His Best Friend's Sister in the Show Me State - Jessie Gussman Page 0,4

cat, pretty white with tabby orange spots on it, came around the corner of the brown flowerbeds.

Athena hadn’t spent too much time around his parents. It was her understanding that Preston didn’t spend too much time around them either, for the reasons that Joyce just mentioned.

They had money, and they weren’t afraid to use it to try to get their way.

“All right. I’ll give you that,” Preston said grudgingly. “Why now?”

“Because I’ve been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and the doctor has given me three months. But he said that was probably a generous estimate.”

Preston reacted about the same way Athena had.

His eyes got huge, and he looked at Joyce, really looked at her. “Three months?”

She nodded.

When she told Athena, she’d cried.

She seemed to be coming to grips with the reality of her life because her eyes were dry.

She had lost weight, although she still didn’t look sick, but she needed high doses of painkillers most of the time for the headaches, and her balance had been getting worse almost on a daily basis. Joyce had told Athena the doctors said her tumor was fast-growing and aggressive.

“I know. You can’t see it. But I’m not going to starve to death because of the tumor. It’s just gonna take me a little every day. I’ll be surprised if I’m walking next month this time.”

The doctor had said her motor functions would go, and in the papers that Athena had read, it said that possibly her ability to swallow would be affected.

The growth of the tumor was documented. The areas it would attack next were not.

Preston might be hungover, and he might have a pounding headache, if the lines between his brows were any indication, but he definitely wasn’t slow.

“You want me to get to know the boy.”

“Yes,” Joyce said. “And I want you take him. He’s yours. I raised him up until this point. You’re going to have to take over from here.”

“Whoa. Whoa, whoa.” Preston put his hands up and straightened off the post that he’d been leaning on. “Does this look like the kind of man you want raising your son?” He pointed his fingers up and down his body.

Athena could answer that question.

No.

That was absolutely not the kind of man she wanted raising her son. She wanted the old Preston.

Actually, she didn’t need crystal-pure Preston.

She just wanted Preston who wasn’t intent on drinking himself to death. Who stopped focusing on himself and was once again able to look at the world and see people he could help, challenges he could face, and mountains he could climb.

The cat had made it up the steps, and it weaved in and out of Athena’s legs.

Athena reached down and petted it. Someone was feeding it because it looked healthy and sleek.

It wasn’t afraid of her and pushed into her hand. Its throat vibrated in a soft purr. Looking at Preston now, a body would have trouble believing that he might be an animal person, but knowing him like she had back before the accident with Shane, she was pretty sure this cat was probably his.

Maybe there was hope for him after all.

“You’re the father. Why wouldn’t you take him?” Joyce’s tone was accusatory. “Are you denying that he’s yours?”

“I... I... This is... You have to know this is a huge surprise. I’m not exactly set up to be a father.”

“Well, you have three months. At the most.” Joyce glanced over at Athena, and her eyes seemed to plead with Athena to take it from here.

Athena allowed herself to sigh inside, but she didn’t allow her dismay to show on her face.

She didn’t want to be the one to say what else needed to be said. But she would.

The cat stepped into her lap.

Athena rubbed its ears absently.

Then she took it in her arms and stood. If she were going to be assertive and take control of the situation, she couldn’t do it sitting down.

“That’s not all. But that’s part of the reason why we have several suggestions. You don’t know Liam, and he doesn’t know you. And he doesn’t have much time to get to know you before you’re going to be his sole guardian. And yes, your name is on the birth certificate.”

Preston’s eyes widened, like he hadn’t even considered that. But then he looked away, his arms crossed over his chest, his shoulder once again leaning against the post. Athena stroked the cat in her arms. It snuggled down and purred against her chest.

“All right, Sergeant Princess, give it