An Unexpected Partnership (HQR Special Edition) Read online

  “Hey,” he said, closing the door behind him.

  “Leo.” She stopped wiping the bar and watched him walk over and sit on one of the stools in front of her.

  He could almost feel the tension radiating from her. Maybe he could put her at ease. “I want you to know that I respect what you said that night—”

  She held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t.”

  “Understood.” He met her gaze. “So, why did you ask me to come over and talk?”

  “It’s about The Pub—” Her lips trembled for a moment as grief slid into her eyes. She blew out a breath and continued, “I’m aware that Granddad came to you with a proposition to invest.”

  “That’s right. I talked with him a lot when I suddenly couldn’t play hockey anymore. About what I was going to do.” That had been a personal low. He was dealing with an injury that forced him to retire prematurely from the sport that defined him at the same time his wife admitted she’d been cheating with a former lover. She announced she was leaving and taking their child with her. Leo had spent a lot of time at The Pub, drinking and spilling his guts to Patrick. “Your grandfather told me I needed an act two and I had a good head for business. He was right about both.”

  “He told me you bought the local ice rink and it was finally turning a profit.”

  “Yes. Among other ventures.” All of them had been going down when he took over. Now every one of them was prospering.

  “Before I make my pitch, you should know that The Pub was doing fine until Granddad got sick. The medical bills after he was diagnosed were substantial. Even then things were okay. But recently—”

  “So you’re letting me know you’re a good manager.”

  “Yes. And the good news is that there’s been an uptick in business.”

  “Yet you’re approaching me, I assume for help, even though you fought Pat tooth and nail when he suggested I put up money and lend my name to improve declining revenue.” At her surprised look he added, “Yeah, he told me you weren’t in favor of partnering with me. So why now, Tess?”

  “I had to let a full-time employee go and cut hours for others. That’s enough to keep the doors open but not to grow.” She didn’t exactly answer the question of what had changed.

  “Okay.”

  “This place has been my home since I was six and came to live with Granddad. I grew up here. Did my homework in the office in the back. Swept floors because I wanted to help. Did inventory. But there’s a lot of debt from his cancer treatment and medical bills. I want his legacy to go on. I just don’t want to see it turned into a sports freak show.”

  He winced at the dig to his former profession but sympathized with the sentiment. Or maybe the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes and the fierce pride on her face made him go soft.

  “So, tell me what you’re proposing.”

  She outlined the high points: an infusion of capital to update the place, a percentage of the business and a few other things. She finished up with, “If that’s acceptable, I’ll take you on as a silent partner.”

  What she outlined was agreeable to him and at this point in the negotiations it was probably best not to tell her “silent partner” was never going to happen. The thing was he really wanted to buy in. The place was conveniently located and had a lot of potential. Leo also wanted to preserve Pat’s life’s work.

  “Do you have any objection to using my lawyer to draw up a contract?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll get in touch with her first thing in the morning.”

  “Figures your attorney would be a her.”

  “I didn’t hire Annabel because of her gender. She’s a damn good lawyer.” And beautiful, too. But it was strictly business and a line he wouldn’t cross even if there was an attraction between them.

  “If you say so.”

  Tess was starting to get under his skin, and not in a good way. “Clearly you have a low opinion of me. Why is that?”

  “The parade of women through your life for one thing. That speaks to being shallow, self-centered and commitment resistant.”

  Any guy would run in the face of commitment if he’d been through what Leo had. A guy would have to be an idiot to go through that again. Hockey had given him highs and lows—sanctuary from a lousy home situation, a college education and more than one Stanley Cup championship. The game was physically aggressive and injuries left marks. But they were nothing compared to what losing his career and family at the same time had done to him.

  It was best to change the subject and get back to business. “You said The Pub was doing all right until recently. What changed?”

  She suddenly looked nervous. “I probably should have led with this, but I wanted to get business details wrapped up first. Although if you have a problem with the fact that I didn’t tell you this up front, feel free to change your mind about investing. You don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

  He’d promised Pat he would look after Tess whether she wanted him to or not. There was no way to know what was going through Pat’s mind when he made Leo swear, but a vow was a vow. If she was trying to scare him away, it wasn’t going to work. “You’re not making any sense.”

  “I know. I just want to make it clear that I’ll figure out some other way. I could have worked eighteen hours a day with little pay before and it would have been all right. But things have changed. Now I have to—”

  “Tess.” That stopped her babbling but not the tension and nerves still making her twist her fingers together. “What’s going on?”

  She blew out a breath and stood a little straighter, as if bracing herself. “You know that thing we’re not talking about that never happened?”

  “For the record you can pretend we didn’t have sex on that table over there. You can semantics the hell out of it, but that won’t change anything. The fact is that we did it. You can bury your head in the sand but that leaves your backside exposed.”

  “You’re not wrong about that.” She looked everywhere but at him.

  This was really starting to get on his nerves. “What’s going on, Tess? Just spit it out.”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  He blinked at her and couldn’t wrap his mind around the words. “I’m sorry. What?”

  “I’m going to have a baby.”

  Bingo. That was the scariest thing she could have said to him. He couldn’t believe it. No way this was happening to him. Not again. He wasn’t getting sucked in for a second time by a woman who was lying about having his baby. Leo stood up and walked out of the bar.

  Chapter Two

  The door closed behind Leo, and Tess could almost feel the sting of a slap on her face. She couldn’t decide if she was more shocked or angry that he’d walked out on her. And his child. This was the man her grandfather had wanted as a partner? She’d had her reasons for pushing back on that but none of them were about him not taking responsibility for his actions.

  It was about the revolving door of females in and out of his life. Well-publicized, short-term affairs with actresses and models. Glorified one-night stands with glamorous women, rich and famous. Even the not so famous made headlines with him. But in all the publicity surrounding his “over in fifteen minutes” relationships, he’d invariably taken the blame for why things hadn’t worked out. Always a version of “she’s a great girl and I’m not good enough for her.”

  As much as she wanted to believe he had no feelings and hurt women from coast to coast when he threw them away, the only one he trashed was himself. One had to conclude he wasn’t mean; he just had a problem with commitment. She wasn’t into it either. That’s what happened when the man you loved cheated repeatedly. He was a cocky college jock and that baggage had affected her opinion of Leo from the moment they were introduced.

  In a way, Tess respected the way he characterized the end
of his affairs, even if she didn’t condone “quantity over quality” behavior. So yeah, she was more shocked than angry right now. All the scenarios she’d imagined of how this conversation would go down never included him turning his back and walking away.

  Tears filled her eyes and she didn’t miss the irony. The last time she’d cried in this room, Leo had been there to comfort her and they’d had sex. Now there was a baby and he left her, taking his investment money with him.

  Suddenly the door opened and Leo walked back inside. He stood there, staring at her, eyes narrowed dangerously. “A baby. You’re sure.”

  “Peed on a stick and confirmed by a doctor.” She had questions, too. “Why did you walk out just now?”

  An angry, intense look pulled his mouth tight and made his eyes narrow on her. “I had to think before saying anything.”

  “Okay. So what are you thinking?”

  “Is it mine?”

  She was sorry she’d asked. The question tweaked her temper, implying that she was an underhanded opportunist. He was questioning her integrity, but she grudgingly admitted that he had a right to ask. “Yes.”

  “How do I know it’s mine?”

  “Because I said so and I don’t lie.” She glared at him.

  He finally closed the door. “Right now, for the sake of argument, let’s assume it’s mine—”

  “Stop calling me a liar. Of course this baby is yours. I’ve been pretty busy trying to save this bar, my grandfather’s legacy. When would I have time to date?”

  “You don’t have to date,” he said wryly.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I would have to date before doing...” As soon as she realized what was going to come out of her mouth, she stopped talking.

  “You and I never went out before we...” He glanced at the booth by the door, where they’d done the deed. Then one corner of his mouth curved up as he looked back at her. “But wait, I forgot. That never happened.”

  “Obviously you don’t intend to let me forget I said that.”

  “Not likely.” He moved closer, stopping on the other side of the bar from her. “You’re going to have it.” It wasn’t a question.

  The part of her that wasn’t super annoyed with him respected that he wasn’t pushing for termination of the pregnancy. Truthfully, that had never entered her mind. “Not that you get to tell me what to do, but yes, I will have this baby.”

  “I need a test.”

  To make sure he was the father. As infuriating as it was to be doubted, she’d actually anticipated this. At her first doctor’s appointment, she’d asked questions about prenatal testing.

  “Before the baby’s born it would require an amniocentesis to determine paternity. It’s an invasive procedure that requires insertion of a needle to take amniotic fluid. This test poses the risk of miscarriage.”

  “Okay.” His frown deepened. “So we have to wait.”

  “No. There’s a blood test that can determine a very high probability that you’re the father. Even though I’m telling you that.”

  “Like I said. I need a test. Let’s do that.”

  “Okay.” She folded her arms over her chest and met his gaze. “I’ll set it up. We can have results in one to two days.”

  “Either you’re a very good bluffer or—”

  “I’m telling the truth,” she finished for him. “Look, Leo, I didn’t plan this.”

  “Okay.”

  “I can tell that’s what you’re thinking. I guess if I was in your shoes, the thought would cross my mind.”

  “Very understanding of you.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I’ve never been in a situation like this,” she defended herself. “It’s not like I did it on purpose.”

  She glanced past him to the booth where it had happened. Heat slid into her cheeks as memories rolled through her mind. Those passionate moments in his arms were all that stood between her and the overwhelming grief of losing her grandfather. She’d never felt so out of control but she couldn’t speak for Leo.

  “You’ve had a lot more experience at that sort of thing than me. Since the responsibility should be shared equally, I won’t ask why you never brought up the subject of protection.”

  He shifted his feet, the only sign that her comment struck a nerve. “That’s fair. If—”

  “I’m telling the truth,” she finished. “I never planned to get pregnant. I was upset. I just buried my grandfather and that was a long, horrible day. I’m sorry I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. For the record I didn’t ask you to comfort me. In fact I thought I was alone.”

  A hint of sympathy softened his gaze for a moment. “You weren’t. And I assumed you were on birth control.”

  “I wasn’t. And you know what they say about people who assume. Makes an ass out of you and me.”

  That was an understatement. He and his consolation had taken up every square inch of her attention. And now she was paying a really high price for it.

  “I had a lot on my mind that day.” She looked around the room. There were pictures on the walls of The Pub while it was being built. Opening day. The surrounding area before homes and businesses popped up. Her glance settled on the wood floor, the scarred bar between them, every mark with a story that was part of the history. “I grew up here with my grandfather. I live in the apartment upstairs. This is my home, as well as my livelihood. My business. My career. It’s everything. You’ve got no skin in the game. Not really. To you it’s just an investment.”

  “Which you’re against.”

  “But Granddad trusted you. And I think you would understand why I feel that way if you were in my situation. For a few weeks after losing Granddad, my bottom line improved.” Although that probably had more to do with cutbacks than actual customer expansion. “I thought I could make it. Cost reductions saved money but required me to work more hours.”

  “Then you found out you were pregnant.”

  She nodded. “I can’t put in the time necessary to keep the business afloat. I have to take care of the baby. And I don’t want my grandfather’s legacy to disappear, but—”

  “So it’s the pregnancy that changed your mind about contacting me.”

  She’d vehemently told him she wasn’t a liar. There was no point in starting now. “Yes.”

  “Because it’s the only way to save The Pub.”

  “Maybe there’s another investor I could interest. But Granddad liked you.” She would give anything to know why. If only she shared the opinion. She didn’t have a problem with him professionally. It was the personal that she was afraid of. Look what happened that night. But there was so much more at stake here. And she didn’t have a lot of choices. The only thing she trusted unconditionally was her grandfather’s judgment. Other than warm memories and this business, there was nothing left of him. And the thought of it ceasing to exist broke her heart. “Are you still going to invest in the bar?”

  “You’re having the baby.”

  “How many times do I have to repeat it? The child I’m carrying is the only reason I need your help. If I wasn’t pregnant I’d muddle through without you. Yes, I’m having the baby.”

  “Then I’m definitely going through with our deal. I’ll contact my lawyer to draw up papers.”

  “I’ll make an appointment for blood tests at a private lab.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Okay, then.”

  She said that with way more enthusiasm than she felt. He obviously didn’t believe her about the baby, and the juxtaposition of his agreement implied that if he had no connection to the child, she and her business could dry up and blow away. He was sticking around just to keep her honest.

  She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he had to admit he was wrong about her.

  * * *

  Leo offered to pick Tess up for
the meeting at his attorney’s office to sign the partnership agreement but she politely declined. In a very cool and distant tone, she’d said it would be best to meet there. Fine with him. He hadn’t seen her for a couple of weeks and that was for the best. A cooling-off period gave him time to brace himself to deal with her as they saved her bar. But out of sight didn’t mean she was out of his mind. Her and the baby. Damn.

  He rode the eight-story building’s elevator to the top floor, where Annabel Sanders had her office. The doors opened into the reception area with a view of the whole valley. Huntington Hills in Southern California had a population right around two hundred thousand and was beautiful in the spring. Trees and flowers were blooming, and the vibrant colors of purple, pink and yellow stretched all the way to the mountains.

  He walked over to the receptionist. “Hi, Geraldine.”

  “Mr. Wallace.” The attractive woman was in her fifties and had stylishly cut short blond hair. Her blue eyes twinkled with humor. “And you know perfectly well the name is Geri.”

  “Right. I keep forgetting.”

  “It’s a common problem with our former-hockey-player clients. Too many shots to the head.”

  “How many hockey-playing clients does Annabel have?”

  “Only you. Thank goodness.”

  “Ah. Maybe I can shake the bushes, contact some of my teammates. Send some business your way.”

  “Please don’t. You keep us busy enough. What with all the investment opportunities you’re researching.”

  He had to make up for lost time. His career ended abruptly, and not long after his marriage ended, too. It was a dark period, most of which he’d spent in Pat Morrow’s penalty box. He owed that man a lot for pulling his head out of his ass.

  “You know you love me,” he said. “If you weren’t already happily married...”

  She leaned back in her chair and looked up at him. “You’re a shameless flirt. I should leave my husband and call your bluff.”