Page 8 of Better Daddy
Terry and I always got along. I was never bothered by his interest in women less than half his age. It was amusing. Odd, yes, but he wasn’t a sleazy old man by any means. He was funny. Charming.
He was the epitome of a Murphy.
Rather than the slight British accent my husband and his brother have, he had a thick New York accent.
My parents made comments about it here and there, but only to me and each other. They weren’t the type to gossip, and my mother respected Terry as a lawyer. He built a legacy and a very successful firm. A firm that looks absolutely nothing like this dump.
The New York office houses almost one hundred employees, both lawyers and support staff, just like my firm.
Okay, notmyfirm. I’m just an associate. But Will promised that if I came to work for him, he’d put me on the fast track to partner. It’s a better gig than I had here with the Murphys. I was never a partner. There was a time where I thought it was possible that I’d become a partner here but after T.J. was born I said goodbye to the courtroom and worked in the office handling trusts and estates around T.J. and Sully’s schedules.
After seven years away from the courtroom I’m lucky the new firm is giving me a chance. I’m sure part of the reason Will hired me is because he despises my husband and knew this would irk him in a way nothing else would.
But as my mother always says, one should take the opportunities that are given. A person can’t control someone else’s motivation, only their own.
My only motivation is to create a life for myself. A name set apart from my husband’s. Because soon he’ll simply be my ex.
And my baby daddy.
I drop my head into my hands at the thought.
Lo cups my shoulders and shakes me. “It’s going to be okay.” Despite the words, her tone is full of panic. “Sully,dosomething.”
I’m spiraling, a myriad of emotions churning through me. Every single thing about this is ridiculous. My soon-to-be ex-husband just referred to me as an incubator because of the absurd trust provision Terry wielded, which left his sons living and workinghere.The man died while in the midst of a tryst with a twenty-four-year-old, for god’s sake.
To top if, off, Lo, my best friend, the most uptight boss bitch I know, has fallen head-over-heels in love with my dopey brother-in-law—whom I actually adore. And now at forty fucking years old I’m pregnant with my almost ex-husband’s baby.
A shrill laugh leaves me, echoing off the yellowed ceiling. I double over, practically panting as I try to catch a breath.
The giggles won’t stop. This is absurd.
“I think she’s losing it,” Lo mutters.
I nod, my hand covering my mouth, and straighten, the laughter now joined by tears. The situation I found myself in couldn’t be more ridiculous. The world is crumbling around me, and here I am,incubatingthis new, precious life. I splay my hand over my stomach, already protective of my child. A child who will be brought into the world under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Finally I blow out a breath. “I’m good. I promise.”
My husband stares at me, slack-jawed.
I can’t blame him. I don’t think I’ve ever acted so irrationally in my life.
Except the day we got married on a whim. Just the two of us at city hall, followed by a drunken lunch in Central Park.
Not a soul knew about it but us. He proposed, and I suggested we do it that day. I didn’t think he’d go along with it, and I still have no idea how he got a marriage license approved so quickly. But when Sully uses those charming blue eyes and that British lilt, he could talk a nun out of her panties.
He certainly talked me out of mine.
Over and over through the years. Even when I hated myself for it.
Like the night we made our little bear.
Our little bear.The thought brings a smile to my face.
Unfortunately, I’m still looking at Sully when that happens, and his eyes widen in shock.
Dammit. I doubt I’ve looked at him that way in years. Normally I’m better at hiding how desperately in love with my husband I am.
“I’m going to go,” I say, searching the room to make sure I haven’t left anything other than my dignity behind. “The incubator needs to be plugged in.”
