time. Maybe the difference will make things work?”
Her scathing laugh said she didn’t believe it at all.
My heart raced in my chest, and I willed my hands not to tremble. She was just guessing. She didn’t know a thing.
“Don’t be absurd. I’m not sleeping with a man.”
“You’re right. He’s young enough to be your son. Is that why you can’t keep wives, Charles, because you love playing with boys?”
My mouth went dry at how close she was to the truth. Poppy couldn’t be trusted. She already had the baby held over my head. I wouldn’t allow her to weaponize my sexual preferences too.
“Don’t be absurd,” I snapped at her. “That’s Owen’s son. Owen’s Declan’s husband.”
She hesitated, her uncertainty showing, but that was all I needed to drive my point home.
“Do you think I’d ever mess with someone so close in the family?”
“Hmm.” She wagged a finger in my direction. “I got my eye on you, Charles. Now this little brat makes me exhausted, so I’ll take a nap. Can you make dinner reservations for two at that place you really like?”
“I think we should dine in tonight.”
“Oh, you thought I meant for us? I was actually thinking of asking Leland to join me for dinner.” At the door, she stopped and blew me a kiss. “And, Charles, darling? My next doctor’s appointment is on Wednesday. I know you so love coming to these appointments.”
She breezed out of the room and closed the door quietly. I let out a string of expletives. None of which made me feel any better. I knew what I had to do. I needed to let Poppy go and hope for the best for that baby.
I opened my drawer and shuffled some papers aside until I found what I wanted. I removed the sonogram and stared at the little form I’d wanted since the moment I learned of her existence.
That day at the doctor’s office, when he’d asked if we wanted to know the sex Poppy had said she didn’t care. She’d had no interest as she’d had kept texting. The doctor had revealed it was a girl.
I knew that baby could grow up to claim whatever gender they felt suited them fine, and I’d be okay and supportive of that. Just as I’d been supportive when Declan came out as gay. It was possibly the only thing with him I hadn’t messed up.
And I hoped like crazy I didn’t mess up being a father a second time around. That needed to be my focus and not chasing after a younger man I couldn’t have.
No matter how much he made me laugh. Or that he’d taken me out on one of the best dates I’d ever had. No matter how my body responded to his touch or the way he hurt me when he was inside me but ended up giving me an intense sexual experience, the likes of which I’d never thought possible.
It had happened, and now I had to let him go, especially given Poppy’s questions. She was the last person on earth who I wanted to discover our secret.
Chapter 20
Auggie
“Quite an impressive résumé you have here.” I kept my face passive as my interviewer, Brody Schmidt, CEO of AIM Financial Corporation, studied me, then returned his attention to my portfolio. “Why exactly did JMM let you go?”
JMM Corporation was the company I worked for back in Columbus—the one I’d hoped would expand into Cincinnati but had chosen Cleveland instead.
“Actually, I resigned from the post.” I interlaced my fingers in my lap, not wanting him to see them trembling.
“Ah, that’s right. And why did you give up your position there?”
I patiently explained about my wish to be closer to my family.
“And how can we be certain you won’t get bored of Cincinnati and leave again?”
“Unfortunately, none of us really can say where we will end up a week from now. Even a day from now. What I can say is that I intend to make Cincinnati my home, and should your company hire me, for as long as I’d work here, I’ll see to it that I get the job done.”
I had a good feeling about this job ever since I got the call two days ago to come for an interview at their office downtown. The salary range was just below what I was used to at JMM, but I’d been working at my former job since college.
AIM was also a smaller company in comparison to JMM, both in their staffing and net