Falling For Her Billionaire Baby Daddy

Derek didn't know what to expect when he arrived at Rosemary Lane's picturesque townhouse the following day. When she opened the front door, he didn't need any introduction to figure out who she was because she looked like the older version of Rachel.

"Hello, ma'am, I'm here to see Rachel and Zoe," he said and cleared his throat self-consciously. He felt like a teenage boy coming to ask for permission to see his girlfriend.

Rosemary raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"Derek Fraser. I'm Zoe's father."

"Is that so?" Rosemary asked with an unimpressed expression. "Does Rachel know that you'd be showing up here today?"

"No, but it's important that I see her and talk to her, please," he appealed.

"I don't understand the deal with you, Mr. Fraser."

"Please, call me Derek."

"Why do you keep chasing my daughter across the country when you have no intention to do right by her?"

"That is what I have come here to do, ma'am."

"Who are you talking to, Mom?" Rachel asked from inside the house.

"Why don't you come and see for yourself?" Rosemary replied.

When Rachel came to the front door and saw Derek standing there with a forlorn look on his face, she gasped.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me? Are you stalking me? What do you want?"

"Rachel, I just need you to give me a minute to explain myself," he said pleadingly.

"How did you find me?"

Derek sighed. "Rob told me that you came here with Zoe."

"Ugh! I'm going to kill Rob the next time I see him," Rachel threatened.

"Please, don't say things like that," said Rosemary. "The Bible says - "

"Not now, Mom," Rachel snapped, cutting off her mother's preaching.

"Please, don't be mad at your brother. He didn't want to tell me your location but he changed his mind after he heard what I had to say," Derek explained. "Please, Rachel, give me a chance to explain myself to you." "Come on, Honey. Just hear him out, ok?" Rosemary appealed to her daughter.

"Fine, I'm listening," Rachel said petulantly.

"Aren't you going to invite him in?" Rosemary asked her. "Come in, Derek. I've got some lemonade in the fridge and some freshly baked cookies to go with it."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Derek with a charming smile.

"Call me Rosemary. Come, let's go to the kitchen."

Rachel just stood there with her mouth open in surprise. Why was her mother treating Derek like a special guest when he wasn't even supposed to be allowed to enter the house at all? What sort of betrayal was this?

She reluctantly followed them to the kitchen and watched as her mother laid out her oven-fresh cookies on a porcelain plate in front of Derek. And then she poured him a tall glass of cold lemonade.

"This is the perfect combination for a humid day like this," said Rosemary with a flourish. "I'm going to leave you two now to talk. I'll be my mini garden in the back. If you need me, just holler."

Once her mother left, Rachel zeroed her attention on Derek. "Do you mind explaining what you're doing here?" she asked coldly.

"Your mom is a nice lady," Derek commented. "I like her bubbly spirit."

"That's not the answer to my question. Stop stalling and tell me why you're here."

He sighed. "I am very sorry about how things played out at my house the other day. I'd totally forgotten that I'd initially invited Cassie to come to visit me in Atlanta. She just showed up at my doorstep without telling me she was coming." "You don't owe me an explanation, Derek. I was the one who was stupid enough to let my guard down around you."

"You're not stupid, Rachel. On the contrary, you are smart, kind, loving, and forgiving. I meant what I said when I told you that I wanted another chance with you."

"So why did you invite your girlfriend to your place? Are you trying to involve me in a polygamous relationship with you?"

"No, absolutely not. It's over between me and Cassie. She wasn't exactly my girlfriend in the first place."

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"So, how many more Cassies do you have that might show up again, looking for you?"

"There is no one else, Rachel. You are the woman I want, and it's not just because of Zoe but because I truly want to be with you."

Rachel was moved by his words but she didn't know if she could trust him or not. She sat down on one of the kitchen stools and picked a cookie from the plate to nibble on.

"I'm not going to lie or pretend that I'm not attracted to you, Derek. But the problem is that I don't trust you," Rachel confessed.

"I'm not interested in these reindeer games you're playing with me. You are rich enough to buy yourself any woman you want, so why bother with me?"

He smiled. "I want you because I can't buy you and because these last few months have shown me what an amazing person you are. I want you because we share something special that will always bind us together no matter what." "And what is that special thing?"

"Zoe. And make no mistake, Rachel, I don't want you just because we have a child together, but because I can now see what has been missing in my life. I used to think that being in an exclusive relationship was like being in prison and that was why I've been avoiding it."

"Really?"

"Yes. That was why I had multiple women on my speed dial whom I could call at any time. They'd show up and do what I wanted, no questions asked. I thought that was freedom, but I was wrong. I was avoiding commitment because I was afraid."

"What are you afraid of?" Rachel asked softly.

"Heartbreak," he said simply. "My father died of a broken heart because the woman he spent all of his life loving, didn't love him back."

"Oh."

"I never wanted to be a victim of unrequited love like my father. Because of that, I made sure never to get involved in a serious relationship with any woman." "What changed your mind now?"

"You, Rachel. You changed my perception of relationships. These last few months I spent near you and Zoe have opened my eyes to everything I've been missing. It feels good to be a part of a family again." "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes. I love how we curl up together on your couch with Zoe snuggled between us, watching silly shows on TV. I love how we sit together at the dining table to eat as a family."

"Wow..."

"I love how I feel so alive when I am near you. I love how Zoe makes me feel like the best human being on earth. I miss all of that and I want those moments back. I want you back, Rachel, please."

Rachel didn't know what to say but she could hear the sincerity in Derek's voice and she believed everything he had said. She knew she was in the same boat as Derek when he said he was afraid of being heartbroken. She'd experienced it before and she didn't want to travel down that road again, but that also meant that she had cut this guy some slack.

Derek was ready to turn a new leaf and she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt, instead of giving him the cold shoulder. Plus, Zoe loved her dad and she would be sad if she never got to see him again.

"You are not the only one who is afraid of heartbreak," Rachel said softly. "And I also don't want my daughter to suffer the consequences of any bad decision I make going forward."

"I promise you, Rachel, giving me a second chance is not a bad decision. I am ready to make up for the lost time between us and I promise you that there will be no more surprises."

Rachel knew she was taking a big risk by letting Derek back into her life, but she was tired of holding back due to fear. Perhaps it was time for her to step out of her shell and face her fears squarely.

She wanted Derek as much as he wanted her, so why not give him a chance to prove to her how much he cared for her? She knew he wasn't just interested in her because of Zoe and that makes a lot of difference. He wanted her! Rachel exhaled slowly and said, "OK, Derek. Let's start all over again and this time, you better be for real."

He raised his right hand and placed his left hand on his chest like a boy's scout. "I swear on my honor that I will not let you down this time around. I promise."

Rachel laughed. "All right then. I'm going to take your word for it."

"My word is my bond," he said with a boyish grin. "Meanwhile, where's my Zoe?"

"Your Zoe?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oops! I mean, our Zoe."

"She's napping. She'll be so excited to see you."

"I'm such a lucky guy, aren't I?"

"You sure are," said Rachel. "I better go and pack our things. Atlanta, here we come!"