Baby Daddies - Tara Brown Page 0,65

Brady’s wedding when Jenny covered for Nat by outing herself for being pregnant with my child.” The sentence is almost a tongue twister.

“You’ll have to start at the beginning. How about from the moment you left here?”

“Right.” I take the glass of gin smash she passes me and sit back, inhaling and starting the story from Liam Farringdon.

It takes twenty minutes, two glasses of gin, and at some points both of my hands moving for emphases, but I manage to get through it all and land where we are now.

Grace is silent, which is always a bad sign. She finishes her drink in one long draw and pours herself a new one, but she doesn’t speak.

“Well?” I ask in a low voice, worried about what she’s going to say.

“If you screw this up, Lori, you will never recover from it. This is the fork in the path that either seals your fate with happiness or dooms you to a life of bitterness.”

I expected a lot but this is too much. “Okay.” I almost laugh but am scared of what she would do to me if I did.

“You love her—you love another person.”

“Mmmhmm.” I press my lips together.

She starts laughing.

“What?” I’m so lost.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that this is a miracle that despite your upbringing and all the glory you have sought and received, this girl has run you over and humbled you. And the strangest part is that she’s a good person.” She laughs harder. “She quit her job to protect your reputation, something you don’t even care about. She cares more for you than you do for yourself.” She takes another long drink of the gin smash and sighs, amused and shaking her head in bewilderment.

“Right.” I can’t argue with any of that.

This might be the most delighted I’ve seen Grace. “My darling boy, I sense that you’re worried about her moving out. But if you give her the space to make her own mind up, I suspect she will choose you too. She chose you already. Ruined her career and her own reputation. And now, she came all this way with you to the lion’s den. She loves you.”

I sit back in the chair, ready to process my thoughts as I always have with her.

But my parents come storming into the house, shouting because they’ve found him.

They found Sean.

25

Is it me?

Jenny

Waking up in Lori’s childhood bedroom is not how I expected this moment would one day go for me. It’s the size of an apartment.

My head hurts but the nausea is gone, thankfully. I grab my phone and check the time. It’s six, which is probably close to dinnertime around here. I would normally expect the three-hour nap to mess with my sleep, but I’m dead-assed exhausted.

Slowly, I climb out of bed and sit up, running my toes over the plush carpet. It’s softer than anything I’ve ever felt, and I smile when I remember in Die Hard Bruce Willis took his shoes off and walked over the carpet barefoot to cure his jet lag. Josh and I watch the movies every single Christmas to Judith’s dismay, which is more of a reason for us to watch them. She refuses to consider it a Christmas movie. The same way she refuses to allow all joy.

Moving like a sloth, I stand and stretch, walking over to the luggage to find my makeup bag and an outfit to wear to meet his parents. In the bathroom, my reflection makes me wince. I look like death. Pale and pasty death.

The idea of meeting them freezes me.

What if they hate me?

Sitting on the closed toilet lid, in just my underwear and bra, I Google them quickly, something I should have done before. I knew the basics about Lori from his being part of the NHL, but I never paid attention to his parents.

“Jenny?” a woman calls my name from the room.

I freeze, holding the phone and praying whoever it is doesn’t come in here.

But God never answers my prayers. He and I are friends-off right now. Officially. Particularly, when the most stunning woman walks into the bathroom. She looks like a brunette barbie doll. Except there’s a glint of something in her eyes that her wide smile can’t hide. “Hi,” she says awkwardly. “I’m Lori’s sister, Callie.” Her eyes lower to my phone and a picture of her grandfather in the article I have pulled up.

Cringing, I try to explain, “Oh my God. I’m sorry. I was getting dressed and then I