“What the hell? Oh my God! I knew things are topsy turvy, Gray, but a baby. How wonderful.” Bébhinn covered her mouth, clearly stunned.
“How in the hell did you just find out?” Mags, of course.
Daniel looked at Jonathan, anger painting his features. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t fucking Ciar tell me?”
“The girls staked out his place in London a few days ago and discovered he had a baby. Blair came to me for my opinion. They couldn’t decide whether to tell her immediately or wait until she was home,” Jonathan explained.
“I would have called Gray first and then flown to London to kick his ass,” Daniel replied furiously.
“Exactly, Dan. You would have railroaded the whole thing. We were trying to do what was best for Gray. I promised to tell Ciar when she got back, he planned on coming to see her and explain.”
“I don’t give a shit about Ciar right now,” Bébhinn growled, sliding off Dagr’s lap to come wrap her arms around Gray. “Our best friend is pregnant. We’re going to be aunties and uncles. My God, Gray, there’s barely time to decorate a baby’s room. I’ll get Mom and my aunts on it.”
Mags stood, lending her support. “You’re pregnant, Gray. Like, a few months from giving birth, pregnant. Jesus. Had you left it much longer, we would have had to have this conversation at the hospital while you were in labor.”
Blair laid her hand over Gray’s flat stomach before smiling and signing, “Tall bitches get all the luck.”
Gray burst out laughing and crying. The release of emotion was exactly what she needed. It’d been a hell of a day. “I have so many things to figure out. Where will I live? Will I stay in Dublin? If I know my father, he’s already sending a moving company to drag me back to Scotland.”
“Why can’t you stay here, Gray?” Mags asked. “We would all love to help with the baby. You’ll have like your own team of nannies.”
Blair asked, “Did you tell Ciar this morning?”
Gray could only shake her head, tears pricking her eyes again. Blair simply said, “I understand.”
Gray slid into one of the dining room chairs and faced the men. Daniel was still pissed, Jonathan was looking at her in sympathy, but Dagr looked like he had something to say.
“What is it?” Gray asked him, blotting her eyes with a tissue that Bébhinn placed in her hand.
He glanced at Bébhinn first before admitting, “Bébhinn doesn’t think I’m right, but…well, I know I’m new to this group, but I think it’s given me maybe a perspective that you all don’t have, as you’re so close.
“I’ve watched Ciar and how he is with Gray. He was fully committed. He bought them a house for fuck’s sake. That is not the action of an uncommitted man. I don’t think he had any idea about the baby until after Colorado.
“I think the man is an idiot when it comes to communicating. He’s more closed off to his feelings than anyone I know besides my father. I just, well, I think there is more to this story. At therisk of pissing Bébhinn off, I think you should at least let him explain his actions.
“All we’ve got is speculation, Gray. If nothing else, you can finally have the truth. You are going to tell Ciar about your baby. Eventually anyway. Talking to him is the only way to open up communication. He’s the father of your child. He’s going to be in your life whether you like it or not. Make it on your terms.”
It had been almost two weeks since the day of the big reveal, and Gray was still dodging the question of whether or not she would or could reach out to Ciar. Dagr was right. There was no ‘if’ she would, but “when.”
The fact that he had so coldly cut her out of his life and hid a baby of all things wasn’t something a woman would or could get over quickly.
Her parents had agreed to give her a few weeks to let everything sink in before her dad tried to bulldoze his way in. Her mom had found an obstetrician's name, and Gray had an appointment at the end of the week.
If the pregnancy test was accurate, she should be all of five months along. Her lower stomach had a slight swell, only noticeable to her, she was sure, but Gray was thrilled. The baby had been a shock, but after almost two weeks of knowing, she’d become ridiculously excited.
As long as she didn’t think about the father.
Christmas was around the corner, which meant she’d been studying for final exams like a crazy person. They all had. She was kind of sad that it would be the last classes she had on campus.
Daniel and Jonathan had come by last week to explain what Gray’s dad had asked their fathers, Bran and Patrick, to do. Gray was far from shocked. They explained that Trinity would allow her to finish out her degree online and through virtual meetings with the professors.
It was a relief. School from home would allow her to focus on getting ready to have a baby. There were a million things she would need and a room to decorate. Somewhere.
When she’d called her dad to bark at him for going behind her back with Bran and Patrick, he’d remained silent. Clearly, he wasn’t going to apologize.
When he was done listening to Gray rant, he followed with, “Your mom and I want you to move home.”
That shut her up. “I’m not ready to make a big decision like that, Dad.”
