Page 73 of Against All Odds

His shoulders slumped. “The baby…he’s not mine.”

Okay, that was a plot twist I didn’t see coming.

“Still, none of my business.”

For a moment, he stared at me in shock, and then I saw anger form. “Of course, it is. I left you because she was pregnant.”

That was rewriting history a little, but I let him have it. “Regardless, I don’t care that you’re having issues with Molly.”

“How can you say that, Sable? We were together for years.”

“And you cheated on me,” I pointed out.

“She was seeing another guy…while she was with me.” He sounded genuinely miffed about it, and I had to fight back a smile. It was one of those moments where you couldn’t help but think about karma—what goes around comes around. And yet, it was so utterly absurd, so soap-opera dramatic, that it felt almost surreal.

“She wasn’t sure whose baby it was, and the other guy didn’t have a job. She…ah…decided I was the baby daddy.”

Now, I was curious. “How did you find out you’re not the father?”

He swallowed. “I demanded a DNA test. She said she was going to be withhimnow because he found a job. They’re moving to fucking Boca Raton. I couldn’t let her take my baby.”

My phone chirped with a message, and I gave him an apologetic look. “Just need to check this.”

It was Casey:OMG!! Get all the deets. Who’s Molly’s boyfriend?

Of course, she was listening. Before I could put the phone down, there was another message, this time from Mackenna:My mother’s friend’s niece works at the hospital, and she said Molly kicked him out of her room because he was throwing a fit.

And, since they were in the kitchen eavesdropping, Elijah messaged his thoughts:I ain’t cooking for that asshole, boss. Don’t offer him nothing.

I set the phone down.

“I’m sorry to hear about…ah…everything.” My subtext was clear:Karma was a bitch.

“It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” The bitterness in his voice was palpable, and for a brief second, I almost felt sorry for him.Almost.

But wait a minute?Thiswas the worst thing that happened to him? Not the dissolution of an eight-year marriage? Not losing two pregnancies?

“Right.” I looked at my watch and then at my closed laptop, hoping he’d take the hint that I was working.

“She’s gone. Took all of her things from the new house. I bought the house for her and the baby.”

I didn’t know why he was talking to me about this because we werenotfriends.

I crossed my arms, letting some of my irritation show. “Look, Jack, that sounds...rough, but….”

He looked up at me then, his eyes filled with something unmistakable. Oh, I knew exactly what this was—I’d seen it before. Regret.

No. No. No. No. Absolutely not.

“I’ve been a fool, Sable,” he whined as I expected himto. “I threw away everything we had for...fornothing. Molly used me. I…I realize now what I lost.”

I raised both my eyebrows and muted my phone because my colleagues who were listening in were losing their ever-loving minds, making the device beep like crazy.

“You were good to me,” he continued, his voice growing softer. “You worked so hard to make our lives better. I mean, I did, too, but…you know, you contributed. I…didn’t appreciate that…you.”

There was a time when I would’ve given anything to hear him say this, to admit he’d taken me for granted. But now? I didn’t give a damn.

“Sable” —he locked his eyes with mine— “I want you back.”

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