The Texan's Surprise Baby (14 page)

Andrew’s fingers tightened reflexively on the steering wheel. Aaron had his full attention now. “Does it?”

“Hmm. As in...she’s wondering if you and Hannah have seen each other at least once since you left the resort last August.”

Andrew would not lie to his twin, but he’d made a promise to Hannah that he wouldn’t share their secret just yet. So he remained quiet.

Aaron read that silence perfectly. “Damn, Shelby’s right, isn’t she?”

Andrew shot his brother a look, taking in his stunned expression before turning his eyes back to the road ahead.

Aaron turned sideways in the passenger seat. “You’re the father of Hannah’s baby. You’d have already denied it if you weren’t.”

“Which direction do I turn at the intersection?”

Impatiently, Aaron consulted the notes in his hand. “Turn right. I assume Hannah has forbidden you to tell? But from what I think I’ve learned about her, I bet she didn’t order you to outright lie in response to a direct question. Are you the father of Hannah’s child?”

Aaron was right of course, that Hannah wouldn’t expect him to blatantly lie to his brother’s direct question. She would never ask that of him.

“Yes.” The relief of finally sharing the truth with his twin was immediate. “She’s going to tell everyone else soon. In the meantime...”

“I won’t give it away,” Aaron promised, sounding stunned. “I won’t even confirm Shelby’s theory to her—well, unless she asks me outright of course.”

Andrew shrugged, figuring Shelby would know within ten minutes of their returning to the resort. It would probably be the first thing she asked Aaron upon seeing him again. He sent a silent apology to Hannah, but he’d warned her that the longer they waited the more likely it was that the secret would come out anyway.

“Wow. So you’re going to be a father. And I’m an uncle,” Aaron marveled. “Mom and Dad are going to freak.”

Swallowing hard, Andrew muttered, “Um, yeah. Probably. Let’s just say it’s been a momentous week for me.”

“No kidding. So you and Hannah have been seeing each other since you worked for them last summer? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“We haven’t been seeing each other. It was only the one night,” Andrew admitted. “I hadn’t even heard from her since.”

He needed to think of a better way to phrase that in the future. He didn’t want anyone thinking he and Hannah had indulged in a cheap one-night stand. It had been much more than that—for him at least—though he had yet to come up with an explanation that made sense. Probably because he still didn’t know why she’d spent that night with him when she was only going to shoot him down afterward.

“Hey, wait a minute. Am I the one who told you Hannah’s pregnant? You really didn’t know until I mentioned it on the phone the other day?”

He grimaced. “No, I didn’t know.”

“Dude.”

Andrew nodded glumly.

Aaron rode in silence for a couple minutes, digesting the information, then chuckled drily. “You know what’s funny? Just a couple weeks ago, I wished that for once
you’d
do something to scandalize the family and take some attention from my issues for a change.”

“Yeah, that’s freaking hilarious,” Andrew grumbled.

“Sorry. So how do you feel about it? Suddenly finding out you’re about to be a dad, I mean.”

“Nervous. Pleased. Worried. Proud. A little embarrassed to find myself in this situation at my age. Scared spitless about the responsibility.”

“Those all sound like perfectly reasonable reactions,” Aaron conceded. “But, um, maybe you should let me do the talking when we get to Cavender’s house. You have too much emotionally invested this time to be objective.”

Andrew’s fingers white-knuckled around the wheel. “Hannah could have lost the baby,” he grated, the words ripping almost painfully from his throat.

Aaron touched his arm, the gesture carrying a wealth of understanding. “I know. And I’m furious about that, too. But it won’t help anything if you beat the guy to a pulp before we even have any proof that he’s involved.”

“It would sure as hell make me feel better.” Andrew sighed gustily. “Fine. You do the talking.”

Aaron nodded in determination. “He’ll lie of course, but maybe we can get a feel for the truth. After that, we’ll figure out a way to prove it. And in the meantime, maybe knowing we’re on to him will stop him from trying anything else.”

“Especially if I promise to beat him to the pulp you mentioned if he ever even looks at Hannah again.”

“Uh, yeah, that should probably do it.” Aaron suddenly spoke with a bit more care, seeming to choose his words carefully. “So what’s going to happen with you and Hannah? You know her grandmother, at the least, is going to be pushing for a wedding. Wouldn’t be surprised if Mom drops a few broad hints about that, too.”

Andrew tensed again. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about the future yet. Hell, we’ve hardly had a chance to talk at all. Every time we try, we’re interrupted.”

“It is hard to find privacy at the resort,” Aaron agreed.

Andrew slanted his brother a questioning look. “That doesn’t bother you?”

Aaron shrugged. “It’s just part of the package. I’m not complaining, I like the family. Maybe someday Shelby and I will get a place nearby and commute to work there, but we’re good in her trailer for now.”

For himself, Andrew couldn’t imagine living that way. As fond as he was of the Bell family and as much as he liked their resort, his home was in Dallas. He’d trained from childhood to work in his own family’s business, and he thrived there. Yet he had a place of his own, a life outside his job and family, and he needed that, too. He wanted to be with Hannah, fully intended to help her raise their daughter, but even for them he couldn’t see himself being happy or fulfilled giving up his career and trying to find something to do with himself here.

Did Hannah feel the same way about her job in the resort, her home surrounded by her family? And if so, where did that leave them in the future?

“This is the place,” Aaron said, drawing Andrew from his troubled thoughts. “On the left.”

The Cavenders’ house was a simple, white-sided ranch-style in a working-class neighborhood. No vehicle was parked in the short driveway, and the garage door was closed. Andrew saw no sign of life around the place, but that didn’t mean no one was home, he reminded himself. He stood just behind Aaron on the stoop when Aaron rang the doorbell, braced for a confrontation in which he would be forced to call upon all his self-control. But the bell went unanswered after the third time Aaron pressed the button, and they had to concede the house was probably empty.

“They’re gone,” someone called out from the almost-identical house next door, drawing the twins’ attention in that direction.

An older man in faded jeans, boots and a short-sleeved Western-cut shirt stood by the mailbox at the end of the adjacent driveway, looking their way. “They left for vacation yesterday,” he added, his voice raised so they could hear him clearly. “Won’t be back for a week. I’m collecting their mail and papers for them.”

Andrew frowned, remembering that Hannah had spotted Chuck when they were on the way to the doctor’s office yesterday afternoon. “When did they leave?”

“Maybe about five o’clock? Got a late start because Justine had to work yesterday.”

“Do you know where they went?” Aaron asked.

The man looked at them narrowly. “Not sure as I should say. Who are you guys anyway?”

“We’re acquainted with their son,” Aaron replied.

The neighbor looked as though he wanted to spit then—a sentiment Andrew understood too well. “That don’t hardly recommend you to me.”

“We aren’t friends with their son, sir,” Andrew explained. “We represent his ex-wife. We’re investigating some threats against her.”

The man had approached them now, his walk marked with a slight limp, his grizzled face still suspicious. He stopped close enough that they could speak in normally modulated voices, frowning but seemingly relieved to hear they didn’t claim friendship with Wade. “I know Chuck blames the ex-wife for everything that went wrong with his boy, though Justine doesn’t seem to entirely agree with him. I met the girl only a couple of times, but she seemed nice enough. Too good for Wade, if you ask me.”

Andrew nodded in concurrence.

The old man scratched his stubbly chin. “Wouldn’t think Chuck would go so far as to make threats against her, though. He can be surly, but he’s not completely stupid.”

“We’re simply looking into all possibilities,” Aaron said.

The older man nodded and reached a decision, blurting out, “Chuck and Justine have gone to visit Chuck’s mama in Beaumont. Her last name is Cavender, too, but can’t remember her first name. Wade’s ex probably knows, so if you’re working for her, you can ask her. No need for you to mention how you found out where they are if you talk to Chuck of course.”

Andrew nodded. “No, sir. We won’t involve you. Thank you for the information.”

“Well, that was a waste of time,” Aaron said when they were in the car again.

“Maybe not entirely. Maybe the old man will tell Chuck someone’s looking into him, which could serve as a warning in the future. And we’ll definitely follow up. In the meantime, you need to get those closed-circuit cameras installed ASAP.”

Bryan had agreed that one of the cameras would record the area around the trailers, while others would be aimed at the houses, at the main building, the motel parking lot and a couple of places in the campgrounds for a total of six units. Signs would be posted that the resort was monitored by security cameras.

“Bryan and I are going to start on that this afternoon,” Aaron agreed. “Tomorrow we’ll reinforce the barrier at the end of the old road. We’re thinking concrete blocks.”

They had been somewhat surprised to discover that the chain was still in place and the road looked undisturbed. They’d agreed that either Cavender had somehow come in through the gate or had walked in on the old road, a long trek over rough ground, but certainly doable. He’d have gone to a great deal of trouble just to sabotage Hannah’s porch, but hatred and bitterness could lead to extreme acts, as Andrew had seen on more than one occasion in his career.

“So, you know my schedule for today. What are you going to do the rest of the day?” Aaron asked when Andrew parked again in Steven’s driveway.

“I have some work I can do from here. And I promised C.J. I’d run a standard background check on Lori’s boyfriend. If you and Bryan need me to help with the camera installation, give me a call.”

Aaron chuckled. “This family does have a way of keeping you busy, huh?”

“I volunteered for the latest assignments. I’m not expecting to find much about the boyfriend, though. Not without a full surveillance operation.”

“I don’t even want to think about how Lori would react to that,” Aaron said with an exaggerated shudder.

Andrew frowned. “Lori.”

“Yeah, what about her?”

Suddenly remembering the tense exchange he’d interrupted earlier, Andrew said, “She and Hannah were quarreling earlier today. I didn’t catch it all, but I think it had something to do with Lori’s boyfriend. You don’t think—”

“That Lori would do anything to hurt Hannah?” Aaron asked incredulously. “You can’t mean that. I’ve known her only a couple of weeks and I still don’t believe it.”

Andrew considered it a few moments, then shook his head. “No, I don’t know Lori very well either, but I can’t accept that. The boyfriend, though—if he thinks Hannah is working against him with the family, maybe...”

“Still iffy. Hannah only found out about Lori and Zach when she got back from Shreveport. As far as I know, she’s done nothing to interfere with them, other than maybe offering some advice Lori didn’t accept.”

“You’re right,” Andrew said with a shrug. “Just considering all the angles.”

“You always do.”

“I try.” Andrew climbed out of the car and pushed a hand through his hair. “Doesn’t mean I always get it right.”

He’d been trying to consider all the angles in his convoluted relationship with Hannah, for example. And he couldn’t begin to predict what would ultimately happen between them. Or even tomorrow, for that matter. All he knew was that he was far from ready to say goodbye to her.

* * *

The three men Hannah had secretly dubbed “the stooges” checked out Saturday afternoon. Nathan Burns, the one who’d made the reservations, handled the key exchange, while his buddies picked up sodas and snacks from the store for their drive home. He assured her that their stay had been quite satisfactory, that they’d caught some fish, hiked nearby trails and engaged in some quality buddy-bonding time. “All around great time,” he concluded.

Handing him his receipt, she smiled. “I’m glad you had fun. We hope you’ll come back and visit us again in the future.”

“I’m sure we will.” Touching the brim of his ball cap in an old-fashioned gesture, he turned to join his friends, who waited for him at the big glass exit doors. Hannah hid a smile when the one she’d dubbed “Skinny Romeo” glanced her way, flushed, then turned to leave, obviously still embarrassed that he’d hit on her so clumsily upon arrival and had been so firmly shot down. She’d seen him once or twice since, and wasn’t sure he’d been sober the whole time. Although he hadn’t actually caused any trouble, that was one guest she’d just as soon not see again anytime soon.

She glanced toward the grill, noting that business was still heavy with late lunchers, even though it was almost 2:00 p.m. She’d bet her aunt Sarah would appreciate the brief slowdown they’d probably see after the weekend, though business would get crazy again as the Independence Day weekend approached. From her desk, she could see one corner of the inside of the diner. Customers mingled, chatted, ate, laughed. At a far table, Patricia Gibson ate alone as always, her attention focused on her food, her hunched posture discouraging any friendly overtures. Perhaps she’d thought she’d avoid a crowd by dining later, but Hannah could have told her that on a summer Saturday, the place was always hopping.

Maybe the stooges had enjoyed their stay, but she saw no evidence that Patricia was having a good time. She wondered why the woman even stayed when her entire schedule seemed to be split between staying in her room and occasionally eating a meal here. How much longer would she stay? Hannah felt as though she should offer to do something to make the visit more pleasant, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say or do. Patricia had been fairly clear that she wanted to be left alone.