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Jillian cringed.
A dangerous shade of red surged into her father’s face, and the stocky bald man stalked to where they stood. “What in the Lord Almighty have you done, daughter?”
The power tools died into a thick silence. Every eye in the place locked on her. Her body flashed hot. Instantly chilled to ice. She couldn’t make her tongue work. She twitched her braid over her shoulder.
Zane addressed the construction workers watching with avid interest. “Take five, guys.”
Dean fired a killer glare at Zane, then gave an abrupt nod, and the other men reluctantly drifted out the rear exit.
Like two wary dogs claiming the same territory, her father and her husband stared one another down.
Dean frowned. “You’re our little guy’s daddy. The resemblance is as plain as the nose on your face.”
“I’m Special Agent Zane Wolfe, and I am Casey’s biological father.”
“Well I’ll be a sonofabitch,” Dean said.
Zane’s arm slid around Jillian’s waist, his solid heat comforting. “This isn’t how we planned to tell you, sir, but Jillian and I were married in Tahoe yesterday. And my lawyer has filed for full custody of Casey.”
Brooke gasped and her clipboard clattered to the floor.
“Where have you been the past six years, Wolfe?” Dean demanded.
“It’s complicated. And I’m warning all of you …” He looked at Loucinda and Brooke. “To keep my paternity confidential, especially from Casey. My lawyer is also filing a confidentiality clause to that effect.” He turned back to face Dean. “I assure you, sir, I’m looking out for Casey and Jillian’s best interests.”
“You hurt either that little boy or my daughter, and I will break you in half.”
Zane nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Pop.” Breathing choppy, Jillian touched her father’s arm. “Zane is two-hundred percent reliable.”
“We’ll see.” Her father’s stern look pinned Jillian. “You both have a lot of explaining to do.”
“You’ll get a full explanation, sir.” Zane’s low voice was calm but firm. “Later. In private.”
Dean sized up Zane, who steadily held the other man’s nuclear-powered glare for a nerve-wracking sixty seconds. Finally, Dean gave a thoughtful nod. “I’ll be talking to you later, then.” He stuck out a square, work-toughened hand. “Drop the ‘sir’ nonsense. Call me Dean.”
With amazed relief, Jillian watched the men shake hands. Her father had terrified every guy she’d dated since high school. Her prom escort had been so freaked by Dean’s “treat-my-daughter-with-respect-or-lose-your-balls” lecture, he’d barely spoken to her all night. And when they’d danced, he’d stood so far away, she’d had to shout to make herself heard.
Loucinda clapped. “This is so excitin’! I’m gonna throw a huge reception for y’all.”
“Hold it.” Zane’s hand went up. “No parties. I told you, we keep this on a need-to-know basis.”
Brooke elbowed her way into the group. Green eyes slitted, she thrust her face close to Jillian’s. “That child belongs to me.”
“No.” Zane said low and lethal. “He doesn’t.”
Loucinda scowled at Brooke. “You and uppity Dr. Dick don’t own—or deserve—that little darlin’.”
“You all heard her.” Brooke whirled on Loucinda. “You disrespected me and my husband. This is none of your affair. And if you get in my way I will have the board throw you out of your job on your fat lily-white ass.”
“Brooke.” Dean’s quiet lash of cold fury was a startling icy contrast to his usual hot bluster. “Unless you want me clamping my vise grips to your tongue, don’t speak to Ms. Wallis that way again. Go finish your business elsewhere.”
As Brooke’s face flushed a mottled magenta that clashed with her red hair, Jillian studied her dad. Then her gaze traveled to Loucinda, who beamed at Dean as if he were Sir Galahad. An unexpected, surprising nuance shimmered in the air between the older couple.
Jillian blinked. Loucinda and Dean had been spending a whole lot more time together lately since Dean started construction on the Center. Had Cupid given them an extra push in the form of a little boy and a clever cat while Jillian was eloping? What a kick it would be if Loucinda and her dad got together. She couldn’t imagine a more fitting pair.
Brooke stomped to where her clipboard lay on the floor. “You’re all fooling yourselves,” she snarled. “Casey ismine!”
