Page 59 of Secret Baby for Dr. Grump

This one’s younger. He smiles when she introduces him to Adam, but soon her attention trails to where Adam keeps glancing: me. Carol’s eyes widen before she kisses Adam’s cheek and saunters toward me.

I catch Adam shooting me an apologetic look—a silent message that he didn’t mean for her to be here. Then Carol’s blocking my view of him as she plants herself in front of me, a wry smile on her face.

“My, my. First, I wasn’t told there would be a party, then I wasn’t told who would be here. How long has it been, Luke?”

Her casual tone and carefree attitude make me wary, but I match her energy and answer casually.

“I don’t remember. I haven’t really thought about it.”

I don’t mean it as sarcasm because it’s true. I realize I haven’t thought about her in a long time. In fact, there’s no prick in my heart at the sight of her like there used to be as if she’s just a stranger now—or a longtime acquaintance who doesn’t matter that much anymore.

Carol, however, takes it as sarcasm and laughs, then rolls her eyes.

“Oh, Luke, you never change. How are you?—”

“What are you doing here?”

She stops at my interruption and tilts her head. “I just came back from a vacation. I always come to the Hamptons since I have a house here, too.” Carol searches my face, her expression turning soft. “Really, Luke, how are you? How have you been?”

There’s a hint of sincerity there, but I can’t help my walls going up. I glance at the man with her, who’s still engaged in conversation with Adam but keeps glancing back at us.

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

My tone is as disinterested as ever because I genuinely don’t want to know. But Carol reads it wrongly, her smile widening.

“I’ve been well. I notice that you’re looking better now than the last time I saw you. Like you’re getting a lot more rest. You’re probably not as busy anymore.” She laughs. “I remember I had to twist your arm to spend some time here with me.”

Did she? It’s crazy how different I was and how I have more free time now…or rather, I am more willing to put aside work to make time. A glimmer of my past guilt comes back, but it leaves just as quickly when Carol places a hand on my arm.

Her touch used to send a thrill down my spine. Now I feel nothing.

“But really, you’re looking good, Luke.”

“So is your date.”

Her eyes twinkle like we’re playing a game. She waves a hand off.

“Oh, he’s…new. Just someone fun.”

“Because that’s always what you’ve wanted, wasn’t it? Fun all the time.”

She startles at my words but doesn’t back off. I sidestep when she tries to touch my arm again. Carol opens her mouth.

Then she pales when her gaze shifts beyond my arm, locking in on something else.

Without even looking, I already know what she’s seeing. It doesn’t take her long to analyze it, either, her eyes widening.

“Luke, what the hell is that?”

I don’t know if her voice being louder than usual is intentional or not, but a few heads turn our way. I turn slightly and catch Olivia and Riley in the corner of my eye, the two frozen in place. Then I sense Carol moving and know a confrontation is about to happen.

And it’s not the nice kind.

Before it can happen, I take her arm and steer her away from Olivia and Riley, passing by Adam and giving him a nod. He nods in return, understanding, and even Carol’s date has the good sense to step back and let us go, probably getting that my thunderous expression isn’t to be messed with.

I manage to steer Carol to the empty kitchen before she pulls her arm away. I shoot her a warning look.

“Don’t you dare make a scene, Carol.”

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