Read Online The Best Man's Baby by Victoria James - Free Book Online Page B

were a wealthy but generous family. Jake certainly wasn’t going to be airing any skeletons from the old Manning closet, so he forced the muscles that automatically tensed when someone mentioned his deceased father to relax and tried to look half-normal.
    “Thanks, William,” Jake said. He glanced down at his watch quickly—he had one hour before he went to pick up Claire.
    “Just wanted to tell you I’ve seen your work over the years and you’ve got a lot of talent, the kind no school can give a man, raw talent. So if this goes through I’m going to be damn happy,” William said, his weathered face crinkling up into a smile as he leaned across the big old desk to shake Jake’s hand.
    He fought his own surge of unexpected emotion at the man’s praise. In one sentence, he’d given Jake more than his father ever had. Jake grasped his wrinkled hand, not surprised that William’s handshake was still powerful.
    “That means a lot to me, especially coming from someone with your background. You’re as good as it gets as far as builders go.”
    “Well, it’s the truth,” William said with a grin and a wink as he fired up a trademark cigar. He offered one to Jake, but he declined with a shake of his head. Jake pushed aside the guilt he felt at the prospect of completing this transaction. He knew he was going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do. And without ever revealing the truth, it was going to be hard to make anyone, especially Quinn or Claire, understand. There was no way he was going to come across as anything but a giant jerk. But his gut told him this was right. This was the only way to make things right for Claire, for Quinn, for his future child. He just had to keep focused on that.
    “So, is part of the reason you’re rushing this through because you’re about to become a dad?” William asked with a cough.
    Jake ran his hands over his face and stifled the curse on the edge of his lips. He prayed William hadn’t heard exactly how it happened. That would be damn embarrassing.
    “I heard Claire Holbrook slapped you and poked your burger with one of those pregnancy sticks,” William said with a hearty laugh as clouds of cigar smoke billowed around him.
    Jake silently cursed every gossip in Red River. He gave a terse nod, hoping his less-than-enthusiastic answer would at least temper William’s laughter. “Yeah, something like that.”
    “Well, congratulations are in order, my boy. You couldn’t have found a better woman or mother for your child,” he said.
    The only problem is she wants nothing to do with me. But Jake knew he was right. He had known it as soon as the reality of it all set in. He didn’t deserve Claire, but in a way he felt as though he’d been given a second chance. Maybe it was poetic justice, all things considered.
    “Thanks, I know,” he said, finally rising. “And I hear you’ve got your eye on one of Red River’s finest.” He smiled hard as the old man actually looked as though he was blushing.
    “Well, Eunice is a good woman. I’ve been alone a long time, and as much as I got used to having things my own way, I’ll be the first to admit I missed a woman’s company. Being old and alone isn’t good,” William said, bracing his large hands on the desk and then standing. He must have been a strong, intimidating man in his younger days, Jake thought, as William straightened himself to a still-impressive height.
    “You both deserve to be happy,” Jake said, starting for the door. “I guess I don’t need to mention I don’t want anyone to know about this deal until I’m ready, okay?”
    “I’ve made it a policy to never mix business and pleasure. Don’t you worry. If you don’t mind my asking, why aren’t you doing this deal with your brother?”
    Jake rubbed his hand over his mouth. “I needed something for myself. Quinn is a good guy, but I want my name on the front of this building.”
    William frowned. “You already have the Manning name on your