Page 26 of Mine to Keep

“That’s a good question.” She raised her soda bottle to her lips and took a good chug. “For starters, I’ve never been to Florida, and I’m a huge Disney fan.”

“Lucky for you the theme park is only a little over two hours away, but why not live in Orlando?”

She smiled. “I’ve never lived near the ocean, and that’s been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. The idea that I can put Zadie in a little front snuggly pouch and walk to the beach is so appealing.”

“I love living on the water.”

“Do you have a place on the beach?”

He shook his head. “I’m on a canal just off the intracoastal in town.” He pointed south. “It’s actually only about three miles from here. You could walk if you wanted to, but it’s in the opposite direction of the beach. Once you hit the traffic circle instead of going right, take a left, and I’m three streets down.”

“Do you live in a house?”

“I do,” he said. “I bought it when I got married, but my ex-wife wanted nothing to do with it. I love living on the water, so I kept it.”

“As you should.”

“This is none of my business, but you brought nothing with you from your past life. Don’t you want your daughter to have things from her dad?”

Bryn glanced down at her plate and set her fork on the table.

Shit. Now he’d gone and put his fucking foot in his mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that one.”

She wiped the corners of her mouth daintily with her napkin.

He braced himself for either being kicked out or a lecture—both equally bad.

“I’m sure people will be wondering about Zadie’s dad and why I’m alone, if they aren’t already,” she said.

“You don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

“You’re right. I don’t,” she said. “And while I’ve never lived in a small town before, I suspect that what they say about everyone knowing each other’s business or gossiping about it is true.”

“The gossip part is true, but I doubt anyone will be assholeish enough to ask such an insensitive question to your face. Anyone but me, that is.”

“Maybe not, but I can imagine how strange it must look from the outside for me to be a widow and not have a shred of evidence of my past.” She swiped at her cheeks. “I know I’d be wondering what the backstory is and why I never have family or friends visiting.”

Now he’d gone and made her cry. He really wasn’t an asshole.

But he was an insensitive prick.

Pushing aside his food, he reached across the table and took her hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It will be good for me to tell at least one person in this town. And if someone brings it up to you, well, maybe you can find a way to explain my situation in a kind way without getting into the nitty-gritty of it.” She took in a long, slow breath and glanced around the room as if she were looking for the words. “When my husband died, his mom blamed me. And since she and I never got along, I felt it was best for me and my child to cut ties altogether.”

“She doesn’t know about the baby, does she?” A chill filled his veins and raced right to his heart.

“No.”

Jamison bit down on his tongue. It wasn’t his place to judge or express his opinion.

“I can tell you disapprove.”

He relaxed his facial muscles, realizing that he’d scrunched his forehead—a dead giveaway for disliking something. “It doesn’t matter what I think.” One of these days, he’d have to learn to be a better liar. “It’s whatever is right for you and Zadie.”

“I appreciate that, but since you’re my only friend and now my boss, I’m curious as to why my declaration made you look like you swallowed a lemon.”

He chuckled. That’s exactly how his mother described it. He quickly wiped the smile off his face and the memory from his mind. “If you go to the local market or get your hair done in town, you’ll quickly learn this about me, which is why I might feel strange about keeping a baby from someone.”

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