“I don’t understand.”
“He’s an extremely wealthy man, Viv. Money like that can be a dangerous thing. There is more to him than he’s showing us. How did the two of you meet?”
“We were both running by the Charles.” The truth, just the tamest part of it.
“Have you known him long?”
She looked away, made a face, then met her father’s gaze. “Not really.”
Her father didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. She’d thought the same thing about a hundred times since she’d discovered she was pregnant. She looked across at the slumbering, snoring man sprawled out on her couch. “We’re giving us a chance, although I don’t know why he’s trying as hard as he is.”
“You’re not giving yourself or us much credit. If he wins your heart there are plenty in this town who will think he’s one lucky bastard.”
Viviana smiled at that. “I did get a good share of flowers today.”
Her father nodded. “Of course you did, baby. Grant is no fool. He sees the same wonderful woman the rest of the town sees. If he forgets that when he wakes up, I’ll remind him. I don’t want to be the only Sutton who hasn’t hit him.”
“Dad,” Viviana exclaimed.
Her father chuckled. “I’m kidding. Connor hasn’t yet, either.”
Viviana rolled her eyes skyward. “Not funny.”
Her father pinched the air. “Not even a little?”
“Too soon.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about Grant.” Her father relaxed deeper in his chair. “What you’ve got there is a strong man who wants to be part of this family rather than steal you away from us.”
“So strong a seventy-year-old man can almost knock him over?”
“No, so strong he let him.”
Viviana took a moment to digest that. “You like him.”
“I’m reserving my opinion for after I know him better. Your brothers are, too, but he improved the chances of us approving of him by acting the way he did tonight. I know you imagined tonight differently, but men have their own way of figuring each other out. You’ll see. Tomorrow they’ll all be friendly.”
Moments from the evening flashed in Viviana’s mind. Grant laughing along with her brothers. Him whispering to them. Them whispering back. “I hope you’re right.”
In the quiet that followed, Viviana’s eyes began to flutter and close.
“Viv?” her father prompted.
“Yeah, Dad?”
“I’m not here as a chaperone.”
“No?”
“I’m here because you said he’s important to you—that makes him important to me, too. You were right—no matter what happens between the two of you, that man will be the father of my grandbaby. He’s family now.”
Viviana let her eyes close and nodded. Family.
Her mind drifted off to a place where she and Grant were married and chasing children out the door to go to school. It was such a good dream she didn’t want to wake from it even when the sound of her apartment door opening and closing almost woke her.
Chapter Fourteen
‡
Grant woke to a thudding headache and a carpeted tongue. Although he’d heard people moan about hangovers, he’d never actually experienced one. Why would anyone voluntarily put themselves through this?
And who knew beer had that kind of kick?
He opened one eye, peered at the ceiling, and groaned as his stomach dangerously churned. I hope this bedroom has a bathroom attached. Turning his head, he forgot about how he felt when he saw Viviana asleep in a chair a few feet away. I’m not in a bed, am I? I’m on a couch.
With Viviana?
Her eyes opened. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he croaked. “Are we still at your dad’s?”
“No, we’re at my place. You got wrecked last night so I brought you here.”
He looked down and saw that outside of his shoes, he was still fully dressed. “Sorry. I don’t usually drink and when I do it’s one or two. I guess I had five too many. I don’t remember a lot of last night. That’s never happened to me before.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry.” She pushed a stray curl out of her face and grimaced. “My brothers thought it would be funny to introduce you to homemade grain alcohol.”
“The beer was spiked?” He remembered thinking the beer had more of a punch to it than he’d expected. Now the experience made sense. He was accustomed to being able to anticipate the actions of most people, but the Suttons were like dealing with feral cats. He only knew about cats because he’d once dated a woman who rescued them. Domesticated cats preened and purred. Feral cats were unpredictable and made walking by something as innocent looking as a couch potentially dangerous for the ankles.
I always kind of preferred the latter. It kept things interesting.
Grant pushed himself up to a seated position. Only then did he realize how closely Viviana was watching him. He might have been able to guess what she wanted from him if he wasn’t concentrating so hard on not throwing up. “Where’s the bathroom?” he asked as he rose to his feet.
“It’s the door on the left,” she said. “My father dropped off your bag this morning. It’s in the bathroom.”
“Thanks,” he mumbled, made his way to the bathroom, closed the door behind him, and groaned when he met his bloodshot eyes in the mirror. God, I look exactly how I feel. Lovely.
A short time later, after a long hot shower, a shave, and a couple of Tylenol, Grant began to feel human again. His nose was still slightly out of shape, but most of the swelling was gone. Those Suttons are kicking my ass. He was smiling when he opened the door and walked out of the bathroom.
His smile froze on his face at the sight of Viviana at the stove in jean shorts that barely covered her perfect little ass and a simple light blue tank top. She turned as she sensed his approach. “I’m making breakfast. Do you think you’ll be able to keep it down?”
His cock surged to attention. Apparently not. “I’ll try,” he said and mentally added to not suggest we skip breakfast and feed a more urgent hunger.
How was it possible for a woman to be more beautiful each time he saw her? No makeup. No accessories. She was perfect just the way she was, with her hair swept casually up in a loose bun and her long, tan legs bare.
“Take a seat. It’s almost ready.”
He sat at her kitchen table. The dishes didn’t match, but they were filled with an assortment of breads and pastries. He took a sip of the orange juice she’d already placed on the table. Unlike his cock, his stomach was less certain it should partake that morning. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“I didn’t. My brothers came by. They brought the Danishes and bagels. You were still sleeping, so I told them to come back later. They know they owe you an apology.”
It was slightly mortifying to imagine her family coming and going while he was passed out on the couch, but he pushed that unappealing thought back. The only one he was upset with was himself for not being able to remember more of the night before. “I’m fine. They didn’t force the drinks down me. I could have stopped at one or said no altogether.”
“But you didn’t know—”
He took another swig of orange juice and met her eyes. “Viv, just tell me I didn’t make a complete ass of myself last night.”
Her eyes rounded. “You’re worried about how you behaved?”
“I can’t believe I didn’t suspect anything. I usually see a prank coming a mile away. I’m happy to admit I underestimated Dylan and Connor. They got me good.”
Tears filled her eyes, and he almost knocked over the table rising to his feet. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not angry.”
He sat back down only because he was still feeling a little queasy. Hoping to cheer her up, he winked. “I do have three brothers. It’s not my first rodeo, sweetheart.”
The sweet smile she gave him was cut short by her swearing like a sailor when
she realized the eggs were beginning to burn. He laughed because she was a joy on every level. Like the beer her brothers had served him, being with her packed the kind of punch no man could prepare for. All he could do was hang on and hope the ride didn’t end.
Memories were slowly returning to him. He said, “Some of last night is hazy, but I do remember you announcing that I’m important to you.”
She blushed as she placed a heaping plate of scrambled eggs in front of him then sat down with her own. “Do you remember telling my family you love them?”
He groaned. “No, I forgot that part.”
She smiled again. “I don’t think my brothers will threaten to kill you again. This morning they said they’d love to take you fishing.”
“With or without a cement block tied around my ankles?” Grant joked.
She chuckled. “I didn’t ask, but good point. I’ll go with you if you accept.”
“Oh, I accept. You’ll just have to show me how to out-fish them. I’m assuming there are tricks to doing it well.”
“Have you ever been fishing?”
