Silver Falls - Anne Stuart [55]
But that was before Tessa had been murdered and David Middleton had come into their lives like a white knight. Safe, sweet, so apple-pie normal and removed from their nomadic, communal-living ways that she grabbed on to him when he first made advances. He was everything their lives weren’t. He was safety. He was salvation.
He was boring.
And she was a shallow, evil bitch to even notice. And even worse, secretly she was responding to his rotten brother’s advances, no matter how much she was “no, no, no” like Amy Winehouse and rehab. Then again, Amy Winehouse really needed to go to rehab, and Caleb was the very last thing Rachel needed in her life.
Smarten up, she told herself, pulling the sheet out of the developer. There was no way she was going to risk the best thing that ever happened in her life for some irrational attraction.
Except David wasn’t the best thing that had happened, Sophie was. And if it hadn’t been for Tessa’s murder, maybe she wouldn’t have jumped into marriage with someone who was practically a stranger at such short notice. It was that damned impulsive streak, the one that made her run off with her teenaged boyfriend, flaunt her asshole father and wander the world. Ironic to think that same impulsive streak had pushed her into settling down sooner than she should have.
Enough. Maybe Caleb was right. Maybe she should just pack Sophie up and head out of town, no matter how much she protested. Just long enough to get her head on straight, long enough for—
The bright light of the opening door momentarily blinded her, and she let out a shriek as a day’s worth of work was instantly destroyed.
“What the f—?” She stopped midword. David was standing there, looking both sheepish and stern, an odd combination. She took a deep, calming breath. “David, the red light was on.”
“This couldn’t wait.”
Oh, shit. He had that professor who doesn’t believe the dog ate my homework voice going, and Rachel inwardly cringed. He couldn’t have known that Caleb kissed her. Or worse, that she’d kissed Caleb.
“I went to the lawyer, since you kept finding excuses. He said you never had him draw up the adoption papers.”
“Can we discuss this somewhere else?” she said, stalling for time. “Let’s have a glass of wine and talk about it.”
He looked at her, his baby-blue eyes flinty with anger. Funny, she couldn’t remember seeing him that angry before. “I take this very seriously, Rachel. You lied to me.”
“No, I didn’t,” she said, lying. Funny, when she’d spent most of her adult life trying to be scrupulously honest, avoiding everything but the gentlest of white lies. “I talked to Blanchard, and I simply told him to hold off for a little while. Until Sophie got more settled.”
“That wasn’t the impression he got.”
“I can’t be responsible for his impressions, David. I can only tell you what I said. This has all been a tremendous upheaval for Sophie, and I didn’t feel she was quite ready for one more huge change. I’m sorry I didn’t discuss it with you but I thought there was no big hurry. Unless you’re planning to murder me in my sleep so you can get your hands on my daughter.”
“Given the current happenings, I find that joke in very poor taste,” he said stiffly.
“Sometimes you can either laugh or cry.”
“I’d prefer if you’d do neither, particularly in public. Sophie told you she didn’t want me as a father?”
And lie number two. “Of course not! You know she thinks you’re wonderful. This was my decision. I thought things were happening too fast for her. We rushed into this marriage without a whole lot of thought—”
“And you’re regretting it,” he filled in. “Suddenly, when Caleb comes to town, you’re having second thoughts about marrying me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “We rushed into this marriage because we loved each other and I wanted to get Sophie out of San Francisco and you had to come back to Silver Falls, and we didn’t think living together was appropriate given your position at the college