The Unexpected Husband (Captured by Love Book 8) Read online

  But his dad was right. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t allow himself to fully trust Paige. That would be a very stupid thing to do.

  “You got Paige Shipton pregnant? You’re going to be a dad?” Derek McCarthy asked, his face incredulous yet wondrous at the same time.

  Tristan chuckled at his best buddy’s expression. It was how he felt about his impending fatherhood, only ten times—hell, no—one hundred times magnified. He was still trying to process things himself.

  “Sure it’s yours?” Derek asked, looking around the coffee shop they frequented to check for eavesdroppers.

  Tristan glanced around him as well before relaxing in his seat. “Yeah. The condom did break. And Paige didn’t seem scared or nervous about the paternity test, so I’m sure it’ll just be a formality.”

  “I have to say, you look really happy for someone who’s been whacked with this… life-changing news.”

  He laughed. “I know. I can’t believe I’m this excited either, considering the circumstances.”

  “Tristan!”

  Tristan turned his head towards the direction of the caller and his warm and fuzzy feeling evaporated instantly. Edgar Mills, a popular breakfast show radio host with whom he was acquainted, was entering the coffee shop.

  And with him was none other than Larry Shipton.

  “This can’t be good,” Derek said under his breath as Edgar approached their table, followed by a frowning Larry.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” Edgar said, clapping Tristan on the shoulder.

  “Yes,” Tristan answered, then introduced Derek to the two men.

  “I’m a regular customer of these two,” Edgar said to Derek, indicating Tristan and Larry. “I always hold regular meetings in one of their clubs. I alternate so I’m not accused of favouritism.”

  “Right,” Derek said with a polite laugh.

  “This place seems busy,” Edgar said, looking around. “Hey, do you mind if we sit with these guys, Larry?”

  Tristan suppressed a sigh. Just his luck that he and Derek were occupying a four-seater table.

  “Sure, if it’s okay with them,” Larry said with a small smile.

  “Be our guest,” Tristan said, gesturing to the empty chairs. What else could he say? Edgar had no idea of his conflict with Larry.

  A server came to take the newcomers’ orders. When the waitress left, Larry turned to Tristan with a smirk on his face.

  “Our lawyers wouldn’t be happy about this, would they?” Larry said. “I bet they won’t want us talking to each other without them being present.”

  Tristan’s eyebrow shot up. What was the man up to, bringing this up in front of a media personality? He glanced at Edgar, whose interest had clearly been piqued.

  “Lawyers?” Edgar asked. “Are you guys in some dispute or something?”

  Larry shrugged. “You can call it that. I’ve got nothing to hide, though, so I don’t mind chatting with all of you.”

  Edgar was instantly in reporter mode. “So what’s this about?”

  “You better ask Tristan. He’s the one who has no chance in hell of winning the court case he wants to bring against me, my wife and my company.”

  Edgar’s eyes widened, and he leaned towards Tristan to hear his answer better.

  “Perhaps we should leave you and Larry alone to discuss this in private,” Derek said to Tristan.

  “I don’t mind staying,” Edgar quipped, eager for something juicy.

  “You gentlemen can stay,” said Larry. “To make sure none of the words we say here gets twisted later.”

  Tristan glared at Paige’s father. “I actually don’t know what court case you’re talking about, Larry,” he said conversationally, trying not to grit his teeth. “Because the only case I’ll be lodging against you and Debbie is one I’m guaranteed to win. So, no, I’m not aware of any legal action that I’d be losing.”

  “Come on, Tristan,” Larry said in a goading tone. “You were too late. Just accept it and move on.”

  Tristan fisted his hand under the table, wanting so badly to land it on Larry’s mouth. But he had to restrain himself from doing something that might jeopardise his position. “You are right about one thing, Larry. My lawyer won’t be happy with this encounter, so why don’t we change the subject? How’s your daughter, Paige?”

  Larry’s face and ears reddened immediately. “Don’t you dare bring my daughter into this.”

  Tristan smiled. He respected Paige enough that he wouldn’t bring up her pregnancy in front of Edgar. But he just wanted to shake Larry a little bit. “We’re just having a friendly conversation here, aren’t we? Did you know I met Paige in one of my clubs in Brisbane a couple of months ago?”

  “She was in one of your clubs?” Edgar asked.

  Tristan nodded. “She was very honest with me and admitted she was checking out the place to compare it with the Shipton one down the road. At least your daughter’s honest.”

  Larry rose from his seat. “We’re going now, Edgar. I’m not going to listen to this man try to drag my daughter into the ridiculous suit he wants to slap on us. That’s why even my daughter can’t stand the sight of him.” Larry turned on his heels and walked out.

  “That’s some big shit,” Edgar murmured, face alight with the prospect of scandalous news.

  “And a friendly piece of advice before you think of broadcasting anything that’s been said, Edgar,” Tristan said dryly. “Get the facts straight first, or you and your station will be in big trouble. I guarantee you that between me and Larry, I’m the one telling the truth. So I suggest you sit tight on this story. The truth will unravel eventually, and I promise you, it will be juicier.”

  Edgar exhaled loudly through an open mouth, waved goodbye, and followed Larry.

  “Does Paige seem to hate you?” Derek asked when Edgar was out of earshot. “Larry said she can’t stand the sight of you.”

  “Nope,” Tristan said, his lips curving at the memory of him and Paige staring at each other in the private room of his Sydney club a couple of days ago. He bet that if they hadn’t been interrupted, they’d have ended up kissing.

  “Just don’t fall in love with her,” his dad’s voice said in his head.

  Tristan pressed his lips into a tight line. He shouldn’t forget that Paige was Larry and Debbie’s daughter.

  Chapter 6

  Paige sat on her seat and observed the goings-on happening in the cordoned-off section of the Shipton club in Canberra. She took a sip of water, her head pounding from the loud music at the engagement party of her friend Melanie and her fiancé, Bart. Gosh, she was so exhausted that all she wanted was to go to sleep.

  She placed a hand on her stomach. How are you doing, Tanner?

  She smiled secretively. She’d gotten it right that she was going to have a boy! Her excitement at getting the gender result today was partly the reason for her tiredness. She’d been buzzing all day and had gone to the shops to check out baby boy stuff.

  But she’d held off buying things. She’d go shopping with Tristan when she returned to Sydney, instead. She couldn’t wait to share the news with him, but she preferred to do it in person. She wanted to see his reaction.

  As for the name Tanner, would he like it?

  Kel Tan, Julian had called Tristan, and she’d found it so cute. So she’d decided on Tanner. It was a great name for their son.

  The soon-to-be bride joined her. “Hey, are you okay?”

  She smiled brightly. “I’m okay. Just resting.”

  “You’ve been looking tired all night,” Melanie said with a worried frown. “Hope you’re not coming down with something.”

  “I don’t think so. Just lack of sleep, I think.”

  Paige wished she could tell her friend the real reason for her fatigue, but the timing wasn’t right. Her parents were attending tonight’s festivities too, and they’d asked her not to announce her pregnancy to anyone else yet. She was in total agreement. The last thing she wanted was for gossips to h
ear her news and start flapping their gums.

  “Curtis is worried about you too,” Melanie said teasingly.

  She sighed. “I wish he’d quit acting like he’s my date.”

  “Well, tongues are wagging again with the way he’s been shadowing you all night. And some people think you should give him a chance. He’s been after you for years!”

  Paige shook her head. Curtis had been hounding her for a date again. She’d politely refused—for the umpteenth time—but he hadn’t given up. Tonight, he’d been very attentive towards her.

  “Your dad seems to be encouraging him, though,” Melanie said. “I heard him teasing Curtis about the slow dance you just did.”

  “What?” Paige asked in dismay.

  “Uh-huh,” Melanie said with a knowing look. “They’d been slapping each other’s backs.”

  Paige made a face. Her father had always been thrilled at Curtis’s interest in her. Larry was best friends with Curtis’s parents. But had her dad forgotten she was pregnant with another man’s baby? And since when had he started interfering with her dating life? He never used to.

  “What’s wrong with Curtis, anyway?” Melanie asked. “Sure, he can be a bit arrogant at times, but for the most part, he’s charming. He’s quite good-looking too.”

  “He just doesn’t do it for me, Mel.”

  “Why? Because Tristan Grant’s still doing it for you?”

  Paige looked sharply at Melanie. No one else knew she’d met Tristan in one of his clubs apart from Pam and Annette—the two friends who’d been with her when she’d visited TG in Brisbane.

  Melanie laughed. “Pam said all you did was sway your hips and bat your eyelashes and Tristan was up on his feet, making a beeline for you in the middle of the dance floor.”

  “She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone,” she said flatly.

  “Hey, I won’t tell! I know how sensitive that information is. You and Tristan Grant. Wow. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t be happy if they knew. Anyway, Pam said Tristan invited you back for dinner the next night, but that things went downhill after that.”

  She shrugged. “My Shipton surname was too great a negative for him to ignore.” Luckily, she hadn’t told Pam about her hot night with Tristan, let alone her pregnancy. Pam had always been her most loose-lipped friend.

  Melanie moved closer to whisper in her ear. “You didn’t say that just to stop people from prying, did you?”

  She let out a chuckle. “No. It’s true.”

  “Shame,” Melanie said with a sigh.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Paige noticed her parents approaching.

  “Melanie,” Larry said. “I’m afraid we have to go.”

  “Oh, you do? The night is still young!” Melanie said.

  “We’re flying back to Sydney very early tomorrow, and old-timers like us need our beauty sleep,” Debbie said with a laugh.

  Melanie stood up to give her guests a hug. “Thank you so much for letting me have my engagement party in this beautiful venue of yours. I’m having a wonderful time.”

  “Thank you for inviting us,” Debbie said. “It was great catching up with some friends here.”

  “Paige, can we talk to you before we go?” Larry asked.

  “Oh, I’m going back to the hotel with you,” Paige said. “I’m a bit tired too. You don’t mind, do you, Mel?”

  “Of course not, darl. You’ve been lacklustre all night.” Melanie turned to Larry and Debbie. “I said she might be coming down with something.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Paige reiterated, reaching out to give her friend a goodbye hug.

  “Saves you from more of Curtis’s attention, huh?” Melanie whispered in her ear.

  She laughed, squeezing her friend tight. “We’ll have lunch in a couple of days before I fly back to Sydney.”

  “It’s a date,” Melanie said.

  Paige said goodbye to people on their way out. Then she and her parents got into a taxi already waiting for them. They were silent during the five-minute drive to their accommodation, and Paige found herself dozing off.

  “We’re here, Paige,” her mother said, tapping her arm.

  She awoke with a start. Gosh, she hadn’t even realised she’d fallen asleep. She easily got tired lately.

  Fortunately, the day was over. She was ready to plonk herself on her bed.

  “Paige, we’d like you to join us in our room before you go to yours,” Larry said.

  “Why?” she asked in surprise.

  Her parents exchanged a nervous glance.

  “We want to talk to you about something,” Debbie said. “I know you’re tired, but since we’re going home tomorrow and you’re staying here until Sunday, we thought we should discuss it tonight.”

  Paige frowned. “Is something wrong?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing bad,” Larry said casually. Too casually.

  “So why can’t it wait?”

  Her parents didn’t answer. Instead, her mother linked arms with her and escorted her to the lifts.

  Paige’s sleepiness had disappeared, replaced by worry. Something was up, and it didn’t look good.

  She forced herself not to ask questions as the elevator zoomed them up to her parents’ floor. She hoped they weren’t about to deliver any bad news. She had enough to deal with, as it were.

  Her parents were still quiet, walking stiffly as they entered their suite.

  “Shall we order something to eat?” Debbie asked.

  “I’m quite full, Mum. And I want to go to bed as soon as we finish here.”

  “Okay. Why don’t you sit down?” Debbie asked, smiling as she pointed her to a plush sofa.

  She did as she was told and looked at them expectantly. The suspense was killing her!

  Larry sat beside her, lips curved up in a nervous way. Clearly, he wasn’t looking forward to this discussion.

  “Paige,” Larry said, angling so he was facing her. “You do know that our family has a trust fund set up by my parents, right?”

  Her brows furrowed. “I’ve known that since I was a kid, Dad.”

  “Right. As you know, when your grandparents passed away, they left the wealth they’d built to that trust instead of letting their kids and grandkids inherit straight away. They wanted to make sure we learned the value of hard work first.”

  Paige felt like rolling her eyes even as her heart pounded from nerves. “What’s going on, Dad? You’ve told me this over and over again for as long as I can remember. I know I’m bound to receive a few million dollars from the trust when I turn forty, and no earlier. You got your millions too when you turned forty, which you used to build Shipton Enterprise.”

  “Well, you were too young to remember that I actually got the money when I was thirty-five.”

  “Oh, you did? I didn’t know. But anyway, is that what you want to tell me? That I only need to wait seven more years instead of twelve? To be honest, it’s not that big a deal for me. I have more important things to worry about than money.”

  Larry glanced at Debbie, gulping visibly.

  “Darling,” Debbie said from the adjacent one-seater. “We need your help.”

  Her brows furrowed in question.

  “Competition has been fierce,” Larry said, “and your mother and I made some decisions that didn’t go according to plan. You already know that the company’s having some financial problems. But we haven’t told you it’s about to reach desperation stage. It’s very cash-strapped, and the banks are refusing to lend any more. We need an injection of cash to continue servicing our debts to the creditors’ satisfaction and to ensure we pay our staff on time. That’s why we’ve already offloaded one of our venues. But the proceeds from that sale simply aren’t enough after paying off a big debt. We’ll need more cash very soon to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of all the Shipton venues.”

  Paige’s mouth hung open. “I had no idea it was that bad.”

  “We didn’t want to worry you with it, especially since you’re not on th
e executive team.”

  “So,” Paige said, a picture forming in her head. “You want me to talk to Tristan and help you negotiate with him—”

  “No!” Larry said vehemently. “We’ve already sold a different club to the person who originally wanted to buy the one that Tristan said he was entitled to, and we’re not selling any more clubs. We don’t want Shipton Enterprise to shrink further, so we’re definitely not negotiating with Tristan.”

  Paige pressed her fingers against her suddenly pounding head. She didn’t want Tristan and her parents fighting in court! “Dad, I think Tristan is a reasonable man. Why don’t you—”

  “No, Paige,” Larry interrupted with force. “Begging for Tristan Grant not to sue us is tantamount to Shipton Enterprise showing weakness against TG Company. If he goes ahead with the court case, then we just have to win it. And we will.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Are you doing this in the name of fairness or for the sake of getting the number one spot back?”

  “It’s for both.”

  “But can’t you see that your pride is getting in the way of you solving this big problem?” she reasoned in a soft tone. “If you talk to Tristan—”

  “Out of the question, Paige,” Larry said stubbornly.

  “But what if he’s not lying?”

  “Who in our company has the motive to twist the story, then? And why would I believe Tristan over our trusted lawyer who’s been with us for years?”

  Paige shut her eyes and inhaled deeply. She totally understood her parents’ point of view. But she also believed Tristan. Deep in her heart, she knew he was telling the truth.

  “You don’t need to concern yourself with Tristan’s threat against us,” Debbie said. “We’re handling that ourselves. Your father and I need your help with something else.”

  Paige sighed. Even though she was keen to get to the topic of why and how her parents needed her, she wanted to keep the discussion centred on Tristan. “How can you tell me not to concern myself with Tristan’s threat when he’s the father of my baby?”