your son.”

He watched her walk out of the kitchen and heard the front door shut. She didn’t even lose control enough to slam it. He stood up to walk closer to Trey, only to have Trey take a step back. Wonderful, now his son was scared of him.

“Trey, it’s fine. Sometimes adults fight.”

“But she wasn’t yelling. You were. And you made her cry. You can’t make her cry!”

Trey turned and ran down the hall and back up the stairs. Finn did the only thing he could think of, and slammed his fist through the wall.

“Shit!”

He pulled his hand back, shaking it out, and stared at the hole in the wall. At least he had something to do now. He couldn’t leave the hole there. First, though, he had to talk to Trey.

***

“Hey, what are you doing out here?”

Olivia turned to see Sophia walking toward her where she was sitting on the dock with her feet hanging over the edge, her bare toes just skimming the water.

She ran her hand under her nose. “Just trying to gather my thoughts.”

Sophia noticed the tears and came rushing forward. “What happened? Everything just getting to you now?”

“No. Finn and I had a fight. Or he did and I just stood there and took it like the spineless wimp I am.”

Sophia frowned, then lifted her hand and wiped a tear from Olivia’s cheek. “You’re not a wimp. Want to talk about it? Let’s bash Finn and get it off our chests.”

Olivia half-laughed. She knew Sophia was trying to cheer her up, but she wasn’t ready for it right now.

“He’s mad at me because Ryan called him today.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

“He thinks I called Kaitlin and told her to tell Ryan to call Finn. That I interfered, and he made it seem like I don’t think he can handle this on his own. He even threw it in my face about having a rich daddy to buy my problems away.”

“That was pretty low. I really want to bash him now.”

“Me too.” Olivia sniffled some more, fresh tears coming to her eyes.

“But I won’t,” Sophia said. “He was wrong with what he said, you know that. Cut him a little bit of slack though. His world is being turned upside down right now.”

“He was wrong to say that, but he must believe it deep down.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Sophia, people say things in the heat of the moment that they’re really thinking. When they aren’t in the heat of the moment, they have enough control to keep it to themselves. He obviously thinks the same thing about me that every other man has in my life. He thinks I’m just some spoiled little rich girl having fun with my jewelry store, waiting for the next guy to come and take care of me.”

“I really think you’re wrong, Olivia. From what you’ve said, he’s never given any indication of that. You’ve even said how proud he has been of you, and how strong and independent he thinks you are. Try to see things from his side.”

“Why are you defending him? You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am on your side. But I’m a parent too and I see it from his point of view. He’s a single parent and he is trying to raise Trey in a way that you and I never had. A way we would have wanted, and now someone is trying to upset his world and Trey’s. You remember
that
feeling, don’t you?”

She did, and hated that Sophia pointed it out, making her feel selfish.

“I’m trying to see it that way too, but I can’t right now. It hurts too much…what he said. Then Trey came down and looked scared that Finn was yelling at me and that got me even more upset. I didn’t want Trey to be upset because Finn was mad at me. I don’t want him to be put in the middle.”

“You’re sounding like a mother now.”

Which made what Sophia said hit home even more. “I feel like one to Trey. I just don’t know what to do now. I mean, if he really feels this way about me, I can’t change that. I came here to get away from that perception. I can’t go back to that person. I’ve worked too hard to
not
be that person anymore.”

“He’s never seen that person, which is why he shouldn’t have said that to you. Look, Olivia. He came face to face with his ex, the woman who left him to care for a newborn on his own with no explanation. You told me everything, remember?” Sophia put her hand to her mouth. “Oops, I might have mentioned a few things to Kaitlin last night when we were chatting. Not in detail, but I did say that Finn called Ryan. She must have mentioned something to him, but you know her, she wouldn’t have gotten too involved.”

“Well, that at least explains things. But it doesn’t change what he said tonight.” And she was glad she didn’t mention anything about the paternity tests. She’d never disclose that.

“No, it doesn’t. You’ve fought with other men in the past. How did you handle it then?”

“I walked away. Moved on. Why bother, I didn’t need that headache.”

“And now.”

“I don’t want to walk away. I’m not that person anymore.”

“Then prove it to him.”