He paced the length of the bench before us, battling with himself. “Fucking hell, man Bailey is going to chop something off of me…”

“I don’t care, bro! You’re fucking scaring me!”

“It’s not really my place—”

“Gage.” My tone had the death threat warning that stopped his pacing.

“Paige is…” he swallowed hard like the words were spikes coming out of his mouth. “Pregnant.”

I fell down, my ass hitting the bench with a loud smack. The edges of my vision went blurry—shiny like a sparkling fog had suddenly filled the locker room. Pregnant. The word repeated itself in my head and my heart raced. The image of a green-eyed, redheaded princess popped behind my fog covered eyes—she’d have a laugh like her mother’s. And a temper like mine.

“Rory?” Gage’s hand was on my shoulder, but his voice sounded far away.

The vision turned. One where Paige was left to raise our daughter alone all because I’d thought she’d be better off without me. No fucking way. She was mine. And if took an eternity I’d spend every day making up for all the shit I’d fucked up.

“Fuck, she thinks I don’t care about her!” I stood up, my eyes clearing. “She thinks I used her.”

“Wasn’t that your goal?” Gage said, looking at me with a smug face.

“I really am an asshole.”

He nodded. “There is time to make this right.”

“Right,” I said the word, withdrawing into myself. How could I possibly prove it to her? Prove to her I loved her more than anything on this entire fucking planet? A light clicked on in my overcrowded brain, and I snapped my eyes to Gage. “I know what I have to do.”

I just hoped it would be enough.

 

 

Chapter 18

 

 

Paige

 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk to—” Kelsey stopped speaking as I eyed her from the office in my home. She’d come with me when I’d left CranBaby with the intention of working for me at Wilson and Rowe. I had yet to accept their offer, though. I was currently content to wrap up some projects from home as I figured out the best course of action for us next.

I smoothed my hand over my tummy, as I did every time I thought the word us instead of me. My life had changed in the course of a few weeks, but I wouldn’t take a second of it back.

Maybe Rory. I might take him back.

I shoved the thought away, remembering how he wouldn’t even make time for me when I’d come to his practice, ready to tell him about the baby. I wasn’t going to ask him for anything. I just thought he had the right to know. Whether he cared or not, that would be up to him.

You know he would care.

I forced the voice in my head to shut up. She was such a traitor, always pulling up memories that proved he loved me. How could she believe that when all recent evidence pointed to the contrary. He’d said he was fucking dating! He moved on quicker than I could blink.

“I apologize,” I said, realizing Kelsey was still standing there. “What were you saying?”

“He called again.”

I sighed. Rory had tried to call every day for the past week. I’d ignored him. And the flowers. And the attempt when he knocked on my door earlier in the week. I’d given him an olive branch at the practice that day, and he’d thrown it in the garbage…just like me. I couldn’t continue to play his game and let him hurt me all over again. Especially now that I was responsible for more than one heart.

“That’s unfortunate.” I pulled up my email on my Mac, prepared to write to the contractors about my inability to continue funding the project of my dreams. I’d pooled all the resources and assets I had, and it hadn’t been enough to see the project to completion, even with my considerable savings. I’d been avoiding writing this email all week. “Please continue to ignore the calls. And make me aware if he shows up on the property again, all right?”

She looked down at me with worry in her eyes. “Maybe he’s sorry.”

“Maybe he is. Maybe I don’t care.”

“I think you do.” Now she was starting to sound like Bailey and Jeannine.

“Thanks for your concern, Kelsey. But I’m fine. Everything is fine.” I eyed her, and she gave me one nod, turning to leave the office.

An email from my head contractor was at the top of my inbox when I opened it, and I squinted, reading it three times to be sure I’d read it right. “Kelsey!” I screamed, and she ran back into the room.

“What?” She asked out of breath.

“This email says the project has been fully funded and paid up through the rest of the year.” I pointed at the text from my contractor. “Did my father call?”

She shook her head. “Not once. He’s out on the east coast I believe.”

I searched the letter again for a source of where the income had come from but came up empty. “Could you find out who supplied these funds, please?” I pointed to the screen and stepped away from the computer.

I walked into the kitchen, reaching for my cell. My thumb hovered over my father’s contact for a few minutes. Had he done this? Was this his way of trying to mend the burnt bridge between us? I hadn’t spoken to him since I’d left the company and a rock lodged itself in my throat at the thought. I hit the button, and it only rang once before he answered.

“Paige? Are you all right?” He asked without saying hello.

“I’m fine, father. I called to see if you were responsible?”

“For what?”

“For paying off my contractors. For supplying funds for the rest of my project.”

He sighed. “No, Paige. I had given that some thought, but I didn’t want you to think I was attempting to takeover what you started. If you will allow me, I would love to discuss a way in which I can help. Perhaps even discuss you coming back—”

“I can’t.” I took a deep breath.

“Word is you haven’t taken the position at Wilson and Rowe, yet.”

“I’m taking some personal time to think.”

“Good. That’s good. You should.” Silence took up the other end of the line for so long I thought we’d gotten disconnected. “I am sorry, Paige. I’ve never regretted anything more.”