“Speaking of later, maybe you’d like to come over later.” She slapped a hand over her mouth as soon as she said it.
Before she could retract, he accepted right away. “Sounds like a plan.”
Watching, he stood as few yards away as she started the car and reversed it out of the spot. He was close enough to hear her mutter, “What the hell did I just do?”
But even more heartening were his son’s words. “I’m going to show him my DS when he comes.”
And Caleb would show them he was a man they could rely on. A man who wouldn’t run. Never again.
Only once Renny was on her way did Caleb feel some of his tension ease. The woman he never stopped loving and his son were away from the danger.
Yet his beast didn’t settle down. On the contrary, it pushed at the bindings that held it. Pushed. And pushed.
Caleb snarled. Stop fighting. I am not letting you out.
For distraction, he glanced to see what happened with the picnic. Caleb noted Melanie striding to the Bittech building, her twins clinging to her hands. Her husband walked a few paces ahead of her, busy on his phone. However, Daryl’s sister was of less interest than Wes, who stood at the edge of the paved drive and stared into the woods.
What was he looking for? And more importantly, did it threaten Renny and Luke?
“So which of your cousins played a prank on the boss’s wife?” he asked, coming up behind Wes.
The other man didn’t turn. “It wasn’t one of us. My family knows better than to lay a hand on her.”
An odd statement to make. Melanie was in no way related to the Mercers, so why would Wes infer Melanie was protected?
Picking on one of the Mercers, especially one of Wes’s siblings, meant bringing a shitload of trouble down on your head. Wes took his job as oldest in his family very seriously. He’d started stealing from a young age to help feed all the mouths, especially once his dad got injured and couldn’t smuggle drugs through the bayou no more.
But don’t feel sorry for the bastard. Wes might have a strong sense of family, but he was a dick. Belonging to the reptile family didn’t mean they got along. On the contrary, their rivalry was legend, especially when it came to hunting in the bayou.
Speaking of hunting, nothing he’d ever tracked smelled as odd as the faintly lingering scent emanating from the direction of the woods. “What is that stench? Or is that your cologne?”
“Do you mean your mom’s perfume?” Wes smirked. “On the other hand, if you’re talking about that funky smell coming from the woods, then I don’t know, but whatever it is, Melanie reeked of it.”
“Where did you find her anyhow?”
“Under the willow tree, on the other side where no one could see her. Sleeping like a fucking princess.”
“That makes no sense. How did she get there?”
“She doesn’t know, and all I found was that smell…” Wes trailed off. “But you didn’t stick behind to ask me about some kind of bayou creature. What do you want?”
“Just so we’re clear, I’m back to stay.”
Wes tossed him a hard look. “Is that supposed to be a warning?”
“Luke is my son.”
“About time you claimed him.”
“You knew?”
Wes shrugged. “Not at first, but when I saw the two of you side by side… No mistaking that giant square head. My condolences to Renny’s snatch.”
A growl vibrated through him. “Watch your mouth. I’m warning you right now, I don’t want you near my son, and stay away from Renny.”
“Isn’t that up to her?”
“No!” The word burst from him and Wes arched a brow.
“I wonder what she’ll say when she finds out. And just so you know, I have no interest in your girl. I just like to jab at your thick hide.”
“Well, jab at someone else. I gotta enough working against me in winning over Renny. I don’t need you mucking around fucking shit up.”
“You can have Renny.”
“How magnanimous of you.” Caleb’s sarcasm dripped.
“Not really, more like selfish interest. She’s got a kid, and that means she needs someone stable. I ain’t ready to settle down.”
“Now if only more Mercers would think the same way and keep it in their pants.”
“Says the guy with a bastard.”
The bruised knuckles as Caleb replied to that statement?
Totally worth it.
Chapter Eight
Was the price of her sanity worth letting Caleb into her life? By the time Renny had reached home, she still wasn’t sure. Doing the right thing for her son wasn’t necessarily the right thing for her. Being near Caleb tested every ounce of her willpower. Did she have the strength to resist?
She feared the answer.
Confused and anxious, she put a call in to Melanie, only to have it go right to voicemail. It made her wonder if perhaps she should have stayed.
Then we could have spent more time with Caleb.
A Caleb who might be coming over later. Eek. What was she thinking?
She waited fifteen minutes before trying Melanie again.
The call was answered with, “Some best friend you are, leaving me to the tender mercy of those harpies.”