Page 8 of Just Like That

“What?” I asked.

His brows pinched. “Shewasyour sister.”

I swallowed past the lump that expanded in my throat. Talking about Olive still stung, regret swimming at the edges of my memory. “She passed away. Four months ago.”

JP’s lips hardened into a grim line. “I’m sorry.”

A flicker of hope sparked in my chest. Perhaps he wasn’t a total douche after all and there was an actual human hiding beneath his frosty exterior.

“But the kid isn’t mine,” he continued before turning his back to me and starting to walk away. “There’s nothing I can do for you.”

Aaaaand the dick is back.

I followed behind him, my flip-flops slapping against the concrete as I struggled to keep up with his long, efficient strides. “You can at least hear me out. We came a long way, and I have proof.”

JP paused and I took the opportunity to dig into the bottom of my purse. I pushed aside a hairbrush, two wallets, empty gum wrappers, and something gross wadded into a tissue as I searched.

When my fingers found the neatly folded papers at the bottom, I held them up in triumph. “Aha!”

JP plucked the papers from my fingers and slowly opened them. My sister’s loopy handwriting came into view, and I quickly snatched the top page from him. “That’s private.”

I didn’t need JP reading my sister’s heart-wrenching goodbye or the fact that she wrote in circles about her life’s choices.

I flipped through the pages, taking out the last one and handing it to him. “You’ll see there you’re listed on the application.” He eyed the pages of my sister’s letter, but I shoved them back into the depths of my purse.

“You were also listed as a potential guardian in her will. She asked that I find you after ...” I fought back tears but was proud my voice was steady after a good throat clearing. “After she passed. She wanted Teddy to have the opportunity to get to know you, though I’m not exactly sure why.”

He scoffed as he studied the paper. “Me neither.”

I detected a hint of self-deprecating pain hidden in his scoff. Something aching pinched in my chest as I watched him examine the sheet.

He sighed and handed it back to me. “Well, a paternity test will be required. Obviously.”

My lip curled. I hated how annoyed, yet efficient, he seemed.“Obviously,”I mocked.

I didn’t blame him for being skeptical—we had popped out of the woodwork without any notice, after all. But in my heart of hearts, I really thought he’d take one look at Teddy and justknow.

I patted the outside of my purse, where my sister’s last words were safely tucked. “Olive asked that we find you.” I clasped my hands in front of me. “So here we are.”

He shook his head, and his intense gaze pinned me in place. “Here you are.”

The ferocity of his stare set off alarm bells. Heat pooled in my belly, and I shifted to rattle a bit of sense into myself.

The grump juststared. His intensity was unnerving. “My attorney will be in touch with you.” JP slipped his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. “Enter your contact information and a letter will be mailed when we have more information.”

I typed my phone number into his phone before handing it back to him with a scowl. “If you wanted my number, all you had to do was ask.”

He blinked twice. “I didn’t—I wasn’t?—”

Pink splotches erupted beneath the collar of his shirt and crept toward his cheeks. It was almost humorous, seeing someone so big and grumpy and used to being in control lose a bit of footing.

My laugh interrupted his obvious, internal meltdown. “Relax. It was a joke. Besides, we’re staying in town for a while.”

He spun on me, recovering from his sputtering. “In town?”

I looked around and shrugged as Teddy bounded from behind a fire truck. “Yeah, I mean, why not? Seems like as good a place as any.”

His arms folded across his broad chest. “Ah, I see.”

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