A loud banging noise came from downstairs.
“Someone’s knocking on the door,” Birdie whispered.
“Probably just one of my brothers. They can fuck off until morning.”
“Beau. They wouldn’t just show up if it wasn’t something serious. Go check.”
“I don’t want to leave you?—”
“I’m fine.” She yawned before rolling away from me. “I’ll probably be asleep by the time you come back up here.”
I nodded, not that she could see. As gently as I could, I moved off the bed, mentally running through the list of curse words I was about to unleash on whichever dumb ass brother of mine had ruined this moment for me.
The shock of a lifetime came when I opened the door, and instead of being greeted with one of my brothers, a petite woman in a pantsuit greeted me. A womanwith a baby.
“Uh, hello. Can I help you?”
The woman looked up from the baby in the car seat and smiled. “Are you Beau Lindsay Ford?”
Christ.Thefull government name. I hadn’t heard anyone mention my middle name since Hayes let it slip last year when we went to Austin together. What the hell did this lady want?
“Careful with that middle name, please. I haven’t advertised that since it got out in fourth grade, and I got the shit kicked out of me on the playground. But, yes. I am. Who are you?”
“My name is Annabell Slater. I’m with Child Protective Services. May I come inside?”
Child Protective Services? What the hell was someone from there—someone with an infant in a car seat—doing on my doorstep?
“No children live here, Ms. Slater. I’m confused on why you would need to come inside.”
Her brows furrowed. “Mr. Ford. Are you acquainted with a Ms. Rosa Monaco?”
My mind went blank before flooding with images of that night out with my brother.
Fuck. The woman I slept with last year…the one night stand from Austin. I’d made a mistake.Her name was Rosa. I fucking made a mistake, and buried that night down so deep because of the guilt I felt every time I looked at Birdie. My eyes dropped to the baby in the car seat. Bright blue eyes stared back at me. The same asmybright blue eyes.
“Yes.” My throat felt like it was swelling. I couldn’t breathe. “Is she okay?”
“Can I please come inside, Mr. Ford?”
“Beau. Mr. Ford is my dad. I’m just Beau.”
Her face softened. “Beau. Can I please come inside?”
Soft footsteps sounded behind me. “Hey,” Birdie greeted. “Is everything okay?”
Her eyes moved from me, to the woman, and then to the baby. “Oh my goodness, who do we have here?”
“Maybe it’s best if we talked in private?”
“This is my best friend.” The words squeaked past my scratchy throat.Jesus.Could you go into anaphylactic shock at the realization you had a fucking kid you knew nothing about? “She can stay.”
Ms. Slater nodded. I pointed to the sofa, walking to it on shaking legs. Birdie sat next to me, her eyes glued to the baby the entire time. This woman was about to tell me I was a dad. I could feel it in my bones.
“Beau, I’m very sorry to have to tell you this, but Rosa passed away three days ago.”
“Rosa?” Birdie questioned.Fuck. Oh holy shit. My life was imploding in front of my very eyes. I’d fucked up and Birdie…God. This was going to hurt her. I was going to fucking hurt her.
My hand dragged across my face, the stubble of a beard I should have shaved days ago scratching against my calloused skin. I couldn’t feel it. I couldn’t feel anything. Except shame, knowing I had to admit to something I wasn’t proud of. “I slept with her when I went out to Austin for that rodeo weekend with Hayes, what? A year ago?”
