Page 142 of Tangled up in You

As long as they weren’t in the backcountry.

Once they’d wrapped and Jesse was able to finally pack her computer and leave the stage, her father following, she spotted Josie standing just outside the backstage door they’d entered through, holding the baby.

And wearing an expression that Jesse could only describe as…

Odd.

Before she or her father could say anything, Josie handed Brandt off to her dad. “Please take him to the SUV and get him settled in his car seat, okay?”

“What?” But he took the baby.

Josie hooked her arm through Jesse’s. “I need to borrow her for a moment.” She literally shooed him with her free hand. “Take the goons with you,” she said. “We’ll be fine. There’s plenty of park staff around. I’ll join you shortly.”

Her father looked as confused as Jesse felt, but he finally nodded and headed out.

“What’s going on?” Jesse asked as Josie practically dragged her down a back hallway.

“Something I should have pushed about harder from the jump,” she said, stopping in front of what looked like an office door where one of their security team stood.

Josie turned Jesse to face her, her hands on Jesse’s shoulders. “I don’t know what happened, honey, and you don’t have to tell me shit. But if I have to lock you in here until you finally have a resolution, I’ll stand here all fucking day until it happens.”

Then, before Jesse could react, Josie opened the door, shoved her inside, and pulled it shut behind her.

That’s when Jesse turned and realized she wasn’t alone.

Terrific. More fresh hell.

MARK

Mark wasn’t expecting it when one of the private security team members entered the hall through the door behind them, tapped them both on the shoulder, and motioned for them to follow him out to the corridor.

Great. She’s probably having us thrown out.

“What’s going on?” Mark asked the guy, Christopher silently following in their wake.

“I don’t know, sir. All I know is I was told to come get you.”

He led them through the hallways to a door Mark knew led to the employee-only section that also led backstage. They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the woman holding the baby, who wore a… look.

“Mark and Christopher, right?” she asked.

Mark nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Follow me.” She turned on her heel and strode down the hall to an empty office, nodding for the security man to leave and close the door behind him so the three of them had privacy.

She didn’t give them time to ask questions. “We didn’t meet before, so…hi. I’m Josephina Klevenson, Jesse’s mom. Step-mom, but she said that she—never mind. Anyway.”

She shifted the baby in her arms. “She didn’t tell us anything that would make us think she’d get pregnant from what happened, so I’m going to ask this once and if you two lie to me, I can and will make you disappear. Understand?”

They nodded.

“Do you love her?”

Mark started to answer but suddenly found himself choked up and Christopher answered. “We do. We don’t understand why she ghosted us. She was talking about extending her stay so we could…talk more.” He met Mark’s gaze. “We figured since she literally left without saying good-bye, and then never contacted us…” He shrugged.

“Was what happened between you three consensual?”

Mark and Christopher nodded. “Unexpected,” Chris said, “but consensual, we swear.”

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