Christmas Showdown Read online

  As she stepped into the bathroom, she turned the faucet on, checking the temperature before she poured a small amount of bubble bath below the flow of water. Yanking the first bandage off her right knee made her breath catch, the stinging a painful reminder of the gunman and robbery.

  “Owww. Owww. Owww.” Kelly was prepared for the pain as she removed the rest of the coverings. Her knees were sore and red, palms pitted where pebbles had embedded themselves.

  Carefully she stepped into the tub, easing down and hissing when the hot water sluiced over her injuries to awaken another wave of throbbing pain. It smarted for only a moment before she leaned back and willed herself to relax. Her eyelids drifted closed and, much to her dismay, Trey’s baby-blue eyes popped into her mind.

  Her body warmed and it wasn’t due to the water.

  There was no denying the man looked hot in his uniform, but she didn’t know what to do about meeting him again. Of course their paths may never cross after today, and that would be for the best. She wouldn’t know how to handle him or the situation she now found herself in. Forgetting him, as well as the way he had masterfully touched her, kissed her, and made love to her, was to her benefit. With the last thought, she sank deeper, going completely under while holding her breath.

  When she broke the surface, sputtering, Kelly wiped the white foamy bubbles from her face and then reached for the shampoo. She must have lost all sense of time, because the next thing she knew the water was cold, her skin pruning. Shivering, she washed, rinsed and rose, grabbing a towel. Hand-drying her hair, she wrapped the cloth around her head in a turban style before reaching for another to pat her skin dry. Halfway to the bedroom, she heard the doorbell ring. Figuring it was Lori, Kelly ran into her room and grabbed her silk robe. Cramming her arms into the long sleeves, she rushed down the stairs. Breathlessly, she swung the door wide, and her heart skipped a beat.

  “Trey?”

  His gaze widened before it fell to her cleavage. Which, much to her dismay, was on display, showing way more flesh than was appropriate. Her sash must have come loose on her way down the stairs. Tugging the ends together, she quickly retightened the belt.

  His devilish smile made her pulse race. “Now why did you go and do that? I was enjoying the view.”

  “Hardy-har-har. What are you doing here? More questions?”

  Even as she spoke, Kelly knew that wasn’t the reason, because he was out of uniform. Instead he wore a basic black leather jacket and what appeared to be a red t-shirt tucked into low-riding jeans that hugged muscular thighs and long, strong legs. A big black Stetson and boots to match told her a little more about him. He was a cowboy, or a city-slicker wannabe.

  “I thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing.”

  Much to her chagrin, her cell phone started to ring. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at her purse and saw the flash as it rang again. Kelly didn’t want to ask him in, but she needed to get her telephone in case it was Lori.

  When another ring chimed, she said, “Come on in. I have to get that.” Then she pivoted and retrieved her phone.

  “Hello?” When a guy introduced himself as being from a local refrigeration company, she told him no thank you and clicked the phone off, setting it next to her purse. “I hate salesmen,” she grumbled.

  “Me too.”

  When she turned to face Trey, he had taken off his hat. A wavy dark lock fell down his forehead.

  “How you been, Kelly?”

  “Good. I’m good. And okay.” She moved to the door, hoping he would get the hint.

  Instead he glanced around her inferior apartment. “I see you’re ready for Christmas.” If he was appalled, he didn’t say so or react in such a way.

  Still, a wave of humiliation spread across her face, heating her cheeks. “And you?”

  Trey harrumphed, the sound somewhat of a laugh and a choke of disbelief. “Not a thing purchased. I thought I’d go after work tonight or maybe wait for the last minute and face the crowds tomorrow, since I’m off for the next four days.”

  Kelly glanced at the wall where a kitty-cat clock hung, its tail swishing back and forth. How long ago had she spoken to Lori? Anxiety prickled her skin.

  “You look good, Kelly.” He said her name as if it were a sensual caress.

  “Thank you—” She released a short burst of laughter. Was he kidding? She was an emotional wreck. Her movement dislodged the towel around her head. As she caught it, strands of long, wet red hair tumbled down to her elbows. A smile touched her mouth. “So? Do you prefer the wet dog or the scared victim look more?”

  “Both.” He moved so close that she could smell soap and aftershave. “Anyone in your place would have been frightened. You held it together better than a lot of people.”

  A sudden knock on the door startled her. She jumped, her breath rushing out of her lungs.

  Oh God. No. She glanced at Trey.

  “You going to answer it?” he chuckled.

  “Uh. Yes.” The second she pulled the door open, her son waddled in, throwing his arms around her legs. Kelly’s heart melted, until her gaze met Trey’s. She didn’t have a moment to analyze what his startled expression meant before Lori stood in the doorway, concern darkening her eyes.

  “Kelly, are you all right?”

  “Momma. Up,” the child at her feet demanded.

  Kelly scooped him up in her arms, kissing a soft, reddened cheek before she answered, “I’m fine. Thank you for dropping TJ off.”

  “Sure. Is there anything I can do? You know I’d be happy to keep Trey with me tonight.”

  Kelly’s heart dropped to her feet. She didn’t dare look behind her.

  Her reaction must have troubled Lori, because the young woman gave her another worried glance, and then peered over her shoulder. “Well, then. I better get back to my husband and the kids. The rest of the children’s parents will be picking them up soon. Call me if you need anything.”

  Trey couldn’t take his eyes off the boy Kelly held as she spoke to the thin blonde at the door. At first he had been shocked that Kelly had a child. Then, as he studied the chubby little toddler, he was taken aback by how much the little guy looked like Samuel, his brother’s three-year-old son. Trey would even swear the boy had the Burstyns’ eyes, an undeniable crystal blue. But those weren’t the only similarities that made the hackles on the back of Trey’s neck stir. The toddler had shiny black hair, and damned if he didn’t have the same tuft of hair sticking up against his forehead that matched Trey’s. Poor kid. He’d fought that damn cowlick most of his life.

  It was about that time Trey felt his knees grow weak. But what threatened to wipe his legs out from under him was when the woman called the boy Trey. Like a puzzle, the pieces fell into place.

  Still he refused to accept the obvious. Instead he did the math to determine approximately when this child could have been conceived. Shit. If he guessed right, that would make conception right around the time of the Denver conference. But he had used a condom.

  The last of the air in his lungs rushed out as he stared at the small image of himself—his son. Denying it would be futile.

  Overwhelming emotions bombarded him all at once. Disbelief. Betrayal. Anger. Fury so hot that it surged through his veins like liquid fire. How long did Kelly plan to keep his son from him? If it hadn’t been for the bank incident he would have never known he had a son, let alone that they were living in the same city.

  Kelly shut the door and turned to him, her face pallid. “We need to talk.” Her voice trembled.

  He barely held his rage beneath a veneer of calm—the only thing stopping him from reaching out and strangling the woman. “Looks like the talking should have happened two years ago.” He set his Stetson upon the scarred coffee table before the couch.

  TJ started to squirm in her arms. “Down.” But she held on to him with a death grip.

  “I tried to contact you.”

  Uh huh, he thought silently. Sure you did.

 
“Momma. Down.” The boy’s request turned into a cry. “Down. Down.”

  She started to bounce him on her hip. “Shhh, sweetheart.”

  “Let him down, Kelly. I’m not going to run off with him.” And neither was she.

  Hesitating, she finally set the boy on his feet before glancing back up at Trey. “I didn’t know your last name, until today.”

  “What about the hotel? The conference organizers?”

  Her backbone stiffened defensively, but she didn’t raise her voice. “I did contact them. Privacy laws forbid them from giving me any information. You don’t have any idea how many times I heard that excuse. Plus I had no idea where you lived, worked.” With flames in her eyes, she ground her teeth together. “Whether you believe it or not, I did the best I could.”

  TJ approached him, staring up at him curiously. He placed his tiny shoe on Trey’s boot and then stretched his arms. “Up.”

  Trey’s heart thudded against his chest. He started to bend down and retrieve the toddler when Kelly’s coolness shattered. “No!” A panicked expression flashed on her face before it hardened, and then softened like her voice. “TJ, come to momma.” She took a step forward as Trey hauled the boy into his arms.

  For a moment, she stood silently, her breathing labored, her eyes moist—from fear or possessiveness, he didn’t know—and at that precious second he didn’t care.

  “Hey, buddy.” TJ smoothed his palm over Trey’s chin and laughed when he felt the small prickles of his beard. The boy’s childish giggle made Trey grin ear to ear. “So you think that’s funny.” He pressed his cheek next to the child’s and rubbed up and down like he did Samuel’s belly on occasion. TJ burst into a plethora of titters, causing Trey to laugh out loud.

  “I should get him ready for bed,” Kelly said, holding out her arms expectantly.

  “I think due to the circumstances, me spending a little time with my son warrants a later bedtime.”

  “Yes, but—”

  Trey shot her a look that he knew could curdle milk, because he’d used it on more occasions than he’d like to admit in his line of work to gain a person’s cooperation. It worked to quiet her, but it didn’t last long.

  “I don’t want him falling asleep dirty. He needs a bath.” She inhaled deeply and released the breath, unaware that her robe had drifted apart again.

  But his cock had noticed, and it firmed beneath his zipper. He let his gaze sweep down her. “I’ll give him a bath while you slip into something less comfortable.” He needed all his senses about him.

  She glanced down where his eyes had stopped. “Dammit.” When TJ stared at her, she corrected herself. “I mean darn.” Licking her lips nervously, she glared at him. “Have you ever given a child a bath?”

  “Kelly, I come from a big family—two older brothers, two younger sisters, two nephews and three nieces. I’ve given my share of baths and babysat. If you’ll show me to the bathroom I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Again she hesitated, staring at him like he’d grown two heads, before she finally gave in. “This way.”

  Still holding TJ, he followed her up the stairs, his randy gaze locked on the gentle sway of her hips. By the time he made it to the top, his dick was so hard it was uncomfortable.

  Didn’t that beat all? His was madder than hell at this woman and still couldn’t think past the desire to bed her.

  “The first door on the left. I’ll get his pajamas and a towel.” She disappeared into another room as Trey started to slip off his son’s shoes. The little guy wiggled and squirmed, but fortunately Trey was able to get him undressed without any tears.

  Quickly, he checked the sizes of his shoes and clothing. The boy needed a pair of real jeans and boots. He’d have to wing the fit of a cowboy hat. Turning on the faucets, he checked the temperature of the water. When it was lukewarm he set TJ down and the boy immediately started to wave his chubby arms and splash water to strike Trey in the face.

  “I forgot to warn you that TJ is a wild man in the bathtub.” She set a diaper, a pair of footed, thermal pajamas and a worn towel on the commode. “His hair needs washed—”

  “I can handle it.” The minute the sharp reply left his mouth he regretted it. If what Kelly said was true, she had attempted to contact him. He watched her walked away as he began to soap up the wild sea serpent dousing his father with more water.

  In reality, his and Kelly’s night had consisted of partying with her friends and a couple of other conference-goers, and an attraction too strong to deny. Heavy petting led to a quick trip to his hotel room and the rest was history. She had completely worn him out, so much so that he had barely awakened in time to catch his flight. And he wasn’t free of fault either, because she had given him her number, but somewhere between the room, a taxi ride, and the airport he had lost the small piece of paper she’d written the information on. It could have happened any time he had withdrawn money from his pocket.

  So clearly he was as much to blame as she, or maybe no one was to blame. Maybe they needed to chalk this one up to Murphy’s Law and just move forward.

  After washing and rinsing TJ’s hair, he lifted his son out of the tub and wrapped him in the towel. The boy was in good spirits, jabbering incoherent gibberish that only another child would comprehend. It was beyond Trey.

  “Momma!” He threw open his arms.

  She smiled lovingly and reached out for him. “I’ll dress him.” He went willingly into her arms.

  Trey snatched the diaper and pajamas off the commode before she could. Their eyes met. His determined. Hers weary. When she realized he wasn’t going away, she turned and walked into the bedroom and laid their child on the bed. Trey placed the boy’s clothes beside him.

  As she bent over, the t-shirt she wore edged upward, displaying smooth, unblemished skin above the band of her jeans. Would it feel as soft as it had two years ago? She worked with expertise to clothe the ever-moving child as Trey scanned the room.

  Her queen-size bed and dresser, which appeared to have several drawers off their tracks, were the only furniture and all that would fit in the cramped room. It sickened him to think what she might have gone through during this last two years. Had she been alone? Did she have family to help her? If so, why would she move away and obviously place herself and their child in financial straits?

  “Dink,” TJ cried out.

  Trey shot a questioning glanced at Kelly.

  “He wants milk,” she answered before he could speak. “Sure, baby, let’s go downstairs.” Kelly heaved the heavy bundle into her arms.

  “Here.” Trey extended his hands. “I’ll take him.” But his offer was met with defiance.

  “I’m more than capable. Remember, I’ve been doing this for over a year, by myself.” Without saying another word, she spun on the balls of her bare feet and stomped from the room.

  Zing! He felt that jab go straight to the heart, because Kelly was right. But dammit, it wasn’t his fault. Crestfallen, he followed her down the stairs and into a kitchen large enough for only one person to maneuver comfortably, which meant she bumped into him.

  “Why don’t you go sit on the couch, watch some football or something,” she snapped.

  “Okay. And I’ll take our son, so you can do what you have to in here.”

  “I’ve been—”

  “Yeah, I know. You’ve done this a million times, alone.” He took TJ from her arms and walked out of the room.

  Chapter Three

  Tears beat against Kelly’s eyelids, but she wouldn’t let them fall. She had seen the way Trey looked around her bedroom. When his gaze landed on the broken dresser, her soul took another blow of humiliation. Still, she shouldn’t have been so bitchy. He hadn’t known that TJ existed until today. In all honesty, he had a right to be angry at the circumstances, but not at her. She had done her best.

  If only he had called her. Clearly that one night hadn’t meant as much to him as it had to her. The refrigerator opened with a pop and she reached in t
o retrieve the small carton of milk. Like an idiot she had thought there had been something special between them, something magnetic. But it had been only sex—a true one-night stand.

  Kelly barely caught herself from muttering one of her mother’s mantras as she poured the milk into a cup. “You reap what you sow.” But her favorite by far was, “We are the makers of our own destiny.”

  And all of this, she scanned her meager surroundings, was her destiny.

  When she heard TJ whimper, she glanced up to see Trey cooing softly to him while he bounced the boy on his knees. Without hesitating, she snapped closed the lid to the sippy cup, put the milk back in the refrigerator, and walked around the counter.

  “He’s getting tired. Here, honey.” She extended the cup to TJ and he took it and immediately started to drink. In no time, he eased back, relaxing in Trey’s arms, snuggling against the big man’s chest.

  This was her favorite part of the evening, holding TJ as he fell asleep. But tonight his dad held him. It nearly broke her heart to see the image of father and son, and surprisingly a tinge of jealousy struck.

  TJ was her son.

  She had carried him nine months, given birth to him, walked the floors when he had an earache or cold, and soothed all the bumps and bruises.

  Again, tears beat against her eyelids, but she remained strong. At the moment, Trey’s intentions were unknown. Finding out one fathered a child and actually being a father to said child were two different things.

  As TJ’s eyelids drooped, Trey asked, “Where is his room?”

  “There is only one bedroom. He sleeps with me.”

  Trey frowned. “That’s not a good arrangement. My brother says—”

  “Your brother isn’t a single mother living off a strict budget. I’ve done the best I can.” She began to tremble with unsuppressed anger. “The roof over our head, the food we eat, everything I supply without help or government aid. We don’t have much, but what we do have is love. I do what I have to and right now the sleeping arrangements are such.”