Holiday Baby Scandal

Then one night, as if the dam had broken, he’d quite literally torn off her clothes. Never had Laney been so thrilled, so relieved to finally have a dream become reality. But no dream could’ve ever prepared her for the experience Ryker gave her.

Laney pulled her damp hair into a loose topknot. Now that she’d exercised and showered, she was ready to get some work done. Her brothers were so close to finding their family’s missing heirlooms, and she so wanted to be the one to crack the mystery.

For years, decades actually, their family had been searching for nine missing scrolls. The precious documents dated back to the sixteenth century, when one of their ancestors, an Irish monk, transcribed some of William Shakespeare’s work. The scrolls had been handed down from generation to generation.

But when the Great Depression robbed so many people of their normal lives, the O’Shea family lost their home and everything inside. The home actually ended up falling into the possession of Zara Perkins’s family, which was how Zara and Braden met. Braden had thought that cozying up to the pretty event coordinator and getting inside her house would help in their search. Little did Braden know he’d fall in love.

The scrolls weren’t found, so now the search continued. And Laney would love nothing more than to be the one to find the missing treasure. Her entire life she’d been sheltered, kept at an arm’s length from the dangers of the family business. If her father and brothers hadn’t needed her mad computer skills, she had no doubt they wouldn’t have told her a single thing.

Well, if she found these scrolls, they’d have to acknowledge just how much she brought to the table and how she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Family meant everything, and, now more than ever, she was determined to take a stronger role in the business. Proving to her brothers, to Ryker, that she could keep up with them wasn’t going to be a problem. She was an O’Shea. Determination was ingrained in every fiber of her being.

Laney pulled up her email and slid a hand over her flat stomach. This baby would be so hardheaded and strong. There was no other option, considering the genes.

Scrolling through messages, Laney tried to forget Ryker and his demanding ways. But it was those demanding ways that had rocked her entire world at a hotel in Miami.

Maybe she could distract herself with some online Christmas shopping. Maybe that would take her mind off Ryker and the fact she now carried his child. Laney couldn’t help but wonder how her overbearing brothers would react to this news.

Dread filled her stomach. How would Zara take the pregnancy? She and Braden had miscarried a child several months ago. Were they trying for another one? Laney hated to pry, but she also didn’t want to seem insensitive. Especially if they tried and were unsuccessful.

Oh, they’d be happy about the baby, but privately would they be hurt? Laney loved Zara like a sister and didn’t want to cause her any more grief.

With Mac and Jenna planning a wedding, Laney seriously hesitated to say anything to anybody. There wouldn’t be a perfect time, but at least she could wait for a better time.

Laney clicked on an email she’d been waiting on. Her offer had been accepted. Finally. She’d been wanting this news for over a week, and the timing was perfect. One more step closer to her goal of revamping an old, run-down building in Boston’s south side... Ryker’s old neighborhood.

She’d set these plans in motion before Miami. Over the years, she’d heard Ryker talk about unfortunate kids, never of his own childhood, but she knew his worry stemmed from where he’d come from. So Laney wanted to help. She hated the idea of kids feeling like there was no hope, no one there who really cared about their future.

Her father had instilled in her that commitment. To help the unfortunate. When he’d taken in Ryker, he’d done so without another thought. If more people reached out like her father had, maybe this world would be a bit brighter.

She was keeping the project a secret because she wasn’t in it for the praise or the recognition. And she definitely wasn’t out to make the O’Shea name look better in the community, which was what many would think if they knew she was involved.

Laney starred the email and laid her phone on the desk in her office before taking a seat. It had gotten so dark since she’d finished her run. She longed for summer and sunshine, where she didn’t have to worry about getting back in time before sunset. She also wondered if running alone was the smartest choice. She always had done it by herself to clear her head and think, but now that she was pregnant, she felt more vulnerable.

From the time she was little, her father had taught her to always be aware of her surroundings. But now she should take a few more precautions. Even though she lived in Boston and the streets were bustling with people, she might want to consider using her treadmill or finding a jogging partner.

A laugh escaped her as she thought of Ryker. She couldn’t quite imagine the brooding man throwing on a pair of sneakers and running. No, he was more of a boxer type, a guy who lifted heavy weights, or did pull-ups with one arm. He was all strength, all power.

And the thought of all of that excellent muscle tone had Laney attempting to focus on something else. Anything.

Christmas shopping. Right. That’s what she’d been planning to do. Why go to the stores and fight all the crazies when she could go braless at home and have everything delivered right to her door...wrapped even.

Online shopping was glorious.

She also had a few final touches to put on the O’Shea’s holiday party they were having for the staff at Braden’s house in two weeks. The annual event had grown even more since Mac had opened satellite offices in Miami and Atlanta.

Still, Laney loved working on the party and Zara was a professional coordinator, so her sister-in-law had done the majority of the work this year. Laney just needed to order the centerpieces she and Zara had agreed on.

She’d just opened a new browser to search for a dress to wear to the party when her doorbell rang. Glancing quickly at the monitors, she saw Ryker’s hulking frame. He kept his head down, shoulders hunched against the brisk December air. He never came to her house...just like she had never gone to his. He’d followed her home before to make sure she was safe, but he’d never popped in of his own accord.

Who knew it would take a pregnancy to get him to come for a visit?

Pushing away from her desk, Laney headed toward the front door. Darkness had set in and snow swirled around, bright flakes catching in the streetlights.

L

aney flicked the lock on her door and opened it, immediately stepping back so Ryker could come in out of the cold.

Without a word he strode inside. Those heavy black boots were quite the contrast to her bare feet with polished pink toes. And that was barely the beginning of all the ways they differed.