Page 63 of Unexpected Love
Cal sighs like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. I feel an answering heaviness in my chest. I didn’t expect to be the one needing comforting, but now I’m wishing we never had this conversation.
Chapter 26
Jules
“How long did he say it was going to take to get the paperwork completed?” Maggie has come over and is sitting at a barstool at the end of the counter, enjoying a latte while she alternately watches me stack my newly printed menus and grills me with questions.
My grand opening is all scheduled; everything that’s been ordered has been delivered, inventoried, and stocked. Everything is set and ready to go.
“Cal didn’t say. Only that the guy said he had to finish, and he’d be in touch.”
“How is Cal?”
I shrug. “Okay, I guess?”
“You guess. Okay, hold up. You guys were so lovey-dovey the other day at the festival, and it looked like things were more than just okay. What’s happened since then?”
I shouldn’t gossip and tell his business. I really shouldn’t. But also, I need a friend to help me dissect the last few days. Lissette has been ignoring me and answering in one-word text replies. I’m sure I’ve done something to piss her off, but right now, I don’t have the energyto deal.
Maggie takes a sip of her latte and hums in approval, something I’ve noticed she does after every sip.
“You know that Charlie is his niece, right?” I start, not giving too much away and sticking to the facts.
“Yeah. That kid is adorable. And he’s adorable with her.”
I nod. “He is.”
She sets her mug on the counter, cupping it with both hands. “I’m sensing there’s more to this, though.”
I restack the menus and position them perfectly on the counter. “Dani, his sister, left Charlie. Cal’s done great with the sudden change in his parental status, and Charlie is really thriving. But his sister called the other night only because she got arrested.”
“Oh my god. For what?”
“We don’t know. All she said was that she was taken in as part of a raid. I don’t know where or what kind. But it had to have been something pretty bad if they’ve kept her in jail, right? It’s been days.”
“I mean”—she lifts a shoulder—“I have no clue about legal stuff. I can’t even stand the thought of getting a speeding ticket, I’m such a rule follower.”
This is one of the reasons I like Maggie so much. It’s like we’re the same person.
“Anyway, I think he’s been thinking about making this situation permanent with Charlie. I think he’s afraid that if he denies Dani, then she’ll come take Charlie back, and he doesn’t want that for her. I think he’s seen how it is with my brother’s family, and I low-key think he’s starting to think he can provide that for his niece.”
Maggie cocks her head to the side, absently spinning her mug on the counter. “Are you a part of that equation?”
I pick at the corner of a menu and then try to smooth it back out. “I don’t know.”
“Do you want to be?”
That’s the million-dollar question and has me struggling to meet her gaze. “I don’t know.” She places a hand over mine and squeezes, showing me support I didn’t know I needed. Her kindness and friendship have been unexpected and have helped soothe some of the tension I’ve been holding over my relationship with Lissette.
“Don’t get me wrong, I care for them both. I truly do,” I continue. “I just don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship, much less being a mom.”
Her brows rise. “Oof. That’s a hard one.”
“I feel like a total asshole. It’s not that I don’t like kids or didn’t ever want them. But I don’t know if I’m ready right now. And the uncertainty is like this added weight on top of everything with the shop.”
She resumes slowly spinning the mug. “Jules, I think you need to figure out how you feel about Cal and assume that he comes with a kid. If Charlie is a deal-breaker for you, then this needs to end sooner than later. It’s not fair to either of them.”
That weight that I’ve been carrying grows heavier. “I know you’re right. But it’s worse because he relies on me to help care for her while he’s at the station.” Which reminds me that it’s almost time for me to go pick her up.
