Merger to Marriage (Boardrooms and Billi - By Addison Fox Page 0,23
got on famously.”
“Teddy Craddick is someone I admire a great deal. It’s why the fact that we’ve never been able to put a deal together sticks in my gut so badly.”
Mayson stared at the front door, where Teddy had disappeared through the entryway. “Perhaps he’s rethinking that. He certainly seemed interested in what you had to say.”
“Maybe so.” Thoughts of doing a deal with Craddick vanished as the news of the morning returned to hit him full-force. “Look, Mayson. I meant what I said. We’re going to figure out the baby. I’m not going to leave you to go through this by yourself.”
A gentle smile creased her lips. “You say that now. Take the time to think about it. We don’t owe each other anything, and I have no expectations of you.”
“Maybe so, but I owe my child something.”
…
I owe my child something.
Holt’s words continued to rattle around in her mind as Mayson got ready after her shower. The house had woken up and she could already hear the festivities starting up out on the lawn.
A brisk knock pulled her from the mirror where she applied her makeup. “Mayson! Open up.”
She opened the door to find both of her sisters on the other side. “Why aren’t you downstairs, Keira? I can see the party’s getting back into full swing.”
“I told her she needed to get up here.” Camryn lightly pushed Keira through the door before closing it behind her.
“What’s wrong?” Keira glanced around the room.
“Nothing.” Mayson waved them both to the bed. The expectant looks shooting her way from Camryn had another one of those crazy waves of emotion swamping her, and the stress of the morning and telling Holt escaped in a rush. “Nothing’s wrong. But. Well. I’m pregnant.”
“You’re what?” Keira leaped off the bed and raced toward her, pulling her into a tight hug. “With who? And when? And wow.” Keira pulled back and dashed a hand across her cheeks. “How did Camryn find out first?”
“I just officially found out now, with you.”
Mayson felt herself pulled into another tight hug before Camryn stood back.
“But I had a heads-up there might be news.”
She sat them both down and caught Keira up, then filled them both in on how Holt took the news.
“Jerk.” Keira clenched her fists. “I know he can be cold at times, but I’d never have expected this.”
The strangest urge rose up to defend Holt. “We don’t know each other, K. We slept together once and here I am springing the news of a baby on him.”
Keira shook her head, her own defenses clearly stamped on her face. “He was still low for thinking the baby wasn’t his.”
“Yeah.” Mayson nodded, that particular component of his reaction still striking a bad chord. “He gets big asshole points for that. But he wants to be a part of the baby’s life. Says he wants to help me.”
Her sisters murmured their agreement and their own pledges of help before Mayson pointed toward the windows, the sounds of the party rising up from outside. “Look. This is all new and it’s going to take a few weeks to figure out. In the meantime, there’s a party going on. Let’s go enjoy a bit of it.”
After another round of supportive hugs and promises that they’d be there for her and the baby, Mayson closed the door behind both women before turning to lean against it. She would figure this out. And she would find a way to merge motherhood with her life, career, and interests.
A burst of hope welled in her breast as she placed both hands over her stomach. They would be fine. Even if the responsibility for her child fell solely to her.
…
Holt set his slim tablet on the small conference table before crossing the room to shake Teddy’s hand once more. “I appreciate you taking the time to discuss my proposal, even if the venue isn’t exactly convenient.”
Teddy’s big, booming laugh rose up as he poured himself a glass of tonic water off the sidebar. “Men like us don’t rest simply because of a social event, now do we?”
“You’re right about that.” Of course, Holt hadn’t been to many social events where he was told he was going to be a father, either, so perhaps he needed to chalk this entire weekend up to strange and unusual. Even so, he’d never felt more alive.
The thought hit him with a hard jab to the stomach and he fought to right his errant thoughts. When had the surprise of a baby