Daddy Plus One: A Single Dad Secret Baby Billionaire Romance

by Brooke Valentine

  “Some people may condemn you and call you names, but most of them are envious and would gladly take your place without a second thought. I’m dating one man and your situation has made me look at his brother differently.” She had her stethoscope pressed against her chest and was listening to her breathing.

  “It’s hard to describe, but Adam was strong enough to present an option. We were understandably surprised, but his suggestion was something I was willing to entertain for the chance to be with both of them. I thought mistakenly, I would get one or the both of them out of my system, but I haven’t been able to think about anything other than the two of them.” Yvette had been reluctant to call Adam but felt that he deserved to know what had happened.

  They were all in this together and it seemed wrong to leave him out in the cold. It was mainly to protect what they had. She had procrastinated long enough.

  “It’s very rare for any woman to find the man they intend to spend the rest of her life with. Some never find what they’re looking for and spend their lives searching for something unattainable. I want to commend you for taking a risk and following your heart.” Dr. Emerson’s nurse came in and motioned for her to leave the room for a moment.

  This was Yvette’s chance and she felt there was no time like the present. She looked around at Dr. Emerson’s credentials and felt lucky to have her as her doctor. The clinical and sterile white paint made her feel like just another number.

  The woman was plainly gorgeous and had the men undressing her with their eyes. She was amazed by her attitude and her ability to juggle her personal life with her professional obligations. She had four kids under the age of five and a husband that traveled extensively for work, leaving her to be the mother and father all in one package.

  She dialed Adam with her heart in her throat and in desperate need of a drink stiffer than anything she would find on the premises. She explained what had happened and he didn’t interrupt until she was finished.

  “I’m not mad and I only wish you could have trusted to call me sooner. Never mind, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll come down as soon as I can to collect the both of you.” Adam had a checkered past when it came to his temper getting the best of him. He was learning to control it through mental exercises.

  “He’s a little banged up, but he’s going to be perfectly fine. I have a couple of scrapes and bruises, but nothing a few days of rest and relaxation won’t cure.” She saw her byline on the New York Times article on Tanya’s desk. It was written about the mayor and not very flattering towards getting him re-elected into the same position.

  Yvette had proven she could hold her own and was able to ambush the mayor at a function in his honor. He couldn’t exactly deny the claim he was misappropriating funds to travel extensively with his family. The press criticized him. Yvette’s name was becoming synonymous with uncovering secrets others were afraid to speak in public.

  “I’m glad he was there with me and there was no telling what would have happened had I gone off half-cocked by myself. That man really didn’t want to speak and was going to do everything in his power to make sure he wasn’t going to have to.” Yvette had taken a risk, but she had gotten caught up in the moment to realize what kind of danger she was putting herself in.

  “I’m glad neither one of you got seriously hurt. I love what we have together and I don’t want anything to ruin it. I’ve been a man of my word. I haven’t mentioned this relationship to anyone including my mother. It’s not easy when she knows something is up from the smirks on both of our faces.” He remembered Sunday dinner and how they’d neglected to tell their closest friends and family about something that would have knocked them out of their socks.

  “I think it’s better this way to prevent anyone from interfering in what is primarily in its infancy. We don’t know how long this is going to last. I can’t see it fizzling out anytime soon, but I can only speak for myself.” She was squirming uncomfortably in her own skin trying to find a spot where she didn’t feel like she was exposed to the elements.

  “I don’t have any plans to go anywhere. There's no reason to make us jump through hoops to prove our love for you. I’m on my way and I should be there within twenty minutes barring any complications with traffic.” She could only hope he wasn’t going to drive like a madman through the streets of New York.

  “There’s no hurry to get here, so take your time. Blake is going to be resting comfortably until he is discharged later this evening. They don’t think it’s necessary to keep him overnight, but that depends on what they find from the tests. I don’t want you to get caught up in the web of traffic tangling up the city at this hour.” He was a little reckless and driving with him was an adventure with her fingers digging into the dashboard.

  “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of everything.” Adam wasn’t really listening and was concerned enough that he was not going to wait around.

  “It’s okay. I’m enjoying my time catching up with Tanya. She has invited us to her place for Sunday brunch instead of going out.” Yvette found herself curious to see what Tanya could make without resorting to caterers.

  “I promise I will let cooler heads prevail and not be so impulsive. I do want you to tell Blake how proud I am of how he stood up when you needed him to.” I could tell from his tone that he probably thought he could have done better under the circumstances.

  “The both of you are manly in a way that makes me feel like I have to catch my breath. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t need a man to protect me. It makes me angry that the both of you think I am frail and fragile like a broken doll.” She didn't want to raise her voice and realized she was making more of it than she needed to.

  “I have never once thought of you as weak and inferior in any way. It bothers me when you think of us in a two-dimensional way. We are more complex. We don’t always need to pound our chests like some caveman. We can talk about this later when you have had time to cool down.” Adam had learned from his mistakes over the first couple of weeks of this relationship evolving. He knew to tread carefully when emotions were running high.

  “I don’t need you getting defensive and maybe I should cut this call short to avoid saying something I’m going to regret. I do love you and nothing is going to change that. You might drive me crazy from time to time, but it’s worth every little fight we get into. It probably has something to do with my Latin temper.” She was giving herself a way to save face, but she knew deep down something was wrong.

  “You haven’t been yourself for the last couple of days. Don’t think we haven’t noticed. We talked about it and we thought it was the stress of the job. There was some mention about you quitting and traveling the world with us.” Adam knew how important her job was and her independence was something she carried with her wherever she went.

  “I do love what I do, but sometimes it does get on my last nerve. I might be getting rave reviews, but it’s only been a little over a month. I’m still navigating the choppy waters of journalism. Thankfully, I have two strong men to come home to.” She hung up when she saw Tanya tapping the file in her hand.

  “I have some good news or some bad news depending on how you see it. I suspect this is going to come with problems.” Tanya had already come to her own conclusions but was unwilling to say anything without concrete proof.

  Yvette had her hands in her lap, pulling at her fingers like she did whenever she got nervous. It was a habit she was never able to break and followed her from her youth to who she was today. She knew this was going to be a shocking confession, but she was prepared for any eventuality. There was nothing to prepare her for what was going to come out of Tanya’s mouth.

  “The tests confirm you are with child. I can’t tell if this is good news or something we should talk about. I know this is sudden, but I did warn you about doing anything with them without the necessary protection. You kept telling me you were going to get around to it, but you didn’t. This might be a surprise, but how much of
a surprise could it be when you’ve been playing with fire?” Tanya was wearing her concern on her face.

  “I don’t even know what to say. The three of us haven’t even talked about the possibility of having a child together. I don’t even know what they feel about having a family. It’s something we should have talked about, but we never broached the topic.” She was secretly elated, but also understandably suspect about what Adam and Blake were going to say when they finally learned the truth.

  “I wouldn’t put it off for too long and you’re already three weeks into the pregnancy. This is the reason for your symptoms of dizziness and nausea. I’m very excited for this child. It’s going to have the love of three parents. You’re going to have to have more tests to determine who the father is. There might not be any definitive proof considering their family DNA is the same.” Tanya took Yvette’s hand and didn’t say anything more. It was better to let the silence settle in with the news before addressing the elephant in the room.

  “It doesn’t matter to me which one is the father. I would be quite happy to raise this child with both of them being the father. I’m sure this is going to come as a major shock and I do wonder what their reaction is going to be.” She was thinking about certain ways to break the news but felt a more direct approach was necessary without beating around the bush.

  “I don’t know how this is going to affect your relationship with them, but I will be there every step of the way regardless of how they feel about it. You can talk to me about anything. You won’t have to do this alone.” Dr. Emerson had never gotten emotionally involved with her patients, but this was different considering they were friends.

  “I don’t want to give them any reason to run out the door with a cardboard cutout of their cowardice. They are the strongest men I’ve ever known. Even the strongest can reach their limits. This news is going to come on the heels of us being together only a short time. I need to soften the blow. I would like your help to tell them during brunch at your house.” She knew she was putting Tanya on the spot, but she felt they were kindred spirits.

  “I will be there with you, but ultimately it is your news to share.” Tanya made her another appointment on a weekly basis to give her the necessary information going forward.

  Yvette knew brunch was going to be interesting and could almost see their stunned expressions from the moment the truth was revealed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tony felt like he was being jerked around by his private investigator Jeffrey Grayson. He’d hired him from word of mouth. His reputation for getting the dirty laundry for his clients was above reproach.

  He wanted his penthouse back and was willing to pay through the nose to get some leverage on Yvette. Their last interaction was slightly unnerving and had him wondering why he’d even married her. He had everything including a mistress on the side and the very penthouse that Yvette had wrenched from his fingers during divorce negotiations. It had all slipped through his fingers except for the mistress with a tongue worthy of the price of admission.

  Jeffrey Grayson had been hired a few weeks ago and there’d been nothing but radio silence since. He’d left multiple messages and received one-word answers which only infuriated him further. The money was nothing. It was the result he was after.

  His relationship with his mistress had suffered because of his preoccupation with the penthouse. His partners were worried about him and had requested he consider taking a sabbatical. There was a fat chance of that happening with the other associates ready to swoop in like vultures.

  “Mr. Grayson, there is somebody here to see you. He hasn’t given his name, but he is rather impatient and makes me nervous to have him standing over me. He won’t sit down and he keeps staring at me.” Jennifer looked at this man, a grizzled and rugged kind of man, and felt a certain stirring between her knees.

  “I will be right out.” He straightened his tie and figured this was a new client.

  It would do him good to get out of his head and concentrate on something other than his failed marriage.

  He had one of the corner offices and was responsible for growing the firm into the juggernaut of statewide lawyers it was today. Divorcing Yvette had hurt his professional career and losing the penthouse had made him a bear to work with.

  He stopped for a moment beside the door and looked at his reflection with not one hair out of place. He was going to have to thank his hair stylist for giving him something to make him stand out from the crowd. He could literally go swimming and not mess up his hair. It had become something of an obsession for him over the years.

  The pills he had gotten from the doctor were working amazingly well; it was certainly money well spent. The hair products helped to keep his follicles thick and full. He had no interest in following the family legacy of becoming bald before he was fifty.

  The window overlooking the city had him contemplating life from time to time when business was at a standstill. It didn’t happen often and whatever time he did have to himself was spent in the company of his buxom, young, blonde mistress. She was an expense, but her talents in other areas more than made up for the money and extravagant gifts.

  He opened the door made from solid mahogany to see his secretary nervously filing her nails. He recognized the man immediately and had to keep his composure without alerting his secretary to something out of the ordinary.

  “I was wondering when you were going to come in and see me in person. Please come and we can discuss the particulars of why you have come to this firm for your legal representation. I pride myself on getting results quickly.” He was mocking Jeffrey and letting him know his appearance at his office in the middle of the day wasn’t warranted.

  He had made a quiet suggestion that their meeting should never be in public. He felt Jeffrey was abusing his power, and making him look like an idiot was only going to cause mistrust for the man. He had done nothing to live up to his lofty expectations.

  “I appreciate you seeing me on short notice. The situation has escalated, and I need your legal advice on which direction to go. I hope I didn’t catch you doing something important.” Jeffrey was out of his element, but he didn’t show it.

  “I only have a few minutes. It would’ve been nice if you had given me fair warning of your visit.” He swallowed hard wondering if anybody was asking questions around the water cooler about this strange man who had shown up seemingly out of nowhere.

  “I was in the area and I felt it was important enough to make a surprise entrance. Your secretary was very kind to keep me company. I think I might have intimidated her a little bit. I will remedy the situation by sending her a fruit basket at my earliest convenience.” Jeffrey didn’t even shave and was sporting a growth of beard that made him look dangerous.

  Tony couldn’t bear to look at him in his current state of dress. His shirt was stained, and he thought for a moment one of those stains might be blood. He didn’t want to know, and it was better for him to turn a blind eye. The denim shirt was open with a t-shirt underneath. It probably hadn’t seen a good wash since the Reagan administration.

  “I’m certainly not going to talk about your problem out here. I pride myself on my discretion.” Tony wore a white shirt with a red tie to give him the illusion of power in the palm of his hand.

  Jeffrey strode into the office with his heavy black combat boots slapping against the newly waxed wood floors. He looked around and suddenly realized he was being paid way too little. It was time to fish in this man’s pockets for more money. He had the damning evidence, but there was no way he was going to show it to him without proper compensation.

  “It’s no wonder you wanted to meet at the diner down the street the first time. I would say you have done well for yourself. Did you really think I wasn’t going to find out about where you worked?” Jeffrey decided to stand to keep his control over the situation without allowing Tony to supersede his authority.

  “It doesn’t concern you how well I’m doing. We had an agreemen
t and I expect you to follow through. You’ve already gotten half up front and the other half is ready to be wired into your account after I get what I want.” Tony was anxious and felt this adrenaline rush from the possibility of putting his ex-wife in her place.

  “I was prepared to give you the evidence you need, but now that I see how you live, it changes everything. There was a bit more drama involved in this assignment. I don’t like surprises. It’s not unreasonable to ask for more money.” He wasn’t afraid to say the words and felt he was justified after being cornered on top of the roof.

  “I wasn’t expecting this from you. Everybody I talked to told me you were an honorable man. I can make your life a living hell by spreading the word you can’t be trusted. Be sure you want to walk down this road.” It wasn’t about the money. It was the principle of doing business with unsavory characters like Jeffrey.

  “Don’t threaten me. I can easily go digging into your past to find the skeletons in your closet. Everybody has something to hide, and I’m very good at what I do. Let’s call this a bonus for a job well done. I’ll write down a figure on a piece of paper and you can smile politely while digging out your checkbook.” Jeffrey hated the rich, but their money was just as good as anyone else’s.

  “I’m willing to entertain the idea of giving you a bonus. It depends on whether or not your information is worth it. Show me what you have, and I’ll decide if the job was done to my satisfaction.” He looked down at his Rolex watch and felt pride in his years of service to build the firm.

  The firm was synonymous with winning cases no matter if the client was guilty or not.

  “I’m going to give you a peek at the good stuff. It is not getting out of my hands until I get the money you promised me not including the bonus.” He had a file folder with several photographs, one more damning than the next.