“No, it was,” I admitted, meeting her gaze head-on. “But it’s more than that, Allie. Dani isn’t just a random fling.”
Her lips parted, just slightly. “Okay.”
My throat tightened, but I forced the words out, low and certain. “She’s pregnant. With my kid.”
For a beat, all I heard was the wind shifting through the trees and Carolina’s off-key humming inside my kitchen. Allie blinked once, then twice, like she needed to make sure she’d heard me right.
“Well,” she said finally, her voice dry but not sharp. “That’s . . . a hell of a curveball, Brooks.”
“I know,” I admitted. My pulse was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. “I didn’t exactly plan for it either. But I’m all in. I want this baby with Dani. But you need to know that nothing is going to change with Carolina and me. She’s still my priority, my whole damn world. That’s never up for debate.” I paused, jaw clenched. “This doesn’t take away from that. It adds to it.”
For a minute, she just looked at me, like she was weighing every word. Then her shoulders softened, her lips tugging into something that wasn’t quite a smile but wasn’t disapproval either. “You couldn’t just hook up with some rando from a dating app like the rest of us, could you?”
I huffed out a laugh that came out half-relief, half-nerves. Allie was one to talk. She and her live-in boyfriend, Mitchell, had met on a dating app marketed toward artists, and they were still together, two years later.
“You know I don’t do casual well.”
“I do.” She gave me a long look, then added, “You look different, B. Lighter, happier.”
The weight in my chest loosened a notch. “I am. I didn’t plan for any of this, but Dani— She matters to me.”
Allie nodded, her braids sliding over her shoulder as she tilted her head. “You’re sure about this? About her?”
“Dead sure,” I said without hesitation. “This isn’t just about the baby. I want her in my life.”
Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, then pressed into a thin line. I could see the wariness there, but also the trust. Because if there was one thing we had always managed, even when everything else between us had fallen apart, it was showing up for Carolina as a team. There was no reason for this to be any different.
She exhaled, shoulders dipping. “Alright,” she said finally, a huff more than a word. “We’ll figure this out. Just, please don’t leave me blindsided when it comes to telling Carolina, okay?”
“Never,” I promised. “I want her to hear it from both of us.”
“I agree,” Allie said. “But not today. We’ll come up with a plan when Mitchell and I get back from Palm Springs. I want her to understand that whatever changes are coming, she’s still our priority. That can’t change.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said firmly.
“I know.” Allie’s gaze softened again, and for the first time since she’d walked in, there was no judgment in it, just understanding. “Congratulations on the baby, by the way.”
“Thanks.” My mouth tipped into a goofy, lopsided grin. “It’s another girl.”
Her brows shot up, surprise giving way to warmth. “That’s wonderful. Carolina’s going to be over the moon.”
The image of my daughter’s face when she finally found out made me smile. Carolina had been begging for a sister since she’d been old enough to talk.
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “She’s gonna be a great big sister.”
Allie’s smile lingered as she slipped her sunglasses back on, keys jangling in her hand.
We said our goodbyes, and I stepped back as she slid into her car, giving her a small wave as she pulled out of the driveway. For a long moment, I stood there on the porch, watching until her taillights disappeared through the thick cover of trees.
Then I exhaled, shoulders easing.
Time to face the real circus.
I shut the door quietly behind me and started toward the stairs, intent on checking on Dani and hopefully reassuring her that the sky hadn’t fallen just because my daughter and ex-wife had caught her in my bed. The last thing I wanted was to give her any reason to run again.
I was halfway up the steps when the sound of clanking pans and laughter drifted from the kitchen.
Dani.
