The Billionaire's Christmas Son - Leslie North Page 0,32
him on the floor. His son came over, clinging to Jonas’s leg.
Jonas flicked his eyes to hers, asking a silent question before he picked Scott up. “I could take him to my place while you worked on the scrapbook,” he offered. “You could also stay for New Year’s if you wanted.” She knew what he was asking.
Her conversation with Annabeth echoed in Rachel’s mind. Part of this was about trusting Jonas, and she already trusted him with Scott. The rest was learning to trust him for herself. And it was much harder to put together a scrapbook when her son demanded her attention. “That sounds good,” she said. “Let me grab the diaper bag. And I’ll think about New Year’s.”
The three of them went up to her suite, and Rachel put some fresh clothes into the bag and handed it over to Jonas. “We’ll see you in a while?” he asked.
“As soon as I’m done with the book.” She hadn’t missed the look of hope in Jonas’s eyes as she kissed Scott’s cheek and ruffled his hair.
In the quiet after the two left, Rachel sat down at her desk and got to work with the photos. The work of arranging them was habitual enough to set her mind free. There really was no reason for her to stay at the resort after she finished with the scrapbook, other than the fact Jonas had asked her to stay. He wanted her to stay. And if Rachel was truthful, she wanted to stay too.
Once this project was finished, they’d have more breathing room to figure out if there was a path for all of them to move forward. Or should she just go and do what she’d told Annabeth she wanted—negotiate terms from her own home? But that meant Scott wouldn’t see Jonas as often as he deserved to see his father.
It was a tough decision, one she almost wished she didn’t have to make. But it was her choice and her life. Rachel put the photos into their layouts and chewed at her lip, trying to commit to a decision she could live with. Her heart wanted to stay. That was obvious from the way it fluttered whenever she thought of Jonas, and sleeping next to him, and waking up in his bed.
A knock at the door made her hand slip on one of the photos, and she hissed, pressing it back into place. “Just a minute,” she called. Rachel took her time making sure the photo was perfect, then went to see who was there.
She pulled the door open to find Jonas’s brother, Gabe, standing in the hall. With his hands in his pockets and a determined set to his jaw, his expression was a good indicator this wasn’t a happy social call. “Hey, Gabe. What can I do for you?”
“You know, I—” He looked away, seeming to gather his thoughts, and when he looked back at her, she was nearly knocked backward by the depth of the suspicion in Gabe’s eyes. “My brother doesn’t normally get involved with people. His entire life has been the Elk Lodge.”
“I know that,” she added. “I know how important this place is to him, and his family—”
“Is that what this is about? Family?” He kept his tone even, but Rachel could tell he was carrying a weight. “Listen—I did some digging when Chase told me the truth about your son. I have reason to believe you might be in a bit of a situation financially. Is this about my brother’s money? Because if it is—”
Rachel pressed her lips together tight, the blood draining out of them. Heat spread out across her chest, an angry, humiliated heat. “Is what about his money? The fact that we have a son together?”
“Do you have a son together?” Gabe faced her head-on. “Or is that some kind of deception?”
“It’s not a deception,” she said, wounded. “I met him almost three years ago, here at the lodge. We had a one-night stand, not that it’s any of your business.”
Gabe had the grace to look ashamed, but he rebounded quickly. “And you didn’t tell him about the child? I just think it would be best if Jonas understood your financial situation before falling headlong into an unpleasant situation.”
Her mind raced with possibilities, and each one had her angrier than the last. “So, you’re going to what—give him all the details you got by spying on me?”
“Maybe,” said Gabe hotly.
What the hell was happening? Jonas clearly wasn’t the only bossy