Page 176 of Mr. Infuriating

“Kids are resilient. He’ll be okay.”

“That’s not what you said the other day.”

She stared up at me with those big blue eyes that had mesmerized me from the start.

“What other choice is there, Gabe?” She pulled her neck back as she searched my eyes. “Have you changed your mind about having a baby?”

“No.”

She gave me a sad smile. “Neither have I.”

I guess this is it then.

Neither of us said it, but it hung in the air like a dark cloud over us.

I opened my arms, and she stepped into my embrace. As I held her tight, I tried to memorize everything about the moment. How perfectly her body fit against mine, the scent of her shampoo, how soft her hair was when I laid my cheek on top of her head.

I never wanted the hug to end. Maybe she didn’t either, because she wasn’t in a hurry to step away.

Finally, she released her hold on me and murmured, “I have to pick up Jake from daycare, or they’ll charge me a late fee.”

I stepped back and nodded.

“I can come by tomorrow and make the finishing touches on the cabinets.”

“Why don’t you wait until Wednesday’s tutoring session with Brayden.”

“Is it okay if Britt comes, too?”

“I was hoping you’d suggest that.”

I couldn’t resist kissing her forehead, then opened her car door for her.

“Take care, sweetheart.”

She slid behind the wheel.

“You, too.”

I closed her door, then she was gone. And she’d taken my heart with her.

Chapter Seventy-Four

Gretchen

I bawled my eyes out on the drive to daycare; I actually had to pull over into a strip mall parking lot and sob for a good five minutes.

After glancing at the clock on the dash, I knew I needed to pull myself together and pick up Jake, so I willed myself to calm the fuck down. After a few deep cleansing breaths, I got back on the road.

I may have overcompensated in the cheery department to mask how devastated I felt.

“Hey, baby! Guess what? We get to go back to our house! Isn’t that awesome?”

My little boy held his hands out and asked, “Bandit’s house?”

“We don’t have to stay at Gabe’s anymore. We get to go home!”

Yippee.

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