Page 70 of Secret Baby Daddies
CHAPTER 47
Harley
I faked morning sickness the next morning to avoid them. I stayed in the bathroom making vomiting sounds until I knew they’d left for a meeting and then I came out to start my escape. I packed the few things I had that were my own and spent half an hour hugging Bubbles and telling him goodbye while crying and wondering about the ethics of stealing him.
When I finally managed to rip myself away from him I made sure I had what I needed and then I left in Belinda. I went straight to Susie’s house since the shop wouldn’t be open for a little while longer.
She opened the door to her house, surprised to see me and wearing a floral print robe tied around her waist.
“Harley? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Sell me the shop. I’ll pay you fifty grand over asking price. Or more. I don’t care. I know you have your ideas about saving me from the same life you lived but from where I’m sitting your life seemed magical. I have to leave town to visit a friend for a few days so I really hope you sell it to me before you fire me.”
“Harley, honey, I—”
“Sell it to me. Don’t deny me my dream because it wasn’t exactly what you wanted.” I was speaking to her like I never had before but I was desperate. “Let me do this.”
She tugged at the knot closing her robe and motioned for me to come inside.
“Let’s talk about this.”
“I don’t have time to come in and talk about it, Susie. I want the shop. You need to get rid of the shop. I have this massive amount of money I don’t want to touch for anything else. If you don’t sell me the shop, I’m going to go out and find a different one to buy. I’d rather give you the money, though. Please. Just agree to sell it to me. I love the shop and I want it.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going down to Devil’s Den for a few days. Things with the guys took a weird turn and I need some time to myself.” I blew out a rough breath. “I just need to settle this before I go.”
“Are you okay, honey?” Susie leaned against her doorframe and reached out to take my hand. “Do you need anything?”
“Just the store, Susie.” I couldn’t answer her first question without crying because I felt so far from being okay.
“Fine. Fine! If you’re just going to go out and buy a different store anyway, it might as well be mine. I’ll contact my lawyer today. When did you get so bossy?” Smiling fondly at me, she shook her head. “I hope you don’t mind if I hang around a while, though.”
I hugged her hard and sniffed as tears blurred my vision.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you, Susie. You’re so important to me that I’d never be able to handle missing you. I hope this all makes it easier to stomach that I’m taking off for at least a few days.”
She ruffled my hair and grinned.
“Of course, it does. I love you, too, honey. Be careful. Text me when you get to Devil’s Den and let me know you’re safe? You’d better be ready to talk to me about all this when you get back. If I don’t hound you about it, Hunter will.”
We said our goodbyes and I only cried a little when I waved to her while pulling away in Belinda. I was fighting tooth and nail to keep myself together because I knew that once I really fell apart, I was going to crumble and stay crumbled for a few days. I had to do a few more things before that could happen.
Taking a million dollar check to the bank felt surreal for both me and the teller. He looked from me to the check and back to me about a hundred times before calling his boss over. Once that was settled and there was a hold on the check to ensure that Iwasn’t scamming the bank I got on the road. I wanted to be out of Dallas when I tackled my next errand.
Like some twisted tying of a loose end, I parked on the side of the road opposite the turn for Club Devil. In all reality, I knew I wasn’t closing some metaphorical circle. I was pregnant with their child. That was a loose end at least eighteen years long and I could do nothing about it. Except for fighting to keep myself present in my child’s life.
My hands shook as I looked up the number for my father’s office building in Houston. I’d gotten rid of his number long ago but I needed to talk to him one last time. I needed to rid myself ofhim, not just his number. I was passed through a long line of assistants before I finally spoke to someone who seemed to believe me when I said that I was Harley Beau.
Mere seconds passed after that woman put me on hold and then my dad was there, breathless and sounding too eager.
“Harley? Harley, sweetheart, is t
hat you?”
My grip tightened on the phone. “It’s me.”
“Oh, thank god, sweetheart. I’ve been so worried about—”
