Page 89 of Broken Daddy

Did he somehow get the girls alone, outside?

But Brutus is calm, tail thumping again like he’s waiting for me to let him out. I stand just to the side of the French doors and look out on the backyard.

It’s the last dredges of summer, the tail end of August with the hottest days past us. I haven’t scheduled the pool to be closed up yet, though, and Eva and Gen have clearly been making use of it.

“Look at that,” I murmur, unable to keep a smile off my face.

They’ve both been swimming, that much is obvious. Eva is wrapped in a thick towel and curled up next to Gen on a lounge chair. Gen, wearing a one-piece that somehow still makes her alluring, is reading to her from a chapter book.

In that moment, I realize I’d rather be here than anywhere else. Everything at the office can wait.I should call off tomorrow. Trudy would be thrilled. I can take the girls into the city, maybe Gen will want to stop at a store for the baby—

With thoughts of the baby, the future looms ahead.

I have no idea what will happen. If Gen goes to Germany, how long will she stay? Will she have the baby there? Will I ever even find out if it’s a boy or a girl? Will she accept child support, come for visits, allow me and Eva to visit her there? Would she ever move back to the US, or closer to us? Back to the city?

I wish there was someone I could talk to about this. My first thought is Chris, but I still need to make amends with him. And for once in my life, I’m not sure how he’d react to this kind of news. He was thrilled when Eva was born—but would he be as thrilled to find out that sleeping with my attractive personal chef turned into a surprise pregnancy?

Then there’s Russ, the only other person I’m really close to. We don’t talk as much anymore. I have a feeling that ever since Gen started working for me, he’s wanted to keep more of a professional distance. If he knew just howunprofessionalthe two of us have been…

I can’t go to him. I can’t go to Chris.

It’s just me and…

Brutus.

He paws my leg and whines to be let out. Opening the door, I watch as he bounds out toward Eva and Gen, enthusiastically sniffing their toes before running out into the yard. Eva laughs and Gen looks toward the house.

Our eyes meet.

Is she happy to see me, or is that just what I want to see?

Chapter37

Genevieve

As soon as I wake up, I know what today is.

My stomach does a little flip, and even though I know it’s too early to feel the baby kick, I feel even more connected to her or him. According to the brochure the OB-GYN gave me, this week—week eleven—the baby is the size of a fig.

Pretty ironic, considering where Nate and I met.

Sitting up in bed, I listen for movement in the house. It’s a Saturday and not unusual to hear Eva playing down the hall or the whirr of Nate’s table saw out in the barn.

Instead, it’s quiet.

This is the date Julia passed away.

Eva told me a few days ago, when we were curled up after swimming in the pool. She was somber when she gave me the news, but it seemed like that’s just because she felt like she should be.

“I don’t remember my mom,” she confessed, tucked up against my side. “Dad has a lot of pictures of her, though.”

“Do you do anything special on that day?” I’d asked, heart in my throat. Was this inappropriate to ask about? Would Nate want me out of the house?

Eva only shook her head. “Not really. We go to the cemetery. Otherwise, Dad stays home.”

So that’s about what I expected today.

What kind of breakfast do you make on the anniversary of someone’s death? “Wasn’t expecting this to be part of the job,” I mumble to myself, getting out of bed and stumbling into my jeans.

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