Page 14 of Spring Surprise
When he comes back down a few minutes later, he’s not in the sweats or basketball shorts he normally wears after work. Instead, he’s dressed in his well-worn jeans and a tight T-shirt that shows off his biceps and trim waist. God, he’s such a treat.
“Are you leaving again?” Duh, Neely. It’s more than obvious he is.
“Yup. What about it?”
“I was hoping we could talk. There are a couple of things I think you need to know.”
“Oh, really? And why do you think I would be willing to listen to anything you have to say, Sugar… Cookie.”
Oh, lord. Somehow, he knows… The fucking bounty hunter, of course. “You had me investigated? Why didn’t you just ask me what you wanted to know? I would have told you.”
“Would you have? Is TJ even my son or some other guy’s kid you’re hiding from him?”
“What? What other guy? Damn it, Toby, you’re not making any sense! Yes, we are hiding, but it’s not what you think. I was always bringing TJ to meet you.” I take a step toward him, practically pleading with him to understand. I reach out to touch him, and he steps away.
“That’s a good story… now, but you’re too late, Neely. I’ve got to get out of here. You can stay one more night, but when tomorrow morning rolls around, I expect you to be gone.”
Oh my God. He is really ending us before we’ve barely had a chance to begin. “Where are you going?” I ask, my voice shaky and ringing with desperation.
“Out.” He pulls open the door and steps out onto the stoop.
“With the woman I saw you kissing today?” I lob the next question at him, unable to keep the hurt or the jealousy out of my voice.
He looks over his shoulder, meeting my gaze with a closed-off look of his own, and rips my heart out. “Exactly. Pack your shit, and don’t wait up.”
Chapter 15
Tobias
Aaron wipes the foam off his upper lip while staring at me like I have the word ‘dumbass’ tattooed on my forehead and he can’t look away.
“Let me get this straight… Neely is smart, loaded, an excellent mother to your son, sexy as hell, fucking freaky in the sack,anda stripper, too, and you just kicked her out on her ass? Are you fucking crazy?”
“You wanna keep it down? I don’t need the whole town knowing my business. And TJ isn’t my son.” God, that hurts to say, but I have to start preparing myself for the inevitable. Brady is on his way to the Range Bar & Grill to hand me the result personally. What a fucking mess. Either way, after the things I said to Neely, there’s no way she’ll forgive me now anyway.
“You don’t know that,” Aaron argues. “And who says you can’t be his dad?”
“The DNA test…”
“Screw the DNA test, man. Blood is just biology. You’ve been that boy’s dad since the day you hijacked Neely in the hotel parking lot and drove them to Missoula. You change his shitty diapers—God help you, you feed him, you get up in the middle of the night with him, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah?”
“Yeah. Take it from a guy whose own father walked out on him. Those actions make you his protector, his hero, his daddy, not blood, Toby. Pull your head out of your ass before it’s too late.”
“What about Neely? How can I trust her? She kept things from me.”
“Are you serious? She told you that TJ is your son. She let you into her body, man. You said she wanted to talk, but you didn’t let her explain. Let me ask you this, did you tell her about Therese?”
“No.” I’m starting to see Aaron’s point, and I don’t like what I’m realizing.
“Did you tell her Jolie is only a friend and coworker? Manny’s pissed at you, by the way.”
“What? No, and why?” Now I’m confused. What does Manny have to do with anything?
“Because he’s had the hots for her since he met her.”
“Neely?”
