The Paternity Pact (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 3)

He’d no sooner sent the text than Harley was walking through his front door. Grant was swept by an overwhelming sense of relief. What had he been thinking? That she’d run off again and taken Daniel with her? Given his abrupt lightheadedness, no doubt that’s exactly what he’d presumed.

“Where’s Daniel?” he asked a little too sharply, seeing his son was not with her.

She shot him an odd look. “I dropped him off at your parents’ ranch so they could spend some one-on-one time with their grandson.”

He should’ve felt relief, but a trace of coolness in her manner caused his stomach muscles to clench. “So are we picking him up there?”

“Actually, they’ve invited us for dinner. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course.” He stood staring at her, wondering at her unhappy expression. “Is something else going on?”

“Were you ever planning to tell me that you’d met with an attorney this week?”

He cursed silently. “How did you know?”

“I saw the appointment pop up on your phone.” Although she was obviously trying to keep it together, her voice quavered. “Are you planning on seeking partial custody of Daniel?”

Remorse flooded him as he realized he should’ve had a conversation with her before contacting an attorney. He was accustomed to taking action without discussing the ramifications with anyone. And concern about his paternal rights made him more inconsiderate than usual.

“I met with Lloyd because I want to legally establish that Daniel is my son.” Grant was well aware that he hadn’t answered her question. When her gaze continued to bore into him, he added, “I haven’t taken any steps in that direction.”

“But you’re thinking about it?”

They could no longer exist in a bubble, insulated from reality.

“I’d be a fool not to.”

Harley reached into her pocket and pulled out the check he’d given her. “I told you my son isn’t for sale,” she said, extending it to him.

Treating her like Paisley had been a mistake. Harley wasn’t going to be pacified with tokens that had no meaning. “That’s not why I wanted to help you.”

Her skeptical look said it all. “What did you think would happen if I took the money?”

“That you’d stay in Royal.”

“And if I didn’t stay?”

Suddenly, her strong reaction and the disquiet he’d been feeling all day began to make sense. He saw now that his gesture had been both a bribe and a threat. He’d been warning her that he possessed the resources to help or fight her. The choice was hers.

“I can’t lose my son,” he answered quietly, his tone deadly serious. “I really hope we can come to an understanding.”

“Maybe I would be more open to that if things were different.” Harley gazed at him with hope and frustration fighting for dominance in her green eyes.

“What sort of things?” he asked, determined to find a way to make them both happy.

When they had been together five years earlier, he’d gone into the weekend recognizing that she’d been too young for him. Not as young as she turned out to be. But someone who had a lot of life to live before she’d be happy settling down.

Since she’d come home, he’d started to see her in a whole new light. Harley was no longer the pampered daughter of a wealthy family. She’d lived on her own halfway around the world and was raising a child as a single mom. And it impressed him to no end that she’d been so touched by the desperate plight of others that instead of turning away, she’d started a nonprofit to help women lift their families out of desperate poverty. Her level of experiences had surpassed that of an average twenty-three-year-old.

So why was he so reluctant to give her the credit she deserved? Because he’d have to treat her as an equal and acknowledge that they shared a lot in common from Daniel to their passion for helping people to a deep, unquenchable sexual chemistry. And couples with a lot less going for them made permanent relationships work.

“You’ve been clear about what you want,” he said, aware that he’d been existing in a vacuum, avoiding tough questions about the future and unwilling to imagine his life without her in it. “You’ve made it clear your reasons for returning to Royal were to find funding for Zest.”

“That’s true, but since coming home, a lot has changed. I love being with you and Daniel. But I want more. A lot more.” Harley turned imploring eyes on him, begging him to meet her halfway. “I want us to be together like a real couple.”

“You know how I am. What I can and can’t give you.”

She nodded. “I know what you believe you’re capable of, but I want to be the woman you can’t live without.” Harley drew in a shaky breath, revealing just how scary this conversation was for her. “And now I need to know what you want.”