ʼn’ Bunting’s parking lot, she jumped out of the car and plowed down the sidewalk, not letting herself remember just how little she belonged in the boutique district, much less in a store selling fifty-dollar baby onesies. Jacob’s Tahoe parked out front confirmed that he was here. No doubt arming himself with everything he needed to take her child away.
She let herself in with her head held high and tracked down her prey, standing next to the most gorgeous crib she’d ever seen.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Jacob faced her with surprise lightening his face. For a split second, KC saw the man she’d wanted more than anything. Then a mocking grin slid across his lips.
“Could you give us a minute, please?” Jacob asked the saleswoman. Until that moment, KC hadn’t even noticed her on the other side of the crib. The woman turned quietly and walked to the back of the store before Jacob continued, “What does it look like, KC? I’m outfitting the nursery at Blackstone Manor.”
Oh, no, he wasn’t. “You don’t need any of this stuff, Jacob, because Carter is not coming to live with you.”
“And what makes you say that?”
“This isn’t just about you, Jake. You need to think about what’s best for Carter.”
“I am. I have the means to provide my son with everything he needs. Unlike you.”
Hurt streaked through her, but she pushed it deep down under her growing anger. “Really? Can you give him love? Can you comfort him? Can you guide him? Or are you planning on using your money to turn that job over to a nanny so you can go about your perfectly planned days?”
His narrowed eyes should have had her shaking, but she refused to back down. Her son’s future was at stake. She didn’t want to hurt Jacob, but how else could she get through to him? “One thing I can say with certainty is that I can provide him those things. You, I’m not so sure about.”
Not waiting to give him a chance to outthink her, she pushed forward. Crowding into Jacob’s space, she said, “You want Carter to come live with you? I understand why you would. I don’t blame you for that.” Her breath caught for a moment. “And I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I’m not turning my son over to just anyone.”
“Oh, you don’t have to turn him over,” Jacob said, his voice deepening as if he had gravel in his throat. “You can come, too. I’m sure I could find a...use...for you.”
Strike number two. How many body shots did he plan to take? Because she sure didn’t need the reminder that Jacob had wanted her for sex and only sex.
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there with wide eyes before he looked away. But he wasn’t backing down. “The fact is, you’ve had Carter to yourself for three months. Your time just ran out.”
She’d guessed Jacob was a formidable businessman. But when he turned that laser-sharp stare on her, it sliced through what little armor she had and put every inner doubt on display.
“Jacob, I understand your anger,” she said, trying to slow her panic with a deep breath. “I made a horrible miscalculation. So I want to do my part to make this work. But no lawyers. No fighting. You want Carter to be a part of your life? Prove it to me.” Please, please, let this work.
“What do I need to prove? We knew each other for over a year. You know everything you need to know about me.”
“I know everything about certain parts of you.” If he wanted the truth, she could comply. “I know you’re halfway decent in bed.” That whopper of an understatement almost choked her. “How good you are at picking up girls on planes. That you enjoy being with me at home but don’t want to be seen in public with me. That I’m good enough for sex but not allowed into any other part of your life. None of that tells me a damn thing about what kind of father you are.”
“So you want me to prove I can change diapers?” His shocked expression would be a thing to savor later when she stopped being so afraid of him that she might wet her pants.
“I want to know that you’re more than a sexual being, Jacob. Show me what kind of man you truly are. Can I trust your word? Can I believe you when you say you aren’t bad-mouthing me to my child behind my back? Can I trust you to teach him morals and work ethic and decency? Because I won’t let my child become a chip off James Blackstone’s block.”
Jacob stepped closer, literally towering over her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Arching her neck to stare at him wasn’t comfortable, but she wasn’t going to concede with even a single step backward. “Since you didn’t know about Carter, I’m going to guess and say you didn’t know your grandfather came to see me right before he died.”
“Aiden would have told me.”
“Did Aiden know? He wasn’t there.”
“Who was?”
“That lawyer guy.”
“Canton?”
“That’s the one. They came to the house one morning. I’d only known I was pregnant for a week.”
“How could he possibly know about that?”
KC shook her head. “I’m not sure. But he did know how long we’d been seeing each other. I wouldn’t put it past either of them to spy on me somehow.”
Jacob’s Adam’s apple shifted in his throat. KC was sorry to have to deliver her news.
“James knew you were pregnant with my child.” The deadness in his voice reverberated through her. She’d often wondered how a man like his grandfather could have had a child. What kind of family did you create with manipulation and fear? No wonder Aiden Blackstone had run far, far away when he was younger.
Though Jacob had always seemed quite normal, she’d sensed a dark sadness underneath that excellent control of his. What games had James Blackstone played with his grandsons? What terror had he wreaked in their family before he died? Jacob had never even come close to sharing something that personal.
“That’s the only reason I could think of that he would demand I leave town. And never come back.”
Jacob seemed frozen; not a muscle moved. He gripped the crib rail with one hand. The knuckles turned white...and stayed white.
“But you didn’t stay away.”
“No. Once I found out he was dead, I thought the coast would be clear to come home.” That might have been a mistake, too. “But he threatened my family’s business—”
“How?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as if he suspected a lie.
“Jacob,” she said, shaking her head at him, “your grandfather owned half the town. He’d rented us the land Lola’s is on for my entire life but never would allow my mother or grandmother to buy it. I suspect it was so he could use it to his advantage if the opportunity arose.”
She tried to breathe around the anger that rose at the memory. “He threatened to shut down the business. Everything my mother and grandmother
