But he’s with me now. I have nothing to worry about.
Veronica wasn’t a threat. Was she?
“Oh,” the other woman greeted, noticing her presence. “It’s you.”
As graceful as a goddess, she rose to her feet. The airy sarong wrapped around her body floated in the breeze as she walked forward on heels that made Clara wince in sympathy.
“You’re Walker’s friend, right?” Veronica held out her hand. “We didn’t get a chance to really meet yesterday.”
“No, we didn’t,” she agreed, shaking the offered hand. “I thought I’d come by and see how things were going. How has the day with Hunter been?”
“Wonderful,” Veronica said as she gestured to the outdoor couches.
Clara perched on the colorful cushions as Veronica sank down beside her.
“Emily is a godsend,” she continued. “Everything is much easier here than it was on my own.”
“Walker is a very devoted father. He spares no expense when it comes to his son or his care.”
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Veronica agreed. “I hoped Hunter would do better with him.”
“But now he has the both of you.”
A slow smile lit up Veronica’s face. “Yes. Now we can be the family we were always meant to be.”
The air in Clara’s lungs froze. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, not right away,” she said, reaching over to pat Clara’s hand. “I know I have a long climb back into Walker’s good graces. But seeing how good he is with my child, and how easy being a parent can be here, makes me want to try in a way I wasn’t sure I did before.”
“There’s more to being a parent than writing checks to his nannies,” Clara snapped.
“Of course. But you can’t deny money makes child-rearing easier. Why not take advantage of the possibilities if we are fortunate enough to be able to?”
“Don’t you want to be the one looking after him? Putting him down for his naps when he’s tired or heating him a bottle when he’s hungry?”
Veronica waved her hand. “I’ve already talked to Emily about extending her hours and she’s agreeable. Don’t worry, Hunter will always have an adult by his side who loves and wants to protect him. He’ll be safe and happy, I promise.”
“Of course, he’ll be safe and happy. He has me to look after him.”
A frown crossed Veronica’s face. “Forgive me, but I’m confused. I thought you were Walker’s college friend. The one helping him learn how to be a parent.”
Her cheeks heated even as she lifted her chin. “I am.”
“Yet you speak as if you have a right to Hunter. A right to my son.”
“Walker and I…we’re more than just old friends.”
“Ah,” she said, leaning back. “I see. I’ve stepped into something.”
“That’s why I wanted to have a chat so we can straighten everything out and come up with a solution that’s best for everyone, especially Hunter.”
“A solution,” Veronica murmured. “To me, you mean.”
“I’m not saying this very well, am I? I just meant, I want to try and make this transition as smooth as possible. Of course, you should have a place in Hunter’s life. You’re his mother. But I’m here, too, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Veronica’s eyes dropped to her left hand. “I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
She clenched a fist. “We’re getting to that part.”
“Really? Was that before or after the mother of Walker’s child came back into the picture?”
Direct hit. Score one for stay-at-home Barbie.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m here and that’s not going to change.”
“No, I’m here. I’m Hunter’s mother. I carried him for nine months. I made a mistake, but it’s one I’m trying to correct. I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll bring a judge into this if I have to.”
Clara held up her hands. “No one is threatening you. We’re all adults here and we all want the same thing. What’s best for Hunter.”
“What if what’s best for him is me? A child should be raised by both their parents, don’t you think? And Hunter can have that, as long as you don’t deprive him of it.”
Clara reared back. “Me?”
“I know this isn’t fair. In fact, it’s massively unfair. But this is the reality we’ve found ourselves in. Walker and I got along very well before the pregnancy. There’s no reason to think we wouldn’t be able to fall into old habits again. Our relationship will only continue to strengthen, and together we’ll watch our son grow up. The only detriment to that future is you.”
“The reality of the situation is you waited too long. You’ve come back to a couple who is happy together and will raise your child with you, not in place of you. We want you to be a part of Hunter’s life, but you have to accept that I’m here, too.”
“Do I?” she asked. “Are these your words or Walker’s? Have you said all of this to him?”
The words died on her tongue. Veronica had a point. She didn’t even know if she had the right to argue. Maybe she really was the detriment here and Walker was going to say exactly what Veronica was.
But if so, she wanted to hear it from his lips, not this perfect woman who hadn’t thought twice about abandoning her child in a basket.
“He doesn’t know you’re here, does he?” Veronica said.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve known him for ten years. I know what he would say right now.”
“Ten years and yet you’re only now becoming a couple? It took me less than ten days.”
“What does that matter?”
“Because, my dear, if he’d wanted you he had years to make a move. It only happened because he was sleep deprived and in over his head. Walker told me about your arrangement, and you will forever have my gratitude for caring for our son, but look at this clearly. You swooped in here like a savior and his attraction grew from that. You were convenient. You were a substitute wife when he needed one. But he doesn’t need that anymore. Now you are just standing in my shoes, and it’s time to return them.”
Fear erupted in her chest.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do you really want to force this issue? Do you want to make a scene where you are shown to the door in front of Hunter instead of gracefully exiting his life with your dignity in tact?” Veronica shook her head. “This is an awful situation, but I am trying to do what’s best for everyone, including you. I owe you everything, and this is how I can repay you. Let me help you.”
“You’re not helping me, you’re replacing me.”
“As you have been replacing me for weeks.”
“I stepped in to help. There’s a difference, which you’d know if you’d bothered to check in on your child.”
Clara pushed to her feet, pacing to the rail of the balcony. Veronica followed like a graceful shadow. It was almost worse that she was so calm. So reasonable. Her words didn’t sound like they were coming from any place of malice.
And that made everything far more real.
“Who do you think is better for Hunter?” Veronica asked, her voice growing harder. “If this wasn’t a child you wanted for yourself, if you were outside of this situation looking in, who would you pick to raise him? His biological mother or a substitute his father bonded with out of desperation and exhaustion?”
Ice crept through her veins. She wanted to block out the reasonable words. Fight against the logic of Veronica’s argument but what could she say? The other woman was right. If she weren’t personally involved, she’d side with the biological mother, too. This wasn’t her baby. Her family. She had no legal rights here. All she had was a tenuous link to Hunter that existed only as long as Walker allowed it to.
If he decided Veronica was the better choice to raise his child, she’d have no power to fight him with. Once again, she’d be standing at the window watching the life she wanted go on without her.
“We can do this slowly,” Veronica offered. “Transi
tion Hunter from you to me. And you’ll still see him. Even if you’re not a couple, you are still Walker’s oldest friend. I would never try to deny you that relationship. Just as long as you don’t try to deny mine with him either.”
“I—” The words died in her throat. It was a generous offer. One she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to make if their roles were reversed.
I’m the mistress. She realized with shock. I’m the other woman.
Not the girlfriend. Not the mother.
Not the wife.
She was the piece of the story that didn’t work. The barrier to the happy family riding off into the sunset. Without her, Hunter had both his parents, and Walker had a woman he’d clearly liked enough to have a child with.
She was the odd one out.
Stop it. Think about yesterday. He’d been so close to asking you to make all this real. To be a real couple.
But then Veronica had shown up and those words had died.
He was busy. There hasn’t been time to talk.
But he clearly hadn’t been too busy to arrange to have Veronica over today. He hadn’t been too busy to go to work. A place filled with phones he could easily have used to contact her.
If he wanted to.
“Why don’t you stay?” Veronica asked. “Walker will be home from work soon, and the three of us can sit down and iron everything out. We’ll order in and have a mature meal like adults. There has to be a solution that works for all of us and together we can find it.”
She’s being reasonable. And generous.
Her fingers curled around the railing. It would be so much easier if Veronica was the villain Clara had expected. If she were a vapid, spoiled woman who cared for nothing other than herself. But now she saw her rival as what she was. A woman who had never expected to have a child, certainly not alone, and had gotten in over her head. She’d panicked and made a bad decision, but she’d made it with her child’s best interests at heart.
And now she was back to correct her mistake.
Who was Clara to stand in her way?
“I need to talk to Walker,” Clara said. Dinner sounded excruciating, especially if it became Walker and Veronica siding together against her, but at least she’d see him. Straighten everything out.
“Of course, you do. Why not have a drink while we wait? You can tell me all about how Hunter has grown this past month. He seems so much bigger than when I left.”
She opened her mouth to decline the drink when Veronica’s phone rang.
“Excuse me,” she said, striding back to her lounger to grab her cell. “Hello, Walker,” she said when she answered. “How’s work going?”
Clara jerked as if she’d touched a live wire. Walker was calling Veronica?
Unable to help herself, she fished her own phone from her purse and looked at the notifications.
No missed calls. No messages.
“Hunter is beautiful,” Veronica said as she moved back to Clara. “We spent the day getting reacquainted. Yes, yes, we did all that. No, he’s doing just fine. Do you want me to put Emily on the phone to confirm? Good, I promise he’s in safe hands.”
Walker wanted an update on Hunter, and he’d called Veronica. How many times had she said all those same words? His daily check-ins had become routine. Only now it seemed the routine didn’t include her.
Oh my God. She’s right. About all of it.
Walker didn’t need her anymore. Neither did Hunter. They’d be fine now, even if she disappeared. They’d go on to have a happy life as a family. A real family.
The Christmas cards she’d get would be of the smiling couple holding their bouncing baby boy. But the woman at her lover’s side wouldn’t be her. She’d had ten years to catch his eye, and they’d never been more than best friends. Not until circumstances had forced them to adapt.
I’m temporary. Replaceable. Walker was right all along. This was just stress. Just a reaction to our circumstances.
And the real match for Walker had finally shown up. Just as Clara had always feared she would.
“Sounds great,” Veronica said into the phone. “I’ll be waiting. Hurry home.” She hung up the call. “Sorry about that. Where were we? Drink?”
“No,” she whispered, a numbness seeping through her limbs. “No, thank you. I should be going.”
Veronica’s eyes widened. “But Walker will be home in twenty minutes or so.”
“It’s all right,” she said. “You two should have some time together. There’s a lot you need to discuss.”
“That’s true but it doesn’t mean—”
“I think it’s better that I not be here,” she said, her voice growing firmer. “Excuse me. I need to get a few things from my room before I go.”
She turned to leave before her feet rooted her to the ground. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the worried look in Veronica’s eyes. “They are wonderful,” she said, feeling as though she was watching the scene play out at a distance. “Both of them. If you get the opportunity to love them, then treasure it. You’ll never find anyone like Walker or Hunter ever again.”
Veronica nodded solemnly. “I swear to you I won’t mess up again. I will protect my family with everything I have in me.”
“Good.” This time when she started walking she didn’t stop. Not when tears gathered in her eyes, not when she dragged her suitcase from her closet and started throwing all her belongings into it. It took practically no time to pack up her life at Walker’s. Further proof of how temporary a fixture she’d been.
Dumping her armful of toiletries into the suitcase she looked around the suite. That was everything. All her clothes, books, and necessities. The room was sterile once more, ready for its next occupant.
Opening the closet to double-check she hadn’t missed anything, her eyes landed on the shoebox filled with her emergency overnight items. Inside her chest her heart twisted in pain. Reaching down, she took the box with ginger fingers. She’d liked having a tiny mark on his home. A little piece of it that had been hers.
She ran her palm over the lid. Its time had passed. Just as hers had. Just as she’d always known it would.
Closing the closet, she pushed the shoebox into her suitcase. This wasn’t her home anymore, and despite Veronica’s promises, she knew her friendship was over. She didn’t have it in her to pretend they could ever salvage what they’d had. She couldn’t picture herself having brunch with Walker and Veronica. Seeing him look at the other woman the way she’d always wanted him to look at her.
No, better to make a clean break.
Leaving her suitcase at the door, she pulled a pad of paper from her nightstand and sat on the bed. If this was the end of everything, she wanted one last chance to say goodbye to the man she loved.
Before she walked out of his life forever.
Chapter Twenty-One
A curious lightness filled him when Walker stepped across the threshold into his home. Everything was finally falling into place. Work had been so hectic he’d barely had a chance to check on Hunter, but the day was done. Now he could focus on what mattered.
Clara.
Tossing his keys on the table, he strode through his condo determined to check on his son first before going after his friend.
But what he found in the baby’s room stopped him. It wasn’t a tousled brunette head leaning over Hunter but a blonde one.
“Welcome home,” Veronica said as she straightened. “He’s sleeping soundly. I couldn’t stop watching him. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he said, moving to her side. “I’ve done that often enough. I’m in no place to judge.”
She smiled before turning back to the baby. “I can’t believe we created him,” she said. “When I found out I was pregnant I was horrified, but look at this little boy. He’s the best of us both.”
“Yes.” His voice was soft with sincerity. “Yes, he is. I don’t want to think of what my life would be like without him.”
“Me, neither,”
she whispered. “We’ll make this work, won’t we? Neither of us can lose him.”
“We’ll make it work,” he promised, staring down at the sleeping baby for a long moment. “But we should talk.”
“Yes,” she agreed with obvious regret. “Yes, we should let him rest.” Her hand hovered over the child as if she wanted to stroke his cheek, but she withdrew and led the way from his room.
Back in the living room, Walker ran a hand through his hair. He’d wanted to talk to Clara, but maybe this was a conversation he needed to have first. Then he could go to her with all the facts about how Veronica would fit into their lives.
God, what if she didn’t want to have anything to do with Hunter’s mother? He’d never seen Clara hurt a fly, but there was a child she loved involved now. He had no doubt she could be a fierce protector when it came to those she considered hers.
Veronica sat on the couch and patted the space beside her. “I know a lot has happened in a very short amount of time,” she began.
“How was your day with the baby?”
A slow smile curved her lips. “Wonderful. As good as I’ve been imagining since I left him. Thank you for taking such good care of him when I couldn’t.”
“It was overwhelming. I would have been a wreck, too, without Clara.”
“Yes.” She looked away. “Clara.”
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
She chewed her expertly lined lip for a moment before confessing, “She came over today.”
“Is she here?” He started rising to his feet when a hand on his arm stopped him.
“We had a chat this afternoon,” she said. “But she’s not here any longer.”
The words sounded far more final than he was prepared for. “What happened?”
“Nothing bad. We had a very civilized conversation, one woman to another.”
“And?”
Veronica twisted her hands together. “And she left with a suitcase.”
Walker was off the couch in a heartbeat, tearing his way across the room. He practically flew to Clara’s guest room and wrenched the door open.
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