“You’re spoiling me.” Alison sipped her juice and hummed. “Delicious.” She set down the glass and regarded me. “Is this a way to soften the blow? Are you going to tell me that you’re tired of playing housekeeper, and you’re moving out?”
I frowned, my brow knitting together. “No way. If anything, this is me sucking up to you so that you’ll let me stay.”
She stared down at her plate for a moment. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wouldn’t mind if you stayed, Noah.” Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath. “I mean, I’d really like it if you did.”
I circled the table and squatted next to her chair, wrapping my arms around her. “Good, because I want to stay.” I also wanted to hold her long, maybe pull her into my lap and cradle her head against my shoulder as I kissed her for hours, but instead, I forced myself to release her and stand up again. “It hasn’t been so bad, has it?”
Alison shook her head. “No. It’s been pretty wonderful. Maybe the best month of my life.”
Her candidness knocked me flat, making me hope that maybe, just possibly, there might be room for more in our relationship. I wondered if I should bring this up, broach the subject of taking us deeper, but before I could get the balls to do it, Alison’s phone rang.
“Oh, it’s Emma.” She smiled as she answered.
I sighed, feeling opportunity slipping through my fingers once again. I sat down to enjoy my own breakfast, knowing that Alison’s conversation with our friend would probably last for a while.
But then Alison gasped a little. “Oh, my God, no,” she groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding.” Her eyes met mine, and I saw dismay there. “I don’t know. No, I don’t think he knows anything, or he would’ve told me.”
Dread rocked over me.Oh, hell, what now?
I mimed confusion, trying to get Alison to tell me what was going on, but she only shook her head as she wrapped up the call.
“What was that all about?” I asked as soon she’d set down her phone.
Alison dropped her head to rest in her hands. “There’s a story in the local Tampa news today about us, and it looks like it’s been picked up by the national news outlets, too. Emma says they’re talking about how your passionate love affair with Juliet was torn apart by the revelation that you’re having a baby with another woman.”
“Fuck,” I bit out. “Where did that come from? If it’s Juliet, I swear . . .” I’d never threatened violence against a woman, but I was damn sure going to let her know how pissed I was.
“I don’t think it was, though,” Alison said. “Because along with this little tidbit, there was other news. Apparently, Juliet and Zeke went to Vegas and got married last weekend. They have a quote from her that the two of you were only very good friends and that she wishes you happiness.”
“Then who leaked it?” I couldn’t imagine Coach or anyone from the team doing something like that.
“Emma said she thinks it was someone at the hospital in Tampa because my overnight stay was mentioned. Only someone who saw both you and I there would know about that.” She scowled. “I bet it was that fucking OB. He was a pain in my ass the whole time, and he definitely knew who you were.”
“Fucking asshole,” I muttered.
“I can call the hospital,” Alison offered. “If I report him to the administration, he’d probably get in trouble for leaking confidential patient information. That’s a serious offense.”
“If we could prove it, which we probably can’t,” I pointed out. “And if he goes running to the media again to tattle that we got him his wrist slapped, it only makes us look worse.” I drummed my fingers on the table. “I’m sorry, Alison. I didn’t think this would be such a big deal. I never had problems with reporters before.”
“That’s because you were the golden boy of football, but when you stepped off your pedestal, you were fair game,” Alison sighed. “It’s okay. It’ll blow over.” She hesitated. “How do you feel about Juliet and Zeke, though?”
I leaned back in my chair. “That’s the one piece of good news. Zeke’s been hung up on her for a long time. I don’t know how Juliet feels about him—she might be using him just to save her pride—but for both of their sakes, I hope they can make it work. I don’t feel anything but relief that she’s not my problem anymore.”
“All right.” Alison’s expression relaxed. “Good.”
“Aside from the irritating violation of our privacy, maybe it’sallgood news,” I offered. “That’s how I’m going to look at it, anyway. Everything’s coming up roses for us.”
* * *
I spoke too soon.
I’d just come back home after delivering lunch to Alison—another service I provided to her, one I knew she particularly appreciated—when my phone rang. I glanced at the readout on the screen, saw it was my mother, and let it go to voicemail.
Yeah, I still wasn’t ready to deal with her. I’d answered a few of her texts with clipped responses, just to appease her until I got up the nerve to let her know about Alison and the baby. She’d backed off on the constant calls and messages, and I’d hoped that she would be patient until I was ready to have a real conversation.
A minute later, a text appeared on my phone in all caps.
NOAH SPENCER, CALL ME NOW!
