“Look at Jayce. He’s used to the finer things in life. He doesn’t get his hands dirty and hires everyone to do things for him if he has to.”
Jocelyn’s brother seemed a little on the fancy side to him.
“That’s his life. He seems to enjoy it.”
“No. I don’t think he does. I think he spends so much time around professional athletes that he’s trying to live like them and he isn’t happy.”
He didn’t know one way or another other than Jayce had some marketing position with the Charlotte Hornets.
“You’d know more than anyone. Do you feel those things with him, being his twin?”
“Nah. We never did. I just know how he is and the way he’s acting. He’s stressed and was taking it out on you.”
He smirked. “I can handle myself.”
She turned and put her hand on his belly. “You can. You handle yourself well. The last few guys in my life were intimidated by my brothers. You’re not.”
Not that he’d let her see.
He could hold his own, but he’d never measure up. Never be on their level.
He just had to decide if he was content with where he was.
“Not everyone can have your life.”
“Don’t piss me off,” she said. “I’m too happy with you right now, but it can change. If you think you’re not worthy of me or my family again, I’m going to dump the rest of my sandwich on your junk. It’d be a shame too because it’s good and I’m starving.”
He shoved her face into his chest. “As long as you clean it up, I don’t care.”
The last thing he wanted was to be told he was a boring dad again.
Her giggle warmed his heart. Made it beat faster.
She lifted and smiled at him. Her eyes were soft. The depth of some emotion deep inside that he wasn’t sure he was reading right.
Fear kept him from asking. It might be what kept her from saying anything too.
39
TOOK TIME
“Well, if it isn’t my baby daddy.”
Chance didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t hearing that when he was led into the room to talk to Baylee a week later.
He told Monica he didn’t need her with him for this and he’d report back. Partially because he was embarrassed over this entire situation, knowing that Jocelyn’s family was so close with the Olsons.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Maverick?”
Baylee shrugged. “I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the logistics.”
“What?!” Talk about a stupid reply.
“I don’t like sharing.”
He looked at the woman in front of him. She wasn’t what he remembered.
Her blonde hair was braided away from her face, no makeup on and her skin was blotchy with some pimples on it. The fake nails she had were gone and she was thinner than he remembered.
