Page 135 of The Promise Of You

I hadn’t thought about that, and I couldn’t care less what Mom and Dad think. “Don’t worry about Mom. Besides, it’s my life, Aunt Dawn.”

“You’re right, honey.”

After I hang up, I call Justin back to ask him to put me in touch with a lawyer to draft the Preliminary Agreement.

Then I call Thalia and Lucas to ask them for an estimate on renovations.

And only then do I feel hopeful. I haven’t thought of Gisele in the past couple of hours. Life is never perfect. Maybe I can do this after all. I just need to focus on work.

That always builds me back up.

“Fuck, babe, I’m so proud of you.” Justin lifts me and swings me around in his pub—I went there straight from my appointment with Scott Johnson. “You’re going to be so fucking successful. I can’t wait. We should celebrate tonight.”

I try not to laugh, but his kisses down my neck make it impossible. “We already celebrated yesterday, and tonight we’re full. I really need to be at the restaurant. It’s our first night hosting Local Pass holders.” I brace for a rebuttal. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my Dad and from Tucker, it’s that professional success doesn’t make a woman attractive or desirable.

He nuzzles me. “We’ll celebrate, don’t you worry. I have some very specific things I want to try on you. Was keeping them for a special occasion.”

Okay, so maybe I got that wrong.

Still, Gisele’s words echo from that part in my brain where I keep the stuff that hurts. You said you’d never had anyone like me. And then it superimposes again with the image of the blonde with Tucker.

Forget how I feel about Justin’s impending fatherhood. Am I enough for him?

forty

Justin

She stays quiet. I kiss her where I know she can’t resist, where her neck meets her shoulder, then trail to her nape, all the while roaming my hands up and down her body.

I want her so bad. I can never get enough of her.

“What did you do this morning?” she asks me, killing my mood.

“I went to see my parents.”

“How’d that go?”

“Went alright.”

I wanted to break the news to Mom and Dad as soon as possible. Didn’t want the gossip mill to beat me to it. Shit happens in a small town, you tell your folks as soon as you can, or someone else’ll tell them for you and you won’t control that information. First impressions are crucial.

“I got some bad news and some good news,” was my opening. The good news was that they were going to be grandparents. The bad news, Chloe wasn’t the mom. Gisele was. They didn’t know Gisele, obviously, so I gave them a summary.

Dad cleared his throat. “You sure…”

I read his question. Am I sure I’m the father? “Nope. No, Dad. Not sure at all.”

“Right.”

Mom twisted her hands. It killed me to see her pain. She’d been worried about what she calls ‘my ways,’ and suddenly the weight of those were hitting me now.

“You’re doing a paternity test, right? There are noninvasive ones now,” Mom said on an exhale. “They take blood samples and test DNA or something. Doesn’t impact the fetus at all. My cousin Jessa’s son did that. You know Brian?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. “When is she due?”

Hell if I know. “I’ll find out.”

The front door opened on a bang and Hunter barked, “Mom! You hear ’bout Justin?”

Like I said. Small town.

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