Page 3 of No Regrets

“Contrary to popular belief, not everything in a skirt spreads her legs to have a good time. Twenty-three is a perfectly normal age to lose your virginity. Not everyone is a sex fiend and loses it when they hit puberty.” She huffed, putting her hand back on her hip, more of a defensive movement than flirting. “Look, go have fun with your friends, and I’ll stay out of your way.”

“Bree, wait.” He came up to her, wishing they could erase the past and be friends again. He wanted to say he was sorry, even though he blamed her for the pregnancy. He wanted to be her friend, to tell her that through everything, it’d be okay.

“Time is money.” She tapped her foot, waiting for him to speak.

Instead of telling her what he wanted, he chickened out and said, “How’s your mother?”

Surprised, her lips parted, but she controlled her shock. “Uh, fine thanks. She lives with me now and helps me take care of Shiloh.”

He nodded once, and they started walking toward the front of the building. “You support your mother and your daughter?”

She huffed a breath. “Yes. Not that it’s any business of yours, I do. And she’s your daughter too, Kaden. I didn’t create her all by myself.”

Ouch. “What do you want me to do, Bree? I’ve never been around kids my entire life. I’m not father material. What do you want me to do?”

“You know what? I can’t even believe I’m having this conversation with you. I didn’t want kids any more than you did, but when something is growing inside you, it’s kind of hard to ignore. Yeah, you got the easy way out, and I didn’t beg you for anything then, and I sure as hell am not begging you for anything now.” At the doorway, she turned toward him. “Just go about your business and forget about us.”

With that, she opened the doors and left him standing in the cool night air, holding his jacket, befuddled. Of all the women he had slept with, he picked the biggest damn pain in the ass to have a kid with.

“So how was it?” Mark asked when he arrived back to the table.

“How was what?” Kaden started cutting into his food with vengeance.

“How was what? Come on, man. You were gone a good twenty minutes. Don’t tell us you didn’t bang her in the parking lot. We’re not that stupid.”

Kaden sneered at his friend. “I didn’t bang her in the parking lot. I banged her a little over a year ago, and she got pregnant.”

The table fell silent, and the men shared glances while Kaden ate his steak. Before he could stop him, Mark called Bree back over to the booth, for questioning Kaden supposed.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not your waitress,” she said politely. “If you need something, I’ll find Lindsay for you.”

“No, wait a minute.” Mark pointed to Kaden, who only glared at him. “This dickhead just said he has a little bastard walking around on this earth. Please say he’s nothing but a dickhead and made that up.”

“Mark,” he ground out between his clenched teeth.

“So you’ve been talking about us with your little friends?” She tilted her head to the side. “Unbelievable. Unfuckingbelievable that you would just walk in here on your high horse and treat me this way. I don’t give a shit about what you say to others about me, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let you bad-mouth my daughter to your friends.”

By now, she’d drawn an audience, but her temper only fumed. Kaden knew she could care less about anyone in the room staring at her because her eyes were locked on him, and her nostrils flared as if she were a bull that seen red.

“I didn’t say one damn thing to them,” he said defending himself.

“Yeah. You never do a damn thing, do you?” She stuffed the tray under her armpit. “Go back to your fancy cars and huge penthouse and leave me the hell alone. Unlike you, some of us actually work our asses off for the income we get paid, and it’s still not enough. We don’t get to sit around in fancy offices playing lawyer because daddy gives you enough money to survive.”

She finally turned and walked away, and the audience resumed their conversations, though some still glanced toward their table. Mark looked dumbfounded, as did Tony and Derek. Kaden should have just turned around and walked out that door when he first saw her. He knew it wouldn’t be a happy reunion, and dammit if he didn’t know why. Yeah, she was pissed for him leaving her to practice law in the city, but she had told him to go. She told him she didn’t want anything from him.

Why were women so complicated?

“You can pick up the check.” Kaden stood, keeping his eyes on Mark, who bobbled his head. He’d had enough fun for one night and needed a good stiff drink after dealing with the blast from the past.

He just hoped he never had to come back to this dreaded town ever again.

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