I’d known someday there would be questions from Teddy about his father. I also knew I’d mentally shoved those away, telling myself I had plenty of time to figure out how to handle that. When Paul hadn’t responded at all, until now, he had made it easy for me to ignore what could happen.

  My fury at the situation churned in my chest. Intellectually, I understood his parents wanting to know their grandson. But I didn’t trust Paul, not even a little. I didn’t know how to navigate this.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Tish

  There was a light knock on my door. “Come in!” I called out.

  Phoebe peered around the door. The moment she met my eyes, her smile faded. She stepped into my office quickly and closed the door behind her. “What’s going on?”

  I opened my mouth to hedge, to find a way to be socially appropriate. Instead, I burst into tears.

  Phoebe was at my desk in a flash, rounding it to lean down and hug me. “What happened?” She stepped back, lingering beside my desk, her worried gaze patient.

  I took a sniffling breath. She reached for the box of tissues on the corner of my desk, handing me one quickly. I blew my nose before looking at her again. I tried to smile, but my lips wobbled.

  She sat down in the chair across from me. “You’re not prone to bursting into tears. Tell me what’s going on. Can I help?”

  I blew my nose again and wiped the tears off my cheeks. I had been vague about Teddy’s father. I studied her for a moment, trying to gather my nerve. Although I knew in my gut what he’d done was a huge violation, it seemed small. I knew minimizing and dismissing the actions of men was par for the course. It often felt like the world wanted us to give shitty men a pass.

  “You know how Teddy’s father ghosted me?”

  Phoebe nodded. “Yeah. Asshole.”

  “He’s definitely an asshole. In a way, it’s been a relief because I didn’t have to deal with what to do if he didn’t ghost me. You know how I got pregnant. When I confronted him, that was the last time we talked. I have crazy mixed feelings about it, I don’t know what to do.” I sighed and shook my head almost to myself.

  When I glanced up at Phoebe, she looked calmly furious. “He’s a fucking asshole, but we already knew that. Did he say where he was in his voicemail?”

  I shook my head. “He’s a commercial fisherman. Well, he was. I don’t even know if he is still doing it, but he was in Fireweed Harbor for the fishing season when we met.” I shrugged. “Anyway, all he said was his parents want to meet Teddy. I just got off the phone with Colin Blackthorne.”

  “Colin will handle it for you. He’s a good attorney,” she said firmly.

  “I’m sure he is. I just don’t know what to tell Paul’s parents. I’m not against them having contact, but I don’t want them to pressure me around Paul.”

  “Tell them what happened. Their response will tell you what kind of people they are,” she said.

  “That’s a good point,” I said slowly.

  “Tell me if I’m being pushy, but I think you should just go ahead and call. I’m a run-straight-at-the-problem kind of person.”

  I smiled over at my friend. “You’re also a trained hotshot firefighter.”

  Phoebe’s eyes twinkled. “What do you think?”

  Just as I was contemplating if I had the nerve to make that call right now, my phone vibrated with another call. As soon as I glanced down at the screen, the anxiety and nausea that I was barely keeping at bay started churning at high speed.

  “Who is it?” Phoebe pressed.

  “Paul,” I said flatly.

  After the call went to voicemail, I stared down at my phone as if it were a venomous snake about to strike. “You think I should just play the message?”

  “Play it.” Phoebe’s calm tone helped me.

  Nausea burned my throat as I tapped the screen and hit play. Just to follow up, I don’t want to be involved, but my parents do. I’ll file for custody if I need to so they can have visits.

  Phoebe’s eyes narrowed, flashing with her anger. “What a fucking loser. You’ve already talked to Colin. Let him handle this.”

  I got through my day, telling myself it would be fine, that somehow Colin would straighten this out for me. I’d updated Colin about the second message from Paul and provided his contact information.

  Late that afternoon, he called me with an update. “He’s worried about child support,” Colin said.

  My laugh was bitter. “I don’t want any money from him, but I want everyone to know the truth.”

  “About how you got pregnant?” Colin prompted.

  “Yes. His parents can have visits, but they’ll have to hear why I don’t want Paul involved.”

  “Understood.”

  I felt so stupid, so painfully stupid. This whole thing brought up so many feelings of shame and embarrassment.

  That night, I missed Griffin. Badly. I missed him most of the time, but I was able to put it to the back of my thoughts when I was busy at work. But tonight, my heart ached with it. I wanted his strength, the way his presence comforted me.

  I didn’t know when he would get my text, but I sent it anyway.

  Me: I miss you.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Griffin

  I re-read Tish’s text with my heart kicking against my ribs.

  I slung my jacket over my shoulders as I walked down the back hallway in the station. We’d landed back in Willow Brook this afternoon. I’d been planning to text and see if I could stop by to see her, but I decided to surprise her.

  “In a hurry?” Chase asked as I walked out to the parking lot.

  I paused beside my brother. “Headed to see Tish.”

  He studied me for a beat, his lips twitching at the corners. “Never seen you like this. You know there’s a bet out there.”

  “On what?” I narrowed my eyes.

  “When you might settle down. You’re the only sibling who hasn’t.”

  As recently as six months ago, I would’ve scoffed at this. Although my passing encounter with Tish when we first met had been powerful, it had seemed like a fluke, almost a mirage. While my draw to her at the time had been startling and unexpected, I certainly hadn’t been thinking about marriage, or getting serious.

  Hearing the entirely not-surprising fact that my siblings were betting on when I might get serious with someone, I simply shrugged. “When the time is right.”

  Chase chuckled just as Hudson came walking out of the back doorway, almost running into Chase. Chase stepped to the side. “Everybody’s in a rush today.”

  “We’ve been out at a fire for two weeks. I’m looking forward to some food that isn’t freeze-dried,” Hudson said dryly. “You guys headed to Wildlands?”

  Chase thumbed toward me. “Griffin’s headed home to his new girlfriend, and I’m going straight home to my wife and kid.”

  “Smart move.” Hudson winked as he walked on by.

  I tugged my keys out of my pocket. “See you soon.”

  As I began to walk away, Chase called, “Dinner with me and Hallie soon?”

  “Anytime. Except tonight,” I added.

  He grinned. “Wasn’t planning on that tonight. I need Hallie all to myself.”

  The drive to Tish’s place was maybe ten minutes. Impatience gnawed at me through every minute of every mile. When I turned down the driveway, I was relieved to see her car there.

  Moments later, when Tish opened the door, I could instantly see the distress in her eyes. She was holding Teddy, and I immediately reached for him. “What’s wrong?”

  She opened her mouth to say something and burst into tears. I held Teddy with one arm. He curled into my shoulder as I reached around and pulled her close, kicking the door shut behind me.

  Tish’s storm of tears passed quickly. When she lifted her head, she took a shaky breath.

  “Paul reached out. He says his parents want to know their grandson. I called Quinn and she put me in touch with Colin. I’m freaking out because I don’t know how I’m going to pay for all this and…” She stepped back, letting her face fall into her hands as she took a shuddering breath before her hands fell away. “I don’t mean to dump all this on you the second you showed up.”

  Teddy squealed and I glanced down at him. I lifted him high in the air, giving him a quick spin to distract him before lowering him back down. “You’re not dumping anything on me. What’s the status on dinner for him and you? Let’s take care of one thing at a time.”

  “I’ve only been home a few minutes. I’m so frazzled that I can’t even think. I know they do a late afternoon snack at daycare, so I should feed him and –” She let out a flustered sigh.

  “I’ll get him a bottle and let’s just order some takeout. No fuss. You’ve had a long day.”

  Her lips curled in a sheepish smile. “I didn’t even know you were coming back today.”

  I adjusted Teddy in my arms as I stepped close again. “I would’ve texted you, but I decided to just come straight here. I missed you,” I whispered against her lips before giving her a lingering kiss.

  She blinked back tears when we broke apart. “I missed you too. A lot.”

  “You don’t need to cry about that,” I teased lightly.

  I could hear the shakiness in her breath and protectiveness rose swiftly inside. I didn’t expect what I said next. “I love you.”

  Tish’s eyes widened, shining with tears. “Oh!” Her hand was resting on my chest and pressed harder before her fingers curled into the fabric of my T-shirt. “I love you too,” she whispered.

  We stared at each other. I could see my surprise reflected back in Tish’s eyes.

  “We didn’t really plan this, did we?” I mused.

  She shook her head. “Not even a little. I certainly didn’t expect the random guy I met on the side of the highway to end up here with me.”

  The moment was broken when Teddy kicked his feet against my thigh. Tish moved to reach for him. “I’ve got him,” I said. “You order pizza. You know I’ll eat anything, so just pick whatever you want. I can feed him.”

  I could see the weariness in her eyes. “This is why you pump at work. Order the pizza and hop in the shower. You’ll feel better.”

  Her weary smile made my heart thump harder. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  A short while later, Tish had put Teddy to bed, pizza had been delivered and eaten, and I was tidying up the kitchen. We even had a brief conversation about her stress about Teddy’s father. The fact that he cavalierly called her like that infuriated me. He had no right, none at all. But I knew that wasn’t how it looked from a legal perspective.

  I was relieved Colin was already involved. I trusted him to handle it.

  When Tish hung the dish towel up and turned to face me, I rested my hands on the counter beside her hips and dipped my head to kiss her. Our tongues tangled lazily. She reached between us, dragging her palm over my lengthening cock.

  “We don’t need to do this tonight,” I whispered.

  I knew she was tired and feeling emotional for reasons that had nothing to do with us.

  “I know, but I want to. I missed you.” She curled her hand around my neck, arching up to meet my lips for another kiss.

  It was messy. Everything moved swiftly with an intensity of emotion whipping the flames burning between us higher and higher. Her gaze held mine as the air shimmered around us when I filled her with a deep thrust. I savored the way she clenched around me and cried out. My own release crashed through me and we trembled together. I held her close, whispering, “I missed you. I love you.”

  After we fell asleep and Teddy’s cries woke me through the baby monitor, I carried him to her and waited up with her while she fed him.

  After she fell asleep, I brought Teddy back to his crib. Once I slipped under the covers, I leaned over to check the baby monitor once more. As I settled into the pillows, a sense of comfort and rightness gusted through me. It felt as if everything was how it was meant to be.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Tish

  “I’ll have…” I paused, lightly tapping my fingertips on the edge of the counter as I scanned the chalkboard behind the counter at Firehouse Café. “A mocha.”

  “Do you want anything to eat?” Janet asked as she began prepping my coffee.

  “I’ll take a cranberry orange muffin.”

  Janet deftly adjusted the knobs on the espresso machine with one hand while reaching for a muffin with the other and putting it in the toaster. Just then, I heard Hallie’s voice behind me.

  “Hey, hey!” She stopped at my side, curling an arm around my shoulder and giving me a quick squeeze. “How are you?” She had a sly twinkle in her eyes.

  “I’m pretty good. How are you?”

  Despite the earthquake Paul’s phone call had set loose inside of me, Griffin and I had a few good nights together and I felt more settled. I told myself denial was a perfectly acceptable coping skill when under stress. It also helped that Colin told me he would handle it and I trusted him. As much as I liked to manage things, in this case, I was simply handing over the entire problem to him and hoping for the best because I didn’t know what else to do.

  “I’m fine. How are things with Griffin?” she asked as her arm slid away from my shoulders and she waggled her brows.

  I felt the heat rising to the surface of my cheeks. I couldn’t even keep myself from smiling. I cleared my throat. “Good. Actually, really good.”

  Her smile widened. “I’m glad to hear that. Griffin is a great guy.”

  “I know,” I said, thinking of how he got up with me during the night and dozed on the pillows beside me while I nursed Teddy.

  Phoebe came in, followed by Maisie, Amelia, and Madison. We ended up deciding to get a table. I had a little cushion of time before I needed to be in the office. When we sat down, I experienced a sensation that was becoming familiar, a brief moment where I felt like I had forgotten something extremely important.

  I gave my head a little shake, and Amelia noticed. “What is it?”

  “Ever since I started going back to work and taking Teddy to daycare, this weird thing happens where I’ll think I forgot something, but I didn’t. He’s basically been an extra limb for months. It’s a little weird not having him with me all the time. I love him, but it’s nice having a little break.”

  Amelia nodded vigorously. “I totally get it. I thought I was going to climb out of my skin after the first few months. I was so relieved that I had my mom and Cade’s parents to help. Without them…” She let out a hearty sigh. “I don’t know what I would do.”

  “My mom came up for two weeks at the beginning, but she’s still working so she can’t be here full-time. I bet it’s really nice having your parents close,” I replied.

  “It is, but we still do daycare. They all have things going on and they work. I am not cut out for the stay-at-home mom thing. I feel like I’m a much better mom when I’m working. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I am really freaking tired, but I can enjoy it more and not feel burnt out on it,” she explained.

  I smiled over at Amelia. “I love your take. That helps me with my guilt.”

  The conversation carried on. I didn’t know why, but a sense of unease slid through me a few minutes later. I checked my watch, noting I needed to leave for work soon. I glanced around the table before looking toward the doorway to the café. My stomach plummeted and nausea rose in my throat.

  “Are you okay?” Phoebe asked from my side.

  I swallowed through the acid burning in my throat. “That’s Paul,” I whispered under my breath.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Tish

  A few minutes later, I stood in the parking lot beside my vehicle. My arms were crossed tightly and my eyes pinned on Paul.

  “I thought we should talk,” he was saying.

  “Paul, you ignored my texts. It’s been over a year. You can’t just show up like this and demand to be involved. You can talk to my attorney.”

  “Come on,” he cajoled.

  “No. You know how I got pregnant and I don’t intend to hide it. I’m not opposed to your parents being involved.” I paused and tried to breathe. “You’re not calling the shots. You have my attorney’s number.”

  Just then, Griffin’s truck pulled up beside my car, a little gravel kicking up behind his tires. In seconds, he was by my side. “Leave Tish alone,” he said, his tone low.

  “Who the fuck are you?” Paul countered.

  “That’s none of your fucking business.” I could feel Griffin’s anger rippling under the surface.

  “I can deal with this,” I said under my breath.

  He glanced to me quickly, fury burning in his gaze. His anger wasn’t directed toward me, but I felt like he was stepping in too fast and trying to take over.

  Paul glanced between us, his eyes narrowing. “What? Are you two a couple?”

  I didn’t want to have this conversation with Paul. I was furious with him for showing up like this and didn’t trust him, not even for a second. “That’s none of your fucking business,” I repeated Griffin’s comment.

  Paul studied me for a few beats. “I’ll talk to your lawyer. I don’t want anything to do with your baby, but my parents do, so this is for them.”

  As he drove away, I was shaking. Griffin curled an arm around my shoulders. “Colin will handle this. Phoebe called me, if you’re wondering why I’m here,” he added.

  I took a slow breath. I couldn’t make sense of my feelings. I was relieved Griffin was here, but it also felt as if all of this was spiraling out of control. Much as I loved Teddy with my whole heart, a baby was a shocking lesson in learning how much you couldn’t control. One tiny human ran my life now and I was terrified Paul’s interference might hurt us.