Greyson paced furiously on the back patio, running a hand over and over his beard as he replayed Belle’s face going from anger to horror to embarrassment and back to rage before she walked out of the house—and possibly his life. Why hadn’t he told her everything? He should’ve stopped looking for her family when she asked, he knew that, but what did he do? Kept looking, kept pushing, and kept working with Aiden.

“Greyson?”

“Go away, Mom,” he snapped, as angry at her as he was at himself, even though he knew she really didn’t deserve it. “Just please, I can’t deal with you too right now.”

“Why are you still here is what I want to know?” she asked.

“What am I supposed to do? I messed up with her, just like I messed up with Dad. I shoved them both out of my life with my stubbornness and my lack of trust! Why didn’t I just tell her?”

“Your dad? What are you going on about?” Sally asked.

Greyson hung his head, his hands planted firmly on his hips. “I’ve been dreaming about the fights I had with him,” he muttered. “I don’t know why, but he’s been there, and I’m terrified I’m going to make the same mistakes with Belle I made with him.”

“Sweetie, look at me. You know you weren’t to blame for what happened with you and your dad,” she said sadly.

“Not completely, but I was part of it,” he said. “Why does this happen?”

“You can’t control everything,” she told him. “And you certainly can’t always assume what you think is best is what someone you love wants. Belle loves you, I know she does, just as you love her, but if you stay here, pouting about it, she might not be around for you to tell her that.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, pissed at Belle for getting so mad while he was trying to do something good for her. Granted, he’d lied, and it was with Aiden, but couldn’t she see past that? And why did she get to run away from him and all he wanted for them? Part of him knew his mom was right, but his anger filled his mind and all he knew was Belle yet again held his good intentions against him when all he wanted to do was make her happy. Give her a chance to know her family. And for all he knew, she did know she was pregnant and didn’t want to tell him. Kept it from him just as he kept things from her.

“I have to go,” he grumbled and pushed past Sally, ran through the house and out the front door. He floored it in his Mustang, praying she was still at the ranch. The only other place she could go would be Carrie’s, and she’d moved across the damn state.

Wherever she went, he’d track her down and find her. She was not running out on him, not when he’d finally found the one damn woman he wanted in his life, despite their ups and downs. She would learn to understand that being taken care of—having someone love her—was not a bad thing. Even if it took years, he’d make her see it, one way or another.

“I’m not finished with you yet, Belle Hall,” he muttered to the night.

She was pregnant with their child—his child—and though he feared he would turn out just like his dad, he would not let her disappear into the night.

* * *

“I’m an idiot!” Belle yelled as she threw clothes out of Greyson’s closet onto the bed.

“I think my brother’s the idiot,” Mel corrected her, lounging on the bed.

“No, it’s me. I’m pregnant! What woman doesn’t realize she’s pregnant before her fiancé and his mom do? Why the hell didn’t I realize I missed my damn period!” She yanked down a few pairs of jeans and chucked them out, too. A suitcase lay open on the bed, but she missed it with every throw. Not that she cared. She paused, her eyes wide, and pointed at Mel. “It’s his fault.”

Mel frowned. “That’s usually how pregnancy works. The guy has to… you know,” she said, using her hands to demonstrate.

“That's not what I meant,” Belle said, holding her face in her hands. “I’ve been so busy dealing with his shit that I didn’t even pay attention to myself!”

“You haven’t peed on the stick yet, to be fair, so he and Mom could be wrong,” Mel reminded her gently. “Just thought I’d throw that out there.”

Belle tilted her head back and forth before walking back into the closet and stared absently at the clothes. She’d picked up a test from the drugstore on her way back with Mel, but she was too scared to know the truth and hadn’t used it yet. What would happen when it was positive? She wasn’t even sure she could trust Greyson anymore, and she might be caring his damn baby. Her mind a torn jumble of thoughts and hands shaking from her growing anxiety, she didn’t hear Mel call out until it was too late.

“Where are you going?” Greyson snapped from the doorway of the closet.

“Far away from you and your lying ass,” she shot back. “You lied to me—again!”

“It was for your own good—again,” he retorted, blocking the door when she tried to rush past him. “No, you don’t get to take off and leave me twiddling my thumbs, woman. Not until we talk!”

“About what? Mel, don’t you dare leave me,” Belle yelped when Mel crossed her view over Greyson’s shoulder, but she held up her hands. “Mel!”

“Nope, you two need to work this out. I’m leaving. Call me when you two are done fighting.”

“Mel!” Belle heard her steps run down the hall and the front door open and slam. “Great. That’s just great.”

Greyson leered at her with his wolfish grin. “Now you don’t have a choice but to stay and chat.”

“You need to move,” she said and shoved at his chest. He planted his feet, crossed his arms, and his grin only grew wider. “You can’t keep me in the damn closet. I have to pee,” she said, tapping her toe anxiously.

He rolled his eyes and shifted so she could push past him, but she went straight for the front door instead of the bathroom. Greyson cursed and chased after her.

“I wouldn’t have to lie to you if you would just let me do something nice for you.”

“Nice? You call sneaking off with your ex-lover nice? You call trying to track down a family that clearly never wanted me nice?” She laughed harshly, whipping around to glare at him. “You think I want to go through that pain again?”

“Sometimes, we have to do things we don’t like,” he insisted hotly.

Belle laughed even louder before it died and she snarled. “That’s rich. Says the man who can barely stand to talk about his past with his dad and all the shit you two went through.”

Greyson’s face fell and she leered at him. “We’re not talking about me.”

“Yes, we are. You stand there and yell at me for getting mad at you because you think you’re doing what’s good for me, but you never stopped to think if I wanted you to! Should I start pushing you about your dad every day? Should I call your mom behind your back and get her to come over and force you to relive your memories with your dad?”

He stalked towards her, his hands clenched at his sides. “That is not the same. I want you to find your damn family.”

“And what happens when you track them down and they say they don’t want me?” she cried, her eyes stinging with tears as the hormones and her rage reached their peak. “What happens when you find they’re dead?”

Her words echoed around the house, lingering between them, and Greyson’s face softened briefly. “I know where I come from,” he said gently and reached for her, but she stepped away, not ready to simply forgive him for lying so much. “I know I can be an arrogant ass, I push too hard, and I worry every day I’ll wind up like my dad.”

She nodded for him to go on, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“You’ve helped me probably more than you realize,” he told her and swallowed hard, pain and his love for her filling his eyes. “I’m terrified I’ll lose you, do something stupid, so yeah, I lied, and yeah, I went behind your back. I don’t know how to navigate these feelings. I don’t know how to explain to someone how much they mean to me or to tell you that this is for your own good.”

Belle pushed her tongue behind her lips, her heart melting, but she didn’t give in, not yet.

He blew out a breath and ran his hands over his head. “And now, on top of everything else, you might be pregnant. I didn’t want to freak you out when I was too busy freaking out for you.”

“I’ve never seen you freak out,” she said quietly.

“I don’t like to show it, especially around you,” he admitted. “I’m here for you, Belle, and I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m not backing down because it worries you or makes you face your fears. You need to face them, head on, and deal with whatever consequences come your way. I learned that the hard way and I was alone. You won’t be, not ever, not with me.”

Belle sighed, holding her arms over her chest. Telling him he was right was too easy for what he’d done to her, but deep down, she knew he was. No matter where the path led them, she should know where she came from. If she were pregnant, didn’t she want to be able to tell their baby who its grandparents were? What they did in the world, even if it wasn’t a pretty story? She took a step towards Greyson when the doorbell rang and she paused.

“Maybe it’s Mel checking on us,” he said and walked over to answer it.

Belle stayed where she was, reeling from the tornado of emotions from the last few hours alone, when she heard a woman’s voice she knew was not Mel’s at the front door.

“What are you doing here?” Greyson snapped.

“You didn’t answer your cell, and I wanted to make sure you had the latest update,” the woman said.

Belle’s blood ran cold as she straightened, listening to Greyson speak to the woman. “Aiden, get off my property. We’re finished, you hear me? Finished.”

“So you don’t want to hear what I found?”

“Leave me a message,” he growled and moved to close the door when a high-heeled foot appeared in the doorway, blocking him. “Move, or I’ll remove it for you.”

“Oh, come on, at least let me in for old time’s sake. Can’t you offer me a drink?”

“Not tonight, and not ever again,” Greyson growled.

“Then I won’t tell you what I found out,” she threatened.

Belle caught Greyson’s hesitation, his hand tightening on the door, but when Aiden laughed that high-pitched, cheery sound—a sound saying she’d won and Greyson was going to let her in—any thought of holding onto her anger went out the window. She stormed over to the door and yanked it open further, shocking Greyson into taking a step back.

“You must be Aiden,” she said brightly.

Aiden’s eyes widened, and her smile fell before she quickly recovered. “Yes, I am, and you must be Belle.”

“Yes. Yes, I am,” Belle confirmed. She drew back her fist and punched Aiden squarely in the face. She fell backwards, landing hard on her butt with a squeal, clutching her nose. “And my fiancé said to leave, so leave, bitch, and remember who lives here now.”

“You horrible woman! I’ll get you back for this. You won’t hear the end of—”

Belle slammed the door and locked it, leaning her back against it. Greyson eyed her warily, his lips twitching. When they stretched into an impressed grin, her anger disappeared and all she wanted was to be alone with a man who loved her enough to risk her wrath.

“If you want to look for my family,” she said, poking him hard in the chest, “we do it on my terms—and no Aiden. Got it?”

He reached up and held her hand tightly, bending down to kiss her. “You’re the boss,” he whispered against her lips.

“Damn right I am,” she answered and wrapped her arms around his neck.