His little head tried to burrow in my chest. It wasn’t time for him to eat but when he woke up he wanted in my shirt. Just like his dad. Grinning I walked him over to the changing table and put a fresh diaper on him while he fussed. He hated having his diaper changed.

I picked him up and kissed his puckered up lips. The tears stopped and he opened his mouth trying to get something to eat again. “Not now mister. You just ate an hour ago,” I told him before heading out the door.

I didn’t want to take him downstairs. I was afraid of what Nan would say about him. I didn’t think I could deal with it if she was mean to my baby. The front door chimed and I let out a sigh of relief. Rush was home.

“Daddy’s home,” I whispered.

I carried Nate downstairs and listened for Rush and Nan’s voices. It wasn’t hard. She was already raising her voice. Rush must have come in correcting her for making me feel uncomfortable. I decided against taking Nate into the kitchen to hear his dad yelling at Nan. We went out the front door. Nate loved going outside and watching the waves. The sea breeze would drown out all Nan’s angry words.

We walked under the house and out toward the beach.

“Blaire, could you bring Nate up here?” Rush asked me looking down at me from the porch. Apparently, he wanted Nate around Nan. I understood him wanting his sister to meet his kid but she hated the momma so this might not be wise. I paused and looked down at Nate.

The mommy in me wanted to take him and run back upstairs and lock ourselves safely inside his room. But he was Rush’s child too. I pressed a kiss to his temple. “Daddy’s sister Nan isn’t very nice. You’re going to have to learn to overlook her,” I whispered in his ear, more for my sake than his since he had no idea what I was saying.

When I reached the top step Rush was waiting on me. “If you want me to take him and you not go in there I will. But if you want to go in there I swear to you that she will behave or I’ll throw her out of this house.”

I wasn’t about to send my baby to see the big bad wolf and not go with him. If he had to face Nan so did I. I held him tighter to me and shook my head. “I want to be with him.”

Rush nodded. I could see by the look on his face that he understood. He opened the door for us and stepped back so I could walk inside with Nate.

Nan was sitting on a barstool with a pissed off snarl on her face. She spun around and her eyes went to Nate. I could see the moment she realized that each small feature was Rush’s. He didn’t even have my eyes. He was all Rush.

“Guess he is yours after all,” she said. I stopped and took a step back bumping into Rush’s chest. His arm came around me and he held me there.

“You wanted to see him. Be careful what you say to his mother. Apologize for that last stupid ass remark or I’m going to walk you to the door.”

Nan’s eyes flared with fury and I had a feeling Rush had just started something we really didn’t need in our home. But she took a deep breath and lifted her hate filled eyes to me. “I’m sorry,” she snapped. She didn’t mean it but the fact Rush had made her say it was worth it.

“Can I hold him?” Nan asked, lifting her gaze to Rush’s.

I went stiff as a board. If he told her yes I was making a run for it with Nate. There was only so much he could ask of me.

“Probably not a good idea. With you glaring at his momma like that I don’t think she’s gonna feel safe handing him over.”

Nan scowled. “He’s your kid too.”

“He is. But Blaire is his mother. I don’t let anything happen that she isn’t comfortable with.”

“God, Rush where did your balls go?”

“That’s strike two, sis.”

Nan rolled her eyes and stood up from the stool. She looked back at Nate and her eyes softened a little. He was hard not to love. He was as beautiful as his father. “Mom would love to meet him,” Nan said, pulling her purse strap up on her arm. “You should at least send her a photo.”

“Mom didn’t give a shit about her own babies, Nan. You know that. Why would she care about mine?”

Nan didn’t flinch. She only shrugged. “Good point.”

Nate started to fuss in my arms. He was trying to get to the goods again. I shifted him in my arms and Rush reached for him. “Give him to me. He won’t be thinking about milk when I’ve got him.”

I handed Nate to him and he instantly calmed down and stared up at Rush. He was fascinated with his father.

“You’re good with him. I’m not surprised. You’ve been playing dad for as long as I can remember,” Nan said. It was the first nice thing she’d said since she’d gotten here.

“I’m only good at it because I’ve watched Blaire. She’s taught me everything.”

Nan didn’t like that answer and it wasn’t true. He’d been a natural from day one. I started to argue when Nan pushed her stool back scraping it across the floor. “I just wanted to see the kid and let you know I’m doing better. If you want to see me I’m in town for a few days. I’m not up for anymore bonding with your little family here so keep that in mind.”

I watched as she stalked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward the front door without another word. Rush didn’t respond.

“And she’s still a bitch,” Rush muttered.

I turned to look up at him and he was frowning. “I’m sorry that she talked to you like that,” he said.

“I ignore everything she says. She wants me to be the villain and I’m afraid she always will. It’s okay. I didn’t marry her,” I replied.

Nate heard my voice and he moved his head to look at me before he started crying. He wanted me for my boobs. I smiled and reached out to take him. “I’m going to have to feed him again. He must not have gotten full last time. He’s determined to eat again.”

Rush handed him to me. “Lucky little shit.”

I kicked him and he laughed that full belly laugh that I loved.

“You hungry?” he asked.

“Yes. Starving. Can you make me a sandwich?” I asked him before walking to the living room to get comfortable in the recliner.

“Anything for you,” he replied.

RUSH

Woods was standing outside of the clubhouse arguing with that Angie or Angel or Angelina… Hell I couldn’t remember her name. She’d been around off and on through the years. I was pretty sure she was a summer fuck for Woods when we were in high school. Her daddy was in the same business as the Kerringtons and Grant had thought that Woods was going to marry her.

Then this Della chick had shown up and my guess was things had changed. Or not. I couldn’t tell. Last I’d heard Della hadn’t gone to jail and it had been a misunderstanding. Woods had raised some hell at the police station though. The girl had her hands on Woods’ arms and it looked like she was begging him. I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk up on that conversation but the dude looked like he needed help.

He had enough shit to deal with now that his dad was dead. No one had been prepared for it and Woods had it all thrust at him overnight.

“Get off me Angelina. I swear to God, if you don’t leave me the fuck alone I’m going to have a restraining order on your ass,” Woods said as he shoved her hands off him. He turned to see me walking up and the relief in his eyes was obvious. “Rush. Hey, you here for that meeting?” he asked.

I had no idea what he was talking about and I was willing to bet he’d just made that shit up. “Yep,” I replied.

“This isn’t over, Woods. I swear to you it isn’t. You’re making a huge mistake,” she cried out as Woods broke free from her and started toward me.

“Get me the hell away from her. Fast,” he muttered as he walked past me. I turned and followed him. I’d been here to talk to Bethy about babysitting tomorrow night so I could take Blaire out on a date. But it looked like I was going to get to chat with Woods first.

He opened the door to the club and went inside not waiting to see if I followed him. “Craziest fucking bitch I’ve ever met,” he swore once we were both safely inside. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a frustrated growl. “I was running. I was. I was gonna pull a fucking Tripp. I was taking Della and we were going to leave this shit behind. My dad had pushed me too far and I was done. Then he had to up and die. Come to find out Dad’s will stated that on my twenty-fifth birthday, which is in two months, that this place became mine. My grandfather had made it very fucking clear in his will and it was so locked up my dad couldn’t budge it. I can’t run now, can I? It’s all mine. The grandfather I loved and admired hadn’t screwed me over after all. But God, it’s all so screwed up now. I just need to focus on getting Della better. I don’t have time to handle all this. I know nothing, Rush. Motherfucking NOTHING. My dad didn’t let me into the business side of it. He said I had to earn my place.” Woods let out another frustrated sigh and started pacing the floor.