He gave another jerk of his head.
Ben flashed him a smile. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that.”
Damien stared at Ben. There was something wrong with this man. “Why is that?”
“Look, can I be straight with you?” Ben uncrossed his leg and tapped his knee. “I don’t want to bring up another baby. I wasn’t so keen on it the first two times, but my ex- wife insisted. And this bit with Mandy, it was a total accident as I’m sure you know.”
Words didn’t quite come to Damien, so he just nodded again.
“I’m trying very hard to be supportive because I know Mandy’s all alone here in New York and she hasn’t got much in the way of money without her parents’ help. But I really don’t want to be involved with this child. And if I know that she’s got someone to look after her, I think maybe I should just bow out of the whole mess.”
Damien took a deep breath and tried to suck back his anger. This mother-fucker had just called his daughter amess.He didn’t deserve to be a father. He didn’t deserve a woman like Mandy. He didn’t deserve anything but a boot up his ass.
He managed to control himself, speaking in a cool voice. “Feel free to bow out. I’ve got the situation covered.”
“I can still offer financial support, of course, but the little chap’s probably better off if I don’t pop in and out of his life.”
“Her,” Damien forced out through clenched teeth. He couldn’t stop his hand from curling into a fist.
“Hmm?”
“Her. The baby is a girl.”
“Oh, right. Of course. She did mention that. Anyhow, perhaps I should see if Mandy’s up and we can discuss this.”
Damien pushed off the couch. “She’s exhausted. Don’t wake her up. I’ll let her know you stopped by, and we’ll see if between the three of us we can resolve the situation to mutual satisfaction.”
“Perfect.” Ben stood up and held out his hand. “I’m so glad we understand each other, Damien.”
Oh, Damien understood a lot of things.
He understood that Ben was giving him his daughter. He really could have everything.
A wife. A family.
The thought nearly cut him off at the knees.
“I don’t think it’s any of our business.” Jamie looked to Allison for support, but she was frowning just as fiercely as Caroline. “I’m serious, guys, this is Mandy’s life.”
Mandy and Damien had gone to dinner after work, according to Caroline and she had thoughts of opinions about all of it.
Caroline set her carrot stick down on a plate on the kitchen counter. “Mandy is flooded with endorphins or pheromones or whatever they’re called. She’s pregnant and clearly not behaving rationally.”
Jamie stared across the breakfast bar at her. “Why is falling in love with her boss irrational?” Personally, she thought it was really romantic, sort of aMaid in Manhattankind of thing. Only totally different.
“Because men don’t fall in love with pregnant women. Because Damien Sharpton is the most unemotional man I’ve ever encountered, and suddenly he’s head over heels? It doesn’t add up.”
Caroline blotted her mouth with a napkin, though Jamie couldn’t see what a carrot stick could leave behind on her lips.
“But Beckwith predicted Mandy would be happy?—”
Allison cut her off. “Oh, God, here we go.” She rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back over her shoulders as she headed for the refrigerator. “I need some ice cream if we’re going to discuss fortune-telling.”
When she pulled out a pint of mint chocolate chip, Jamie’s mouth watered. It so wasn’t fair that Allison was five-ten and weighed like two pounds, and never had to watch what she ate.
Caroline whimpered. “Put that thing away! I’m getting married in six weeks! I can’t evenlookat ice cream until I get back from my honeymoon.”
“You can have one spoonful. You can’t deny yourself indefinitely or you’ll leap on a Ben & Jerry’s like a lion on a gazelle carcass. Better to just have one spoonful and get the craving out of your mouth.”
