Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Nicholas giggled and repeated the motion.
Taylor laughed. “Do you like it?”
Nicholas nodded.
He ruffled my son’s hair. “Well, good. I love you, little buddy.”
That squeezed my heart. Oh, Taylor, I hope you love him even more when you find out he’s your brother.
As Nicholas skipped away to play with the iguana, Taylor turned to me. He placed his hands on his hips. “So…”
I blew some air up into my hair. “So?”
He smirked. “Adam told me you agreed to go out with him Saturday night.”
I exhaled. “I did.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to marry the guy, B. Just have some fun. You spend your days taking care of Nicholas, which is obviously the priority, but you need to get out more. You’re too damn young to be cooped up the way you are.”
He made himself at home, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge. “On that note, I meant to tell you Juliana and I can babysit whenever you need us. She said to make sure you knew. And that includes this Saturday night.”
“She’s looking for practice, huh?” I teased.
If Taylor and Juliana had a kid, Tate would be a grandfather. That was wild.
“She might be.” He laughed. “But we both agreed it won’t be happening anytime soon.”
“Unless you get lucky, like me.” I winked.
“Anyway, we’re serious about the babysitting thing.”
“I appreciate that, but I have it covered.” Your father is watching him.
I was relieved that he didn’t ask who so I didn’t have to lie.
“Well, I was glad to hear you agreed to go,” he continued after a moment. “I felt like you two were vibing the other night.”
I cleared my throat. “He’s a nice guy.”
“He’s very into you. I probably shouldn’t be ratting him out like that, but he won’t stop talking about how hot you are during our lunch breaks at work. It’s fucking annoying.”
I forced a smile, but couldn’t exactly return the sentiment. Adam was a good-looking guy. When it came to looks and sexual attraction, though, nothing compared to the way I felt about Tate.
Every second Taylor stayed to chat made me more and more nervous. There was no reason Tate would show up here, but I’d been on edge about that possibility since the first time he dropped by unannounced. I reminded myself that Taylor had been away then, and Tate was smart enough not to risk dropping by now.
“The thing is, even though you shouldn’t be taking anything too seriously right now, I wouldn’t set you up with someone who had no potential for the future,” Taylor explained. “Like, if things were to work out between you guys, I do think he’d be father material. It’s important that you don’t waste time with someone who doesn’t like kids.”
“Yeah, you’re definitely getting ahead of yourself, my friend.”
“I know. I know. Just saying, even for a casual thing, it’s not worth your time if the guy’s an asshole or doesn’t want children. Because ultimately, you’re a package deal, whether you like it or not.”
“Thanks for likening me to this week’s special at the supermarket.”
“You know what I mean.” He laughed.
“I do. I’m just kidding, and I know you mean well.”
Except Nicholas already has a father and won’t ever need a replacement.
Chapter 30
* * *
TATE
My mother sat across from me in tears.
Her reaction was more emotional than I’d expected, although I was probably an idiot for not realizing what was going to happen. How else do you react when you find out you have a grandchild you never knew existed? I was an only child, so any grandchildren had to come from me. Mom had likely assumed Taylor would be it for her.
“I remember you telling me you’d met that younger woman at the resort,” she said, pulling herself together. “Even over the phone, you sounded very taken with her. I can’t believe she was Taylor’s Blair.”
Taylor’s Blair.
Talk about guilt. I felt those words in the pit of my stomach.
“Had you met Blair before?” I asked.
“Only one time before his wedding. I can understand why you were so enamored with her. She’s absolutely beautiful.”
“She is, and she’s amazing inside and out. Also mature for her age.”
Mom wiped her eyes. “Do you have any photos of my grandson?”
“I do.” I smiled, taking out my phone.
I scrolled through and found a photo I’d taken of Nicholas playing in the sandbox. He was smiling and looking straight into the camera. Feeling almost giddy, I handed her the phone.
She covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”
“I know.”
“He looks so much like you at that age.”
I grinned. “He does.”
“I’d ask how it’s possible that Taylor hasn’t noticed, but I don’t think he’s ever seen your baby photos. At least, I’ve never showed him any.”
“Not sure even the resemblance would lead him to the right conclusion. Taylor has no reason to believe I was at the resort the same week Blair was. He and I hadn’t fully reconnected back then, so I hadn’t told him about my impromptu trip.”