Most of his frustration drained when he saw evidence she’d been recently crying again. “I was worried about you.” He didn’t wait to be invited in and stepped into the entryway. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
Taylin closed the door and leaned back against it. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone.”
“Anyone or just me?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Anyone, but particularly you or your ex-wife.”
“My ex-wife?” His gut tightened. “When did you talk to Vivian?”
She blinked. Twice. “She didn’t tell you I was at your house?”
“No.” But the argument he’d had with Vivian just before he left was making a lot more sense now. “Iris called, worried about you when she saw you leave in a hurry.”
“Oh.” She lowered her eyes. “I guess she was the driver of the car I passed.”
Luke closed the distance and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face until their eyes met. “Tell me what happened. Why did you leave without talking to me?”
“You really don’t know?”
“No.” He dropped his hand to his side. “And I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.”
“Since you couldn’t come over, I decided to come see you.” She lifted one shoulder up into a shrug. “You said Vivian would be knocked out from the medication so I thought I’d bring you some cookies I’d made and that maybe we could talk for a few minutes.”
The muscles in Luke’s shoulders tensed. The stuff Vivian took should’ve knocked her out, which led him to believe she’d lied about the whole headache thing just to keep him from seeing Taylin. She’d instantly been ticked off when he announced he was going over to her house.
“So,” Taylin continued, “once I was in your driveway, I sent you a text to tell you I was there. A few minutes later you called me back, only it was Vivian calling.”
“But she was using my phone,” Luke said on a sigh.
Taylin bit her bottom lip and nodded her head.
Luke swore under his breath. “I’m so sorry. I think her headache was just an excuse to keep me at home.”
“You think?” Irritation flashed in Taylin’s eyes. “She told me you stayed home for one reason, and that was to be with your family, and that family doesn’t include me.”
“I stayed home to take care of the baby, not to be with Vivian!” Taylin flinched and stepped back from him. Luke hadn’t meant to raise his voice. He wasn’t angry with Taylin. But he was furious with Vivian. “I didn’t mean to shout at you. Vivian just makes me so crazy.”
“Then why is she living with you?” Taylin snapped back. “She isn’t doin’ it just for the baby. She wants you back, Luke.”
Luke winced. She was right. Sort of. Vivian wanted him, but not in the way Taylin thought. Vivian wanted a physical relationship only. No strings attached. He swallowed, unsure about what to say. He couldn’t imagine how angry he’d be if the roles were reversed and Taylin’s ex-boyfriend moved in with her. He knew how stupid he looked, but he couldn’t explain the depth of his feelings finding out Crew was his. It had been one of the most painful things to have his wife give birth to a baby that should’ve been his. He’d grieved not only the loss of his marriage, but also the loss of a child. He didn’t know if he could bear it if Vivian took Crew away from him again.
“I’m not letting her stay with me because I have hope of getting back together with her. I am doing it for the baby. I don’t want to lose Crew again.”
“So, is she moving in with you permanently?”
“Of course not.”
“Then when is she going home?”
His lungs deflated, and he scrubbed his hands over his face. “I’m not sure what she’s doing. She’s been living with Neil, but I haven’t asked if she still owns her condo.”
Taylin pressed her lips together and looked away. Luke could only guess how crazy she thought he was. His mother and sister had been telling him all week to tell Vivian to go home and they could work out custody with Crew the normal way with an attorney.
“Taylin,” he said and waited to finish until she looked at him again. When she did, he could see the distrust in her eyes. “I know having Vivian live at my house isn’t… the norm, but nothing about our relationship has ever been normal.”
“She’s manipulating you, Luke.”
“Probably.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But until I can arrange to move back home, I’m winging this.”
Her blue eyes widened, and too late, he realized he’d just dumped another bombshell on her. “You’re really movin’ back to Montana?”
He’d planned on breaking the news to her in a different way. Now he had no choice but to talk. “I’ve already missed so much of Crew’s life. So, yes, I want to live near him.”
“When?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
“I don’t know. I emailed my former director in Montana and explained the situation. She said she’d see what she could do about me transferring back, but I may need to start looking for another job, maybe at a surgical center or something.”
“Wow,” Taylin said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “It sounds like you’ve got it all worked out. Good luck.”
He looked at her sharply. “I don’t have everything worked out. What about us?” He knew he couldn’t ask her to move to Montana before he asked her to marry him, but it was a lousy time to propose.
“I don’t think there is an us.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “At least not right now.”
Feeling panicked, Luke took a step toward her. “What are you saying?”
“I’m sayin’ I think we need to take a break.”
Luke felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn’t dated for a long time, but he was pretty sure that “taking a break” meant they’d just broken up. “Is that what you really want?” he asked, although he wasn’t sure he wanted her answer.
“It’s not a matter of what I want.” She moistened her lips. “But I think it’s best. Besides, you shouldn’t have to feel like you have to choose me over your son.”
Did he have to make a choice? He had hoped to have both her and his son, but maybe she was looking for an excuse to end things. Sure, she said it was best for now, like there was a chance things could work out in the future, but he didn’t think so.
“So what now?” Did he just leave and maybe call her in a month? Or did he have to wait until she called him?
She offered him a quavering smile. “I know I should’ve told you earlier… but I got accepted for the neonatal international program and I’m going to go. It’ll be for at least six months. Plenty of time for you to get settled.”
Luke felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. He’d completely forgotten about her application. It was selfish, but right now he wanted to beg her not to go. It could be months before he was able to move back to Montana, and they could still see each other, see where things went. Plus, the minute he got back to his house, he was telling Vivian to go home.
He was about to start begging when he realized he couldn’t do that to her. Not if he really loved her. “Congratulations,” he said, feeling like his world was being ripped apart once again. “When do you leave?”
A wounded look flickered in her eyes before she smiled. “Not until the first of January, but I’m leaving for California on Monday for a week-long training session.”
“Okay,” he said, although nothing about this situation was okay. “I guess I’ll head back home now.”
Her blue eyes glittered with moisture. “Okay.”
He hesitated, not wanting to leave things like this. Maybe he should ask her to clarify what “taking a break” really meant to her. But then he thought about how complicated his life was, and how unfair it was to involve her. So he simply nodded his head and walked past her. He caught the scent of her flowery perfume, and he almost stopped to pull her into his arms to give her a goodbye kiss and tell her he loved her one last time.
As he w
alked slowly toward his car, he kept hoping she’d call him back or come running after him. She didn’t. Before climbing in behind the wheel, he looked back toward the door. She had moved to the threshold, but was still inside her house.
Lifting his hand, he waved before jerking the door open and getting inside his vehicle. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before Luke regretted not laying his feelings all on the line. He should have told Taylin up front he loved her and wanted to marry her. At least then she’d know where he stood and could then decide if she still wanted to take a break. Even if she still wanted to go abroad, he’d support her, but it didn’t mean they had to break up.
At the next stoplight, he decided to turn around and go back to Taylin’s house. Signaling, Luke waited for the light to turn green. He made a U-turn and was on his way back to Taylin’s when Vivian called.
“Where are you?” she snapped. “Crew woke up with a fever and won’t stop crying. My headache’s back, and I don’t want to take care of a cranky baby anymore.”
Luke frowned. “He’s cranky because he doesn’t feel good.”
“Thank you for the clarification.”
Grinding his teeth together, he bit back his own sarcastic reply and focused on the baby. “How high is his temp?”
“104.2.”
“Vivian, we have to get him to the doctor. That’s too high for someone his age.”
“I know that, but there isn’t a we, Luke. You’re with your girlfriend and it’s just me.”
Yeah, well, thanks to her he didn’t have a girlfriend anymore. His fingers curled around the steering wheel as he fought back the desire to yell at her for what she’d done. Now was not the time to get into that.
“Look,” he said, pulling over so he could look at his maps app. “I think I’m close to an urgent care and can meet you there.”
“Fine. When are you leaving?”
“I’m on my way right now.”
She ended the call and Luke followed the directions to the medical building. Since he wasn’t that far away, he arrived first. The parking lot had less than a dozen cars, so he hoped it wasn’t too busy.
His stomach churned with anxiety. He felt guilty for leaving the baby with Vivian when the little boy had obviously not been feeling well. While Vivian was a surprisingly good mother, he’d noticed she wasn’t as patient with Crew as she had been that first week. She’d also started making little comments about how hard it was to be a mother twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She missed her partying, carefree days, and he got the impression that Vivian’s mother had helped take care of Crew often, especially on the weekends. But her mother had recently moved to Arizona for the winter.
Luke wondered if that was the real reason Vivian had finally decided to tell him he was Crew’s father. Obviously, Neil was done playing daddy, and her mother was no longer a handy babysitter. With Luke in the picture, Vivian could go back to partying when she didn’t have Crew.
Finally, Vivian’s rental car turned into the parking lot. Luke got out of his car and walked over to see if he could help.
“Sorry to ruin your night,” Vivian said the second she climbed out of her car. “But you wanted to be a daddy, right?”
She walked past him, and he thought he smelled alcohol. “Have you been drinking?”
“I had one glass of wine, Luke.” She opened the back door. “And trust me one glass wasn’t enough.”
“You drove our son after drinking alcohol?” he asked incredulously.
“You didn’t really give me a choice, since you left us to hookup with your girlfriend.”
The muscle in Luke’s jaw ached as he strained against the urge to respond to her comment. He was pretty good about ignoring Vivian’s sarcasm, but she was making it really hard right now.
Vivian held his gaze, almost daring him to fight back before she bent down and removed the car seat from the backseat.
“Poor little guy,” she said, looking down at the baby. “At least he’s asleep now.”
“Did you give him anything for the fever?” Luke asked, taking the car seat from her.
“Yes.” She slipped the strap of the diaper bag over her shoulder. “He took it with a few ounces of formula.”
The waiting room wasn’t too full. Luke took a seat while Vivian went to the desk to check Crew in. Lightly, he touched the child’s forehead with his fingers and was alarmed how hot the skin was.
Pulling out his phone, he opened the hospital app to find out the wait time for the ER at Mitchel Creek. As an employee, he might have some pull there and could get Crew seen by a doctor earlier. As soon as he saw the hour-long wait time, he realized urgent care was the better option.
“Did they say how long the wait is?” Luke asked when Vivian took a seat next to him.
“No, but they have a pediatrician and a family doctor here tonight so hopefully it won’t be too long.”
While Vivian filled out the paperwork, several children were called back. Crew startled awake when a child sitting behind them threw a temper tantrum. The baby’s brown eyes were listless and dull and anxiety Luke had never known closed around him. What if it was something serious? This part of parenting was hard and he now understood when parents said they wish they could take on whatever illness their child had.
Crew started to cry, and Luke unbuckled the straps and picked up the little boy. “It’s okay, buddy. Daddy’s got you.” He stood up, trying to comfort the baby. Bouncing him lightly, he walked around until he quieted. But his little body was so hot.
Luke was just about to ask the receptionist about the wait time, when a nurse stepped out and called, “Crew Harding.”
It grated on Luke that even though Vivian hadn’t married Neil Harding, she’d listed the guy as the father on the birth certificate. That would need to change as soon as possible.
An hour and half later, Luke followed Vivian’s car back to his house. Crew’s temp had come down with the medication Vivian had given him earlier. The doctor had diagnosed the baby with Roseola and cautioned them to expect a high fever over the next two to three days. Typically, the fever would break on the third day and then a fine rash would most likely develop. Luke remembered studying the disease in nursing school and was grateful it wasn’t more serious.
When they got home, Vivian handed Luke the receiver to the monitor. “I’m exhausted and need to sleep for a few hours. Can you just listen for him and I’ll take over in the morning?”
“Sure.” He’d already texted Iris and told her not to expect him tonight. “Why don’t I move his crib into my room?”
Vivian glanced down at the sleeping baby. “I guess that’s okay.” She lifted her face and met Luke’s gaze. “You should probably get used to taking care of him without me if we’re going to share custody.”
Wow. That was the first time she’d said something like that without sarcasm or offering to sleep with him. Still, the thought of taking care of a baby all by himself terrified him. It made him realize that on a subconscious level that’s probably why he’d allowed Vivian to stay at his house. “Okay,” Luke said. “I’ll move it right now.”
Crew spiked a temp a few times throughout the night, usually just about when it was time for more medication. Luke was worried, but since the baby continued to drink his bottle, he knew there wasn’t much more he could do other than manage the fever and keep the child hydrated.
Vivian was still sleeping when Luke woke up late the next morning. He was frustrated with her and wanted to talk to her about what she’d said to Taylin, but he’d just gotten the baby back to sleep again so it was probably a good thing she wasn’t awake.
He went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of orange juice and then walked over to the patio doors, sliding it open to take in the morning air. The sun had been up for over an hour, but some of the morning fog hadn’t completely burned off. It was beautiful and the perfect time to go fishing, but the little boy sleeping in his room hampered the desire to take his boat o
ut on the lake.
He didn’t mind, but it was something he would need to get used to. A lot of things would change. Not only did he have to find a new job, he’d also need to find someone to watch the baby while he worked. His sister had already volunteered to help out until he could find a nanny, but thoughts of moving without Taylin in his life made his gut churn. He needed to talk to her.
During the night, he’d thought about everything, and he wasn’t giving her up that easily. Slipping his hand in his pocket, he fingered his phone, tempted to call or text her. He resisted though, because what he had to say to her needed to be done face to face. He was ready to support her in whatever she wanted to do, including going abroad, but that didn’t mean they were done—unless, she really did want to end things. But he owed it to both of them to find out where she stood.
The monitor crackled, and he heard Crew start to whimper. Vivian came out of her room just as he started to really cry.
“I’ll get him,” she said, waving Luke off.
He closed the sliding door, and a moment later Vivian emerged, holding the baby close. “Please tell me you made coffee this morning.” She crossed the room and sat down on the loveseat.
“No, sorry.” Luke didn’t like coffee, something Vivian never seemed to remember.
“That’s not normal. How do you get through your day without caffeine?”
“Running.”
She rolled her eyes. “I thought for sure you’d say fishing.”
“That too.” He moved next to where Vivian sat. The baby’s eyes were already closed and he was sucking on his pacifier hard. A telltale sign he was going back to sleep. “I’m surprised he woke up. Does he have a fever?”
She pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “No fever right now.” She glanced up at Luke. “Did he do okay last night?”
“Yeah, he was up about every four hours, but once the medicine kicked in, he’d take a bottle and go right back to sleep.”
“That’s good.” Vivian met Luke’s gaze. After several beats of silence, she said, “I know you want to ask, so I’ll just tell you what happened.”
Vivian was acting normal again. He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. “I don’t know if now is a good time. I’m pretty upset about it and I don’t want to get into a fight around Crew.”
Just a Kiss in the Moonlight: Georgia Moon Romance Book 2 Page 28