“At one in the morning?”
Jack rolled his eyes as if I was being unreasonable. “I was tired, okay? Give me a break,” he said, his jaw clenching. “Work’s been hell, and I just wanted to check on her.”
His gaze slid between us and took in how close we stood, how my hand rested possessively on Paige’s waist.
He scoffed. “I should ask you where you two were at one in the morning, leaving a one-year-old toddler alone.”
I forced myself to stay calm because he was baiting us and looking for a reaction, but I wouldn’t give him one.
I realized that he wasn’t here to harm anyone. This was a power play. A reminder that he could show up whenever he wanted, that Lily was still legally his daughter.
I unlocked the penthouse door and pushed it open. “Come in.”
Paige shot me a surprised look, but I squeezed her waist gently. Trust me. I wouldn’t have let him in if I knew he wanted to hurt us.
My mother was on the couch, and she stood immediately when she saw Jack follow us in, a frown furrowing her brow.
“It’s none of your business where we were, Jack,” Paige said, her voice steady. “Charlotte was here. Lily was never alone.”
“Sure,” Jack said, looking around the penthouse like he owned it. “Because leaving your one-year-old with your boyfriend’s mother is totally appropriate parenting.”
“Fiancé, now,” Paige corrected him, the diamond ring glimmering on her left hand. “Although it’s more appropriate than bringing your mistress around her.”
The tension in the room increased.
Jack’s face flushed, but he said, “I want to see Lily.”
“She’s asleep,” my mother said firmly. “You can’t see her now.”
“I’m her father,” Jack’s voice rose. “I should be allowed to see my own daughter whenever I want!”
“When was the last time you actually stepped up as her father?” Paige asked. “When you had Olivia over? Or maybe one of the dozen other times you prioritized everything except your family?”
Jack didn’t answer.
Of course, he couldn’t.
“You should leave,” I whispered.
“Let me just see if she’s okay.”
“She’s okay. More than okay, in fact.”
“I want to see for myself,” he said, his hands clenching into fists. “She’s my daughter, Peterson. You can’t keep me from her.”
“I’m not keeping you from her. I’m asking you to respect that it’s one in the morning and she’s sleeping.”
“Two minutes,” Jack said. “Just let me check on her for two minutes, and I’ll leave.”
I opened my mouth to refuse, but Paige’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“Fine,” she said. “Two minutes. But we’re coming with you.”
I wanted to argue, wanted to throw Jack out and tell him to come back with a court order.
We followed Jack to the nursery. He pushed open the door, and I watched him take in the room. The custom crib, the changing table was stocked with supplies, the rocking chair by the window and the mobile spinning slowly overhead, casting soft shadows.
Lily was asleep in the center of the crib, covered in her blue crochet blanket, her favorite elephant plushy tucked under her arm.
