“That’s what her email said.”
“And you’re just gonna let her?”
Brantley snorted. “What people do or don’t do isn’t somethin’ I can control. Nor do I want to.”
JJ just found it strange that this woman, one no one wanted to hire in the first place—no one but Brantley—would up and quit on day one.
“I’m sure Luca’s grateful for you lettin’ him hide up here,” Brantley said, glancing over at the desk Luca had commandeered.
Initially, JJ had been against sharing a space with Luca, but when she realized they worked well together, she’d conceded, but only if he promised to stay on his side of the loft. So far, he’d turned out to be a decent office mate. He didn’t eat at his desk, didn’t leave dirty cups or trash.
In a word, he was tolerable.
JJ spent the next hour pretending to work while constantly looking at her phone, waiting for Baz to call. She was on the verge of chewing her fingernails when her phone finally rang, the sound making her jump.
“Hey,” she greeted, her heart suddenly in her throat. “Everything okay?”
“No.”
At least his voice was calm.
“What’s wrong?”
“I had to bring Molly to the hospital. She went into labor.”
“So soon?” JJ sat up straight. “Isn’t it too early?”
“She’s thirty-seven weeks, so I don’t know. We’re waiting for the doctor to get here, to do an exam.”
“Okay.” JJ fought to draw air into her lungs. “Do you want me …us… to come up there?”
Baz’s voice lowered significantly. “I can’t ask you to do that, JJ.”
“You didn’t,” she said. “I offered.”
And she honest-to-God hoped he turned her down. Although she wanted to be there for Baz, JJ wasn’t sure she would survive seeing him with Molly and their baby. Even thinking about it made her heart crack wide open.
“I think it’s best I’m the only one here right now,” he said softly. “She called her mom and dad. They’re on the way. So is her sister.”
“What about your parents? Are you going to tell them?”
JJ knew Baz hadn’t told his parents that he was going to be a father. They’d discussed it over dinner one night, and he’d admitted he needed to tell them, but he was hesitant. Baz had surprised her when he followed by saying he would have a paternity test done once the baby was born to confirm it was his before he told his family. JJ had been strangely relieved, although she didn’t understand why Molly would have a reason to lie about it.
Granted, she still wasn’t sure Molly was completely on the up and up. There was a reason she hadn’t allowed Baz to go to the doctor with her when she went, but JJ hadn’t figured out what it could possibly be. She hadn’t even let him see a sonogram, hence the reason there’d been some doubts as to whether or not she was really pregnant.
“I will. If it comes down to it.” Baz sighed. “I’m not gonna be able to go to Dallas this weekend, JJ. I can’t leave her right now.”
Although JJ hated it, she understood. “I already told Brantley what’s goin’ on. He’ll understand.”
“Thanks, JJ. I’ll call you later.”
“All right.”
JJ disconnected the phone, staring down at it.
Not for the first time, she wished she could go back to New Year’s Eve. If she could, she would’ve never answered Dante’s call, she would’ve had dinner with Baz, gone back to his place, and spent the entire night in his bed. If she’d done that, they wouldn’t be where they were now.
Baz wouldn’t be having a baby with another woman.
