One Foolish Night (Eternal Bachelors Club #4)

Mirabelle threw her head back and laughed. “Do you know how many babies I delivered in the forty-two years I worked as a midwife where the parents had used condoms?” She shook her head. “No form of contraceptive is a hundred percent foolproof, least of all condoms.”


Which meant he had to find out whether Holly was truly pregnant, and if she was, how far along. Because if Mirabelle was right that Holly was still in her first trimester, then there was a chance that he, Paul, was the father.





25


Paul adjusted his bow tie. Why did his parents have to insist on formal wear at their anniversary party? He would be one of the few people looking like a penguin at a beach. Not that this was his biggest problem right now.

For the last couple of days he’d been observing Holly very closely. Mirabelle was right. Holly hadn’t consumed a single sip of alcohol and always made excuses if somebody offered her a glass. But it wasn’t the only thing he’d noticed. While Holly sported no pregnancy bump, her breasts seemed fuller than when he’d been with her over two months earlier. Or was he only imagining it? After such a long time, he couldn’t truly make an accurate comparison. The only way to find out for sure whether Holly was pregnant was to ask her. He’d hesitated until now, maybe out of fear of hearing his suspicions confirmed. But with every hour that passed, his curiosity grew.

No, it was more than curiosity. He needed to know what was going on. Sooner rather than later.

Paul left his room and stepped into the corridor. From below he could hear a plethora of sounds and from farther down the hallway, where Olivia and Quentin’s room was, he heard angry voices and a child crying.

“Argh! Crap!” he cursed, passing Holly’s room. Talking to Holly would have to wait. First he needed to find out why his nephew was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Paul hurried to the guest room and saw that the door was ajar. He pushed it open farther and saw Jonathan standing in the middle of the room, crying and looking up at his parents, who were engaged in a verbal fighting match.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look at her!” Olivia sniped.

Quentin puffed out his chest like a peacock. “You’re delusional! I’m not looking at Tara!”

“Do you think I’m blind? It was the same thing with that floozy from your office! Whenever she called, you were practically drooling! And me you treat like I don’t exist!”

“You’re exaggerating! I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you’re here, but only because the guest list reads like a Who’s Who and you think you can make some business deals! Or find another tart to cheat on me with!”

“What do you want? I’m working my butt off so you can have all the things you want! Do you think I like it that you’re always telling me what your parents are giving you? Do you think I like it that my wife constantly compares how much money I make with what her father has? Do you?”

“Enough!” Paul yelled and entered, crossing to where Jonathan still stood crying, practically unnoticed by his parents. “I don’t care if you guys want to go at each other’s throats, but by God, do you have to do it in front of Jonathan?”

Paul bent down to the boy and lifted him into his arms, rocking him against his chest. “Shhhh, buddy, we’re getting out of here.”

“Stay out of this!” Quentin yelled.

“I’m planning to,” Paul answered, and turned to the door. “But I’m taking my nephew with me until you two have calmed down.” He pressed a kiss to the boy’s head and stroked his back gently. “Come on, Jonathan. How about Uncle Paul finds you some ice cream?”

He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, still rocking his crying nephew in his arms. Big tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks and Paul wiped them away with his thumb. “You like ice cream, don’t you? I think Consuela has a secret stash somewhere. Shall we go find it? What do you say?”

Slowly Jonathan’s cries simmered down.

“What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? I’ve always liked strawberry,” he said to distract his nephew.

“Chocolate!” Jonathan suddenly answered.

“Chocolate ice cream? I’m pretty sure that Consuela has a big chocolate ice cream cone hidden somewhere. And you know who’s going to get that one?”

Jonathan’s eyes lit up and the tears seemed forgotten. “Jonathan.”

Paul hugged him tightly and laughed. “That’s my boy.” He really did love his nephew. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that he cried so much and was unruly. If his parents weren’t constantly fighting in front of him, he would be a much calmer and happier child.

Paul promised himself that he would never subject his own child to anger like that. Children were too sensitive and easily affected by what was happening between their parents. They should never see their parents fight.

His own parents had never fought in front of him or Olivia. For all her faults, Paul had to admit that his mother had never said a bad word to his father.