Read Online Anything but Love by Beth Ciotta - Free Book Online Page B

up, right?”
    “Trust me. This is a purely selfish on my part.” Rocky’s suspicions continued to flare. Something was up with Sam. “You haven’t given up on Rae, have you?”
    Sam slid a plate of homemade pastries between them and pulled up a chair. “Haven’t been inside the Rothwell house in years. We talking minor repairs? Or major?”

EIGHT
    Luke had lingered in his office a good ten minutes after Rae left. It had taken him that long to catch his breath, to slow his bucking heart. For a minute he thought he might be having a panic attack. He’d never had one of those before but he’d heard it resembled a heart attack. At thirty-two, he was too young for a coronary, right?
    Pregnant.
    Rae was pregnant.
    With
his
baby.
    Unless she was lying about the paternity part, although why would she? Like she said, there were tests.
    Two hours later, Adam and Kane were long gone—thank God—and Luke was still tending bar while absorbing the mind-blowing news. Rae had been eerily calm. It had forced Luke to keep his own cool. God forbid he come off like an immature ass. She’d already pegged him a judgmental jerk. He’d unwittingly pissed off some women in his time but, in lashing back, they’d never struck a sore spot. Not like Rae.
    Rae pressed Luke’s buttons regarding self-esteem. No one had pressed those buttons for years. Not since he was in grade school and some kids made fun of him for not being able to read a comic book. Rae had gone to all the best schools. She had bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She’d traveled abroad. She was freaking independently wealthy, as in filthy rich.
And
she was only twenty-five!
    All the background info Jayce had dug up on Reagan Devereaux had played out in Luke’s mind as she’d sat across from him in her stylish skinny jeans and classy, soft clingy sweater. She was unlike any woman he’d ever slept with. Completely out of his league.
    Of course she wasn’t expecting Luke to do the right thing by stepping up and offering marriage or at the very least financial support. She didn’t need his money and why the hell would she want to marry a bartender who was only half owner of a business. Half owner because Luke didn’t have a head for numbers and finances, unlike his smart and savvy older brother, Dev. Plus, she didn’t even seem to like Luke much. It had just been sex …
not even great sex at that
.
    Damn.
    He couldn’t get over how unemotional she’d been.
    “
I thought you’d want to know
.”
    Hell,
yes
. The thought of having a kid in the world and not knowing about it rubbed Luke every way wrong.
    “
I know you don’t like me
.”
    Not exactly true. To be fair, he didn’t know Rae enough not to like her. He was pissed because she’d roused his interest as shy, vulnerable Rachel Lacey. Frustrated because he’d felt something special when they’d kissed—
both
times. He resented that she’d bailed on him and everyone in Sugar Creek who cared about her, leaving them clueless and worried. He resented being manipulated then sent away on Christmas Eve. And he damn well hated the fact that Rae was a tangled mess of secrets, evasiveness, and lies. Although she’d been pretty freaking straight forward today.
    “
I’m going to have your baby
.”
    He’d always been so careful. Always prepared. Always covered. Even if the woman was on birth control, Luke used a condom.
Always!
He still couldn’t believe how he’d lost his wits and control with Rae. One screw up and
bam
! Luke had never thought about being a dad now; maybe when he was in his forties. Now it was all he could think about.
    “Um. Luke?”
    Luke blinked up at Willa. “What?”
    She slid a full cocktail glass back across the bar. “I asked for a gin and tonic. Customer said this tastes like vodka.”
    Damn. His third mistake of the afternoon. When it came to mixing drinks, Luke never made mistakes.
    “You okay?” Willa asked as he poured a new drink. “You seem a little, um,