Getting Lucky (4 page)

“No.”

“Girlfriend?” she ventured to ask.

“No.”

“Good.”

He arched a brow, but only said, “I’m not going to tell him in front of anyone. I’ll do it in private.” He shoved a hand through hair. “Though God knows how I’m going to bring it up.”

She pondered her next suggestion for several long seconds. Then she thought about her mom. Melody had been a kind, warm person, but she hadn’t had much of a filter. She’d worn her emotions on her sleeve, and if she had a thought, it usually made it out of her mouth without much contemplation. “Maybe I could come.”

“To dinner?” TJ asked, clearly thinking that was the worst idea he’d ever heard.

She shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe that would be enough. I could meet him. Talk with him. But he wouldn’t have to know who I was.”

“First of all, that’s crazy. I can’t just show up there with a strange woman and no good explanation,” TJ said. “And secondly, what if it’s not him?”

What if it wasn’t him?

Hope looked down at the photo in her hand. She wanted it to be him. That was absolutely the dumbest thing ever. From a photo? Really? But he looked like such a nice guy and he had raised this protective-of-his-family, help-a-stranger-out guy. That had to mean something.

She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll just pretend it’s him.”

“No.” TJ’s answer was swift and firm.

“Why not?”

“Because then—” He bit off what he was going to say. His jaw tightened. “No. We need to know for sure.”

We? But she didn’t question that. Now that he knew there was a possibility he had a sister—
oh God
—maybe he
did
need to know for sure.

“Maybe I don’t,” she finally said. “I’ve lived this long without him.” And if her mom hadn’t died, she wouldn’t be here right now.

Again, TJ’s gaze softened, and Hope felt her breath catch for a millisecond. Hot
and
sweet? Even if it was deep, deep down underneath things? That would be a hard-to-resist combination.

Unless he was her
brother
.

Okay, yeah, maybe she did need to know.

“Hope,” TJ said, his voice low. “If you’re my father’s daughter, he would want to know.”

She knew she was staring again, but damn, that was the first time TJ had used her name, and it made something hot and tight settle deep inside her. Something dangerous.

“You sure?” she managed.

He nodded. “Very.”

She believed him. She could get in her car and head back to Arizona. Or head to Texas or Florida or New York. Point being, she could
leave
and live like her mom, free on the road, taking the adventures as they came. It would be less complicated. Obviously something she could have thought through before she’d gotten here, but still—she could avoid disrupting this family.

But instead, she heard herself say, “Okay.”

“So stay here tonight. I’ll go to dinner and…figure something out.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He looked as if he was about to say something else but thought better of it. Instead, he moved past her and her car and her camper and headed into the house.

God, please don’t let him be my brother
.

Because her thoughts about how great he looked walking away in those blue jeans were
not
sisterly. At all.

Chapter Two

How had this happened?

One minute, he’d been in town picking up the pain pills he was going to try at night because he couldn’t sleep worth a shit with his shoulder throbbing, and the next, he had a gigantic pain in another part of his anatomy.

Well, two other parts.

Both below his belt. One in his ass and one…on the opposite side.

TJ stood in front of his kitchen sink, looking out the window. He could just barely see the back of the camper Hope had pulled into his yard. From this vantage point, he couldn’t see her car. Thank God. She was again reclining on the hood, reading a book, her skirt hiked up to bare her legs to the sun.

It had taken a lot of will power to drink his iced tea in the kitchen instead of in the living room, in front of the huge picture window that would have given him a perfect view.

He could
not
be attracted to this woman. At least until he knew if his father was her father.

He couldn’t use the word
sister
. It gave him the heebie-jeebies.

It was about three in the afternoon, which meant his dad was probably out in his workshop in the barn tinkering with something. TJ could head over there and start the conversation that he was both dreading and wanting to get through as soon as possible. But there was always the chance that someone would come in and overhear something.

There was also the issue of leaving Hope here alone.

She might take off and try to find some answers herself. He couldn’t have her wandering Sapphire Falls, asking every guy over the age of forty-five if he’d had a fling with a beautiful blond passing through town twenty-five years ago.

There was also the chance—a very good one, in fact—that someone might show up here unexpectedly. No one called ahead in Sapphire Falls, especially in his family. His mother and Delaney, in particular, had been stopping by on a regular basis, and sooner or later everyone else would get brave and want to see for themselves that he was okay. The minute someone drove up his lane, they would see Hope’s bright-yellow car. Not to mention
her
.

And leaving a total stranger alone at his house didn’t seem like a good idea. She certainly didn’t seem like a thief or a squatter. But what did he know? She was making do with a Fiat and the tiniest camper he’d ever seen. Maybe she’d been counting on getting an invitation to stay in a big, comfortable farmhouse with a clean bed and home-cooked meals. Maybe she did this all the time. Maybe the story about trying to find her father was nothing but a story.

That didn’t explain the photo, of course.

He needed some answers. He hit speed dial number three on his phone for his dad’s cell.

“Hey, TJ.”

“Hey, Dad, I need some help with something. You free right now?” He didn’t even feel guilty that his father would assume he needed help because of his shoulder.

“Of course. I’ll be right over.”

TJ turned away from the window and settled his butt against the counter behind him. He downed the rest of his tea and waited. His dad was about six minutes away.

Sure enough, TJ heard his truck coming a few minutes later.

TJ pushed away from the counter and headed for the front door.

Predictably, his father and Hope met before he even hit the first porch step.

They were smiling at each other. His dad looked simply friendly, like he would meeting anyone new. But Hope looked—excited and nervous.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Son.”

“This is Hope.”

“Yes, we’ve been introduced.” Thomas glanced at the license plate on the front of her car. “Arizona?”

Hope nodded. “Road trip.”

“Let’s go inside,” TJ said to his dad. His gaze went to Hope.

She nodded and TJ motioned for his dad to head into the house. He started after him but turned back and said, “I just need to—”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I understand.”

He gave her a single nod and then followed his father into the house. How could he feel bad about leaving her out of this conversation? He didn’t
know
her. This was his dad. He needed to protect his father first, and Thomas should have the chance to explain before it was in front of anyone else. Even his daughter.

Thomas settled at TJ’s kitchen table.

“Is everything okay?” Thomas asked as TJ took a seat.

TJ wasn’t going to lie now. “I don’t know.”

“What do you need?”

TJ’s chest tightened. Thomas would do or give anything he could to make his sons and their families happy, safe and healthy.

If he had a daughter, he would want to know. TJ knew that.

He decided to jump right in. “Does the name Melody Daniels ring a bell?”

Thomas frowned slightly. “No. Why?”

“You
don’t
know a girl named Melody who spent a summer here twenty-six years ago?” TJ asked.

Thomas’s surprise was clear. “I do. I don’t recall her last name being Daniels. But, yes, I remember Melody.”

TJ took a deep breath. “Hope is her daughter.”

Thomas smiled. “She looks just like her. I had a flash of déjà vu when I saw her.”

“She’s twenty-five,” TJ said. “Never knew her dad. Says her mom told her he’s here in Sapphire Falls.”

Thomas sat up straighter. “Oh.”

Oh? TJ frowned. “That’s it?”

Thomas’s gaze was focused on the fridge across the room. He was clearly lost in thought.

“Dad?”

Thomas focused on TJ again. “Yeah?”

“Dad…” TJ took a deep breath. “Is it possible that you’re her father?”

Thomas jerked at that. “What? Melody said that?”

TJ shook his head. “Melody passed away. She never told Hope her dad’s name. But she has a photograph of her mom with you and Uncle Dan. Your name is the only thing on the back.”

“And you think that means
I’m
her
father
?” Thomas asked.

“Hope thinks that’s what it means. Actually,” TJ said, “I think she
hopes
that’s what it means.”

“TJ, I knew Melody. So did your mother. We were married with all four of you boys by then.”

“I know. But…things happen.”

“And you thought things might have happened between me and Melody?” Thomas asked with mild disbelief.

“I don’t know what to think. Hope was sitting in my front yard when I got home today, and she dumped all of this on me. She was actually looking for you and got to me by mistake.”

“And as soon as you heard she needed help, you volunteered,” Thomas said.

“No.” He was helping Hope only because it directly impacted his family. He wasn’t being suckered in by a pretty face. This time. “I wanted to keep her from showing up at
your
house. I wanted to talk to you first. Let you decide how you wanted to handle it.”

Thomas nodded. “Well, thank you. But there’s nothing to handle.”

“What do you think of doing a paternity test?” TJ asked. “A simple cheek swab. We can do it here. No one has to know anything until we know for sure. Results take about a week.”

TJ knew more than he’d like to about how the DNA tests for paternity worked, and knew personally how long that week could feel.

“There’s no reason for that,” Thomas said. “I am not Hope’s father.”

“Dad, I know this is awkward. But we all screw up sometimes.” His father knew exactly how familiar TJ was with this kind of stuff. “I know it will take getting used to—”

“TJ,” his dad cut him off firmly. “I am
not
Hope’s father. I can promise you that.”

TJ pulled a breath in through his nose. His father’s word was worth the world. Integrity was one of the top three words TJ would use to describe his father if asked. Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”

Damn.

He was so conflicted. He didn’t want his father to be Hope’s. It meant Thomas had not cheated and TJ didn’t have a sister he hadn’t known about for twenty-five years.

And that his crazy attraction for her was okay.

God,
that
was a relief.

In fact, his body surged with the sudden realization that everything he’d felt was perfectly fine.

He looked at his dad. “Totally one hundred percent positive?”

“One hundred percent,” Thomas said firmly. He got up from the table and headed for the front door. TJ sighed and followed. Thomas was upset that TJ had doubted him. He understood that, but he still needed his dad’s help.

“Dad—”

“Hope,” Thomas called from the porch. “I think you should join us.”

Hope looked surprised, but she slid off of the hood of the car. “Are you sure?” Her gaze went to TJ.

TJ nodded. If his father was good with her hearing this, then TJ was. This was Thomas’s story now.

TJ and Thomas stepped back for Hope to enter the house ahead of them. Back in the kitchen, TJ offered them both iced tea. Once everyone had a glass and was seated, Thomas took over the conversation.

“Hope,” he said gently. “I knew your mom. But I’m not your father.”

Hope looked at Thomas as she processed that. Finally, she nodded. “Okay.”

“You were with mom,” TJ said. He trusted that. His parents were very much in love. They were the solid foundation of the Bennett family.

Thomas nodded, but his gaze was still on Hope. “And Dan was in love with Melody.”

TJ started at that and looked at his dad. “Really?”

Hope’s eyes widened.

Thomas nodded. “Very. So even if your mom hadn’t been a factor, I wouldn’t have so much as flirted with Melody. We were all friends. She hung out with us all summer. There are lots of other pictures, but maybe she didn’t keep them, or maybe you just haven’t found them yet,” he said to Hope. “I don’t know. But she and Dan had a fling that summer. I would wager this farm that Dan is your father.”