Pursued by Him (Wanted Series #4) Read online

  She held the screen door at the back of the kitchen open for me, and I stepped onto the back patio. As soon as I was outside, I was hit by a thick floral smell. My best guess was that it was the cluster of pink and white trees in one corner of the yard, but I wasn’t sure. Still, it was a lovely, summery smell.

  Wyatt’s mom was the first person to notice me. His dad looked over his shoulder a moment later and lifted a palm in my direction.

  Sophie stopped beside the table and climbed up next to her Grandpa. “This is my friend, Addison.”

  My heart swelled at the kind and open-minded introduction.

  “Addison,” Sophie said, waving her hand between everyone. “This is my Grandma and my Pop Pop.”

  “So nice to meet you again,” I said. “Under more pleasant circumstances.”

  “Absolutely,” Grandma said, scooting over. “Please, join us.”

  “Addison,” Sophie said. “Are you okay here if I go join Gigi on the tire swing?”

  I smiled. “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “Uncle Austin is the best pusher,” she said. “But don’t tell my dad I said that.”

  “Okay,” I said, flattered that she would trust me to keep a secret.

  Her grandparents and I watched her hurry across the thick, green grass.

  “Wyatt is a perfectly good swing pusher,” Grandpa said. “By the way.”

  Grandma nodded. “He’s just more cautious than Austin because Sophie is more fragile than Gigi.”

  I looked over my shoulder. Austin was already bringing the tire swing to a stop so Sophie could climb on.

  “That’s why the last week was so tramatic,” she said.

  Grandpa shook his head. “I wasn’t worried,” he said. “I knew she’d pull through. She’s a stubborn little thing.”

  “She’s lovely,” I said. “I can see why you’re all so proud of her.”

  Grandma lifted her white wine to her lips. “So,” she said. “How long did you say you’ve known Wyatt?”

  I swallowed and looked back and forth between them. I was no great lover of small talk, but I’d assumed I had a little more of it to look forward to in this case. My instinct was to lie, to make up the most palatable explanation I could and hope for the best. Of course, I had no idea what they already knew or if Wyatt had said anything. Plus, I was in the company of children. Surely, if there were ever a good time to act like an adult, it was now.

  “Actually,” I said. “I haven’t known him very long at all.”

  Grandma raised her eyebrows.

  “He was repairing a porch in a house I was staying in last week,” I said. “So after I came to terms with his hammering, he asked me to get a drink.”

  “I see,” she said. “And you’ve been fast friends ever since?”

  Friends was one way of putting it.

  “I can’t say I’m surprised,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s always had a thing for redheads.”

  Grandpa rolled his eyes. “You and your theories.”

  “Mothers notice these things,” she said.

  “What do you do, Addison,” Grandpa asked, draining his bottle of Bud.

  “I’m a consultant,” I said.

  “Oh.” Grandpa raised his eyebrows. “What kind of consulting do you do?”

  “Mostly change management and process re-engineering.”

  He furrowed his wooly brows. “What does that mean?”

  Finally, a topic of conversation I didn’t feel the need to bullshit about. “It basically means I help companies who are growing, merging, or restructuring through their transition to help make their organization more efficient and productive.”

  “So not just a pretty face then?” Grandpa asked.

  “I think that’s wonderful,” Grandma said. “I would’ve loved to have had a career myself.”

  Grandpa furrowed his brows. “You did have a career.”

  She shook her head. “No, honey, I had a part time job. That’s not the same.”

  “What the hell else did you have in mind?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  I lifted my beer. “I’m sure raising five kids is about as full time as it gets.”

  “Oh sure,” she said. “And I don’t have any regrets or anything, but being a mother isn’t the most glamorous job either.”

  Her husband shook his head. “Don’t listen to her, Addison. She’s never wanted for anything else.”

  “That’s not true, honey. There were definitely days that I wished I had a suit on instead of spit up.”

  “You can wear a suit for me anytime, you like,” her husband said, obviously unconvinced by her argument.

  “That’s not the same,” she said, wagging a finger at him. “In fact, that’s exactly my point. If I’d had a career, I might’ve impressed someone besides you.”

  Grandpa threw his hands in the air. “And what good would that have done?”

  She threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know cause I never did it!”

  “Careful what you wish for,” he said, smiling. “I might put you to work after all.”

  “Don’t be disgusting,” she said, smoothing her silver hair back against the side of her head.

  Wyatt’s dad winked at his wife and then turned back in my direction. “Well, a hard working woman might be a good fit for Wyatt. He works all the time, and he doesn’t even need to.”

  “That’s not true,” Grandma said. “Everyone needs to fill their time with something worthwhile.”

  He shook his head. “All I’m saying is he could probably never work another day in his life and be fine.”

  “I couldn’t do that,” I said. “Even if I were in that position.”

  “See, honey?” his mom said, raising her eyebrows. “Not everyone is as lazy as you are.”

  “Now that’s not fair,” he said. “I earned my right to put my feet up.”

  “Yes you did,” she said. “Can’t argue with that.”

  So far so good. They were sweet. And harmless. And easy to be around. Not that I wasn’t eager for Wyatt’s return.

  “You seem to have won Sophie over pretty quick,” his mom said. “Do you have children of your own?”

  “No,” I said. “I don’t.”

  “And do you want them?” she asked.

  I took a sip of my beer.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” his dad said. “Of course she wants them. Everyone does.”

  Was that true?

  Did everyone else want children? Was there something wrong with me that I didn’t?

  And how could I tell this family I was too selfish and terrified to even consider that path for myself? How could I tell them that self-preservation was my top priority and that I would cut out anything and anyone to maintain it?

  Especially when they were so nice and I so wanted them to like me.

  Chapter 17: Wyatt

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d introduced my parents to a woman.

  I hadn’t even brought a date to my sister’s wedding two years ago… though the bridesmaid selection was more than accommodating enough to make up for it.

  It was just habit to keep my dating life as far away from them as possible. I still got shit sometimes cause Austin flapped his fat jaw, but Addison was the first woman they’d met in the flesh, and it looked like they were hitting it off.

  Her smile was almost outshining her hair and my parents- at least from where I was standing at the kitchen window- seemed to be behaving themselves.

  And I wasn’t worried about how she would handle herself. I could only assume that her average day at the office was much more stressful than meeting my harmless parents. Plus, her coming from a big family made me confident that if they embarrassed me, she would be able to empathize.

  Most importantly, Sophie seemed to like her right off the bat, which meant so much.

  When she was younger, I never introduced her to anyone, but between her age now and how special Addison was, I could only hope sh
e was old enough to understand that I could be close to someone else without it compromising our relationship or my ability to be there for her.

  Though there was no way of knowing if her thought process was anywhere near that complex.

  After all, I was probably overthinking it. It seemed like Addison was in as soon as she said she liked the princess bed.

  But could it really be that simple?

  And even if Sophie didn’t make it difficult, did Addison like me enough to give me a chance to prove my baggage wasn’t that scary?

  I watched my dad tip his bottle of beer over a potted plant an arm’s reach away. The last few drops of liquid dripped out and my mind went straight to the gutter, flashing back to how wet Addison was when I fucked her on my sink top.

  Damn she was tight, as tight as a stubborn pistachio.

  And smart and gorgeous and successful in her own right. And I loved that she didn’t need me, that she wasn’t pushing it. If anything, she was acting like she didn’t even like me half the time, though her body gave her away.

  Speaking of which, I needed to get out there. Admiring her from afar and leaving her unattended with my parents for too long wasn’t what I would consider an effective courting strategy.

  So I picked up the case of assorted beer off the butcher block and headed outside.

  Her eyes lifted towards me as soon as my foot hit the patio, and I smiled, wondering what it would be like if she were mine- not just for a few minutes here and there, but all mine.

  “Hi honey,” my mom said. “We were just talking about you.”

  “Oh?” I raised my eyebrows and walked around the table towards the cooler.

  “I nearly dried up waiting for you to bring those out,” my dad said.

  I screwed a top off one of the beers and reached over to hand it to him.

  “Actually,” my mom said. “I was just telling Addison what it was like when you were in the band.”

  “That was a long time ago,” I said. “I’m surprised you even remember.”

  My mom cocked her head. “Are you kidding?! I remember like it was yesterday. A mother doesn’t forget being proud of her son.”

  “Though I can’t say I’m proud of all the outfits you wore at the time,” my dad added, shaking his head.

  I rolled my eyes and shoved the bottles down in the ice. “Does that mean I shouldn’t have saved my neon mesh tank tops for you, dad?”

  “Good god, no,” he said. “In my opinion, those horrible outfits you guys wore took away from your genuine musical talent.”

  I didn’t necessarily disagree. The five guy wardrobe coordination wasn’t exactly the thing I missed most about being on the road.

  I wiped my icey hands on my pants and lifted my eyes towards Addison. “Have you eaten?”

  She shook her head. “No, but don’t worry about me.”

  I flipped the lid shut on the cooler. “We have burgers and hotdogs.”

  “The hotdogs are gone,” my dad said. “Gigi shared the last one with Winston.”

  “Who the heck is Winston?” I asked.

  “Apparently, he’s the chipmunk that lives in the hole under that tree,” he said, pointing to the far edge of the yard.

  “Right,” I said, looking back at Addison. “I guess it’s burgers or burgers then.”

  “I’d love a burger,” she said, smiling. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  I nodded and walked over to the grill. There were a few burgers on the high rack. I regretted that they were probably overcooked, but at least they were still warm. “Cheese?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  She nodded. “Please.”

  I warmed a bun on the hottest rack and then laid a slice of cheddar over the best looking patty.

  “Do you want me to fix it up for you,” I asked, lifting the mesh covering over the lettuce, onion, and tomato tray.

  “I’ll do it,” she said, scooting off the bench and excusing herself from my parents company.

  When she came around the grill, I put her burger on a paper plate and handed it to her before gesturing towards the toppings. “I thought the tour of the house might have worked up an appetite.”

  Her eyes were like daggers for a moment before she realized my parents were engrossed in their own discussion. “I can’t remember the last time I had a homemade burger.”

  “Well, it’s my own recipe, but I’m afraid it’s probably overcooked at this point.”

  “Don’t apologize,” she said, setting her plate down and laying some tomatoes across the melted cheese. “I’m just glad you invited me over.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  “Though you could’ve warned me that your family would be here.”

  “Did I not mention that?”

  “No,” she said, squinting at me. “You didn’t.

  “Forgive me.”

  “Just don’t let it happen again.”

  “I did mention that I’m crazy about you though, right?” I asked. “Cause that was really what I wanted you to take away from our conversation.”

  “I don’t recall,” she said, lifting her burger to her lips and taking a big bite.

  I watched as she chewed, waiting patiently to tell her about the ketchup she missed, but her tongue slipped out and made it disappear before I had a chance to say anything.

  “Do you know if Sophie gave the message about the beers to Austin?” I asked, closing the grill.

  “I’m afraid I don’t,” she said, licking her lips.

  The site of her with her mouth full gave me a familiar- and very family unfriendly- feeling in my pants. “Well I better bring him one.”

  “I’ll come with you,” she said. “I haven’t had a chance to say hi to him yet.”

  “Sounds good.” I walked around to the cooler. “Do you need another beer?”

  She lifted her bottle and checked how much was left. “I’m good.”

  “You mean you’re driving.”

  “Yeah,” she said. “And I’ve got work tomorrow so-”

  “Fair enough.” I slipped a bottle in my back pocket. “Shall we?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  She nodded and stepped off the patio, her foot looking almost white against the grass. “This is a great yard.”

  I shrugged. “Austin’s company designed it for the most part,” I said. “I think the tire swing was my only major contribution but-”

  “That’s obviously a huge hit, too,” she said, nodding towards Gigi and Sophie who were swinging through the air with their little hands wrapped around the chain link supports.

  I smiled. “I wanted to make it big enough that she would never grow out of it. It’s actually sturdy enough to hold the weight of three men.”

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “Though I feel it’s important to mention that after Austin and my dad and I tested it, we never all got on it together again.”

  She laughed. “Now there’s an image I won’t soon forget.”

  When we were a few feet away, Karen looked over her shoulder from where she was sitting in the grass and stood up. “Addison, how lovely to see you again,” she said, putting her hand on Addison’s arm.

  “Nice to see you, too,” Addison said, leaning forward and pressing her cheek to Karen’s.

  I pulled the beer out of my back pocket. “I’m going to give this to Austin. I’ll be right back.”

  The corner of Karen’s mouth turned up at the edge.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. She was always scheming when it came to my relationship status. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t tell if she was one of my greatest assets when it came to impressing women or the most likely to scare them off. Needless to say, after her cheeky face, my intention was to be very quick.

  I turned on my heels and raised Austin’s beer in the air.

  He smiled in my direction and took a few steps back from his swing pushing duties.

  “Sorry for the delay,” I said, handing him the long overdue beer.

  �
��Got tied up, did you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “Can you blame me?” I asked, keeping my voice low despite the fact that the little girls probably couldn’t hear anything over their raucous giggling.

  He shook his head. “No,” he said. “I can’t.”

  I sighed, unable to help myself as I admired Addison from afar again. I didn’t know what it was about her. When we were alone, I couldn’t keep my hands off her, and when we were in public, it was my eyes that couldn’t stay away.

  “She’s even hotter than I remember,” Austin said. “Not that any of us looked our best at the hospital that morning.”

  “She’s not just hot either,” I said. “She’s everything that everyone else isn’t.”

  “Interested in you?” he asked.

  “Don’t be an ass,” I said. “I mean it. She’s smart. She’s ambitious. She’s feisty as hell.”

  “And she doesn’t need you.”

  “No. She doesn’t.”

  He nodded and took a sip of beer.

  “And I have to admit,” I said. “I find that equally thrilling and terrifying.”

  “Understandable.”

  “I hope she’s not overwhelmed.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Ya know, with meeting everyone again. I’ve only known her a week.”

  He shrugged. “She seems like she’s doing okay.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “But I want her to be so much better than okay-”

  “Are you seriously that sprung already?”

  “Maybe,” I said. “It’s hard to say. It’s been so long since I was excited about anybody.”

  “Daahaad! We need another push!” Gigi screamed, her voice getting louder as she and Sophie swung in our direction.

  “Excuse me for a second,” Austin said, giving the girls a push so big I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and willed Sophie’s little hands to do the same around the chains.

  “Well, don’t force anything,” he said, returning to my side. “If something is meant to come of it, it will happen.”

  “And what’s your gut telling you?” I asked.

  “That I shouldn’t have had that third burger.”

  I rolled my eyes.