Page 81 of Unexpected Love
This time, she just snatches the phone back, gripping it like she might be terrified of losing it.
“Dani, why don’t you come sit,” I offer.
She doesn’t like me, but apparently, I’m the better choice than answering her brother. She perches on a tallcafé stool, shoulders nearly attached to her ears, she’s so tense. Little does she know…
“So. Obviously, there’s something going on,” I start as Cal and Jackson box her in.
The phone rings again, and her shoulders slump. “I think I’m in a bind.”
Cal tenses. “Explain.”
“It’s Ritchie. He’s been calling me ever since I left.” She looks at her brother. There’s got to be more to this story because Cal goes absolutely still.
“Okay, so who is Ritchie?” I interject.
Cal’s head swings to me. “Charlie’s dad. Dani’s ex.”
“Is he a problem?” Jackson takes a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Cal.
Dani doesn’t answer, and Cal breathes through his nose.
The tension between the two of them is reaching a boiling point. I meet Maggie’s gaze, silently begging for her to help me. She reads me loud and clear, because she claps Jackson on the shoulder as she rounds the corner of the table.
“Come on, Jackson, let’s me and you take this little angel down to the park. Give the crankypants time to chat things over. Whaddaya say, Charlie. Wanna go play with Aunt Maggie?”
“Yah!” Charlie cries. In a flash, Maggie has the diaper bag tossed over her shoulder, and she’s bustling Jackson through the front door.
“Okay, let’s get this sorted.” I lead the siblings to the couches at the back of the shop and prepare to play mediator.
Dani holds her hands out. “Cal. Please don’t start. Let me explain first.”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Talk.”
I shove him. “Don’t be an asshole older brother. Your sister needs you to be on her side.”
He drops his arms. “What are you talking about? I am on her side. I am always on her side. For nearly three years, I’ve been on her side. I’m the one who sent her money for a place to stay with Charlie. I’m the one who offered her to come live with me. Hell. I even chose the apartment upstairs with the sole intent of having Dani and Charlie come live with me. I’ve been begging her to let me take care of them. And how’d she repay that? She ditched her kid. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do, Jules. You tell me. I’d try cutting her off, but clearly, she’s too immature to make a rational, safe decision and try to better her life.”
“Wow. Okay. Tell me how you really feel,” I quip. But clearly, he’s kept this bottled up.
“Dani—” I turn to address her. “Can you please bring me up to speed? Because I’m missing a bunch of the equation right now, and all I know is Cal’s side. So he’s going to sit quietly”—I shoot him a warning glare to keep his mouth shut—“and try not to stew too much while you tell me your side of the story.”
“Okay. The TL;DR is that Ritchie was in jail. When he got out, I brought Charlie up here to Cal’s place. Ritchie doesn’t know Charlie is his.”
Cal emits a low sound, and Dani glares at him. “He doesn’t.”
“Tell me about that,” I say, trying to get us back on track.
“I found out I was pregnant right before he went to jail. I never told him. Never told anyone. Played it off like I wasn’t sure who the daddy was. I was really careful when we were together after he got out to not mention Charlie. I wanted to see what kind of person he’d be once he got out.”
Cal scrubs a hand down his face. “Jesus, Dani. You were seventeen.”
“Yeah. Well. I took a page from Tabby’s playbook and kept everyone guessing. But I am nothing like that bitch.”
It spoke volumes that she was okay with everyone thinking she slept around a lot. “Who’s Tabby?”
“Our mom,” they say in unison.
“Don’t act like you hate her now,” Cal directs to Dani. “You were just calling me asking me to bail her out a few days ago.”
