Chapter Seven
Lark’s Unwanted Call
As I pull into the parking spot in front of her apartment building, I try to calm my racing thoughts. All fucking night, I tried to think of something to do with Paisley. I looked up restaurants online and even checked the theater schedule. Nothing seemed to be quite good enough. Living in a small town has always been my dream, but it sure in the hell makes dating a fuck of a lot harder.
After a lot of thought, I finally decided to make her dinner at my house. One thing I learned growing up was how to cook, and I learned that lesson well. I want to share that knowledge with her. Now, I just have to get her to agree. If she doesn’t, or is not quite comfortable being alone with me, I’ll let her choose where to go.
Cutting off the engine, I start to open the door but stop when my phone rings. Taking my hand off the door handle, I pull it out of my pocket. The name Crystal Nelson flashes across the screen, causing my blood to boil. I know if I don’t answer she’ll keep trying to call.
“How the fuck did you get this number?” I growl, not even bothering with a hello.
“Don’t you think I should have the number of the man who fathered my child?” she asks, sounding smug.
I want to shout at her, remind her that the baby probably isn’t mine, but I don’t want to get into another argument right now. The last thing I need is to be on edge when I pick up Paisley. I take in a deep breath, trying to control my anger. She gets on my last nerve, making me want to forget she is a woman.
“Who gave you my number?” I ask again, waiting for an answer.
She huffs loud enough it can be heard through the phone. “I stopped by the bar to talk to you. I talked to Serena, told her it was important, and she gave me your number.”
Fuck, Serena and I are gonna have to have a talk. I can’t be pissed at her; she didn’t know anything was going on between Crystal and me, but she needs to know not to be handing out my number to people. If I want to talk to them, I’ll give them my number myself. Hell, I never even expected her to call, but I put her number in my phone figuring her crazy ass would eventually find out my number. That way, I’d know whether or not to answer it. I guess it was a pretty smart idea after all.
“What do you want?” I ask, barely holding back a snarl.
She doesn’t miss a beat before getting to the reason for her call. “I need some more money. I have to have some blood work done before the ultrasound, and I don’t have the cash to cover the co-pay.”
This bitch has no fucking qualms about asking for shit. Granted, if I knew the baby was mine, I’d hand her anything she wanted, but I don’t know that. I don’t even think there’s a chance. Since I don’t know, I’m not willing to start handing her money hand over fist. Then again, I would rather give her a little spending money than deal with her ass.
“I just gave you money, so I’m not giving you anymore right now.” Quickly making a plan, I tell her what is going to happen from this point forward. “Until the baby is born and we can have a DNA test done, you can stop by the bar on the first of each month and I will give you five hundred.”
“But the blood work costs…” she starts, but I cut her off.
“That’s it, not a penny more. I’ll take that away if you stop by the bar any other time. Also, I want you to lose my number. If you call me again, I won’t give you shit.”
I feel like a chump having to pay her off to keep her ass away from me, but I feel like I have no choice. She is the last person I want to see, and I don't want to take the chance of having a run in with her while I am with Paisley.
At some point, I’m going to have to tell her about Crystal and the baby. I don’t want her to find out anything until I have her wrapped up so damn tight that she can’t get away. I want her to need me as much as I need her, so there is no way she will be willing to leave my side, even if my life is shit.
“You don’t even want to know how the baby is doing?” she asks in a sarcastic voice, letting me know that she doesn’t give a shit as long as she gets the money.
“I don’t want to know shit.” Forgetting my plan not to argue with her, I let the words spew. “I’ve told you the baby isn’t mine. You fucked so many men, you probably don’t even know who the father is.”
As the words leave my mouth, a thought pops into my brain. There is a big possibility that the baby is Trip’s. If so, the kid will be my niece or nephew. Maybe not by blood, but that doesn’t mean shit to me. As much as I hate this chick, I don't want her doing anything to hurt the baby or to hurt him.
“You can give me an update on the pregnancy when you stop by the bar to pick up your money,” I say, giving her an inch but no more. “Other than that, I don't want to know unless you are in the hospital.”
“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” she says, sounding whiny.
“Yep,” I say, tired of the conversation. “It is what it is. Take the offer or you won’t get a damn dime from me.”
“I could always ask your friend,” she says with a harsh laugh. “He seemed all too happy to hand me money.”
That shit is not gonna happen. I want this cunt to stay the fuck away from Trip. The man has enough damn problems without having to deal with her annoying ass. If he has to deal with her, he’ll end up drinking himself to death.
“He’ll tell me if he gives you anything,” I state, my body shaking with anger. “If you take a fucking cent from him, you won’t get shit from me. If you even talk to him, I will make sure that you don't get a dollar from either one of us.”
After a long minute, she finally agrees. “Fine, I will see you on the first.”
With that, she hangs up, leaving me fighting the urge to send my fist through my windshield. I’m so damn pissed that I can’t even think straight. It’s not just the thought that there is a possibility of her being pregnant with my child, but it’s more that she thinks she can play me. Even worse, she thinks she can play my brother, too.
Pulling in a deep breath, I force my anger to recede and then put my phone back in my pocket. I blow out the breath and reach for the door handle, determined to put Crystal and all her bullshit out of my mind. As soon as I open the door, I see Paisley walking my way.
I watch her walk as I rush around to the passenger side of my truck and grab the door handle. The front of her hair is pulled back from her face, but the back is falling in waves down her back. She’s wearing just enough makeup to cause her deep brown eyes to stand out even more. I haven't seen her wear any before. It makes her look sultry, sexy, and ready for anything I might be prepared to throw at her.
I take her in, seeing she went all out for our date. She is wearing a deep purple dress that brushes the top of her knees. It fits snug, showing off every one of her curves. The neckline dips just a bit, allowing me to see the swell of her breasts. When she turns to wave at Sonia, who is standing by the door of their apartment, I see the back is low, damn near to her ass. My cock responds to the sight, standing up and saluting the beauty before me.
Pulling the door open, I forget all about the phone call and focus my attention on her. “I would’ve come to the door.”
“There was no need,” she says with a grin. “If you had, Sonia would have asked you a million questions. I swear, she is worse than my dad ever was.”
When she gets to my side, I just stare down at her. She is so damn gorgeous, I can’t take my eyes off of her. I am mesmerized for a moment, just studying her before I finally snap out of it.
“Since I didn’t get to come to the door, you can at least let me help you get into the truck,” I say, taking her hand.
As she climbs in, I catch a scent of her perfume. She smells like honeysuckle, rich and sweet. The scent has me wanting to pull her closer, but I doubt she would want that just yet. Instead, I buckle her in, taking the opportunity to breathe in her scent.
She giggles, sounding like a schoolgirl. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy buckle my seat belt before.”
“Then you’ve dated the wrong kind of men.” I look into her eyes and cock my brow. “I want you safe, and I’m gonna do everything I can to keep you that way.”
With that, I step back and shut the door. I can feel her eyes on me as I walk around to the driver’s side and climb in. I start the truck, glancing over at Paisley. She is nervous as fuck. She is wringing her hands together as they sit in her lap, a blush covering her cheeks with her bottom lip between her teeth.
Reaching over, I pull on her chin, forcing her teeth to release her lip. “I swear there’s nothing to be nervous about. You can trust me, Paisley. I promise not to do anything you don’t want me to do.”
“I-I-I know, but that doesn’t mean my nerves aren’t getting the best of me,” she says with a shrug. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a few minutes.”
I’ve never been with a woman so damn shy. Hell, I don’t know if I have ever met anyone this fucking shy. Growing up with my parents, my earliest memories are of running around their restaurant. I was always around strangers, meeting someone new every day. Because of that, there was never a shy bone in my body.
“Where are we going?” she asks, finally looking up at me.
“I made us dinner,” I explain, hoping she will be okay with it. “I figured we could eat at my place and then watch a movie.”
Her eyes blink rapidly as her mouth drops open, pushing herself back in her seat. “We’re going to your house?”
“If you’re not okay with that, we can go somewhere else,” I say as I reach out and take her hand. “You tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take us there.”
Paisley goes quiet, still looking at me. I can see the indecision on her face. She is trying to figure out if she can trust me. I could try to persuade her, but it wouldn’t matter. This is a decision she needs to come to on her own.
“N-n-no,” she stutters out, taking a deep breath. “I’m fine with going to your place. What did you cook?”
“Chicken étouffée,” I tell her, holding her hand as I put the truck in gear. “I wanted to use shrimp, too, but I couldn’t find any fresh ones at the store.”
I turn the truck out of her parking lot and head to my house. I don’t live far away, just a few miles from the bar and her apartment. I bought the place for a steal because it was a fucking dump. It was perfect on the outside with cream siding and blue shutters. The front is lined with windows and has a huge porch. The inside needed quite a bit of work though.
“I’m shocked you know how to cook. Most men I know don’t. My dad and brothers would rather be shot than even turn on a stove,” she says, playing with the hem of her dress. “I honestly think my mamma and sisters-in-law would be the ones shooting them if they even tried to touch their stoves.”
“I’d have starved a long time ago if I didn’t learn how to cook for myself,” I tell her, giving her hand a squeeze. “Just wait ‘til you take a bite. I promise, you’ll be willing to let me in your kitchen anytime I want.”
I’m tempted to tell her about my childhood, tell her I learned to cook in my parents’ restaurant, being taught by my parents, but I keep my mouth shut. I don't want to get into my past tonight. It’s too damn hard to explain how things are between my parents and me. Right now, I don't even want to try. If this goes further, there will be time to talk about my fucked-up family later.
“My mamma tried to teach me how to cook, and even my nonna gave me lessons. They both said all Italian women were born to be chefs, but I can barely fry an egg,” she says with a whisper of a laugh. “I can bake, though. You give me flour and a little sugar, and I can make you something that will melt in your mouth.”
“Since I’m cooking for you tonight, you can bake for me on our next date,” I say, shooting her a smile.
She looks at me, cocking her pretty little head to the side. “Are you that sure there will be a second date?”
“Hell yeah.” I smile, not taking my eyes off the road. “I’m going to make sure there are many more.”