“I think I’d want to be close by while things shake out with children’s services. Assuming you want this kid if it’s yours,” Seth said.
Kemp made a who-the-fuck-knows look. “I mean, I’m having a little trouble wrapping my head around any of it. I keep going back to, is this a big, giant joke someone’s playing on me?”
“I doubt it,” Anna said. “You wanna go back to your daddy?” she cooed to Beckham, then held him out to Seth, who pulled the baby into his chest. To Kemp, she said, “Let’s go call the friend back and tell her we’re coming in. I’ll drive you.”
“What do I tell my sister?” Kemp asked. “I’m supposed to be shopping with her.”
“Tell her you have to help me with something,” Anna said. “I wouldn’t mention the baby until you know more.”
“Think about a lawyer,” Seth said. “Who knows what you’re looking at, but you might want one.”
Kemp nodded distractedly, and he and Anna left us to look for his sister. I looked at Seth in disbelief.
“Crazy times,” I said.
He shook his head. “I can’t imagine. That makes my life look boring and sedate.”
“In a good way,” I added.
Everly came up to us then, holding out her hands for her son, whose attention was on her. “Come here, jellybean. What’s going on?” she asked us. “You guys look serious.” She traded her shopping basket for the baby.
“I’ll tell you later,” Seth said. “Pretty sure it’s not for public consumption. Are you ready to check out with this stuff?”
“Sure. I wasn’t sure if you’d found anything.”
“I’ve been staying out of the way,” her husband said. “I’ll go get in line.”
“Thanks, hon. How’s it going, Luke?” she asked.
“I can’t complain,” I said. “How about you? Are you working on new music?”
“Always. I just recorded a duet with Bryan Covington about a week ago. We had fun collaborating.”
“Cool,” I said. “You’ll announce on the Tattler when it’s available?”
“Of course.” She pressed a kiss to Beckham’s head.
A thought popped up in my mind. A memory. “You did a duet with Ella McCabe a couple of years back, didn’t you?”
“I did,” Everly said. “‘Stone Cold.’”
“I know it well. Are you still in contact with her?”
“Frequently. We hit it off, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
I glanced at Magnolia, then made up my mind. “She recently got engaged, right?”
“Yes, to Jonathon Metzger. I met him a few months ago, and they’re perfect together.”
“Do you have any sway over Ella?” I asked.
“About her fiancé?”
I shook my head. “About her wedding planner.” I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “She apparently had an appointment with Magnolia to discuss hiring her, but then Felix James went to Ella’s father and told a bunch of lies to lose her the potential business. He apparently convinced Ella to find a different planner.”
Everly narrowed her eyes. “I recently read that whole crazy thing about Felix losing his job.”
That and the truth about Magnolia’s paternity had recently been leaked on the Tattler. Magnolia had been relieved her broken ties to him had become public knowledge. She’d declared she was finally free of him, but then the fucker had done this.
