A Million Little Things (Mischief Bay, #3)

She walked over to the foot of his chaise and sat down. “Lucas, I like having you here. Okay, at first I only invited you because I was grateful for what you did, but it’s different now. You’re so good with Jack and while your advice isn’t exactly gently delivered, it’s usually dead-on. Stay as long as you want. I mean that.”

His mouth twisted. “With no cigars and no women? I don’t think so.”

She laughed. “Until they become a more pressing need, don’t worry about it. You’re good for Jack and you’re good for me.”

“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Why haven’t you gone back to work? It’s past time. What are you waiting for? There’s nothing wrong with your kid.”

And just like that, her warm fuzzies evaporated. “You really have to work on your bedside manner.”

“I’m the one who was shot, not you.”

“You’ve been playing that card a little too long.”

“Answer the question.”

She wanted to say she didn’t have to, but instead told herself that it was easier to talk to him about this kind of thing than nearly anyone else.

“I still worry about Jack.”

He groaned. “Give it up.”

“I can’t. He’s my son.”

“You hover. The kid doesn’t talk because you anticipate his every need. Next?”

Would it be horribly wrong to slap him? “I don’t want to put him in day care. I’ve visited a couple of them and they’re awful. I asked my mom if she would look after him, but that didn’t go well.”

“What a surprise. You mean she doesn’t want to give up her life to take care of your child? Shocking. You should disown her. Why even have a mother if she’s going to act like that?”

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”

“Sarcasm suits everyone.” His voice gentled. “It’s time, Jen. Go be normal. You’ll like it.”

As quickly as it had formed, her irritation disappeared. Mostly because in that moment, Lucas reminded her so much of her dad that she wanted to fling herself at him and be held in an embrace only a father could give. But Lucas wouldn’t understand and he wasn’t her father, so she pushed the urge away and stood.

“Let me know if you want to get changed and need help,” she said.

“Not happening.”

“And be ready to leave in an hour.”

“Or what?”

She smiled. “Trust me. You don’t want to push me.”

“I’m not worried.” He grinned. “Don’t forget I know you. You’re all talk, kiddo.”

She walked back into the house. She knew that Lucas hadn’t been trying to hurt her, but his parting shot had stung. Was he right? Was she all talk? And if she was—how could she not want to change?

*

Zoe was starting to think she should simply have cards printed up explaining she was pregnant with her ex’s baby. Maybe something from Vistaprint. She could upload some text, a few pictures and stop having to tell the same awful story over and over again.

A plan that would work just fine with many of the people in her life, but not with Chad, she thought grimly. He was going to have to hear the entire sordid tale directly from her. Which was why she’d asked him to stop by after work.

She’d spent the entire afternoon trying to figure out what she was going to say. Oh, she knew the facts, but the order she said them mattered. In a perfect world, he would simply sign away the rights to his child and she would never have to deal with him again. But knowing how Chad felt about his kids made her less hopeful. Although he might not want any more children and there was the issue of child support. Maybe he would be happy to walk away.

The lawyer she’d gone to see had warned her the chances of that were unlikely. In California, signing away parental rights wasn’t as easy as they made it look in the movies. As a rule, the fathers who got to escape their responsibilities were minors—usually well under the age of eighteen. The state took a dim view of capable adult males weaseling out of fatherhood.

Zoe paced her living room and checked the time every fifteen seconds from four thirty until five fifteen, which was when Chad had told her to expect him. She’d debated serving drinks and snacks, and then had decided once she’d shared her news and made her case for him signing away rights, they weren’t going to linger over chips and salsa.

She let him into her living room and motioned to the sofa.

“What’s up?” he asked as he took a seat.

She settled as far away from him as she could. She felt sick to her stomach, which could have been either nerves or the pregnancy. Why did it have to be like this?

“We’re not getting back together,” she began, then wondered if she should have started somewhere else.

Chad started to stand. “I don’t need this crap,” he said. “Why did you want to talk to me? I already got it, Zoe. You want some fairy-tale relationship. Fine. That isn’t me. What we had was good, but you’re too stubborn to see that.”

“Wait. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Please sit down. This is important.”

He reluctantly settled back on the sofa and stared at her. She sucked in a breath.

“I’m pregnant.”

Chad stared at her. Nothing about his expression changed. His jaw tightened a little but otherwise he didn’t move. She waited until he finally asked, “You’re sure?”

She told him about the shot not working. “I had an ultrasound. There’s a baby.”

“And it’s mine?”

She told herself not to get angry. They’d split up. It was a reasonable question. “Yes. I understand that you’ll want confirmation of that. I would prefer to wait until after the baby is born so we can do a cheek swab. Any other testing at this point is too invasive.”

He turned away and then looked back at her. “You’re pregnant and you’re keeping the baby?”

She nodded and waited. He didn’t say anything else and she still couldn’t read his expression. He looked calm, which surprised her. She’d thought there would be screaming and accusations.