Read Online Inheriting His Secret Christmas Baby by Heidi Betts - Free Book Online
Authors: Heidi Betts
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Love Stories, Christmas stories, Dynasties: Jarrods, Paternity, Businessmen - Colorado - Aspen, Aspen (Colo.)
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sure.
“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea,” she whispered, standing in the doorway of one of Trevor’s extra bedrooms, staring at a comfortably snoozing Bradley.
He’d fallen asleep while finishing his bottle, and hadn’t stirred while she’d changed him into one of the only remaining diapers. Of course, Trevor didn’t have a crib or anything else that even remotely resembled a proper child-care necessity, so they’d had to improvise.
A soft, thick comforter on the floor in one corner, surrounded by pillows and a couple of the cushions from Trevor’s expensive leather sofa, and she didn’t think Bradley was going anywhere, even if he did wake up in the next few hours, which was highly unlikely.
“It’s not that bad, is it?” Trevor asked from directly behind her. “I mean, it doesn’t look great, but he’s safe enough, right?”
Turning from the doorway, she nodded. “He’ll be fine. He doesn’t move around much at all when he sleeps. The important thing is just to make sure he can’t roll anywhere and that there’s nothing nearby that will hurt him if he does wake up.”
Leading her back down to the first floor of the elegant, expansive log cabin, he said, “Then why are you worried this wasn’t a good idea?”
“Not Bradley, staying here. I wasn’t planning to be gone overnight. I’m not prepared to stay anywhere, let alone with you.”
Heat suffused her cheeks when she realized how that sounded, and she rushed on with her explanation in hopes that he wouldn’t catch the slip.
“Bradley is almost out of diapers and formula, I have no personal items with me….” Slipping her hands into the front pockets of her slacks, she hunched her shoulders and looked down at her outfit. “Even if we get through the night, I’m going to end up looking like a bag lady when I meet your sister after having slept in my clothes and makeup.”
One corner of Trevor’s mouth tipped up in a grin. “You forget who you’re talking to,” he told her from across the kitchen island.
Sliding a pad and pen across the marble countertop, he said, “Write down everything you need. Be as detailed as possible—brand names, quantities, your clothing and shoe sizes. I’ll have it all delivered tonight, along with your car.”
“My car?” She tipped her head, watching his brown eyes and handsome face carefully. “Are you sure you want to have it brought here? Aren’t you afraid I’ll sneak off in the middle of the night with Bradley?”
“There may be exigent circumstances connected to your visit, but you’re still a guest, not a prisoner. Besides, you gave me your word you’d stay through tomorrow, and I believe you.”
“Why?” she wondered aloud. “You don’t even know me.” And she might very well be the gold digger she knew he suspected she was.
With a shrug, he said, “I think any woman who would take a day out of her life and drive four hours to tell me I have a child I knew nothing about—allegedly, anyway—just because she feels it’s the right thing to do can be taken at her word.”
Tossing back the last sip of his merlot, he set the glass down with a tiny clink before adding, “And you know what they say about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Six
The next morning, Bradley had Haylie out of bed early, but he didn’t wake her. She was already awake, having tossed and turned half the night before giving up on sleep altogether to simply lie there, letting her thoughts and anxieties run rampant.
Now, fresh from the shower and staring at the collection of clothing and accessories that littered the guest-room mattress, she decided that if this was an example of how Trevor treated his enemies, Haylie was sincerely considering becoming his nearest and dearest friend. True to his word, not long after nightfall the evening before, a Jarrod Ridge employee had come to the door with everything from her list and more.
By the time the young man left, every inch of
“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea,” she whispered, standing in the doorway of one of Trevor’s extra bedrooms, staring at a comfortably snoozing Bradley.
He’d fallen asleep while finishing his bottle, and hadn’t stirred while she’d changed him into one of the only remaining diapers. Of course, Trevor didn’t have a crib or anything else that even remotely resembled a proper child-care necessity, so they’d had to improvise.
A soft, thick comforter on the floor in one corner, surrounded by pillows and a couple of the cushions from Trevor’s expensive leather sofa, and she didn’t think Bradley was going anywhere, even if he did wake up in the next few hours, which was highly unlikely.
“It’s not that bad, is it?” Trevor asked from directly behind her. “I mean, it doesn’t look great, but he’s safe enough, right?”
Turning from the doorway, she nodded. “He’ll be fine. He doesn’t move around much at all when he sleeps. The important thing is just to make sure he can’t roll anywhere and that there’s nothing nearby that will hurt him if he does wake up.”
Leading her back down to the first floor of the elegant, expansive log cabin, he said, “Then why are you worried this wasn’t a good idea?”
“Not Bradley, staying here. I wasn’t planning to be gone overnight. I’m not prepared to stay anywhere, let alone with you.”
Heat suffused her cheeks when she realized how that sounded, and she rushed on with her explanation in hopes that he wouldn’t catch the slip.
“Bradley is almost out of diapers and formula, I have no personal items with me….” Slipping her hands into the front pockets of her slacks, she hunched her shoulders and looked down at her outfit. “Even if we get through the night, I’m going to end up looking like a bag lady when I meet your sister after having slept in my clothes and makeup.”
One corner of Trevor’s mouth tipped up in a grin. “You forget who you’re talking to,” he told her from across the kitchen island.
Sliding a pad and pen across the marble countertop, he said, “Write down everything you need. Be as detailed as possible—brand names, quantities, your clothing and shoe sizes. I’ll have it all delivered tonight, along with your car.”
“My car?” She tipped her head, watching his brown eyes and handsome face carefully. “Are you sure you want to have it brought here? Aren’t you afraid I’ll sneak off in the middle of the night with Bradley?”
“There may be exigent circumstances connected to your visit, but you’re still a guest, not a prisoner. Besides, you gave me your word you’d stay through tomorrow, and I believe you.”
“Why?” she wondered aloud. “You don’t even know me.” And she might very well be the gold digger she knew he suspected she was.
With a shrug, he said, “I think any woman who would take a day out of her life and drive four hours to tell me I have a child I knew nothing about—allegedly, anyway—just because she feels it’s the right thing to do can be taken at her word.”
Tossing back the last sip of his merlot, he set the glass down with a tiny clink before adding, “And you know what they say about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Six
The next morning, Bradley had Haylie out of bed early, but he didn’t wake her. She was already awake, having tossed and turned half the night before giving up on sleep altogether to simply lie there, letting her thoughts and anxieties run rampant.
Now, fresh from the shower and staring at the collection of clothing and accessories that littered the guest-room mattress, she decided that if this was an example of how Trevor treated his enemies, Haylie was sincerely considering becoming his nearest and dearest friend. True to his word, not long after nightfall the evening before, a Jarrod Ridge employee had come to the door with everything from her list and more.
By the time the young man left, every inch of
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