The Billionaire's Christmas Son - Leslie North Page 0,29

on track. “No,” he said finally. “You’re right. This is the best for both of us.”

It was the only way to protect his brothers. The only way he could protect Rachel and Scott from any criticism—from the family drama that would ensue. The choice was out of his hands, and one he’d make for Rachel and his son before it got any more out of his control.

Rachel held her hands out for Scott, and he let his son go to her, knowing with a pang that if she left, she might never come back. “Let me drive you back to the resort.”

“No,” she said quickly, a faint smile on her face. “We need a little walk, don’t we, buddy?”

“Walk,” Scott repeated, rubbing at her cheek with one of his mitten-covered hands. He was so cute, unbearably cute. It was unbearable to watch him go, this little boy he’d only just met. “Walk, walk.”

“Goodbye,” Rachel said, and he felt the word down to his bones.

Jonas opened the door for her, the cold sharp on his skin, and she went out, the scent of her lingering in the foyer as a painful reminder of everything he was losing.

12

Rachel had known Jonas liked to be in charge, but he was floundering with his new reality. There had been friction between the two men as they sat in Jonas’s living room, and she’d heard it in his voice. I don’t know echoed in her mind over and over. He didn’t know what? What to do about her and Scott? Or his plan of action? Or any of it?

She shook her head and focused on the self-service machine at the print shop. This was the last of the photos, and she shifted Scott on her hip as she pressed the buttons on the screen. The sooner she could get these photos in hand, the sooner she could be done with the scrapbook, and they could leave.

Leave Jonas. Leave his family. And leave the Elk Lodge, a place that was becoming more and more complicated.

“Just a few more minutes, buddy,” she murmured. “Then Mommy will figure things out.”

“Mama,” he said. “Walk.” Scott’s loved the outdoors and used every opportunity to make sure they spent time outside. This place had been idyllic for him.

“We can’t right now, but soon.” Rachel finished the last of pictures and walked out of the shop. The snow was falling prettily all around, her son’s face lit with joy as he tried to catch the flakes. She tossed the bag of photos into the front seat of her car before slipping off Scott’s jacket, making it easier to buckle him into his car seat. She tested the straps.

Rachel tucked his jacket over his legs and handed him the ball Jonas had given him for Christmas, hoping to keep him occupied. She slid into the front seat and let out a deep breath. Suddenly, the clouds broke apart, and the sun shone down on the quaint Main Street of the small town she’d fallen in love with. If she lived with Jonas—

She did not live with Jonas. The Elk Lodge wasn’t really her home, though at times she hadn’t been able to keep from wishing it was her home—a place she could always return to. She could only attribute her fondness for the place to the fact that her son had been conceived there. But it was enough, and it wasn’t what she needed. Not in this moment.

Annabeth. Her best friend since fourth grade would be able to give her the perspective she needed. One that wasn’t centered on the Elkin family. Scott played happily in the back seat while she dug her phone out of her pocket and dialed.

“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,” Annabeth answered merrily the instant she picked up the phone. “Are you home? Are you ready to escape from your parents’?”

Rachel laughed, part of the knot in her gut unclenching. “I’m not home, actually. I’m at the Elk Lodge.”

A beat of silence passed. “What? Why?”

“Remember when I texted you about that job?” She rushed through the preliminary details—the last-minute hire, the drive to the Lodge—and then dropped the news. “So, it turns out Jonas Elkin, part owner of the Elk Lodge, also happens to be Scott’s dad.”

“What?” Annabeth shrieked. “He is? How? Explain. How.”

“He was the one-night stand.” Rachel put a hand to her forehead. “I thought he was a guest at the Elk Lodge. It’s been—well, it’s been a roller-coaster ride since the minute we recognized each other,