Honestly? He didn’t hate it in here. For once, no one could interrupt him. No one could demand anything from him. The locked door gave him something he rarely had—time away from his laptop.
Time to think about Blue.
How to make sure she and the baby had everything they needed without turning into the man who tried to solve emotional problems with money. Jay was scared, uncertainty did that to him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to be involved from the start.
How long do women work when they were pregnant? Months? Weeks? Up until the end?
He took a bite of pizza and chewed slowly, staring at the wall like it might offer answers. He could learn most things online these days, but he wanted to ensure he learned the right stuff. Like supporting Blue through this.
“Well now,” a familiar voice drawled. “This is a sight I never thought I’d see.”
Jay glanced up as Asher Dans appeared through the doorway, uniform crisp, expression mild. He hadn’t been in the station earlier. Jay would’ve noticed. The man had a way of commanding a space without trying.
“Me either,” Jay said evenly. “Want a piece of pizza?”
Asher pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He left it open when he stepped inside, a small but deliberate choice. Jay knew it meantI trust you.
“My nephew thought this was funny,” Asher said, settling onto the edge of the bed and claiming a slice. “Said the only time you do anything wrong is when you’re with them, drinking too much.”
Jay snorted. “I’m sure the news that I’ve rebelled will be all over town by morning.”
“Oh, it already is,” Asher said pleasantly. “But you’ve been rebelling in your own way for years, Jay.”
He bit into the pizza like they were just two men killing time.
“How come he gets a piece and not me?” Dan complained, wandering into view.
“I like him better,” Jay said without missing a beat.
Dan scowled, then leaned against the bars, arms crossed.
“So,” Asher said lightly, wiping his hands on a napkin. “You’re having a baby. And Blue Jay McAllister is the mother.”
“Correct,” Jay said. “And we’re not dissecting it. It happened. I’m fine. We’ll work it out.”
Dan didn’t speak, which told Jay everything. He was leaving the talking part—for now—up to his uncle.
Asher Dans didn’t interrogate like a cop. He interrogated like a man who waited you out. He’d ask something and then sit back for as long as it took you to answer. At least that was how it went with friends and family. Those who weren’t friendly weren’t treated so politely.
“Is this you being good?” Asher asked.
“I’m thinking,” Jay said.
“I didn’t even know you and Blue saw each other away from here,” Dan muttered.
“We didn’t.”
That earned him a look.
Jay took another bite of pizza. They couldn’t make him talk.
“I’ll bring Mom in,” Dan said casually. “Make her sit in front of you until you crack.”
Jay sighed. “That’s just cruel.” Robyn Duke could dismantle him with a single raised eyebrow.
“I never pushed you,” Dan said, frowning now. “You always seemed like you had your shit together.”
“I do.”
