love and some dirty dishes in the sink. So if you loved Beth like you say you do, I wish you’d try to respect that choice. That way Marigold can have her grandparents in her life as well as me and Parrish.” He set a hand on my shoulder.
For the first time all morning, Brenda Kensington looked uncertain. She blinked at Diesel, with his quiet dignity, then down at Marigold safe in my arms, and then she looked at me and her face firmed into resolve.
“I’m certain Beth would not want a person of dubious morals in her daughter’s life.”
I curled in on myself slightly at the sharp, sudden pain of those words. Suddenly, I was the dubious influence? I wasn’t the slam-dunk, home-run, ace-in-the-hole, or any other sportsy analogy—I was the thing that could cost Diesel his family.
My family.
“I’m certain she wouldn’t,” Diesel agreed calmly. “Which is why I wish you’d thought twice before bringing Parrish’s ex along with you, since he clearly has an axe to grind. No one will believe him.”
Brenda frowned, but Terry didn’t look convinced, and I didn’t feel convinced either.
“My husband is loyal and generous,” Diesel continued, “even to those who don’t deserve him, and believe me when I tell you, that piece of trash right there did not deserve him.” He nodded at Payne. “I’m sure if you get to know Parrish, you’ll find that out for yourself.”
The warmth that flooded me at Diesel’s words was almost enough to burn off the cold fear that had gripped me for the last ten minutes… but not quite.
Diesel stepped back, pulling Mari and me with him, and threw the front door wide. “Come on in, Terry. Inspect as much as you like. Try not to get lost between the grand ballroom and the formal dining room.”
“Oh, but—” I protested.
“Baby, we have nothing to hide,” Diesel reminded me. “You’re welcome to come in too, Hunt and Brenda,” he told the Kensingtons. “Though you can keep your comments about my squalor to yourself. Not you,” he said, stepping in front of Payne when he tried to pass the threshold. “You can go crawl back under your rock.”
Payne straightened to his full height—which was, it must be said, half a foot shorter than Diesel’s height. “You’ll be sorry, mark my words. Parrish will turn on you when you least expect it. I trusted him, and he wasn’t there when I needed him most.” He shot me a sideways glance. “He ruined my life.”
Diesel rolled his eyes. “You ruined your own life. Now get off my property—” He lowered his voice so only Payne and I could hear him. “—before I forget to set a good example for the baby.”
“Where’s Marigold’s room?” I heard Brenda ask behind us.
“She doesn’t have one. She’s staying in a crib in the main bedroom temporarily,” Terry told her as they moved in that direction. “It’s definitely not ideal.”
Shit. I turned to go after them to explain about our plans to move or renovate and—was there lube on the nightstand? Oh, Lord, what if we’d left the lube on the nightstand?—but Diesel stopped me with a hand on my arm. He waited until Payne had walked out to the driveway and propped himself against the door of a blue Mercedes, and then he spoke low but sure. “It’s gonna be fine, Parrish. This changes nothing.”
“But what if it’s not fine?” I sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “Maybe you should take my name off the adoption paperwork,” I said in a rush. “It’ll strengthen your case.”
“It won’t,” he said stubbornly. “You and I are married.”
“We could get a divorce,” I blurted. “I have Merchant, Greene, and Chandler on speed dial. We could still be together, just not, you know legally—”
“Parrish,” Diesel said firmly. “I need you to not freak out right now.”
I shook my head. “Yes, no, I know. I’m not freaking out. Are you freaking out? I feel like you should be. I feel like one of us definitely should be.”
“Nope,” Diesel said. “I’m not freaking out at all. Do you know why?”
I shook my head again.
“Because for the first time in my life, someone showed me that there are people in the world willing to do the right thing, even when it risks their heart. Someone showed me that I was worth believing in and fighting for, and that I had what it took to raise this baby—”
I scowled. “Of course you do!”
“Uh-huh. And that amazing someone—you, Parrish—showed me