Riley's Baby Boy. Karen Smith Rose

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      “The November after we graduated.”

      “What made you decide? You’d never mentioned wanting to serve.”

      He smoothed the padding in the drawer again, straightened, looking uneasy. “It’s not important.”

      “It changed the course of your life and made you who you are. I think it is.”

      “I got into trouble.”

      That wouldn’t have been the first time Riley had been in trouble. Before she’d met him, before she’d dated him, she’d known he was wild. Liam O’Rourke’s kids had never had restrictions, and Riley had taken advantage of that. Sure, after his mom had left, he’d had to help with his brothers and his sister. But when he wasn’t doing that, he was raising Cain. She’d been told to stay away from him for more than one reason. But this raven-haired bad boy, with eyes as blue as the winter sky, had been temptation personified when he’d seemed interested in her.

      He and some friends had been caught stealing another school’s mascot. He’d also been caught binge drinking with those same buddies in a neighbor’s barn.

      “This time it was worse than school suspension,” he admitted finally, guessing what she was thinking. “I had a few beers. I drove Dad’s truck and crashed it into a fire hydrant.”

      He’d had no plans for the future when they’d dated. He’d had no goals as she’d had. “What happened?”

      “My case was assigned to a judge who did more than look at me as a number. He told me to shape up or die young. He advised me to visit the offices of recruiters. He told me if they accepted me and I signed up, he’d forget the fire hydrant and the damages. So I signed up.”

      “You were a marine until last year?”

      “Until a few months before the reunion. Since I’m skilled at computer intel, I did consulting work when I got back. But I was looking for something different. When I heard Clay was searching for a partner, guiding work seemed perfect. And it is. I know this area as well as he does and my training just adds skills that I can use when I take tours fishing or riding out to Horsethief Canyon or rock climbing near Sedona. The marines made me a man of many talents.”

      “I don’t think it was just the marines. You must have been willing to learn.”

      Their gazes connected and something like old feelings zipped between them. Not only old feelings—an attraction that had lasted over fifteen years. How could that possibly be?

      “What time do you turn in?” he asked, his voice gruff.

      “Soon. I’m beat. Traveling with a little one can be a bit exhausting.” She gave Derek a tiny kiss on his ear. “I didn’t know what I was going to do if he’d cried on the plane. But he only fussed a little and no one seemed to mind. There’s just so much paraphernalia to bring along with a baby.”

      Riley glanced at the stack of diapers tipping out of her suitcase, at the box of powdered formula on her dresser, at all the little outfits and booties that were toppling over on the bedroom chair.

      “Did you fit in any of your clothes?”

      She laughed. “A few. I figured I could pick up something here. It was more important I had everything I needed for Derek, just in case I got stuck in an airport or stalled in a car or something. Being a mom has changed the way I think about everything.”

      She saw the questions in Riley’s eyes but she didn’t have any answers.

      He must have known that because he hefted up the drawer, took it to the side of the bed nearest the wall and set it on the floor. “Is that going to be all right?”

      “It will be fine. He’ll sleep for me in his car seat, but this is good until I can buy a portable crib tomorrow.”

      “I have a bath attached to my bedroom so feel free to use the hall bathroom. It has a shower.”

      “I know.”

      His cheeks grew a little ruddy and she knew he was just making conversation, trying to dispel awkwardness between them. But it was there and nothing they could say would change that. They’d broken up as teenagers, had a one night stand as adults, and now here they were … with a baby. How much more awkward could it get?

      She knew she shouldn’t ask.

      Suddenly more tired from the long day than she’d wanted to admit, she sank down onto the bed holding her son close.

      Abruptly Riley said, “I’m going out for a run.”

      “In the dark?”

      “I was a marine,” he said again.

      She suspected he just didn’t want to be in the house with her. “I’ll see you in the morning then. I’m going to drive to my parents’ after breakfast.”

      He was silent for a few moments, then offered, “If you need anything during the night … for the baby—” He added quickly, “Just give a yell. I’m a light sleeper.”

      A light sleeper? He hadn’t awakened the night of the reunion when she’d slipped out of his bed, dressed and driven away. But she didn’t bring that up. She didn’t ask him why he’d slept so soundly after they’d made love.

      But they hadn’t made love. They’d had sex, and she’d better remember that.

      When Riley left the room, she closed her eyes and held her baby even closer.

       Chapter Two

      Brenna shouldn’t be nervous. She really shouldn’t. After all, these were her parents. They’d loved her, given her anything they could and protected her. She and her dad had a particularly special bond for reasons she’d never confided in Riley. When she was little, her dad had literally saved her life. However, she’d run from her parents’ protection to find out if she could stand on her own. Now here she was, with Riley beside her, standing at their door, hoping her father didn’t blow a gasket.

      “Are you sure you want to come in with me? You don’t have to,” she told him.

      “Brenna, this is my son. I’m not going to let your father dictate what’s going to happen next.”

      “Do you think I can’t stand up to him?”

      Riley just gave her a look that said it all. She hadn’t before. She’d forgotten about him and what they’d had in order to be loyal to her family. Maybe if she’d revealed the reasons for some of that loyalty … But she’d been afraid he wouldn’t understand so she’d kept those thoughts and feelings to herself. She hadn’t wanted to give him ammunition he could use to hurt her or her dad.

      She snuggled Derek close to her shoulder, not wanting him to be a pawn, not wanting anything negative ever to touch him. In that moment, she realized why her parents had so fiercely wanted to protect her.

      Riley had insisted on coming along and she’d let him. He had rights, too, and maybe she was afraid her father would steamroll СКАЧАТЬ