Page 111 of Burning Love
“What?” His father turned to him. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Not planned. But I guess you know a thing or two about that.”
“I do. What areyourplans? How far along is she? Is that why you brought her over?”
He put his hands up. “Slow down. That’s what she’s telling me at least.”
His father lifted his eyebrow over that. “And you’re not happy?”
“I don’t know what I am, but I’m happy about the baby. The shock of it took me back.”
“You like kids. You’ve always been great with Kelsey’s boys,” his father said.
“I have. I never thought one way or another if I’d have one.”
“Because you never saw yourself settling down,” Dean said. “I told you it’s time to move past what happened to you.”
“I’ve been trying.”
“Do you love Talia? Do you even know what that is for a woman? I’m not trying to be an ass, but you’ve never dated anyone long or seriously that I know of.”
“I haven’t. I think I love her. What I feel for her is much greater than I thought I could. Now it’s as if history is repeating itself except the roles are reversed. She’s got the money and she’s carrying the kid. There isn’t much I can do if she runs.”
Jace had struggled for weeks that she’d kept the news of her pregnancy hidden from him for a few days.
His father’s shoulders dropped. “Don’t think like that. Times are much different now. The father gets just as many rights. We might not have Carlisle money, but we’ve got plenty, and you know I’ll fight tooth and nail with you to make sure you get a fair deal if you two don’t work out. She seems pretty smitten with you though.”
“I guess that’s a good word. It’s only been two months. She’s not ready to talk about the future and I don’t want to push it and then push her away.”
Because that fear of her taking their child was stronger than the fear he had when he thought he’d be alone after his mother died.
“You can’t live your life in this bubble.”
“I know,” he said. “I can’t seem to pop it to move out either. Shit, we are still getting to know each other. We are thirteen years apart in age. I work a lot, she travels some with her job.”
“It will work out,” his father said. “She’s put up with you this long so she’s stronger than you give her credit for. You said her mother raised eight kids alone, even when Talia’s father was alive. She comes from sturdy stock.”
“She does. Her parents knew each other less than two months before they married. Talia said her mother admitted to most likely being pregnant before they married, but she didn’t know for sure. The timing was close.”
It made him wonder how fertile the women were in the Carlisle family.
Or was it just everything aligned perfectly for this to happen? He’d never had a scare in his life of a pregnancy. He was always protected.
“There you go. You’re thinking of your mother and me, but think of Talia’s parents. The same situation, but different outcomes. Make your own. Look past the past. You aren’t me, and Talia isn’t her mother.”
“I know. Thanks. You’ve always been there for me.”
His father gave him a hug. He wanted to think it was the one he denied the guy the first time they met.
“And I always will be.”
32
ALL POSITIVE
“When are you going to tell me you’re pregnant?”
Talia turned her head quickly from where she was looking for ice cream in the freezer. She’d run out of it in her apartment and knew her mother always kept it in the house.
