It was more important than ever that I stay tucked away, a long distance from my father’s wealth and power.
“I don’t blame you there,” Ida Jane murmured.“Look, your dad’s a piece of work, bless his heart, but St—er, Luka’s not like him.Maxim just told you, Luka’s great.And he really is, Mil-bil.He’s around all the time for dinner, and I really like him.”She gave me her most winning smile.“Don’t go lumping him in with your father just yet.You need to give him a chance.”
“You’re right,” I said on a sigh.“That means I need to call him back.”
“You already did the hard part of telling him about the baby…”
“Bree,” I reminded her.I’d better have a girl, because otherwise I was going to end up with a kid named Gordie.I shook my head.“I’ll call him.”
“Now.”
I blew out a breath.“Now.”
“As soon as you hang up,” Ida Jane said, her expression stern.
“Talk soon,” I said.
“Love you, Mil-bil!”
Sure, she did.She wasn’t the one having to make this call.
I sucked in my breath and dialed Luka’s number.
“Is now a bad time?”I asked when he answered.
“No!Don’t hang up.”He glanced away from the screen.“We’re just hanging out.Cormac, I’m hitting your office.”
I closed my eyes as Luka carried his phone to a different location, away from the tumult of voices.
“Okay.It’s quiet here.”He took a slow breath.“Thank you for calling me back.”
He was angry.I could see the tension around his eyes and in the set of his mouth.I deserved that anger, but it made me feel small, mean—and I hated that.“I don’t know how to do this.”
“Do what?”
I glanced away as I swallowed.“I’ve been in one serious relationship.”I shook my head.“It ended terribly.”Understatement of understatements, but I wasn’t getting into that mess right now.
“So you steered clear of men.”
I met Luka’s gaze, which had softened.“I did.I also was determined to see your entire gender as…” I pressed my lips together.Luka didn’t need to know about Trent and his predatory behavior.“Then you sat down that night, and I…” I smiled, and it felt wistful.“You swept me off my feet, Luka.That sounds so ridiculous—”
“It was the same for me.”He cleared his throat, his gaze direct.“I want to be involved.With the baby.”
“Okay.”I nodded, then nodded again, unsure what else to do.
“I’m serious, Millie.I don’t know yet what that means, because we’re basically a day’s travel apart, but I want to be involved in my kid’s life.”
I nibbled my lip.“I have a sonogram.In six weeks.To find out what we’re having.”
“When?”Luka asked.
“You’ll have a game—”
“When, Millie?”
I stuttered out the date and time.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said.“But I want to be there.”
