The Heir Affair
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Cat Schield
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One
Kyle Tailor sat on the couch beside his business partner and best friend from high school, Trent Caldwell. It was Thanksgiving. On the great room’s sixty-inch television, an interdivisional grudge match was happening between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. Kyle wasn’t following the action. His gaze was locked on Trent’s sister.
Until she came along, solitude had never bothered him. In most ways it was simpler to live on his own without someone else’s physical or emotional clutter. To find himself needing Melody had been a shock to his system.
Now, he didn’t sleep well without her beside him. Since she’d been gone, he slogged through business meetings and routine activities in a foggy daze, unable to concentrate or care. He missed her hugs. Her way of teasing him. He’d lost weight, had stopped working out and lost an unacceptable amount of money in the casinos in the month since he’d come to Las Vegas to temporarily take over the management of Club T’s.
Trent elbowed him in his ribs.
Kyle ripped his gaze from Melody and arched an eyebrow at his business partner. “What?”
“Go talk to her.”
“I tried earlier.” When he’d first arrived, they’d exchanged a stilted “Happy Thanksgiving” and an awkward half hug. “She’s avoiding me.”
“Did you perfect your world-famous curveball on your first attempt?” Trent countered. “Try again.”
“She’s on the phone.”
Trent grunted and returned his attention to the television. His infant son sat on his lap. His matching blue eyes were on the screen and every time the Lions scored and Trent cheered, Dylan would respond to his father’s enthusiasm with clapping. From the love seat, the child’s mother watched the pair with such fondness Kyle’s gut twisted.
Laughter rose from the kitchen. Nate Tucker, the third partner in their Las Vegas nightclub, was in the process of putting away the leftovers from dinner, helped by Mia Navarro, a fellow songwriter he’d been dating for several months.
Thanksgiving was a day for families. A chance to celebrate what they had. Nate had Mia. Trent had Savannah and Dylan.
Frustration ate at him. Kyle should have had Melody except five months ago the paparazzi had captured her and famous DJ/music producer Hunter Graves coming out of a New York City nightclub hand-in-hand. The way Melody and her former flame had been smiling at each other had eaten at Kyle day and night until he’d accused her of cheating on him. Although she’d denied it, Kyle couldn’t find a way to believe her.
After all, hadn’t it been Hunter with whom she’d been so deeply in love that she was prepared to do almost anything to get him to love her back? Even engage in a crazy scheme to make Hunter realize he was taking her for granted. But playing like she was in love with Kyle to make Hunter jealous had become real awfully fast. That was probably why the plan had worked so well.
Seeing that he had real competition for Melody, Hunter had realized the error of his ways. But there was another outcome that neither Melody nor Kyle had seen coming. They’d actually fallen for each other. Kyle remembered back to the moment when all three of them had stood in her apartment, with Melody between the two men who loved her. The seconds were burned in his mind. Her choice could have gone either way. He’d experienced a heart-stopping range of emotions while he waited for her decision.
And in the months since, Kyle would be lying if he claimed he’d never wondered if she was happy with choosing him over Hunter.
His heart gave a sickening lurch as he regarded Melody. She was in great spirits at the moment. Her blue eyes sparkled. The corners of her mouth were turned up in a wry smile and her cheeks flushed with color.
Was she on the phone with Hunter Graves?
Disgusted with himself for jumping to that conclusion, Kyle turned to the television and forced his attention back to the game, but it was all just a swirl of purple, white and blue on a green background.
Falling in love with Melody had been the most incredible experience of his life. No woman before her had ever consumed his thoughts like this, and their lovemaking was exhilarating. Yet he had a hard time trusting the joy and found himself unable to shake the ever-present doubts that lurked in his subconscious, fears that nothing that felt so good could last forever.
Based on how his former love life had gone, he’d braced himself for the inevitable end of their relationship, prepared himself for loss. But the months stretched out and things between them had just gotten better. He’d loosened the reins of control and started to open up. And then she’d gone on tour and their physical separation had created an emotional gulf.
The damning photo of her and Hunter in New York had come at a point when too much time apart had demonstrated just how vulnerable their fledgling relationship was. Neither one of them had had enough confidence in their connection to weather such an emotionally charged situation. Pain pierced his temple. He dug his thumb into the spot.
There was another jab to his ribs. “She’s off the phone.”
“Thanks.” Kyle got to his feet and headed for the terrace.
Melody was on her way in. They met at the sliding glass door. Kyle stepped into the opening, blocking her from reentering the house.
“Look,” he said without preliminaries. “I came here tonight so we could talk.”
“You didn’t come for Nate’s cooking?”
Kyle didn’t crack a smile and Melody sighed in defeat. He knew she hated when he shut down like this, but he’d grown up building walls around his emotions. The strategy blocked pain and disappointment. Unfortunately, as his therapist liked to put it, it also kept him from “welcoming joy.”
He’d started seeing Dr. Warner when his baseball career abruptly ended a few years earlier after a string of shoulder and elbow injuries led to surgery and he was unable to make a full recovery. Needing to see a shrink filled him with shame and embarrassment. In fact, he’d let himself sink into some pretty dark mental territory before he’d made his first appointment. But the fact was, he’d needed help. Losing a career he loved left him feeling more vulnerable than he knew how to handle.
His dad would say a real man would suck it up and deal with his problems instead of running to some head shrinker. In Brent Tailor’s world, men didn’t talk about all that touchy-feely crap. A real man made decisions and if things went wrong, he fixed them. Kyle often wondered if his father thought a real man didn’t have feelings.
“We need to sort out what’s going on between us,” he said, stepping outside, herding her away from the family room and the safety of their friends.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Your stuff is still at my place in LA, but you haven’t been there since the tour ended. Are you coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
“It feels like we’re over.”
Melody’s voice sounded rough as she asked, “Is that what you want?”
“No, but I can’t remain in limbo, either. We either need to move forward or be done.” Giving Melody this ultimatum hadn’t been part of his plan tonight. He hadn’t wanted to fight with her at all. “The decision is up to you.”
“I need to think about it.”
Impatience snapped along his nerve endings. “The tour ended two months ago. You’ve had plenty of time to think.”
“Things are a little more complicated than they seem.”
She didn’t elaborate even though Kyle gave her the space to do so. Once upon a time Melody had been able to talk to Kyle about everything. Now, it was as if they were strangers.
“How complicated can it be?” he finally asked. “Do you want to be with me or with Hunter?”
“With Hunter?” She shook her head in bewilderment. “What are you talking about?”
“That was him on the phone a little while ago, wasn’t it?”
“No. It was my mom calling to wish me a happy Thanksgiving.” She paused and her expression grew incredulous as she stared at him. “Why would you think that it was Hunter?”
Kyle didn’t respond right away. “He wants you back.”
She huffed out a laugh. “That’s ridiculous. Why would you think something like that?”
“He told me so.”
“You spoke with him?” Melody looked aghast and confused that Kyle and Hunter had talked. “When?”
“After the two of you met up in New York. I called and warned him to back off. He told me to go screw myself.” His fist clenched at the memory. “Apparently that night you said something to him about how being on the road can put a strain on a relationship.” Kyle had no idea what had prompted Melody to divulge such private details to her ex-lover, but hearing Hunter repeat the confidence had cut deep. “He took that to mean we weren’t getting along. And he told me he intends to make you fall back in love with him.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
“Don’t you mean he can’t do that?” Kyle blew out a breath and struggled to calm his pounding heart.
“Hunter can’t get me back…” She didn’t meet his gaze. “Because I still love you.” An undertone of doubt marred the declaration.
“You don’t sound as if you believe that.”
Shivering, she glanced toward the sliding glass door. When her eyes widened, Kyle followed the direction of her gaze and realized four pairs of eyes were watching them. As soon as their audience realized they’d been spotted, everyone looked away. Melody covered her face with her hands and groaned.
“They all want what’s best for us,” Kyle said.
Everyone in the house was pulling for them with the exception of one-year-old Dylan, who had no idea what was going on, and perhaps, Melody herself.
“I know.” She let her hands fall. “I don’t want to have this conversation here. Can you take me back to Trent’s? We can continue our discussion there.”
Getting her to talk to him was all he’d wanted these last few months. Well, maybe not all he’d wanted. If the tour had never happened. If she’d never gone to New York City and met up with Hunter in the nightclub. If he’d never let jealousy get the better of him. If he’d been allowed to express his emotions growing up.
His list of ifs went on and on.
But for now, he was happy that they were communicating again. Even if what was being said had the potential to hurt.
Kyle nodded. “That sounds good to me.”
* * *
Ten minutes later, after they’d said their goodbyes, Kyle was negotiating the streets of Las Vegas, heading to the two-bedroom guesthouse on her brother’s property where Melody stayed whenever she visited Las Vegas.
Kyle kept his attention fixed on the road, his hands tense on the wheel as if something was eating at him. Every so often he flicked an unreadable glance her direction. It wasn’t like him to look so grim around her. The Kyle she’d grown up with had been quick to smile and tease. Even though he’d been her brother’s best friend, he’d treated her like she mattered to him. Mattered to him like a sister. She’d never imagined he’d ever see her as a woman he desired.
It had taken almost half a year after he’d told her how his feelings for her had changed for her to stop marveling that they were in a relationship. She kept thinking about his track record with women and expecting things to go south. She wished she’d been surprised when things became strained.
Maybe they never should’ve taken the step from friends to romantically involved. It made her heart ache to think this way, but their inability to connect and work out their problems these last few months demonstrated that they’d rushed into a relationship that neither one was ready for. Could it be that Kyle felt the same way? Was he grappling with the same doubts she had?
Melody searched his expression, unable to discern what was going on in his mind. She thought back to the party, and how she’d tried to assuage everyone’s curiosity and concern when she and Kyle left. At this point, aside from Dylan and Kyle, they all knew her secret. A feeling of dread slid down her spine. This wasn’t going to be easy.
About three months into the tour with Nate’s band Free Fall, Melody had begun to worry that the explosion of desire that had sustained her and Kyle through the beginning months of their relationship wasn’t a solid foundation to build a future on. They’d only been a couple for nine months when she’d left LA to open for the award-winning pop band. Weeks and weeks on the road, with only occasional long weekends back in LA, had created an unsettling disassociation between her and Kyle that text messages and Skype calls hadn’t been able to bridge.
Maybe if her track record with men had been more extensive she’d have had more confidence in her ability to keep Kyle’s interest from thousands of miles away. From an early age she’d thrown herself into music rather than boys. Sure, she’d dated, but until Kyle came along, the guys she attracted were mostly like Hunter and way too much like her father: selfish and neglectful.
And then there was the fact that before her, Kyle’s longest relationship had lasted four months. As a former pro baseball player, he had a pretty high profile lifestyle that women flocked to. Kyle was one hell of a catch and Melody recognized that every woman he met could be hotter and more famous than the last. So, she’d enjoyed their time together, never really expecting that it would last.
Before she’d realized it, they’d made it six months and he’d asked her to move in. Trent had been concerned when he’d learned about this escalation in their romance. He’d been Kyle’s best friend for fifteen years and recognized that his friend was in deeper than he’d ever been before. Despite her brother’s advice to slow down, Melody had taken the plunge and moved into Kyle’s Hollywood Hills home.
Kyle’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Why have you been avoiding me since the tour ended?”
“I’ve had a lot to think about,” she said.
“Like what?”
Before they’d started dating, Melody had only ever seen Kyle as funny, sexy and supportive. He never demonstrated fear or anxiety or displayed a hint of vulnerability. His father had done a number on his psyche when Kyle was a young child, demanding his son stay in control of his emotions at all times. So it came as no great surprise that Kyle’s first reaction to any little problem in their relationship was to shut down.
And yet, she’d been the one who’d taken a huge step back after his first big show of emotion. When he’d asked if she was cheating on him with Hunter, he’d been angry and hurt. His strong reaction to the paparazzi photo had caused her own emotions to flare.
Growing up the daughter of Siggy Caldwell hadn’t allowed her to develop an understanding of healthy relationships. Her father was a hard man to like, much less love. Misogynistic, arrogant and selfish, he’d alienated his wives and his children with his disrespect.
So many times her father had declared he loved her right before launching into criticism, invalidating the claim while impressing on her that she was unworthy of his—or anyone else’s—love.
While Kyle was nothing like her father, his accusation had awakened the same feelings of injustice she’d suffered as a little girl. As she’d done with her father, she’d shut Kyle out and walked away.
But that hadn’t stopped her from loving him.
When she didn’t answer him right away, Kyle spoke again. “Like what? Hunter?”
“No.” She gave her head a vehement shake and followed it up with a weary sigh.
“Are you back in love with him?”
“No!” She stared at him in frustration. “Would you please let that go. I want to be with you.”
His expression grew stonier. “You sure haven’t been acting that way these last few months.”
“It’s not the same between us as before I went on the tour,” she blurted out.
“I agree.”
“Maybe if we go back and figure out where we went wrong,” she said. “Or start over.”
Was that even possible given the secret she was keeping from him?
“And if we can’t?”
She didn’t answer and their conversation didn’t resume.
As Kyle drove into the gated community where Trent had his house, Melody wished she had some idea what he was thinking about. Her stomach was in knots. She pressed her sweaty palms against her coat and took deep, calming breaths, hoping to coax her confidence out of hiding.
Her nerves weren’t under control by the time Kyle pulled into Trent’s driveway and stopped the car. She had her door open and feet on the pavement before the silence could get any more awkward. He was seconds behind her as she keyed in the four-digit code that opened the side gate leading to the backyard.
A paving-stone walkway led to her front door. Melody fumbled with her keys until Kyle pulled the ring from her clumsy fingers and slid the correct one home. His body brushed hers, awakening her longing to be held in his arms, and she was a split second from throwing herself against his chest when he took a deliberate step away from her.
“After you.”
Melody bit back a miserable groan. “Thanks.”
Knowing it would be dark when she returned, Melody had left the lights burning in the living room. The heavy scent of roses hit her as soon as she entered. An enormous bouquet of fat red blooms occupied the center of her dining table. The arrangement had appeared at the studio the prior afternoon. She’d been thrilled as she’d read the accompanying card.
I’m thankful for you.
There’d been no signature and Melody hadn’t recognized the handwriting. This hadn’t surprised her. She suspected the order had been phoned in and the florist had written the message. But when she’d studied the card and the roses, she wasn’t sure Kyle had sent them.
And now, as he helped Melody out of her coat, Kyle didn’t seem to notice the flowers. Which left her wondering if Hunter had sent them. If so, that was going to complicate things between her and Kyle.
“Do you want something to drink?” She indicated the kitchen, but Kyle didn’t spare it a glance as he shook his head.
He seemed glued to the floor in the space between her living and dining rooms. Melody wondered what it would take to get him to sit down.
“Who are those from?” Kyle had at last noticed the roses.
“I’d hoped they were from you.”
“I didn’t send them.” If Kyle noticed her rueful tone, he gave no indication. He moved toward the table. “Wasn’t there a card?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t signed.”
“Are they from Hunter?”
“Sending me roses was never his style.”
“Things change.” His lips tightened. “Did you call and ask him?”
“No.”
Melody had left the card on the table beside the crystal vase. Kyle picked it up and read the message.
“‘I’m thankful for you’?” He shot her a frown. “What does that mean?”
Irritation rose at his sharp tone. She thought it was pretty obvious. “It’s Thanksgiving. Maybe someone thought it was a timely message.”
“Someone?”
“I don’t know where the roses came from,” she snapped, wishing Kyle would stop talking about the stupid flowers. She needed to tell him that she was pregnant, but had lost control of the conversation.
“You’re sure?” He reread the card. “This seems awfully personal for it to have been written by a stranger. Did you ask Trent or Savannah if they sent the flowers?”
“Yes. They didn’t send them.”
“Red roses are a romantic gesture,” Kyle murmured to himself, tapping the card against his knuckles. He frowned at the plump red buds. “It seems like something a man in love would send.”
Which was why she’d wished Kyle had sent them. Of course, despite being together for nine months and the fact that he’d invited her to move in with him, Kyle had never actually come out and said he loved her. He’d always been a cool customer when it came to women. The one who decided when it started and when it ended.
It was this tendency that had made her hesitate before choosing him over Hunter. She’d been worried about stepping from one relationship where she didn’t feel safe and secure into another similar situation. Even so, in the end she’d following her instincts and taken a leap of faith. And despite their current problems, she still wouldn’t say she’d been wrong.
“Why didn’t you call Hunter and ask him?” Kyle asked, watching her through narrowed eyes as if waiting for her to slip up.
A thousand times in the last five months she’d regretted hanging out with Hunter in that New York City nightclub and then leaving at the same time he had. The whole thing had been innocent enough. There had been a crush of people outside the club and he’d grabbed her hand to avoid being separated as they’d run to the limo that had been waiting at the curb. Unfortunately, the media was obsessed with Hunter’s love life and had blown up the incident, speculating that Hunter and Melody had reunited.
“Can you please forget about Hunter for two seconds.” Melody didn’t want Kyle’s thoughts taking him there.
Since she’d run into Hunter in New York, Kyle had mentioned several times that she might have unfinished business with the DJ. That couldn’t be farther from the case, but there were things she’d had in common with Hunter, like them both being in the music business, that she didn’t share with Kyle.
Melody set her hand on his arm to bring his attention to her. “I have something I need to tell you.”
When his hazel eyes shifted her way, she released the breath she’d been holding. It was long past time she got this off her chest, but now that the time had come, saying the words out loud was way harder than any speech she’d prepared in her head.
“Earlier I said things are complicated.”
Cool eyes watched her from a face made of granite and Melody longed to be anywhere but here. Given Kyle’s family background, he wasn’t exactly emotive. He played his cards close to his chest. She had absolutely no idea how he was going to react to what she had to say. She could only hope the anticipation was worse than the outcome.
“I’m pregnant.”
Kyle’s flat expression vanished. Instead, he looked like the floor had dropped from beneath his feet. “Pregnant?”
“Yes. I know it’s a shock…”
They hadn’t anticipated this. The topic had never even come up. Nor had marriage or anything having to do with the future. Their relationship had been new and untested. They’d both committed to taking things one day at a time.
“You’re having a baby.” His gaze went past her shoulder and roved around the room as if he was in search of something to help him understand. Like a lodestone, the vase of red roses snagged his notice once more. His body went rigid. “And the father?”
Melody shook her head and took a step back. Had she heard him right? “What do you mean?”
“The father.” Kyle flung out his hand in the direction of the flowers as if they explained everything. “Do you know who it is?”
