Bad Boy's Kiss (Firemen in Love Book 2) (23 page)

Waiters and other diners passed by us, giving us curious looks. A couple of old folks from a nearby table kept pointing and whispering. I loved being the center of attention, but not like this.

“But you tricked me. You told me all kinds of sweet things, just to get me naked in the back of your car.” She sobbed. “And then you left me to go flirt with the homecoming queen. By the next day, you'd already forgotten I existed.”

Her freshly applied mascara was running down her cheeks. If I didn't find a way to shut her up, her mother would probably blame her tantrum on me.

“Look, I know I did you wrong. I did a
lot
of girls wrong. You weren't the only one, not by a long shot.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I'm just saying I made mistakes. Back then, I was a dumb kid who lived in the moment. I'm a changed man now.” I sat up tall. “I love Anna, I can assure you.”

“That's what makes me so sad!” Her wail could be heard across the restaurant.

“Shh,” I hissed. “What is your
problem?
”

“I never stopped having feelings for you. I still care about you, Max.”

Oh, God. Oh,
hell
no, this wasn't happening.

“Have you gone batshit crazy? You don't care about me. What you had was a girlhood crush on a player who didn't even deserve you.”

Maybe boosting her ego would help. Nope.

“I thought when you came back to town, it could be my second chance.”

She tried to pet my face. I backed up so fast that I crashed into the coat rack.

“Your second... You're dating my brother!”

“Yeah, I know, but I've always thought we had something special.”

My head was spinning. I hadn't gotten drunk nor high on painkillers enough to deal with this insanity.

“You and I would be good together,” she purred. “Let's try again.”

She threw herself at me in an attempt to cover me with sloppy kisses. I dodged the attack, and she toppled to the floor in a miserable heap. Her dress flew up so high that her pink-and-green striped underwear were visible to anyone who passed by.

“How dare you! You'll regret this.” She howled maniacally, like the villain of some kid's cartoon.

Though she blocked the hallway, I managed to wheel myself around her.

“If I were you, I'd clean yourself up and get back to the table. I'm gonna pretend this never happened. If you're smart, you will too.”

I felt somewhat bad leaving her there, but what choice did I have? If I stayed longer, she'd probably tell the waiters I hit her or something. It wouldn't have been the first time a girl lied about me like that, and I wasn't about to get busted for a crime I didn't commit. I'd spent enough time in jail for the ones I
had.

Back at the table, I quickly realized I missed out on some action. Ruby and Daniel were arguing heatedly about what movie to go see after dinner. Trey stared at his phone, unblinking and wide eyed, as if he'd just witnessed the horrors of war.

Anna was still nibbling at her cold food. I put my hand on her back and she jumped.

“Where were you? Where's Rachael?”

“She's, uh, in the restroom.” Well, it was pretty much true. “We just had a little talk.”

Trey gazed at me. “Sorry about the way she's acting tonight. I seriously don't know what got into her.”

“I think she'll behave from now on.”

I couldn't possibly tell Trey that his girlfriend literally threw herself at me back there. That she'd confessed she still had feelings for me, and she was ready to cheat on him if I was willing to have her.

Not only that, she was trying to steal me away from Anna. Would she seriously ruin our relationship just because she had a crush on me?

“No, we can't go see that one, dear.” Daniel pointed to his phone. “See? It's got an R rating. That means it has foul language and nudity.”

“But we watch that stuff all the time at home,” Ruby protested. “And I keep finding movies on your computer that don't
sound
very Christian. What's 'Tammy's Girl-on-Girl College Adventure' about? I tried to open it, but it said 'password protected' or some such thing.”

I snorted as I tried to hold in the laughter. Daniel's face turned almost purple with embarrassment. Looked like his wife had a bit much of the wine, too. So much for keeping up appearances in public.

“Oh, God. I really don't want to hear about dad watching dirty movies.” Anna buried her head in my arm. “I'll never see him the same way again.”

“Hey, ain't nothing wrong with a good raunchy movie. We should watch together sometime; heard it makes great foreplay.”

“It sounds humiliating!” She glared. “If you gotta have a discussion about porn, can we talk about it at home, please?”

I squeezed her inner thigh under the table. “We'll do more than talk – if you'll let me.”

Everyone was so distracted, we barely noticed Rachael return to the table. She'd fixed her makeup yet again, but her eyes were still bloodshot, and she hadn't cleaned all the black goop off her cheek.

Trey immediately stood when he saw her. “Ray, what's wrong? Have you been crying?”

She shot me a pissed-off glance. I looked away. Nope, I was not getting pulled into this. Way too much crazy for me.

Suddenly, her scowl turned into a smile. “Yeah – been crying tears of happiness.” She hugged her sister from behind. “I just can't
believe
you're pregnant, Anna!”

Everyone at the table fell silent. Cold fear filled my veins. Anna's eyes widened.

Shit, what was going on? How did Rachael know – and how dare she spill the beans in this way? Had Trey told her?

Daniel dropped his phone on the floor but didn't bother to retrieve it. His hands curled into fists. His face grew even more purple.

“Anna,” he said slowly, his voice clipped with barely-restrained fury. “Is this true? You're pregnant?”

She looked at me and rubbed her tummy. Our eyes met. Here was the moment of truth. They were going to find out anyway, but why did it have to go like this?

“Yes,” she admitted. “A little over three months now.”

Ruby gasped and fanned herself. “Oh, Lord have mercy, this can't be happening to our family! Who's the father?” She stared me down. “Don't tell me it's
him.
”

Anna squeezed my hand. I felt the terror, the desperation, in her grasp. This was my last chance to back out of our arrangement, to deny everything and save myself.

I could have gotten a ride home if I really wanted to. Could've found some kind stranger willing to take me in until I healed. Posing as her fake boyfriend wasn't my only option.

But what kind of man would I be then? I was getting sick of running. Perhaps it was time to grow up.

I squeezed her hand back. “Yep, Mrs. Southwell. It's mine. I'm the father.”

Ruby wailed her dismay. Daniel just sat there, not moving, his face without expression. Trey was too busy gaping at Rachael, probably wondering what had gotten into her, to care about anything else.

Rachael, by the way, looked utterly shell-shocked. I dunno what game she was trying to play just now, but I hoped she'd lost.

“All right, everyone. Calm down.” Daniel cleared his throat. “This is highly unfortunate. Anna, I can't allow you to ruin this campaign for me. My unwed daughter, working on a farm with a baby in her belly... It just doesn't look right, and it won't sit well with the church.”

“Then leave me out of your stupid campaign. I don't want to be on TV anyway.”

“I'm afraid that's quite impossible. The moment my opponent senses a weakness in my strategy, he will strike. He'll turn this into a media circus. I'll be seen as a hypocrite, a God-fearing man who believes sex should be between husband and wife – yet here is my own daughter, knocked up by...”

“Is that what Anna is to you? Just a 'weakness'?” I growled.

Damn this wheelchair! If my legs worked, I would have launched across the table and socked him good. How dare he talk about Anna like she was nothing more than a stumbling block on the path to victory?

“Dad, please. It's not that big of a deal. I'm perfectly capable of raising a baby right now. And Max, well, I know he'll be a fine dad.”

I'd probably be the world's worst father, actually, but didn't tell her that.

“I can only keep you out of the limelight for so long, Anna. Pretty soon, the size of the baby will give you away.” He sighed. “As much as this saddens me and I hate to say this, there is only one solution that will make this better for us all.”

Ruby paled. “No, Daniel. Don't.”

“They gotta make this right in the eyes of the Lord.” Daniel's icy eyes fixed on me. “You do the right thing, son. Make an honest woman out of her.”

“...Dad?”

“You're getting married before that baby is born. The child will have a wedded couple for its parents, as God intended.”

“But Daniel, he's... He's not
suitable!
”

“I'm sorry, honey. This is the way it has to be.”

Ruby burst into tears. The rest of us were silent. Anna and I looked at each other in shock. I could feel her pulse racing out of control through her tender, delicate wrist.

Me, married? The way it
had
to be?

No, it didn't have to be this way. Not if I took the next bus back to Waco and went into hiding. Maybe I'd have to change my last name or move continents, but at least then I'd have my freedom.

Marriage was the last thing in the world I ever wanted. I ought to tell Anna this was a huge mistake, that I appreciated all she'd done for me but I couldn't go on like this anymore.

I'd be able to escape, and she could do nothing to stop me. I would have my safe, sane old life back. Free as a bird, able to go where I liked and sleep with a new girl every night.

But then I wouldn't have Anna anymore. Hell, did I even “have” her now? I only knew one thing: I wished that she was mine and no one else's in the world.

“You're to start planning the wedding right away,” Daniel continued. “Rachael, do you think you can help your sister? I'm sure she could use your company during this difficult time.”

“Of course, dad.” Her eyes had tears in them again. “Anything for the family.”

I could run. Wouldn't be easy, but possible.

Anna hugged me and rested her chin on my shoulder. “I'm sorry.” She whispered to me. “If I'd known this was going to happen...”

My heart broke for her. I didn't want to see her hurt.

There really only was one solution, then. I knew what I had to do.

Chapter 16 - Anna

Rachael and I had always competed for our parents' attention and love. I thought maybe we'd grown out of it with age. Apparently, we had not.

“What color dresses for the bridesmaids?” She flipped through pictures on a wedding ideas website. “Mom says anything but dark blue, because she has a gorgeous blue dress she just
has
to wear, and she doesn't want any of the girls to clash with her.”

“Figures. This is supposed to be my wedding, and here she goes trying to steal the spotlight from me.”

She sighed loudly. “You know, you ought be more respectful. Dad's paying for this luxurious gala all by himself. Do you realize how lucky you are? Trey and I would
never
be able to afford this.”

I blankly scrolled past all the photos of happy, smiling ladies wearing obscenely expensive gowns.

“He's only doing it because it benefits him. Can you imagine how good it'll make him look? The possible future governor of California, walking his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day... It'll make for some nice video footage for his campaign, won't it?”

Rachael stole the mouse away from me so she could look by herself. “You've gotten so spoiled and selfish lately. Who cares if he gets a bit of nice publicity out of it?” She clicked a pink dress that cost over three hundred bucks. “You know, if you don't like it, maybe you shouldn't have gotten pregnant.”

I was generally a calm woman. I had never been in a fist fight in my life, but my sister had ways of making me want to tear her hair out.

“Things happen. I didn't plan on it, obviously.”

She selected a fancy pearl necklace to go with the dress. Frankly, I didn't care what she wore. I was too distressed to even think about my own gown. This whole thing felt like one never-ending nightmare.

“And you're telling me Max is the dad.” She smirked. “Are you
sure?
Seems like you got together with him pretty quick after Rich bailed – if, of course, your story is true.”

“Of course I'm sure. What's it matter to you, anyway?” I pulled the stupid mouse away so she'd look at me. “What were you thinking, ratting me out to mom and dad that night? Where did you learn I was pregnant in the first place? Did someone tell you?”

She stood and refilled her wine glass for the second time since I had been in her apartment. That it was just past noon worried me somewhat, but I was almost too mad to care. If she wanted to destroy her body before age thirty, so be it.