The Bachelor's Little Bonus (Proposals & Promises 3)

His brows lowered into a deep V of disbelief. “What did you—”

“I did not come here to ask you for money,” she said, cutting him off. “And how dare you make that assumption?”

“Then why would you come here behind Cole’s back?”

“Because I’m a moron, too,” she replied with a bitter shake of her head. “I didn’t come to ask for anything. I came to offer something. I stupidly thought I could charm you into making a new start with your son. It never even occurred to me that a kind, honorable, courteous man like Cole would come from a father who is so rude and...and just mean.”

“Look, I—”

She swept on, her hands fluttering in agitation. “You’re intentionally blind if you can’t see what a fine man your son has turned out to be. He works very hard and he has gained a great deal of respect from people who recognize his intelligence and competence. You should be proud of what he’s accomplished rather than trying to make him feel guilty because he didn’t want to take over this business. He never thought he was too good for mechanic work. That’s not the kind of man he is. He simply pursued the work that best suited him and that made him happy, which is what any parent should want for his child. And by the way, he obviously respects you more than you do him. He told me that you’re a damned good mechanic, that there’s not an engine in existence you can’t tear down and rebuild, and that you’ve invested very wisely in your business and have been very successful with it.”

“He said that?”

She was on a roll and in no mood to listen now. “He didn’t tell you about the baby because he didn’t think you’d care. I thought maybe he was wrong. I thought maybe you’d like the chance to be a granddad to this little boy. Despite the appalling example you’ve set, Cole will make a wonderful father. This child and I are very lucky to have him in our lives. You’re the one who’s losing out. So, here’s the deal, Mr. McKellar. If you have even a lick of sense inside that stubborn head of yours, you’ll apologize to your son and try to repair some of the damage your stubborn pride has done to your relationship.”

She could tell by the stunned look in his dark eyes that gruff, stern Jim McKellar was not accustomed to being talked to in that manner. Did no one ever stand up to him when he acted like a total jackass? If not, it was past time someone did.

“I’m leaving,” she said, moving to the door with as much dignity as she could manage in her condition. “I assume you have your son’s telephone number if you come to your senses.”

She didn’t give him a chance to reply before she let herself out and stalked to her car.

Her seething resentment on Cole’s behalf lasted until she’d arrived home. She stamped into the house that still smelled of fresh paint and sawdust. The staircase to the second floor was now completed, leading to a small landing that branched into a nearly completed office on either side. She thought she could work quite comfortably in hers and Cole had assured her he felt the same way about the one he’d helped design for himself. It wasn’t like having an entire house to himself, of course, but it would be very nice, she assured herself in an attempt to assuage a sudden, inexplicable ripple of guilt.

That boy has always been a sucker for a woman in trouble.

He spends all his money helping the women who marry him because they need someone to take care of them.

Jim’s acrimonious comments echoed in her mind as she walked through the empty house.

As often as she tried to convince herself that Cole had gained as much from their marriage as she, there was always a niggling suspicion that he was giving the most. She’d wanted to believe his wants were simple—a compatible wife, a family, a nice home to return to from his business trips. But she was tormented by the feeling that there was something more he needed, even if he wasn’t aware of it himself. She’d thought reconciling him with his father would be a gift she could give to him, but now she wondered if maybe she’d just made everything worse.

She groaned and pushed her hands through her hair. She only hoped Cole wouldn’t someday regret the day he’d ever moved next door to her.

* * *

As Stevie had predicted, Cole was not thrilled when he found out what she’d done. Still, he seemed as annoyed with her for making the drive by herself as he was for interfering with his family.

“That was reckless,” he said, his tone as critical as it had ever been with her. “What were you thinking?”

She shook her head impatiently. She’d understand if he was angry. She’d even been prepared for a flash of previously unseen temper, but not for this reason. “Obviously, I’m perfectly capable of making an hour’s drive. I’m trying to apologize for butting into your affairs without checking with you first.”

“It was a two-h

our drive round trip,” he reminded her. “And anything could have gone wrong. You don’t need to be taking chances at this stage in your pregnancy.”

Was he redirecting his irritation at her for speaking with his father into a less complicated and slightly more justifiable, in his mind at least, annoyance with her for risking her health?

“I drove carefully and, of course, I had my phone with me. It’s not as if your father lives on a different continent, though you wouldn’t know it from the way you two behave.”

He drew a deep breath and she wondered if he was mentally counting to ten.

“Say what you need to say, Cole.”

Another ten-count and he finally spoke, though he kept both the words and the tone coolly controlled. “I appreciate what you were trying to do, Stevie. You just wanted to help.”

Taken by surprise, she frowned. “It’s okay if you’re mad. You can tell me. I know I stepped over the line.”

He shrugged, his dark eyes revealing nothing. “Like I said, you were trying to help. You just didn’t realize what you’d married into when it comes to your father-in-law.”