Reilly's Wildcard (6 page)

Lucy knew that uneasy tone all too well. Annabelle got that particular uncertainty in her voice only when she had something big to tell her. She’d been the same way when she’d announced she was going to enlist. “Spill it, kid.”

“I’m, uh, engaged. I’m getting married.”

“Married?” Her little sister was getting married? Was it even possible? An image of Annabelle in pigtails running through the house screaming about a big, hairy monster under her bed sprang to Lucy’s mind. God, she suddenly felt really old.

“Yeah, married.” Silence came over the line, and then, “Did we get cut off?”

“Oh yeah. I’m here.” Then she realized she had to say something. “Damn, girl, you don’t mess around, do you? Congratulations!”

Annabelle laughed, and Lucy heard a man’s voice in the background. “Justin says hello.” She laughed at something else, then said, “He says he can’t wait to meet you.”

“Justin? I take it he’s military too?”

“Yep. We went through boot camp at the same time. We’ve known each other for a while now. I think you’re going to like him, Lucy.”

“My baby sister is getting married. God, I can’t believe it.” Tears stung her eyes. “Are you happy? He damn well better make you happy.”

She heard Annabelle sigh. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been. It’s too much sometimes. I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s not all a dream.”

“It’s real, Anna, and nobody deserves it more than you.”

“Thanks,” she replied. “I love you so much.”

“Don’t get all sappy on me. Christ, you know I hate that messy emotional stuff.”

Annabelle laughed. “I know, but I just felt like saying it.”

“I love you too,” Lucy said, her voice breaking a little. “When will I see you? Do you have any leave time coming up?”

“I need to go, sis, but I have two days of leave coming up. I’m coming home, but then Justin wants me to meet his folks. I’m afraid I’m only going to be home for a day, because we’ll be heading up to his parents’ house in Michigan.”

“I totally understand. I’ll take whatever time I can get with you.”

After they settled on the details, they said their good-byes, and Lucy was left staring at the two pregnancy tests that confirmed her doom. Okay, not doom exactly, but what was she supposed to do now? Telling Reilly she was pregnant was bound to be a big bowl of cherries, considering she’d done her level best to steer clear of the man ever since their one night together.

After her narrow escape from his house, he’d come knocking. And calling. Several times. As hard as it’d been, she’d stubbornly ignored him at every turn. Eventually, he’d given up. Her stomach knotted as she thought of how badly she’d wanted him
not
to give up.

Now Lucy was going to have to search him out and explain he was about to be the father of her child. Most likely he wouldn’t want anything to do with the baby. Just like the mother.

Crushing down on the sadness that threatened to destroy her, Lucy slipped the little pregnancy sticks in the drawer below the sink and went back to getting ready for work. She loved her job as a copy editor, but there were days, like today, when she’d really rather stay home and stew. She didn’t feel like dealing with the stack of work waiting for her at the office. She didn’t feel like smiling and making small talk. She just wanted to wallow in self-pity. Probably a good thing she didn’t have that option.

She slipped into a pair of black slacks and white blouse, then pulled her hair into a bun. After checking herself in the mirror one more time, Lucy left the bathroom. Maybe sinking herself into work would get her to forget about babies and frustrating Jennings men.

“And maybe hell really will freeze over,” she muttered.

God, he missed her. Reilly had tried everything to get back in Lucy’s good graces, to no avail. Why he bothered, he had no idea. Never in his life had he been so obsessed with a woman. He kept imagining the way she’d looked, sprawled out on his kitchen floor, moaning in ecstasy with his cock embedded deep inside her. And just like that, his dick swelled and hardened. He had to shift around in his seat just so his dick didn’t feel strangled. Reilly wanted to curse, but he knew it wouldn’t do a bit of good.

“What’s wrong with me?” He wasn’t the type of guy to pine away for a woman. Still, when he’d attempted to move on, to get over Lucy by taking another woman out, he’d only ended up more frustrated. His dick hadn’t wanted the cute blonde. It wanted to be back inside Lucy, where it was all snug and warm.

“Shit,” he bit out and started to add the numbers all over again. At first he’d loved the idea of helping to run the restaurant. A night owl by nature, Reilly loved the fast-paced revelry that the Blackwater provided to their customers. But, he’d never counted on there being so much damn paperwork involved. He hadn’t realized how much went into keeping the restaurant afloat and staying in the black. How his dad had done it all those years was beyond him. Ever since Chet Jennings had passed away, Reilly’s mom had taken over the daily running of the restaurant. But when things had started to go south and she’d gotten in over her head, Reilly and his brothers had stepped in to help. They’d remodeled and expanded to the point where the restaurant was bringing in a nice profit for the first time in way too long.

Still, as Reilly finished tallying the previous night’s profits, he did see the appeal in being a part of the family business. Of course, he liked his other businesses too, and he’d fought hard to be his own boss, setting his own hours and not having to answer to anyone but himself. It worked for him, which was why he was content to have a small part in the restaurant.

A sound outside the office drew his attention away from his thoughts. It was a woman’s voice. And not just any woman. He’d know that belligerent, sarcastic tone anywhere.

Reilly got to his feet and was in the kitchen before he even realized how eager that would appear. He should have played it cool and stayed in the office. Forced her to come to him.

But she was here, and Reilly couldn’t wait to find out why. It had to be damn good for her to have shed her pride and searched him out.

“You need to back off, little man.”

That from Lucy, who in all her splendor was staring daggers at the Blackwater’s chef, Eddie. Eddie was a big, beefy man not about to be intimidated by a woman as fragile as Lucy. Her calling him little, now that was downright hilarious.

“Look, lady, he’s busy. Come back later.”

“If you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to kick you so hard you’ll be singing soprano.”

Reilly chuckled, drawing their attention immediately. Eddie was the first to speak.

“I’ve told her you’re busy, but she insists on seeing you.”

Lucy peeked around Eddie and shouted, “Well? Don’t just stand there like a lump. Tell him to let me through already!”

Reilly crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorjamb. “Why? You seem to be handling things just fine.”

“Tell him, or you’ll be looking for a new chef.”

He gave in at that lethal threat. “Eddie, give it up. She’s liable to hurt you.”

Eddie looked at him with a grateful expression and growled, “Good luck!”

Yeah, he’d need all the luck he could get, but he didn’t much care for the way Eddie was acting toward Lucy. “Lucy Rice is a friend of mine. Show some respect.”

Eddie glared at Lucy and muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, you’re all full of remorse.”

Eddie threw up his hands and started grumbling under his breath as he pushed through the double doors leading out from the kitchen.

Once his frustrated cook was out of sight, Reilly turned to Lucy and said, “Come on.” He motioned for her to follow him as he headed back to his office. When he entered the small room, he rounded the desk and sat, then indicated the chair across from him. Lucy sat with her back ramrod straight and her purse clutched in a tight fist in her lap. God, she looked good. The purple streak in her hair was gone, which was a shame, because he’d liked it. The dressed-up Lucy Rice was downright edible. But this T-shirt-and-jeans version was no less appealing. With her mass of black hair tied back in a ponytail and no makeup on, she looked all of eighteen. Holy shit.

He heard Eddie still shouting obscenities and groaned. “I may be forced to defend your honor pretty soon if he doesn’t shut up. I can just see me challenging that big bull.”

Lucy’s lips curved upward. God, she was so pretty when she smiled. It’d been way too long since he’d seen her. He wanted to see her laugh. Christ, he was hungry for her. And if he didn’t do something about it soon, he’d explode.

“So, what brings you here? Everything okay?”

She shrugged and blurted, “I’m pregnant.”

Reilly just stared at her, trying to comprehend what she’d just said. Obviously he misheard. “Say again?”

She slumped in the seat and stared down at the floor. “I’m pregnant.”

Ah, damn. “That’s what I thought you said.”

Lucy shot from the chair so fast, Reilly didn’t have time to react. She pushed her purse onto her shoulder and planted her hands against the desk so they were nose-to-nose and stated, “Congratulations, Dad.”

She turned and started for the door before Reilly came out of his puzzled stupor and taunted, “You expect me to believe I’m the father? So you lied about being on the pill?”

Lucy stopped dead. Long seconds passed before she slowly turned and ground out, “For the record, I didn’t lie. I was on the pill, but I was also taking antibiotics at the time. Apparently the meds screwed with the potency of my birth control pills. Also, I don’t much give a damn what you believe. But you
are
the father. Now, you can be a jerk and call me a tramp and a liar, or you can do the right thing and take responsibility.” She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Either way, it doesn’t affect me. I just thought you’d like to know.”

Then she walked through the door, and Reilly was left staring at empty space. A baby? He was going to be a father? Lucy was going to be a mother? What sort of crazy twist of fate was that? He’d even used a condom. A condom that had broken, he reminded himself. As he sat there, wondering about what this would mean, her parting words registered.
It doesn’t affect her?
Bullshit.

Reilly shot to his feet. The force of his anger pushed the chair backward several feet. He stalked out of the office and went straight through the kitchen, then out the front entrance. He caught up to her just as she was getting into her little black Volkswagen bug.

Grasping her slim arm in his hand, he tugged her around to face him. “You drop a bomb like that, then leave? Hell no.”

Her spine stiffened. “Get your hand off me. Now.”

Reilly quickly noted her pale face and the tremor in her lower lip. Was she about to cry? Christ, he was handling this worse than when he’d accused her of sleeping with him to get the singing gig. No, damn it, he wouldn’t screw this up too. He was determined to make things right.

“Calm yourself, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m sorry for what I said in there. You took me by surprise. That’s my only excuse.” Lucy relaxed a fraction and let out a heavy breath. He added, “Please, come back in so we can discuss this in private.”

She seemed to relax a little, but she stared down at the ground as if not able to look at him. Well, that was a shitty thought.

“I don’t see what there is to talk about. It’s not as if we have a relationship. I don’t expect anything from you here.” She shrugged. “I just thought you had a right to know.”

He began stroking his thumb over the erratic pulse in her wrist and whispered, “There are things I need to set straight. Come, please.”

Her head came up, and once more her expressive blue gaze held him captive. She seemed to be debating whether to bolt or follow him. Finally, she nodded. Reilly was so grateful he wanted to howl. His reaction was telling of how badly he wanted to keep her around.

Once they were back in his office, Reilly let her sit while he shut the door. He didn’t want Eddie overhearing this particular conversation.

He went to lean against the desk, directly in front of her, and crossed his feet at the ankles. He took advantage of Lucy’s unusually subdued manner and pondered the situation. In his mind, he presented and discarded several options and every time he came back to the same one. The only one that made any sense.

For two very long months, Reilly had been going slowly nuts wanting a woman who didn’t want him. Now she was here, and she needed him. In one easy swoop, he could fix their problem and have her back in his life. But it was such a risky move. Reilly wasn’t sure if it would be the smartest thing he’d ever done, or the dumbest.

“The way I see it, there’s only one way to handle this.”

She stopped staring at the floor and glared up at him. “And?”

He nodded and forced the words out past the rock in his throat. “We’ll get married.”

At first, Lucy only sat there, staring at him as if he were a strange-looking insect she’d suddenly discovered. “Are you for real?” she asked.

The disbelief in her voice wasn’t encouraging. “Why is that so unbelievable?”

She rolled her eyes. “Not unbelievable—insane.”