My heart stutters as my chest tightens. I can’t raise a baby. I can’t be a dad. I have no idea how.
“I can’t handle a baby now. I’m leaving tomorrow to drive through South America.” Even in my panic, I know better than to claim this baby isn’t mine.
“Too bad. I’ve cancelled plans for the past four months. You’re up.”
“Four months? Is she four months old? What else can you tell me about her?” Maybe if I keep asking Daisy questions, she’ll change her mind.
“You’ll figure it out.”
“Figure it out?”
She starts backing up. “The way I did.”
“But…”
I don’t get a chance to finish before she sprints to her car. I chase after her but the baby screams. I stare at her for a second before I swear and reach down to pick her up.
“Shush, baby. Don’t cry.”
I rock her in my arms and she immediately settles. Phew.
“What am I going to do with you?” She stares up at me with big blue eyes. The same blue eyes I gaze into every morning in the mirror.
Shit. Is this baby mine? What am I going to do?
I do the same thing I’ve always done when I need help. I go in search of my brothers.
Chapter 2
Sloane – a woman who’s always late but it’s never her fault
Sloane
Iroll over in bed and snuggle into the blankets. My dog whines.
“Five more minutes, Boozer boy.”
The mix between a Golden Retriever and a Great Dane licks my face, and I shove him away.
“Knock it off. It’s not time to get up yet.”
My alarm blares. Bummer. It is time to get up. I slap the alarm clock to shut it up. An alarm clock is old-fashioned, but since I have the tendency to throw blaring items across the room in the morning – I am not a morning person – a cheap alarm clock works best.
I shove Boozer off me and roll out of bed. I stretch my arms into the air before bending over to touch my toes. There. I’ve exercised for the day.
Boozer sticks his snout under my hand. “Does someone need extra loving this morning?”
I kneel down to pet him and he immediately rolls over onto his back. His tail thumps on the ground as I scratch him.
“Who’s a good boy? Who’s my good boy?”
Boozer jumps up to lick my face. “There’s my baby.”
Don’t ya just love dogs? Dogs are reliable and trustworthy. Unlike men.
“Come on. Let’s have some breakfast.”
Boozer rushes out of the bedroom. He slips and slides as he runs down the hallway to the kitchen. I’m not as fast as I follow him. I feed him before settling at my tiny kitchen table with a cup of coffee.
