Come Home to Me (17 page)

“It’s what you wanted!”

He was leaving. Why? She couldn’t let him go. She had to have some reassurance, even a hint, that he wouldn’t threaten to take Wyatt away from her.

“Aaron?” As she followed him to the door, she managed to hold fresh tears at bay, but it was all she could do not to plead with him to understand, to move on as if Wyatt had never been born. She
would
have resorted to begging if she’d thought it would help. “What are you going to do?”

“Beats the hell out of me.” He paused long enough to look back at Wyatt. Then he shook his head and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

“What’s wrong?”

Cheyenne had heard the tears in her voice. Presley would’ve preferred to make this call once she’d pulled herself together, but she couldn’t allow her sister to be blindsided. For all she knew, Aaron was on his way to their place right now. “Are you alone?”

“Not quite but...give me a minute.”

Presley heard some rustling, then the sound of a door closing. When her sister spoke again, there was an echo, as if she’d just locked herself in the bathroom. “What’s going on?”

“He knows.”

“
Who
knows? Not Dylan. He seems fine....”

“Aaron!”

“About Wyatt?”
She was whispering, but her voice rose in spite of that.

Hot tears rolled down Presley’s cheeks. “Yes.”

“No! How did he find out?
You
didn’t tell him....”

“He guessed. He was waiting here for me when I got home from work.”

Silence fell, a silence that stretched for several seconds. Then Cheyenne said, “Are you okay?”

“I’m sick to my stomach.”

“I can understand why. How’d he take the news?”

“Pretty much as we expected.” She blew her nose and dried her eyes. “He’s not happy. He feels cheated and betrayed, by both of us.”

Cheyenne let out a small squeal of alarm. “You told him
I
knew Wyatt was his?”

“I told him you
didn’t
know, but he didn’t believe me. I’m sorry.”

She groaned. “I was afraid this wasn’t going to end well. Now
Dylan
will find out I’ve been lying to him about Wyatt, too.”

“You’re going to lie to him about something much bigger.”

“That’s for his own good. This can’t be construed the same way. This was for you. I put you above him.”

Presley slumped on the couch. Wyatt was playing with his blocks in the middle of the floor, but he could tell that something was wrong. He kept coming over to pat her leg before wandering off again. “It was a mistake for me to move back to Whiskey Creek,” she said. “I should’ve waited. But I didn’t think it would make any difference. In the two years I was gone, Aaron didn’t try to contact me once.”

“Actually...” Cheyenne cleared her throat.

“What?”

“He asked for your number a few times. Maybe...several times.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why would I? You were doing so well. I didn’t want to weaken your resolve. And he could’ve tried a lot harder. He would have if he’d really wanted to reach you.”

Stung that Cheyenne had kept this from her, Presley sat up. He’d let her go so easily, and that had been a painful thing to cope with.

But she might’ve settled for continuing the relationship if she’d known. Maybe Cheyenne had done her a favor. Aaron cared. He’d
told
her he cared. He’d just never cared enough. “Either way, I thought he was relieved to be rid of me, that he wouldn’t pay any attention to the fact that I was back. I never dreamed he’d fight for our...friendship.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, Pres, but I think he’s bored with the women he’s been seeing. Noelle’s not exactly good company. And you’ve been trying to keep away from him, so you’re a new challenge.”

Presley dropped her head in her hands. She’d brought that up before, but... “That’s not very flattering to either of us, Chey. It makes him look shallow and me like an infatuated fool.”

Her sister didn’t respond immediately. “I shouldn’t have said it. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Presley didn’t want to
be
hurt. She’d barely been able to navigate the dark labyrinth of the past two years; she definitely didn’t want to start that journey over.

“Thanks. I think.” She didn’t believe Cheyenne truly understood what it was like when she was in Aaron’s arms. The way it felt as if she mattered so much more to him than she really did. But what was the use of insisting she wasn’t merely a challenge to Aaron? She had to accept the fact that they were never going to be together.

Cheyenne quickly steered the conversation into safer territory.

“I still don’t understand how he guessed about Wyatt.”

“All it took was for someone to point out the similarities,” she said. “Then it clicked, and something he’d never thought to question seemed obvious. I would’ve tried harder to convince him he was wrong, but he could prove the truth too easily.”

“He plans on getting a paternity test?”

“That’s what he says.”

“He wouldn’t go that far unless he really wants to know.”

“Apparently, he does. Aaron might have his flaws, but he’s not afraid of facing a challenge.”

“Does that mean he plans to participate in Wyatt’s life?”

“I can only guess it does. I gave him the chance to sign away his rights, told him if he did, Wyatt and I would never bother him again.”

“And?”

“He didn’t take it.”

Presley waited for her sister to digest this information. “So where’d you leave it?” she asked at length.

“Up in the air.”

“Just a minute...”

Presley could tell by her sister’s inflection that this was a separate concern. “What is it?”

“He’s here—
Aaron’s
here.” Her next words came as a whisper. “You don’t think he’ll tell Dylan about the artificial insemination, do you? Just to get back at us?”

“He’s not vindictive enough to do something like that out of spite or...revenge. But even if he does, we haven’t performed the insemination yet, so Dylan can’t get
too
mad.”

“Aaron could tell Dylan I’m not pregnant.”

Presley jumped to her feet. “Dylan thinks you’re
already
pregnant?”

“That’s why I tried to call you earlier,” she said. “But never mind that right now. I’ve got to go.”

There was no chance to say anything else. Her sister was gone.

19

A
s Aaron stood on Dylan’s front stoop, asking his brother if he had a second to talk, he could see Cheyenne hovering in the background, near the kitchen. It wasn’t hard to see that she was nervous. But he couldn’t bring himself to say or do anything to relieve her anxiety. While he understood that her loyalty to Presley would be stronger than her loyalty to him, this wasn’t a small matter. They were talking about a
child
.
His
child. She’d kept Wyatt’s paternity a secret from him for two years. And she’d had the nerve to come to him when
she
needed help, to tell him she trusted him more than anyone else. How did she expect that to make him feel?

Used? Because that pretty much summed it up.

“Sure,” Dylan said. “Come on in.”

Aaron shook his head. “I’d rather we took a ride, if you don’t mind.”

Dylan blinked at him. Aaron had never dragged him out of the house like this before. Generally, if they had something to discuss they could handle it at work or over the phone. But he didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Cheyenne.

“What’s going on?” he asked as they both climbed into Aaron’s truck.

Aaron started the engine, drove two blocks and pulled over at the park. They didn’t need to go far. He merely wanted a few moments of privacy. “I just came from Presley’s.”

Dylan managed to keep his expression neutral. “You’ve made it perfectly clear that you’re going to do what you want where she’s concerned, so...why are you telling me?”

“Because I didn’t go there for the reason you think.”

“Then why
did
you go there?”

He drew a deep breath. “I went there to see my son.”

The placid mask on Dylan’s face cracked. “Your
son?
Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Wyatt is mine.”

“And you haven’t done a damn thing to support him? Or Presley?”

“How could I?” he snapped. “I found out today.”

“Holy shit.” Dylan kneaded his forehead. “Are you
sure?
”

“I’ll order a paternity test to verify it. But it’s easy to believe, wouldn’t you say?”

“Now that you’ve told me, it is, but...we talked about this once before, when we first learned she was pregnant. You told me the baby couldn’t be yours, that you used a condom every single time you were with her.”

“I did.” And as far as he’d known, they’d all worked. Until recently...

“So how...”

He shrugged. “Nothing’s foolproof. You took health classes in high school. Even the pill isn’t one hundred percent effective in every situation.”

“But you believed her....”

“Completely. Thanks to what happened after she left here—or what you guys hinted at—and what she said about the father of her child, I accepted it without question.”

Dylan turned off the radio; Aaron hadn’t even realized it was on. “Okay, but Presley’s had a rough go of it. There were months when she lived on noodles so Wyatt could have everything he needed. Why would she lie when she could’ve had your help? You’ve always had more money than she has.”

Aaron shook his head. “That’s what I don’t get. She said she was doing me a favor. That I wouldn’t have wanted him, anyway. But why wouldn’t she give me the chance to decide for myself?”

“She wasn’t in a good place back then.”

Although it was true, that was difficult to acknowledge. He was too angry.

“Maybe she thought you’d give her too much trouble,” Dylan said. “That she’d have to take you to court to get you to step up.”

He scratched his cheek. “But I’m equally responsible for creating Wyatt, so I would’ve been willing to do my part.”

“And now?”

“I’m
still
willing. But she doesn’t want my help. She just asked me to sign away my parental rights.”

Understanding suddenly dawned in Dylan’s eyes. But he didn’t react the way Aaron had expected. “Oh!
Now
I get it.”

“Get what?”

“It’s not that she was afraid you
wouldn’t
want Wyatt. She was afraid you would.”

“What?”

“She knew you’d help, Aaron. Maybe nobody else saw it, but I was living with you. I remember how you used to look out for her. No doubt that was part of what made her fall in love with you. But think about it—a man who participates financially is much more likely to insist on being involved in his child’s life.”

“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to go?” Aaron asked. “Isn’t that what’s best for the child? Why would my participation be a bad thing?”

“That’s not the point. You’ve always had more resources than she has. Maybe two years ago you weren’t quite where you are now, but you were still a lot more stable than she was. You had a reliable job, a house, close family. Her mother had just died. Cheyenne, her only sister, was planning to marry. And you didn’t want to be with her in the way she wanted to be with you. She had nothing but her baby when she left here. Not even a way to earn a living.”

Aaron rubbed his temples. Dylan described a pretty sad picture, but Aaron had wondered about Presley and where she’d been at that point in her life many times. He’d agonized over how he’d treated her when she came to the door that night, wished he could go back and be kinder. But somehow she’d gotten through it. She’d gotten over him, too. And these days she didn’t want to risk associating with him. What options did that leave him now that he knew about Wyatt?

“So what do I do?” he asked.

Dylan took a moment to answer. “Wyatt’s a great kid, Aaron. I’d think long and hard before giving him up.”

“If I don’t give him up, Presley and I will have to figure out some way to share him. She won’t be happy about that.”

“It’ll scare her. But you can handle it fairly.”

Aaron shifted in his seat. “I thought you wanted me to stay away from her.”

The beard growth on Dylan’s chin rasped as he ran a hand over his face. “That was before.”

“You were feeling a great deal of loyalty to her just a few days ago.”

“I still feel that loyalty. She’s my sister-in-law. But you’re my brother. I guess that’s why Cheyenne didn’t tell me.”

“So you realize she knew all along? And you’re not upset about that?”

“No. I’m glad she didn’t put me in the position of having to choose. She must’ve known I’d tell you.”

Aaron smiled. Of course Dylan would tell him. Dylan had always looked out for his best interests. “I admit I was hard to raise. And we still bump heads now and then. Sometimes I don’t even know where the anger inside me comes from. But...” He wanted to tell his big brother that he appreciated everything he’d done, that he loved him. He’d never come right out and said it. There’d been a lot of times when he hadn’t shown it, either—and yet Dylan was still there after all the years, ready to stand between him and any threat.

“But what?” Dylan asked.

Somehow the words seemed to get trapped in Aaron’s throat. He couldn’t speak without breaking down, and there was no way he was going to do that. He swallowed hard, struggling to curb his emotions before he embarrassed them both—but as soon as Dylan clued in to what was going on, he bailed him out.

“It’s okay. I know,” he said, and squeezed Aaron’s shoulder before getting out. “I’ll walk back.”

The tears came, anyway, but at least he was alone.

* * *

Cheyenne fidgeted nervously as she heard the door open and close. Dylan was back, but was he mad? She’d never kept anything from him before—just Wyatt’s paternity and, in the past few weeks, the plans she’d been making—so she had no idea how he might react. She hoped he wouldn’t assume that she’d lie for any old reason. Or that she didn’t love him.

“I’m sorry, Dyl,” she said, meeting him in the hallway. “I’m
really
sorry. I got mad at
you
for keeping the news about your stepmother from me, and now you find out that I kept something much bigger from you, but...I didn’t know what else to do.”

He looked more thoughtful than angry. But she didn’t touch him; she wasn’t sure he’d welcome it. Knowing how protective he was of his brothers, this could be their first serious fight. She’d broken the rules of loyalty, and loyalty was more important to the Amoses than love.

“Are you upset with me?” she asked.

“No.”

“Disappointed?” She winced because that would be even worse. He’d always made her feel so good about herself, as if he accepted her and loved her just as she was and always would no matter what. That she’d done this put her at risk of losing something very precious to her.

“Do you think I betrayed you by keeping Presley’s secret?” she asked. “I would’ve told you, but...she begged me not to. And I...I couldn’t take the chance that it would wreck everything if Aaron found out. I couldn’t
begin
to guess how he’d react. You know how her life has gone. Not only that, but I believed her when she said that Aaron wouldn’t want the baby. It made sense considering where he was two years ago, but...”

“But?”

She clasped her hands in front of her. “The more time passed, and the more I came to understand Aaron and see him gain control of his life, the harder it was for me to keep my mouth shut. So I did the wrong thing, but it was for the right reasons—for Presley’s sake. I hope you’ll believe that. It’s been terrible to feel so torn. I’ve almost told you a million times.”

The words poured out but, by the end, he was smiling. “Shush,” he said, and gathered her close. “It’s okay.”

Filled with relief, she wrapped her arms around him. “Really, Dyl? You understand? Because I’ve been so scared of how you’d react if you found out.”

“How could you be scared of
me?
” he murmured into her hair.

“Not
of
you—of what you might feel about me.”

He pulled back far enough to look into her face. “Nothing could ever make me stop loving you.”

“But I know how you feel about Aaron and the boys—”

“Which is exactly why you did the right thing. I wouldn’t have wanted to be in your shoes—knowing the truth but feeling I couldn’t tell. You saved me from being in that spot, from having to betray one or the other.”

She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in his comforting, familiar smell. “That’s it. I couldn’t be true to both of them, and it was so difficult, because I love Aaron, too.”

He gently massaged her back. “I know you do.”

Now that she could think beyond how the secret might damage her marriage, her thoughts turned to Aaron and what his reaction might mean for her sister and nephew. “How’s Aaron taking the news?”

“He feels blindsided, as you might expect. It’ll take him some time to come to grips with this.”

“But do you have any idea whether he wants to be part of Wyatt’s life?”

“Not yet.”

“If he signs away his rights, Presley won’t ever ask him for anything.”

“I think she made that clear.”

“And?”

“It was a direct hit.”

She drew him into the living room so they could sit. “What does that mean?”

“It hurt his feelings, Chey. Just because he’s never wanted to marry Presley doesn’t mean he doesn’t give a shit about her. He cares, just on a different level. For her to reject even his participation in their son’s life...that would sting, right? So he seemed rattled.”

“I’m sorry about that. I realize Aaron’s sensitive under all that male bravado.”

“He’s particularly sensitive to this issue because, for all intents and purposes, we lost
both
parents. He wouldn’t walk away from a child of his.”

That sent a chill through Cheyenne. “If he can’t care about Presley, too, it would be better for him to let her have Wyatt.”

“I’m not convinced of that.”

“Do you understand how hard she’d find it to have to see Aaron on a continuing basis? She’s still in love with him, Dyl.”

“That’s unfortunate for her, but at this point our concern needs to be for Wyatt. If he has a father who’s willing to be part of his life, he deserves that.”

“In other words, the adults will have to muddle through.”

“Exactly.”

“So you do think he’ll want to be involved.”

“I don’t know my brother as well as I thought I did if he gives up his son.”

“You know him.” Cheyenne released her breath in a long sigh. “Poor Presley. I pray she’ll be able to cope.”

“We’ll do all we can to offer her the support she needs. Maybe, in the end, this will wind up being for the best.”

She managed to smile despite her worry. “I can’t believe I married such a wise man.”

He leaned over to peck her lips. “Your luck had to turn some time, babe.”

He was teasing, but she was serious when she responded. “I’d go through ten more childhoods like the one I had in order to reach the happiness I’ve found with you.”

He pressed a hand to her stomach. “We have only good things to look forward to.”

A fresh dose of guilt ruined everything. He’d taken the news about Wyatt in stride. He’d understood her dilemma, as only Dylan could. She should’ve had more faith in him.

Should she strip away
all
the lies? Tell him she’d been to the doctor and that she’d tested his sperm? She could explain she’d already researched artificial insemination, offer that as an alternative. But she no longer had any idea whether Aaron would still be willing to help. She couldn’t blame him if he’d changed his mind.

Maybe Grady or Rod or Mack would do it if Dylan knew and was okay with it....

If she told him, she’d also have to admit that she wasn’t really pregnant, but she had no more appetite for secrets. “Dyl?”

A text from Grady, something about work, had come in on his phone and he was looking down at it. “What?”

“Did you cancel your appointment with the doctor?”

“Of course. Why would I keep it if we’re already pregnant?”

She closed her eyes. “I was just...wondering.” How could she say what she had to say? She couldn’t come up with the right words.

She decided to launch into it, but as soon as he finished with his phone, he pulled her close.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am about the baby,” he said. “There might be some crazy days ahead with Aaron and Presley, but we’ve got that. There’s no way I can be upset about anything when I think of my baby growing inside you.”