4. Craving Cherry Pie

4

CRAVING CHERRY PIE

BLAKE

R obbie was right. Sheriff Woolsy read the rescue reports and wasn’t happy. I’d heard his speech before, how county search and rescue was a team operation, and there was no “I” in team, etc. But at least I saved River. Given my penchant for breaking the rules sometimes, one too many lately, he demanded I take the week off to think about my actions.

Suited me fine for the time, as my back still ached. Besides, I had a great team for county rescue operations. They could handle my absence for now. I visited my chiropractor twice over the week, and stretched and laid off the heavy workouts. I’d go back to work tomorrow, bright and early Monday morning, feeling better, but I tried to relax this lazy Sunday by binge-watching old detective shows.

Hard to, though, when everything about my run in with Olivia and River wouldn’t let me be. A week had gone by since the rescue and I hadn’t heard from her. I’d had plenty of texts and calls from friends checking on me, all of which I’d ignored, seeking solace within myself.

Bothered was an understatement.

A father?

Was I ready for this? I must be, considering I’d consulted with a lawyer by phone on Friday. He recommended an immediate paternity test, then we would see about initiating custody and child support.

I’d driven by Olivia’s house twice when I was in town and had seen the Beetle car in the driveway. So she’d hadn’t run after realizing I was here. I should have stopped and asked to speak with them, but I held back.

Ready or not, that little boy with the similar hair color to mine and big blue innocent eyes was here to stay. Scenarios played through my head, all pointing to one undeniable truth. My life would have to change.

Recalling how River held onto me tightly as I started down the tree or how he jumped into my arms off the fire truck with the hugest grin did something to my grumpy self while also scaring the crap out of me.

Hell, I was just fine before they came along. A career I loved, good friends and my sisters around me, and a nice big home on several acres of untouched land. Chloe and Hartlyn teased I built this house huge enough for a wife and a pack of kids, and they constantly asked me when they’d be aunties.

I always said it was only a wise investment in case I sold it someday. I kept this place up nice; a family could move right in and live here happily forever. Although I’d bought the property years ago, thinking I would settle down with Julia originally and be that happy family man forever.

I waited for the usual pang of resentment to hit me whenever I thought of my ex; it didn’t. Maybe this was progress. The moment I found her cheating was the end for me. More than a one-nighter, her long nursing hours sure complimented the good doctor’s, who was then the new head of pediatrics at the Elizabethtown General Hospital.

Their torrid affair that she claimed led to love, still left a bitter taste in my mouth. Not so much about her—she meant nothing to me now. More so about the way she chose someone else over me and lied about it for months. So many lies.

Can I trust Olivia? That River really was mine? Logic and my skeptical soul begged to ensure a paternity test factored into things before making hasty moves. But somehow I knew he would be.

Lucky whined by the door, sitting his haunches down with a sigh. “I know boy, you want to run. Soon, okay?” He dutifully approached, placing his snout on my knee. The active animal needed at least an hour of time to run free daily. I usually took him out for my jog on a local trail into the hills nearby, but we hadn’t ventured much from my house since the rescue.

With Love Ranch as our neighbors, I could let him out to roam freely, but with all of the activity going on and throngs of people over at the Love Ranch Harvest Festival I’d kept Lucky close.

He roamed back to the door and stared at it, giving me all kinds of remorse, until I heard a car pulled up and two doors slammed. Lucky’s ears perked and he tilted his head one way then the other. With no other neighbors around me, I preferred my solitude; the interruption not welcomed at first.

I sighed and waited until a knock at my front door forced me to haul my ass out of my black leather recliner.

While I scratched at my three-day stubble, I noticed Robbie and Prima out the tiny portal window. He stood behind her, initially with his hands on her stomach, a bag hanging from his wrist, and a goofy grin on his face, but he quickly straightened upon seeing me.

“Hey, you two. What brings you out here today?” Lucky was thrilled. Finally someone other than my grumpy ass to pet him.

“No one has seen you all week. You haven’t returned texts or calls. Wasn’t sure if you needed rescuing. Someone in there keeping you at knife point?” Robbie played the role of detective, peeking around me.

Prima held up pink bakery boxes and said, “We thought we’d come cheer you up and brought provisions. A peach pie from Minnie’s and her infamous cinnamon rolls.”

“And in case you need something stronger than sugar—Lockland’s bourbon.” Robbie shoved the bag with the bottle in it into my hands as they passed inside. He crouched down giving the dog plenty of attention and scratches around the ears.

“I’m not in the mood for pie. But I’ll gladly take this. You all want a glass?” I shut the door and headed straight for my kitchen.

“No,” came Prima’s quick reply as she put the boxes into my fridge.

“None for her, but I’ll take a little,” Robbie said. That was odd; they both loved to day drink on a lazy Sunday. Afternoons like this among my friends were often spent at one of our homes, letting kids run around, drinking and barbecuing when the weather called for it, always shooting the breeze and sharing town gossip. “After I heard from the Sheriff, I got worried about you.”

“I’m still alive and kicking.” I quickly poured a shot of the amber liquid and knocked it back, then filled the glasses while the burn went down real good.

“Well, if you haven’t been around my Aunt Minnie’s Pie Shop all week, you should stop in there tomorrow.” I caught Robbie’s wink as I handed him his drink. They both sat on the couch while I perched on the edge of my lounger, elbows on my knees, clutching the glass like it was my life blood.

“Why’s that?”

“A certain newcomer single mother is waitressing there.” He paused like my reaction would be the most interesting part of this entire conversation. For that, I kept a poker face and just grunted. Yep, Olivia and River were here, no denying it.

“It’s more than that. Tori is also working with Minnie, learning how to manage things,” Prima provided. Tori? Now this was news I couldn’t avoid expressing shock about.

My eyebrows shot up. “You think that city girl can handle managing the heart of this small town? I never pegged her as the diner type; more like the five-star restaurant type.” I’d heard Uncle Jeb wanted to get Minnie to slow down and eventually retire, looks like he’d gotten his wish. But the pie shop without Minnie? For that matter, Minnie without the shop?

Robbie and I shared a laugh, but Prima grimaced. I forgot how she and Tori held a connection as fish out of water, landing in this small town, and having to adjust. Reminded me of Olivia. Couldn’t have been easy to uproot her life from St. Louis.

“Sure, why not? Maybe she’s just what this town needs.” Prima stuck up for her. With so much in common, the two had become fast friends. But I shared a knowing glance with Robbie; we knew the truth.

No one expected Nate Harland to waltz back into town with a new wife, Tori, and her teen daughter, Porsche. Especially after he’d spent years away in the military then moved out to Las Vegas for a security job—after always claiming he’d never settle down in Kissing Springs.

His family was delighted when the prodigal son returned. But he’d quickly informed a close-knit circle of us the truth: the woman and her daughter were on the run from a nefarious Las Vegas hotel owner, her ex father-in-law.

While the FBI were on the case to hunt him down, the woman and daughter remained here in hiding. Hell, I didn’t even know their real names. They assumed new identities and posed as Nate’s wife and step-daughter. In public, they formed the perfect couple and to most people it would seem they were very happily together. I even admired how well he took to being a father to that girl; there was definitely a bond growing there anyone could see.

Behind the scenes, Dillon, Charles, Kipp, Andrew, Robbie, and me all knew better. Everything was fake, and, when they needed extra eyes watching over them, we pitched in. Usually, though, it was Dillon’s Knights security team who handled around the clock protection.

Nate often relayed how icy the “mafia princess,” as he called her, could be. Although lately, his tone had changed. I figured some blurring of the lines must be happening in their bedroom at night, a sure-fire way to trouble for his heart when this was all over someday, if anyone asked me.

But I wasn’t the one guarding a woman on the run. Nope. I had a different set of preoccupations. River and Olivia…

Prima crossed her arms. “I have every confidence that between Tori and Livvie, Aunt Minnie’s will be in good hands while she’s gone. And she gave Tori carte blanche to redecorate. Why when we stopped in today, the old diner looked amazingly better already. I knew Tori had taken design classes, but how she managed to transform the ancient decor to looking like a fresh farmhouse design worthy of a magazine photo shoot was beyond me. In fact, I was thinking of asking her if I could hire her to do our baby’s room—Oh. Whoops.”

“Baby?” My eyes darted between them.

Robbie’s goofy grin returned. “I thought you wanted to keep it between ourselves for a few more weeks?”

“I know I said that because I don’t want the press to get wind of it. Once they do, the paparazzi will flood this town and I’ll be on baby bump watch. But I’m so happy. We’re having a baby and I love you.”

The rock star covered a hand over his which was on her abdomen now. Robbie growled; I doubted he’d remove his hand from that spot until the day the baby arrived, being the protective lawman he was.

“Fuck, I love you and this baby so much.” He came undone, his lips finding hers. My black leather couch suddenly hosted a hot make out session between the two of them. Lucky had been laying at the feet of him, and moved away to his dog bed, then covered his nose with his paw.

That was my cue to give them a moment. I cleared my throat and downed my bourbon, then headed into the kitchen to fill my glass again. As I leaned against the counter, I scrubbed my hands through my hair from temple to neck.

All of my friends had settled down, and popped out babies like crazy. Except for Andrew and Jayne; they were undergoing ongoing fertility treatments. My buddies made awesome fathers and husbands. Then here was me. The loner. Would I always be this way? Die this way? An ache hit my chest, squeezing, and I grabbed it as if my heart would fall out.

“Dude, are you okay?” Robbie’s line of sight caught me in the kitchen during a desperado moment.

After keeping things close to my chest all week, I sighed and blurted out the words I never thought I’d hear myself say. “Olivia’s little boy is mine. I guess.”

“What?” Prima launched from the couch and darted in, stopping a few feet in front of me. “You know her?”

“ Knew her. For one night. In St. Louis.”

“All this time, you had a kid and didn’t tell anyone?” For as much as Prima put down the paparazzi, she loved town gossip and this must be one of the juiciest things she’d heard in some time.

Robbie came up behind her, again with his hands snaking under her arms and landing on her belly. Fuck, the image of me doing that to Olivia flashed through my brain like a future forecast. The heel of my palm planted on my forehead, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“I think he means he didn’t know all this time that the boy was his,” the smart detective in him clarified.

“Ohhh. Wow.” The dawning hit her face, then she beamed brightly. “But wow. This is fantastic, Blake. It might be the best thing ever. I always thought you’d make a great catch. This could be your second chance with her.”

“Uh. How did we go from me being a father to River to me having a chance with Olivia?”

“You liked her enough one night. It could turn into more.”

It wasn’t like she voiced something I hadn’t thought of yet. Shit. No. First things first. I needed a relationship with my son. If something happened between me and Olivia, too, in the process… But could I handle trying a relationship again?

“Honey, stop. Let Blake figure this out on his own.” Robbie led her away from me back to the couch against her protests, but a knock came at my door.

“I’ll get it,” she said. Unless I planned to have friends over, I rarely got drop-ins like this. Even my sisters didn’t bother to come see me this week, just checking in by text. They must have told Mom, too, interrupting her busy life enough in Nashville to call and leave a message. But they all learned long ago that I was a tough guy, just like Dad. Unless I was seriously injured I could take care of myself.

“Well, my, my. Look who it is, Blake.” She announced, after a peek through the window. She opened the door. “Hi, Olivia and River. Funny meeting you here, after just running into you at the pie shop earlier.”

I popped my head out of the kitchen. River stood beside his mother and balanced a pink pie box in his hold. I gaped at their sudden appearance on my doorstep, locking eyes right away with Olivia. That ache in my heart changed to some weird new feeling. I ignored it and stepped closer. Prima dodged out of my way.

“Hi, Blake. I didn’t realize you had company. I brought your sweatshirt back, and we wanted to drop by a fresh cherry pie from Aunt Minnie’s as a way to say thank you. Right River?” Olivia touched his shoulder.

“Thank you, Officer Blake.” He held up the pie box to me, so I took it. Then he peered up at his mom. “Now can I pet Lucky?”

“Sorry. Your dog is all he’s been talking about this week.” She gave a sheepish smile. River talking about my dog aside, what about me? Would there be a time where—my son—talked about me?

“Yeah. Come on in.” I stood to the side as an invitation.

“Are you sure? We don’t want to bother you. But I realized I hadn’t said thank you yet for finding River. When I met Prima at the shop, she told me you were still recovering from your injuries, I feel so bad—” She started, her blue eyes filled with concern, unless I misread them.

“Don’t be. It comes with the job.” I played it off like it was nothing, straightening my back more, ignoring the ache. “Mm. This pie smells great. And cherry is my favorite. I’ve been craving pie all week. Come on, I’ll serve us all up some slices.”

Who was I right now, making such a big deal out of this? I didn’t even know how she found my place, but they were here, and I wasn’t ready for them to go yet.

“Make that only three slices, Blake. Robbie and I were just about to leave.” Prima pulled at the arm of her lawman and forced him off the couch.

“We were? Pie sounded good to me.”

“Remember, we have that list of errands to run, honey.” Something told me Prima might have set this entire thing up. “Let’s go. Olivia and River, it was good to see you again.” The little boy waved from the floor next to Lucky’s bed, where the dog was clearly loving all the attention today by the way he was on his back, belly up and taking all the rubs.

“Okay. You’re the boss. Well, Blake, let us know if you need anything.” He shot me a loaded glance. “And nice to see you again, Miss Carlson.”

“Just call me Livvie.” She removed her jacket, revealing a blue top that reminded me of the one she wore the night we met. Her nipples made an appearance, too. Damn, motherhood changed her body. I could stare at her all day, but not with Prima standing in the doorway, preening like she was the queen of matchmaking.

“Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.” I practically shut the door in her face as she was about to say something more, but I was anxious to get back to my new guests, put my old grumpy self away, and play the best host ever.