The Baby Pact (Babies and Billions #5) - Holly Rayner Page 0,55

reassured.

“About my family,” she said. “I think it’s time we let them know about us.”

Zach sat down on the couch beside her. He had been fearing this day for a long time, but of course he had known that it would come.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked.

“They’re going to have to know about it eventually,” she pointed out. “All we’re really doing by waiting is making it harder on ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I’ve been so worried about their reaction.”

“I’ve been stressed about it too,” Zach admitted.

“Then the best thing for us to do is to just tell them,” Rhea said. “Get it out of the way and move on.”

“What if they don’t take it well?” Zach asked.

“Oh, I’m sure they won’t,” she said. “But I’d rather give them as much time as possible to come around on the idea before the baby is born. I don’t want to be dealing with this when I’m nine months pregnant, or when we have an infant to take care of. I want to get past it, if we can.”

Zach nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “This is the best way to go. How do you want to tell them?”

“I’d like it if we could go over there together,” she said. “Show them a united front, and make it clear to them that no matter how they react, you and I are in this together. I don’t want them getting the idea that they have a shot at talking me out of being with you.”

Zach closed his eyes. “It’s good to hear you say that,” he said.

“You didn’t really think that I’d let them change my mind, did you?” Rhea asked.

“I don’t know,” Zach said. “It’s family. Family is powerful.”

Rhea reached out and took his hand. “You’re my family now,” she told him firmly. “You, me, and the baby. We’re family. I’m not going to let anything get in the way of that.”

Chapter 20

Zach

“Don’t be nervous,” Rhea said, squeezing his hand.

Zach snorted. There was absolutely no chance that he wasn’t going to be nervous about facing her family.

Rhea seemed to realize the unlikelihood of what she had asked. “All right,” she conceded. “Be nervous. But you trust me, right?”

“Of course I do,” Zach said.

“Then trust that everything is going to be okay,” she said.

They heard footsteps approaching from the far side of the door. Then the lock turned and the door opened.

Rhea’s brother Stephen stood on the other side. Though Zach had only met him once, years ago, he had seen photos of him plenty of times around Rhea’s apartment, and he felt as if they were already well acquainted.

Apparently, Stephen recognized him too. His eyes flicked from Zach to Rhea.

“Oh, man,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re really doing this?”

“I’m really doing this,” Rhea said firmly.

“Dad’s not going to like it.”

“He’s the father of my child, Stephen,” Rhea said. “Dad’s going to have to deal with it.”

“What am I going to have to deal with?”

Zach felt himself grow tense. Rhea’s father had appeared in the hallway.

Rhea stepped forward slightly. “Dad,” she said. “I’m sure you remember Zach Danes.”

She sounded so confident, so sure of herself. Zach had never felt more proud of her than he did in that moment.

“I remember,” Tom Wilson said, his voice frosty. “Why is he here?”

“Can we come in?” Rhea asked. “I’d rather discuss this in the living room than standing in the doorway.”

Her father hesitated, and for a moment Zach thought he was actually going to tell her that they had to leave.

“All right,” he said at length. “Come inside.” He turned and walked away without another word.

Rhea turned to Zach. “That could have gone worse,” she said under her breath.

Stephen let out a long, low whistle. “I’d better go get Mom,” he said.

Rhea and Zach followed Rhea’s father into the living room. By the time they had arrived, Tom was already sitting down, his hands fisted in his lap.

“Dad,” Rhea said. “Don’t be angry.”

“If you didn’t want me to be angry, you shouldn’t have brought him here,” her father said.

“You know we’re having a baby together,” Rhea said.

“And you know how I feel about that,” Tom said. “I thought we had an understanding. I thought you had agreed not to have any further involvement with him, beyond what was strictly necessary for the sake of your child.”

“Dad, I love him,” Rhea said. “We’re in love.”

Her father’s face was like a slab of granite. “I can’t