Page 24 of Suddenly Pregnant

He pulled her into his arms in the oversize leather chair, and embraced her. What a miserable wanker her father had been. To make this incredible woman feel less than, feel like she’d been responsible for her mother’s death—her entire life. Anger grasped his heart, and he had to bite his tongue not to tell her all that was really going through his head. He had to be respectful, after all she had just lost her father. He couldn’t go around calling him a wanker, even if he’d been one—at least to his only child.

This was her moment, and he didn’t want to make her even more upset. But once she calmed down, he’d made sure she knew that her father’s behavior had been unacceptable.

The simple fact she grieved his loss showed Jack what a generous, kindhearted person she was. He kissed the top of her head, her lovely scent wafting into his nostrils. Then, he protectively hugged her tighter, having a hard time remembering when he had last embraced someone this way—like disengaging wasn’t an option. Like disengaging would slice a part of him off.

She let out a sigh of approval, her breath fanning his collar.

“You’re going to be fine, Billie. I know it hurts now… but don’t be too hard on yourself. Your father wouldn’t have wanted that.”

She shifted in his arms, then lifted her head to see him. “I think that’s exactly what he wanted. He never came out and said it, but he probably cursed the day my mom got pregnant. The sad thing is, I thought that was the way fathers treated their children. Distant. Unfeeling.”

“Then he wasted the chance of a lifetime to really get to know the best thing that ever happened to him,” he said, and as he heard his own words, a twinge of guilt stabbed at him. Was he saying those words about her father or himself?

He was getting to know her. She was the mother of his child. Of course there was that last gate that’d been firmly double locked. They’d be great co-parents, but he couldn’t offer her more than that once the baby was born.

She ran a finger down his nose, and the gesture softened him up inside, temporarily distracting him from his worries. “Thank you. You didn’t have to come.”

“Of course I did. You’re pregnant with my child, and this is an emotionally charged situation. What if you need support or get sick, continents away from me?”

“I guess. We never really talked about where I’ll be living after the baby is born.”

No, they hadn’t. They tip-toed around the subject, and he assumed she’d stay in his home country. A big ask, no doubt, but he couldn’t move to Texas when his business was in Australia. “Would I be selfish in hoping you’d stay in Australia? So I can be a present father in my kid’s life?” he asked, a touch of anticipation in his voice.

A small smile tugged at her lips. “No, not selfish. I’m glad you want to be a present father.”

A thrill of hope rippled through him. Great. So what a great sign—she didn’t protest living there, which meant progress. She would have a good life, he’d make sure of it. But he didn’t want to overwhelm her with details about their future when she was going through so much already. “Being a present father is important to me.”

“Was your father present growing up?” she asked, interest flickering in her eyes.

“My father was… all right. Not the best dad, and certainly not the best husband. But my mother got used to it, and so did we.”

She stiffened in his arms, and looked around. “Did you ever cheat on anyone?”

“No.” He also hadn’t sought out long relationships until Cressida came along. “I’ve done my share of mistakes though, as I’m sure you know,” he said, referring to all the media attention his failed engagement got.

“You always talk in codes. As you must know, I’m sure you know… but you never said one word about your last relationship to me.”

What was there to say? She could go online and find out all about it. The defensive reply burned at the tip of his tongue, but he kept from saying it. Right now was not the right moment to push her away. “What do you want to know?”

She glanced at him. “How did you two meet?”

“Charity event. I was there to shake some hands and she was fund raising.”

“Why did it end?”

“We traveled, enjoyed life. Got engaged, even. In the beginning, I didn’t notice her drinking much. I assumed she liked having a good time, and God knows I needed more of that too. But then, the more time I spent with her, the more she’d use any excuse to drink. When I questioned her about it, she’d get very defensive,” he said, remembering a fight they had, in which she threw a vase at him, but it hit the wall. He should have walked away then. He should have known it was over. “I didn’t pay attention to the signs, because a part of me believed that was normal. That that was the kind of relationship I deserved, anyway.”

She held his hand and squeezed, and a rush of emotion traveled through him.

“One day, after a party we had a big fight. She locked herself in the bathroom with a bottle of scotch, and that was when we texted each other, and I said all those awful things. I called her a drunk, shamed her.”

She caressed his palm with her thumb, the sweet gesture honest and soothing. “I’m sorry.”

“Those were the messages that my former assistant leaked to the public. From that night,” he said. “Ashton sold them to a gossip site.”

She sighed. “Did you ever think about holding him accountable? Was there anything legally you could do to get him in trouble?”

“My lawyer would have, but the public relations team from Downunder thought that me suing him would only drag the story for longer, and it would be a disservice to me, the company, and frankly, Cressida,” he said truthfully.

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