A humorless laugh escapes me. “That’s a wonderful reference considering my predicament.”
“I thought you were completely excited for this move, plus your new job.”
I scratch my nose before I lean into the table with my arms. “I sure as hell hope I’ll be able to focus, considering I just discovered that someone I slept with is pregnant.”
My brother’s eyes instantly grow into saucers. “As in… you’re the dad?”
“Yeah, as in I’m the dad. It’s not just that… she’s already about to pop, which means she never told me, with no plans to tell me.”
“Shit.”
The waitress arrives with a bright smile then looks between my brother and me, sensing the tension. “I’ll come back in a jiffy.”
“It’s okay.” My brother looks at his watch. “It’s twelve o’clock, I’ll have a beer. This guy here looks like he needs a clear mind, so bring him an iced tea.”
She offers a polite smile and scurries away.
My brother snaps his gaze back to me. “What do you mean she was never going to tell you?”
I hold up three fingers. “I’ve seen her three times since the night we conceived a child. All of those times, she didn’t mention a word, not even a clue. If it weren’t for the fact that byaccidentI showed up to the hospital, then I don’t think I ever would have known until I saw her on Main Street carrying a kid.” I sound livid because I am.
He blows out a breath. “Holy hell, this is… big news.”
I scrub a hand across my face. “I’m so furious.”
My brother studies me for a few good seconds. “Do you know why she didn’t tell you?”
I scoff a displeased sound. “She said she tried but every occasion there was a reason not to, not the right time.”
He nods in understanding. “Now that you do know, what does she want? Wait, who is she?”
“Isla Chase.”
“As in… Briggs Chase’s…”
“Little sister, yep. Give me another point for making this more complicated.”
He swipes his hands across his face. “Damn.” It drags out.
“Again, minor detail, as we now need to figure out what’s happening going forward. Stone, I don’t care what she wants. She doesn’t get to decide if I’m involved or not.”
“She doesn’t want you involved?”
I flex my jaw. “She didn’t… exactly say that.”
A knowing smirk appears on his face. “Jumping to conclusions then?”
Maybe he has a point. “At this rate, I don’t have a lot of time to guess. You know the doctor said that the baby could actually come at any time now and still be okay. What if I wake tomorrow, andpoof, there’s a baby here?”
His eyes narrow. “You sound like you are kind of already on board. If a baby did just poof…” He makes a gesture with his hand. “Then it seems like you want to see him or her.”
“It’s a girl.” That overpowering pull of my mouth to smile hits me again. It happened a few times during the night while I tossed and turned.
My brother smiles widely. “You’re having a daughter. That’s kind of cool.”
“Her heartbeat is strong.” A soft spot within me causes my voice to grow almost tender.
Staring at my brother, the realization hits me yet again. I’m going to be a dad.
