Page 113 of Rebel Bride
Because Dad was right. I was all caught up in Summer, and that probably blurred my focus more than anything.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Summer
* * *
Adeline
Sorry, I can’t do lunch today. But maybe we can talk tonight?
Me
Of course! But lips still zipped, okay?
Adeline
Definitely!
After dinner with the Kershaws last night, I had returned home to an empty apartment. Addy was with Lars and Mabel while Rosie spent the night with her mom’s family. So many times, I was tempted to text Hatch, call him, even go over to his place. I wanted to know if he had talked to his dad.
I wanted to be his person.
But I also worried about giving him the wrong idea. Rather than show weakness, I worked on a couple of reports and sent them to Lauren.
Just after lunchtime, I walked into the living room to find Rosie and Franky sitting on the sofa with a bowl of Pirate’s Booty and a bottle of wine.
“Oh, sorry, looks like you guys want some sister time.”
Franky waved me in. “As someone who has recently undergone a dramatic life change, I would appreciate your take.”
I shot a quick look at Rosie, who raised an eyebrow. “Want a glass of wine?”
“I have to work this afternoon, so no, thanks. How are you, Franky?”
“As you’re probably aware, Sean has turned me down. Which is surprising because I made it clear I expected nothing from him but his genetic material.”
“Right, but fathering a child isn’t something that everyone can take with a grain of salt. He might want to be more involved. Look at how Lars stepped up.”
“Only because it was forced upon him by the biological mother. All I want is a spoonful of spunk. It’s hardly too much to ask.”
“Why not use an anonymous donor?” Rosie asked.
“They all lie. Sure, there are questionnaires, but I’d prefer to be able to run my own background checks, so knowing the identity of the donor is key. Sean and I have no feelings for each other, but it appears he’s more emotional about this than I thought.”
“Surely there are other candidates,” I said. “You have a list—did no one else make the grade? Even one who might be temperamentally unsuitable?”
She narrowed her gaze. “You’re referring to Jason Isner?”
I shared a glance with Rosie who picked up the baton. “He’s the only one on the list you struck through. Yet you had him on the list in the first place.”
“Purely from a scientific method standpoint, to ensure an absence of bias and that the choice wasn’t pre-determined. I listed all the ostensibly eligible men of my acquaintance. He’s one of them—excellent physical pedigree, family history known, and not anyone I would ever expect to feel obligated to me.”
“Sounds like a winner, so what’s the problem?” I wondered if Franky’s self-esteem precluded her from going for a hunk like Jason. The guy might only be half-brother to Theo, but he definitely had more than fifty percent of the Kershaw charm. Muscles, too. “What did you mean by ‘temperamentally unsuitable’?”
“He once called me …” She took a sip of wine. “A name.”
“What name?” Rosie barked, ready to go to battle.
