Page 52 of Reuniting with Lucy

Another possibility was that she didn’t want money but did want a husband. Bad enough to trap him into becoming one, even against his will.

Either way, whether she lied or not, they couldn’t very well continue a relationship now. Based on the first questions out of his mouth, and most of his thoughts since, he obviously didn’t trust her. He’d also said some pretty unforgivable things.

As he entered the gym, he realized he hadn’t even asked about the baby. Or how she felt. Or expressed how worried he was that she’d passed out. What a jerk.

Glad Kenny wasn’t here, he put on his headphones and took out his frustration on a couple of sixty-pound dumbbells. When his muscles caught fire and could take no more, he drove home.

The workout had calmed him, and his thoughts turned to rational logistics.

The pregnancy had to be recent. If the baby really was his—and he wanted DNA confirmation on that—the earliest she could’ve conceived was seven or eight weeks ago. And from what he understood, things could go wrong in the early stages. Should he wait to tell his parents then? No, they’d need to get ahead of this as soon as possible.

He’d ask an attorney to set up a DNA test and something to protect the bulk of his business holdings. She’d agreed to sign whatever he put in front of her, so if she balked, it would be a testament to her true intentions. If the child was his, he wouldn’t skip out entirely, but this wouldn’t be a huge payday for Lucy either.

After a shower and a sandwich, he called his dad.

“What’s wrong?” his father said in greeting.

“Can’t a son just call to say hello?” Jack said.

His dad huffed out a laugh. “Your mother’s right here. I’m putting you on speaker. Let’s hear it.”

“You might want to sit down,” Jack said. He broke the news and waited for his mom to let him have it. When she didn’t immediately jump down his throat, he became suspicious. “Mom, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I’m biting my tongue,” she said.

“To avoid saying ‘I told you so’?” Jack said. “Go ahead and say it. You were right. I’m an idiot.”

“I don’t think you’re an idiot, Jack.” His mother sighed. “I warn you two boys constantly because I worry. Not only about you being taken advantage of, but because I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Your mom’s right,” his father said. “You’re not an idiot. You just got caught up in your feelings and thought you could trust her.”

“Well, now what? I figured you’d want the lawyers involved asap.”

His dad was quiet for a moment. “Let’s wait until after the holidays,” he said. “No sense in getting into all this ugly stuff at Christmas time.”

Jack was stunned. They were taking the news much better than he imagined. A lot better than he had. No yelling. No lectures. Not even the “I told you so” he thought for sure he’d hear.

It was late, and while his mom didn’t give him the what-for, she did excuse herself to get ready for bed. The change in his father’s voice meant he’d taken Jack off speakerphone.

“You care about this woman, don’t you, son?”

“I thought I did,” Jack said. “We had such a strong connection.”

“Do you love her?”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I would have sworn things were headed that way, but judging by my reaction to the baby announcement, I must have some subconscious doubts.”

“Hm.”

“Dad, how do you know when someone is the one? How’d you know about Mom?”

His dad chuckled. “Well, I’m no expert, but I think figuring that out is different for everyone. Your mother and I were friends before we ever started dating. Our families ran in the same circles, and I knew her for years before asking her out. We came from the same world and understood each other. I never had to doubt her intentions because her family had money.”

“Lucy’s family isn’t poor,” Jack said. “It’s not like she’s desperate for cash. I accused her of lying and getting pregnant on purpose. But if I know her at all, unless she’s totally bamboozled me, she wouldn’t do that.”

“We only met Lucy for a minute, but she seems like a nice gal. You should trust your instincts.”

“What about all the stuff mom says? What if sheisafter money? Or a husband?”

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