NOAH: Right. Tight. Okay, yeah, they are. Thanks, Mel.
MEL: No prob. I’ll see you tonight.
NOAH: Yep, see you later.
MEL: Good luck with your mom…
NOAH: Oh god. Thanks. I might need a drink later.
MEL: I’ll pick up some beer on my way home.
NOAH: Have I mentioned you’re the best fake fiancée ever?
MEL: Keep saying it. Just keep on saying it.
NOAH: Oh, I will. Over and over again. Promise. Okay, I better get this over with. See ya.
Noah shoved his phone into his pocket and took one more glance around the apartment. When he was satisfied he had everything he could think of needing, he grabbed the bag and the car seat and headed down to the parking garage.
Connor managed to stay asleep the entire drive to Noah’s mom’s house. Just when Noah was thinking that maybe this visit would go smoothly, Connor let out an almighty wail, as Noah shifted into park in the driveway of the house where he grew up. He had texted his mom to let her know he was coming over, so it was no surprise when she opened the front door to greet him.
What was also not a surprise was the look of utter shock on her face when she heard the newborn cries coming from the backseat.
“Noah James Carlisle, why on earth is there a baby in your car?” Molly yelled as she hurried down the front steps toward the car, wrapping the ends of her cardigan around her middle. She went to the back door, reaching it just as Noah shut his own door, arms laden with bags and his jacket.
“Ummm, I’ll explain everything, can we just get him inside?” Noah stammered out, feeling panicked by his mother’s reaction and the baby’s cries.
“Oh, sweet pea, come here, love,” Molly crooned as she swiftly unbuckled Connor and tucked him into her arms. “You had better have a good reason for this, young man. Let’s go, I think the wee man has a wet diaper.”
Inside, Molly took over, and Noah was happy to let her. She changed Connor’s diaper, then settled down on her glider chair that was her favorite place to sit in the house. Once she had the baby settled in her arms, she turned to Noah expectantly.
“Alright, son, now tell me why this beautiful baby is in my house. A baby who has ginger hair and Carlisle eyes, might I add.”
Noah sighed. He should have expected that his perceptive mother would notice those similarities right away. Well, there was no avoiding the truth now.
“Well, he’s mine. At least I think he is. The paternity test results will be back in a week or so.” He paused, noticing how his mother was looking down at Connor with love in her eyes. Maybe having her hold him right away, would lessen the blow of learning that the baby was the result of a one-night stand. If there was one thing Molly Carlisle had impressed upon her sons once they hit a certain age, it was to treat women with respect, and use protection. She had lamented Ryan’s actions for years, as he was the ultimate player, never settling with one woman. Until Anna, of course. But Noah had never given her cause for concern. He didn’t do flings or one-night stands. Except for one fateful night.
Molly looked up at him and fixed him with a pointed stare. “Of course he’s yours. He looks like a perfect combination of you and Ryan as babies. Who’s the mother and, where is she?”
Noah took in a deep breath. “Her name is Gigi Winters. As for where she is, I don’t exactly know, Mom. She abandoned him at the hospital, and just left a note with my name on it. He’s five days old, it took them a few days to find me at the pub.”
The shock on Molly’s face was almost comical. “She abandoned this sweet boy? What kind of woman does that? How could she know you would take him in? Why, he could have been left there for weeks! You could have been dangerous! My god, this poor baby.” She bent her head over Connor, pressing kisses to his head and crooning under her breath.
Noah chuckled to see his mom so taken with his son. Her outrage so far had been directed at Gigi, not at him. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, the thrill of a grandchild would be enough for his mom to overlook his indiscretion.
But when she spoke again, Molly quickly put him in his place. “And you, Noah Carlisle, I expected better from you. Having a baby with a woman you don’t even know how to contact. Didn’t your brother do enough sleeping around for the both of you? Lord above, I thought you were smarter than this.”
Noah hung his head sheepishly. “I know, Mom, trust me, I’m not exactly pleased with my actions either. Still,” he gestured to the sleeping infant, “look at what came of that mistake.”
His mother raised her eyebrows at him skeptically, and he grinned at her. “His name is Connor. Mel is helping me out, and she came up with that.”
“Hmmm. Connor Carlisle. Yes, that works, I suppose.” Molly looked up at him again. “You say Melanie is helping? How did that come to be?”
Noah scratched his hands over his head. This was the part where he questioned how much he should tell his mom at once. Choosing to keep it vague, he hoped she wouldn’t ask too many questions.
“Well, she’s a certified foster parent, so technically she’s looking after him until my paternity results come back. Then he’ll be mine. So, he has to stay at her apartment, and I’m staying there as well. She’s far too busy to look after a baby anyways. It’ll work out, trust me.” He tried to infuse his words with a confidence he didn’t entirely believe himself. It seemed to work however, as his mother accepted what he said with a nod.
Noah let out a sigh of relief in his head that was followed with a wave of guilt about not telling his mom everything. But would she understand why he felt he had to lie about his relationship with Mel? She had been not-so-subtly pushing him to settle down ever since Ryan and Anna had become engaged, and Noah knew she thought Mel was a wonderful person. Not that he disagreed with her on that, Mel was amazing. But his mother didn’t know the reasons for Mel’s hesitation about relationships, and the last thing Noah needed was her interfering and stirring up trouble. Best she be kept in the dark about his fake engagement for now.
