I’m sitting on my patio, having some coffee and going through emails, enjoying a quiet morning while Lucas is at the gym. I took a few days off from work to spend time with him before he moved to New York and for the most part, I haven’t been needed at work.

  I lean back in my chair and stare into the massive pool that sits behind my house just as I hear my front door close and, “Dad?” being called through the house.

  My head snaps towards the source of the sound just in time to see Raegan sliding the screen door open and stepping outside. Her dark hair is pulled into a sleek bun behind her head and she’s wearing what looks like a men’s t-shirt as a dress and sneakers, which surprises me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen her not in some sort of heel unless she’s going to the gym. For a moment, I’m rendered speechless at how much she looks like her mother. I stand and hold my hands out to her.

  “Rae.” She rushes into my arms like she’s been wanting to do it for days.

  “I’m sorry, I snapped at you on the phone!” She cries into my shirt and I press my lips to her forehead, holding her tighter.

  “Why are you crying? Water under the bridge. What’s going on, huh? Here, sit down.” I pull a chair out for her and she sits diagonal from me. “Are you hungry? Want something to drink?”

  “No.” She shakes her head and puts her bag on the table, a Louis Vuitton tote I bought her for her birthday a few years ago that she had to have or she’d die. Her words.

  She pulls a bottle of water out of her bag and takes a long sip. “Dad.” She scrunches her nose and I notice that all of her freckles are out which means she’s been out in the sun lately. “Lucas isn’t here, is he?”

  “No, he’s at the gym. Just us here.”

  “Good, he’ll just…” She shakes her head. “Dad, I want you to know that first and foremost, I’m excited. I…I know you’re not going to be at first, but I think once you get to know Wes and realize this is for real, you’ll breathe easier.”

  Anxiety bubbles inside of me. She got married or she’s pregnant. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

  Okay, deep breaths.

  “Just give it to me straight.”

  She nods. “Okay.” She lets out a breath. “I’m pregnant.”

  I blink several times at her and flex my hands just as many times, trying to get a hold of all of the mixed feelings coursing through me.

  At least, she’s graduated from high school and college! She has a stable job and a health plan. She’s an adult.

  Yeah, who got pregnant by the first guy—

  First guy? Yeah okay, Theo.

  What if he doesn’t treat her right? She barely knows him! Then she’ll be connected to him forever. With a baby!

  But a baby! You love babies. And this one you won’t be responsible for. You get to give this one back to its parents when it cries!

  “Dad?” She breaks the back and forth inside my head, sliding her hand on top of mine and gives it a gentle squeeze. “You okay? Are you in shock?”

  “I—no.” I let out a breath. “I’m good. Just…caught off guard. I think?” I rub my forehead. “Honey, was this…planned? I just—”

  “No! No. I mean, we weren’t trying for this…” She winces. “But we weren’t really trying all that hard to not—” She looks up in the air.

  I put my hands up. “Ah ah ah. No.” I point at her. “I don’t need the uhh…details.”

  “Dad, you’re not going to get all weird about it like when you tried to give me the sex talk?”

  “I wasn’t weird,” I defend.

  “Uh…well…you see…when a man and woman love each other very much,” she imitates me and clears her throat, “ask your mother.”

  “Well, you clearly did not take my advice!” I say, standing up.

  “How do you figure?” She stands up and lifts her chin, trying to appear tall but I’m still at least a foot taller than her.

  “You love this guy?!”

  “Yes!”

  “Oh, really?” I ask, quirking an eyebrow at her.

  “Yes! Dad…I know it seems like we haven’t been together that long, but we’ve known each other for a while.” Well, that makes me feel slightly better. “And we were exploring things for a while before we made it official.” She blushes. That does not.

  “Raegan Marie, please spare me.” I glare at her.

  “Sorry.” She sits back down and looks up at me and the tears in her blue eyes gut me. “I need you to be on board with this. Mom is going to freak the fu–hell out and you know I can’t handle her without help. Lucas is going to handle it whatever way you do. I need you on my side.”

  I sit down and lean forward to grab her hand in mine. “I am always on your side, Rae.” Her shoulders sag like she’s had the weight of the world on her shoulders and hearing my words removes some of it. “Is that the reason for the ring? Honey, I am not concerned about you being pregnant and not married—if that’s what this is about? I mean yes, I would prefer—”

  “Dad…” She interrupts and she gives me a small smile. “Wes and I have been talking about getting married since before I got pregnant.” She bites her bottom lip, even as her lips tick upwards. “I am so crazy about him, Dad. And I know, it’s uncomfortable with him being your age, and I wish I could make that less weird for you.”

  “I’ll get over it, I guess.” I cock my head to the side, my mind going back to a time, what feels like a hundred years ago when she looked up at me with those bright blue eyes and asked me to pick her up and put her on my shoulders.

  “We really tried to stay away from each other especially with it being against the code of ethics and—”

  I’m vaguely aware she’s still talking but my ears perk up at that. “Wait wait wait, Rae, back the hell up. Code of ethics? You work for him?!” I stand up again because now I’ve got a fuck ton of different questions.

  She blanches. “So, this is going to be the hard sell.” She nods. “I knew there was going to be one.”

  “Don’t be cute, Rae. Explain.”

  “Okay, so…yes, he’s my boss technically.”

  “Oh my God, Raegan. That’s what all this is? You know how this looks? He got his subordinate pregnant, and to prevent himself from getting fired, he’s talked you into selling some bullshit fairytale? I know you’re smarter than this!”

  “WHAT?” I hear from the kitchen and then Lucas is coming through the screen door as Avery lingers in the doorjamb. Good fucking grief. I don’t need this right now.

  “I’m so sorry, I can go.” Avery starts to shut the screen.

  “No wait!” Raegan says to Avery who looks like a deer in the headlights at what to do and I know Raegan is thinking that Lucas and I won’t fly off the handle if she sticks around. Avery stands in the doorway as Lucas comes to stand next to me, his arms crossed.

  “Dad, Luke, I know you guys are just trying to protect me,” Raegan starts, “but that’s not what’s happening here. I told you, we were already together before we got pregnant. We’ve been together for months. We’ve gone to human resources. I was saying in the beginning we did have to hide it, but now they know. Everyone knows. They can’t fire Wes. He owns the company.”

  “He reports to someone, a board of trustees or whatever and they can absolutely force him out for misconduct,” I tell her.

  “At least the guy’s got money,” Lucas says as he looks at me with a shrug.

  I shut my eyes as irritation at both of them flares through me. “I’m sorry, did you two forget how you were raised? Since when do Rae or you, might I add, need anyone else for money? You both have always done a very good job at asking me for it.”

  Avery snickers from the corner and Lucas looks at her with a playful glare and she shrugs.

  “It’s not about the money, and Dad, I haven’t asked you for money in probably a year,” Raegan argues.

  “Honey, you moved out six months ago and in with your boyfriend.” I lower my gaze. “I’ll give you a thousand dollars right now if you can tell me how much Wes pays for rent or a mortgage.”

  Raegan stands and puts her hands on her hips. “I know, but I am not going to tell you.”

  Lucas chuckles. “Unbelievable.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, and Dad shelled out how much money for your apartment in New York?” Raegan snaps.

  “Yeah, while I was in school! He paid for your college housing too, Rae. I’m taking over the mortgage for it now.”

  “Look,” I interrupt, before they continue with this back and forth, “we are getting off topic. You are both spoiled as hell. That is not the point. I am happy that I’ve been able to do whatever I can for you and will always do that.”

  “Yeah, the point is you got knocked up by your sugar daddy!” Lucas says and though I hear the joking in his tone, it’s too much.

  “Lucas,” I grit out and Raegan’s eyes well up with tears.

  “That is not what happened.” She stamps her foot. “This is why I wanted to talk to Dad alone about this. You’re such a dick, Lucas.” She grabs her bag, trying to sniffle back her tears.

  “Rae—” I start, following her, hating my part in making her upset.

  She turns around. “Bye Dad. I’ll call you later.” She gives me a quick hug before turning towards Avery. “See you, Ave.” She presses her cheek to Avery’s and makes a kissing noise before she turns around and looks at me and then Lucas with a sneer. “Maybe if you weren’t such an asshole, you’d actually have a shot with her.”

  Lucas gives her his middle finger but I can see the anger in his eyes and I sigh because both of my children have gone way too fucking far and I know just where to unleash my annoyance as I follow Raegan into the house.

  “Too far.” I grit out, closing the glass door behind us to give us a bit of privacy and leaving Lucas and Avery outside to deal with the awkwardness of Raegan’s comment.

  “Oh please,” she says. “We’re still pretending that he doesn’t follow her around like a freaking puppy begging for affection?” She opens up the refrigerator and grabs a sparkling water. “We’re all too old for it.”

  “You need to apologize.”

  “For what!” She whines. “He started it. Wes is not my Sugar Daddy.”

  “I’m going to make him apologize too.” I cross my arms. “And the difference is, you believe there’s truth to what you said. He was just making a jab at his age. I don’t think Lucas really thinks he’s your…that.” I cringe, not wanting to say it out loud.

  “Fine.” She sighs. “I’m still leaving though. I’m tired.”

  “How are you feeling by the way? How far along are you?”

  “Eight weeks and pretty great actually. Some morning…and afternoon sickness. That’s why I bailed on Avery’s grad party.”

  “You’ve been to the doctor?”

  “Yep, twice. I go in again at eleven weeks.”

  “I remember.” I nod with a smile. “I’m going to be a grandfather?”

  “Unless Mom has been lying about paternity all these years.” She gives me a smug grin and I roll my eyes before I pull her in for a hug.

  “I spit you and Lucas out; I wouldn’t even believe a paternity test that said otherwise. You look too much like me. Now, go apologize to your brother.” I press a kiss to her forehead.

  “Whatever.” She grumbles before she slides the door open. “Sorry, asshole!” She calls out, and Lucas, who’s seated on one of the pool chairs with Avery lying out next to him, waves before flipping her off again.

  She closes the sliding door. “Happy?”

  “You think he still loves her?” I ask her, ignoring her sarcasm. Raegan has always been perceptive and picked up on everything. She had a nasty habit of eavesdropping on conversations as a kid, which is how she found out about her mother’s affair.

  “Lucas? Yeah, Dad. I think he’s still crazy about her.”

  “He says he doesn’t have feelings for her anymore.”

  “And you believe him?”

  “He’s twenty-one, if he tells me something, what reason would I have not to believe him? Furthermore, what reason would he have to lie to me about it?”

  She takes a sip of her water and shrugs. “Embarrassed that he lives in the friend zone? Especially when his dad is The Theo Graham? You can’t swing a stick without hitting a woman who would sell her husband for a chance to go out with you.” I try hard not to laugh but I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips.

  “Not true. And it’s definitely not like that anymore. Maybe when I was playing or a few years after I retired.”

  “Sure Dad, women are only interested because you were in the NFL. Not the nice house, or the piles of money, or the six-pack.” She rolls her eyes. “Whatever, the longer you stay single the more I get in the will, so you won’t hear me complaining.” She stands on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on my cheek.

  “Ha—Ha. Thanks. Just for that, I’m giving more to Lucas.” I laugh at her dark humor because I know without a doubt between my two children, when it’s my time to go, Raegan will be the one who won’t be able to handle it.

  She’s out the door and I make my way outside to see Lucas on his back and Avery on her stomach on two side by side loungers. I make my way over to them and it’s the first time I really allow myself to look at Avery in her red two-piece gym gear that clings to her curves so fucking deliciously. The shorts are molded to her ass and if Lucas wasn’t here, my hands would be on her cheeks squeezing them.

  “Don’t call Wes that, Lucas,” I tell him.

  “What? We were all thinking it!” He raises his hands.

  “I wasn’t,” Avery interjects as she turns over and looks at him before up at me.

  “Whatever. I can tell you who is also definitely going to think that.” I groan thinking about who he’s referring to. “Yeah, how do you think your ex-wife is going to feel about this?” Lucas chuckles.

  “You know she hates when you call her that.”

  “No, she hates when I call her Rebecca. You hate when I call her your ex-wife because you don’t like to be reminded that you married her and knocked her up twice.” Avery laughs and Lucas meets my murderous gaze. “What? Look, you brought her into my life, not the other way around. I didn’t ask to be brought into the dysfunction.” He stands up and holds his hands out. “Happy to be here though.” He slaps my back and walks toward the house. “Ave! Want a drink!”

  “Whatever you’re having!”

  “Tequila it is!”

  “Tequila!?” She whines.

  “I’m only home for two more days!” He calls back and my cock jerks in response at the thought of having Avery to myself. I begin cracking my knuckles to try and divert my attention from the situation in my pants when he closes the door.

  I look down at her. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” she whispers. She’s still got her sunglasses on so I can’t see her eyes. “How ya doing?”

  “Been better.” I breathe out.

  She nods. “You kept your cool. Did you yell before we got here?”

  “No…I don’t think so. I blacked out for a second, I think.”

  She nods again. “How do you feel about it?”

  “Am I allowed an opinion?”

  “Of course you are. You’re her dad. Besides, it’s just me here.”

  I sit on the chair next to her and rest my forearms on my knees. “I’m happy if she’s happy. I only hope she’s just not so enamored with the idea of all of this and then she wakes up in a few years once the novelty has worn off and she’s wildly unhappy with this guy. Yeah, she can leave him but she’s still forced to deal with him because they have a baby together.” I scrub at my jaw. “It’s tough, not getting along while having to co-parent.”

  It’s not something I’ve discussed with Raegan or Lucas, nor do I think I ever will, but Rebecca getting pregnant with Raegan is why we got married. That’s not to say I didn’t love her at the time, but it certainly pushed us down the aisle sooner than I had wanted to. We didn’t have a huge wedding; we eloped in Fiji and everyone thinks it was impulsive and romantic when in reality it was a response to a positive pregnancy test and wanting to do the right thing.

  We had her and then Lucas a year and a half later and the next time I blinked, Raegan was five and Lucas was three. It was like I’d been in a sleepless fog for five years and I was just realizing how Rebecca and I just didn’t fit.

  Eight years and an affair later, I’d had enough.

  She peeks past me before returning her gaze to me and leaning forward, putting her hand on top of mine. “I get it,” she whispers. “I mean, I don’t really get it because my parents are super in love but…I can imagine it’s tough.” She pulls her sunglasses off and meets my gaze and God her eyes…I could get lost in them. She’s barely wearing any makeup, but she’s got on a few coats of mascara, elongating her lashes and I drag my gaze down past her nose to her full bare lips that still have a pink hue.

  Visions of pushing my dick through them come flooding back and I lean back adjusting myself as discreetly as possible but Avery smiles baring her teeth. “I’m going to go shower. I’m still kind of sweaty from the gym. Tell Lucas I’ll be back, okay?”

  I nod and without even looking at me, she stands and drags her fingertips up my arm gently as she walks by me.

  And now, I’m hard as a rock.

  I showered and changed into a short off the shoulder black gingham print dress that’s both casual and sexy and I’m hoping Theo has hung around long enough to see me in it. I’m moving down the stairs when I hear my mom call for me and I see her in the kitchen pulling a cake out of the oven wearing an Avery’s Café t-shirt and shorts underneath an apron. Her dark curly hair is pulled back into a tight bun like she always does when she’s cooking if she’s not wearing the cute chef’s hat my dad got her.

  “Taste this,” she says, holding a spoon with light green icing.

  “Mint?” I ask her, because she’s always trying to revamp how she prepares mint chocolate desserts.

  “Mmmhm, I swear this batch tastes like toothpaste.” I lick the spoon and scrunch my nose.