“You get one chance,” she promised him, still feeling the need to make certain how seriously she was taking the episode. “Make it count.”
Slowly the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. Then he bent to press his forehead against hers. “I love you.” Connie froze. Those were words she had carefully dodged over their weeks and months of dating, changing topics each time it felt as if he were close to uttering them, and now she didn’t know how to respond. She was still too angry to consider what it meant that he passed them out as a way to cover the hurt inflicted by his own words. He didn’t wait, thankfully, but released her and opened his door, shouting as he exited the car, “It’s my birthday, and I’m at the zoo with my best girls. Couldn’t ask for a better day.”
“Stay,” he urged her again, hands firm on her hips.
“Why don’t you have any baby pictures of Addy?” Connie tipped her head to one side and watched as he shut down. His eyes went cold, and then the muscles in his face firmed, grew taut, lips narrowing to a slash across his face. “We looked all through what you have, and it’s like she dropped into your life just about a year ago.” Which was about when I met him. “The drawing she did for your present was good, but what we wanted to do was frame a picture of you holding her. I looked through the box you gave me, and there’s nothing, Jonas. Why is that?” The few pictures he did have were on the steps of some building, and all looked to have been taken the same day. “Where were you when she was tiny?”
“I don’t have pictures of her from then. You know I’m not the sentimental type, Connie. Jesus, you’ve given me grief about it more than once.”
Connie cocked her head to the side in confusion. “No, I haven’t.”
“Sure you have. It’s what you’re doing right now. What are you getting at?” His fingers dug into her hips, the grip painful enough to promise bruises tomorrow.
She squirmed uncomfortably, and his hold tightened until she stopped moving. “Jonas, that hurts.”
His hands flexed, then loosened. “What are you getting at with these questions, huh? What does it matter? We’re talking about grown-up things now, not the kid.”
“Adrianne or Addy,” she said, her words a conscious repetition of what Cole had told him earlier in the day. The comparison wasn’t lost on him, and she knew it when he pulled away from her entirely, taking two steps to put his back against the wall. Arms crossed on his chest, she watched the fabric of his shirt pucker and drape around his shoulders. Unbidden, an image of Cole in the same position flashed through her head, and she drew unflattering comparisons of her own. “She’s got a name, Jonas.”
“You’re still mad.” His voice was flat, slicing through the air. “Jesus, give it up already. I apologized.”
“Tell me about her mother. Your relationship. I don’t understand how you could have gone from whatever you had that made you want to have a child together, to this thing I have to witness every other weekend. Make me understand, Jonas.” He clearly wanted an end to the discussion, but it felt to Connie like she was getting somewhere and she wanted to know. How had he and Audrey gone from a couple who cared enough to conceive a child, to the nightmare scene she’d watched play out again and again?
“There’s nothing to tell.” His expression grew stony, lips pulled to the side in a suppressed sneer. “And that kid wasn’t planned. Not in a million years did I ever plan on a kid.”
Connie studied him intently for a moment, feeling the gulf between them widening with every breath. She glanced down the hallway, verifying the doorway to the spare bedroom was dark, which hopefully meant Addy was still asleep. More quietly, she said, “It takes two to make a baby. Even if she wasn’t the intended outcome, why do you bear the brunt of the blame? Why is the entire Stewart family set against you? What happened, Jonas?”
“Jesus, Connie, the last thing I want to do is talk about her with you. The condom broke, and here I am, mired in this thing.” He turned away, giving her his back. She watched as he paced away a few steps. “Why are you pushing this now?”
This is going to spiral into an argument. A bad one. Worse than this. Connie shook herself and took a breath as she pushed her anger away. Time to hit pause. “I’m not. I’ll stop. It was a long day and we’re both tired. I’m heading home before one of us says something we’ll regret, Jonas. I truly hope you have a better day with Addy tomorrow.”
“I drove you.” He shrugged. Putting special emphasis on the little girl’s name, he told her, “Adrianne’s asleep, so I can’t take you home.” A sly grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Seems like you’ve got to stay now. Still time to give me my present.”
Are you kidding me? He seemed entirely oblivious to her mood tonight. She lifted her phone between them when it looked like he would have taken a step towards her. “I called a ride.”
He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. “Do you love me?” Connie’s stomach dipped, and she focused on keeping her breathing slow and even, because his sudden demand was startling, especially after the near fight they’d just come through. He stared at her with nostrils flaring and pulled in a deep breath when she didn’t respond. “That’s the answer then, isn’t it? Is that the answer? Is that a not yet, or a not ever? I think I deserve to know, seeing as how I’ve put a lot of work into this relationship, Connie. I want it to work.”
“I don’t know.” She answered him honestly, unsettled by his direct attack over her nonresponse. “I’m not someone who’s had a lot of relationships, Jonas.”
“I know,” he said, expression turning earnest. “That’s one of the things that I find most charming about you. There’s none of the stupid luggage for us to get past. I hoped I’d be it for you.”
A horn sounded from the street at the same time her phone buzzed in her hand and she turned away. “Car’s here. I have to go. I need a couple of days, but I’ll call you.”
He didn’t say another word when Connie walked to the door, but as she closed it behind her, she heard Adrianne’s voice lifted in a familiar nightmare-riddled cry of, “Mommy.”
***
Connie settled back against the pillows, tablet nearby. She shifted and winced at a sudden pain, lifting her nightgown to stare at the purple circles riding both hips. Nothing made sense after today, and the entire ride home she’d tried to sort out not only what had happened, but how she felt.
I’m not happy.
Her phone pinged, and she glanced over to see a text message flash across the screen. If it’s Jonas, I’m going to be pissed. It had been less than two hours since she’d left him standing in his apartment, fury radiating off him. I told him I needed some time.
It chimed again, and she snatched it off the nightstand, her scowl slowly turning into a smile as she tapped the image sent, blowing it up larger to see more detail.
That’s too cute! She typed out her response and sent it, then looked at the picture again. Her mom had managed to capture her dad and sister in a moment that didn’t scream fight or frustration. They were standing alongside the family dining room table, bent nearly in half as they searched a jumble of puzzle pieces scattered across the surface. Heads close together, the resemblance was strong. While Connie had inherited her mother’s coloring including hair so dark it was nearly black, her sister, Nelly, had taken after their father.
Good to see them getting along. She sent that message without guilt, because Nelly had a mind of her own, and their father didn’t always see eye-to-eye with her.
We miss you. Connie’s lips curved in a soft smile at her mother’s message.
I miss you too.
Her phone buzzed in her hand and she opened the message to see another photo, this of her father and mother mugging for the camera, clearly taken by Nelly.
Should come visit sometime. We don’t have cooties. Connie grinned at her sister’s commandeering of their mother’s phone. This was more like the playful little sister she remembered before adulting had taken its toll, sending them in different directions.<
br />
You could come here. I’ve a cootie-free guest bedroom. She shook her head, even as she sent the message. Nelly wouldn’t come. Connie hadn’t seen her sister in years. Nelly had arranged to be unavailable every time Connie had returned home for a visit. We were close once.
Maybe I will.
***
Jonas
He stared at his phone. Connie hadn’t called him for a week, and then only to explain she had a work conflict with their next planned date night. She has the worst timing ever. He sighed, already dreading more long nights without her.
Are you sure-sure you have a work thing? His thumbs tapped across the surface of the phone, sliding letters into place on the message. He studied it for a moment then sent it and waited.
Yes, I have to work that night. She was still typing, he could see, so Jonas waited. When it finally came, he tried to smooth the scowl he knew twisted his features. If you don’t trust me, we have bigger problems than I thought.
Jesus. It’s not that I don’t trust you. He sighed. I just miss you.
It took a few starts and stops of her typing, but finally, she sent him something. Not what he wanted, but something.
What do you have planned for your next day with Addy?
He frowned because that text meant she was avoiding his message about missing her.
Can I call you?
I shouldn’t have to ask if I can call my own damned girlfriend. The scowl returned, and he could feel the taut lines his muscles pulled in his neck and shoulders.
Another shadow dance of starts and stops with her typing, and by the time she sent her response, it felt as if he’d been staring at the screen for hours.
I’m headed to bed. We’ll talk soon. Have a good night.
She’s still mad. He scrubbed across his forehead with the palm of a hand. She didn’t get over it, and she’s still mad. Jonas flung himself down on the couch cushions, rolling his head to stare blindly at the TV. I can fix this. A few minutes later, inspiration struck and he sat upright and pulled his laptop to the edge of the coffee table. A few clicks and he was looking at Connie’s social media page, checking to see restaurants she’d reviewed or liked. It didn’t take but a minute to find one she’d been to several times, but they’d never been to together. She’ll be blown away.
The place had an online reservation service, and he quickly made one for the night before he was to pick up the kid for the next visitation. Perfect.
Six nights later, he stood in the hallway outside her empty apartment, puzzled. Connie was late, and she was never late. He knew he could set a clock to her routine, because she didn’t vary. He fired off a quick text, asking, Where are you?
At work. Her response came back almost immediately.
He dialed and waited, she picked up on the first ring. “What are you doing at work?”
“I told you,” she clipped, her tone sharp and biting, “I had to work tonight. I explained that last week.”
Jonas closed his eyes and sagged backwards against her door. “Oh. I forgot.” Sounds in the background of the call caused him to listen intently. Laughter and glasses clinking, the sound of multiple conversations. Doesn’t sound much like work. “Where are you? Still at the office? I could come pick you up when you’re done.”
“Jonas, I’ve got to go. Don’t worry about me getting home, I’ll be fine. We’ll talk soon, yeah?” He heard a man’s voice call her name. “Have a good evening.”
“Yeah, you too.” The call disconnected, and he stared at his phone. Have a good evening. She’d spoken to him as if he hadn’t told her he loved her. As if they weren’t more than casual acquaintances.
He spoke to the silent hallway as his head swung back and forth, eyeing each door in turn. They did their jobs, hiding whoever lived behind them, along with all their secrets. He needed Connie in his life, more than she knew.
“I can fix this.”
***
Cole
He pulled his truck in alongside asshole’s car in Audrey’s driveway, tucking up tightly to the garage door. Glancing to the side as he climbed out of the vehicle, he noted the empty front seat next to asshole and grimaced. That was something Addy always asked just before she walked outside, if Miss Connie was in the car. He hated disappointing his niece, but there wasn’t anything to be done about it. More than that, he wanted to see the woman. She’s gorgeous, he admitted to himself. Who doesn’t want to see a pretty lady?
Pushing through the doorway, he looked around the little living room. Tidy and clean, just like always. “Hey, honey,” he said as he leaned down to kiss Audrey’s cheek. “You ready for this?”
Every other weekend, he asked the same question, and she always lied to him. “Sure.”
“Addy ready?” He didn’t hear the little girl, which meant she was probably shoving one more toy into her overnight bag back in her bedroom. Audrey nodded. “Okay, I’m headed out. Send her when you’re ready.”
Back outside on the porch, he studied asshole’s face as he got out of his car. The guy knew the routine by now at least and didn’t try to force his way inside. For some reason, Cole found himself more on edge than normal, and couldn’t resist poking the beast a little. “Girlfriend dump you?”
Asshole’s head came up and he glared at Cole. “No. She had a work thing last night.”
“Oh, a Friday night work thing? You sure she didn’t dump you and you just aren’t smart enough to know it?” Cole folded his arms across his chest. “Too bad. Addy likes her.”
“Shut up and send my kid out already. I’m here on time and ready.”
Cole stared at him and took in the slightly disheveled look. “It bugs you. Whatever she was doing last night. She turnin’ tricks or what?” The words felt sour in his mouth, but this thing between them wasn’t about Connie, his only real goal was goading asshole into making a mistake. Gimme one. I just need one. Each misstep asshole made was another tick mark on the lawyer’s list. Enough of those and the man would be out of Addy’s life forever. Cole clenched his teeth and pushed again. “She’s a looker for a hooker, man.”
Asshole glared, his expression fiercely intense. “Stop it. She’s a good woman. Don’t talk about her like that.”
“She’s such a good woman, what is she doing with you, huh?” He heard the door open behind him and Cole clamped his mouth shut. “Bring Addy back tomorrow by four. You know what happens if you’re late.”
“Oh, I know what you threaten.” Asshole took a step towards the porch, not looking down at where Cole knew Addy stood beside him, his gaze fixed on Cole’s face. “But you need to remember your place in all this. Oh, wait.” He faked surprise, holding a finger to his chin. “You don’t have a place. This is between me and your sister.” Looking down, his face didn’t change expression. “What are you waiting for, kid? Go ahead and get in the car.”
“Miss Connie’s not here?” Addy’s voice shook and Cole regretted riling up the man.
“No, Miss Connie had a prior engagement.” Jonas’ tone mocked her, and Cole clenched his fists tightly. “Come on, kid. Let’s have a good weekend anyway. I’ve got mini-putt planned. Wanna go play a couple of games?”
“Okay.” Addy tugged on Cole’s pant leg, and he looked down. “Love you, Uncle Cole.”
“Love you, too, little Addy.” He crouched and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “Go, have a good time. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Cole stood and watched her buckle herself into the booster seat as asshole folded into the front seat of his car. Jonas’ head turned and he said something to Addy, who smiled broadly in response. Cole watched as she looked out the other window and saw her laughing while her father drove away.
Chapter Three
Connie
Connie placed the latest call to ring through to her console on hold, tapping the attention light for the senior partner’s receptionist.
The speaker buzzed. “What is it, Connie?” That was Patricia Hullton
, the no-nonsense woman who had hired Connie. Patty had been one of the first employees at the firm and worked there for more than a decade, which meant there were few things she didn’t know about the ins and outs of the practice. She’d also turned into a good friend for Connie, and the two women often met after work for an unwind session at a local wine bar.
“I’ve got a Mr. Simms on line three, and he wants to talk to Mr. Matthews.” Dalton Matthews was Patty’s boss, and one of three founding members of the firm. Connie grinned when she informed Patty of the man’s demands. “Said he won’t speak with any other partner.” Matthews might be the first name on the sign, but the other two partners had been with him from the beginning. Stan Barrows and Greg Aaron were as qualified, and just as invested in their business, but Connie had seen this kind of behavior more than once where someone decided Matthews must be the most knowledgeable partner since he was listed first. “He said he’s representing that baby food company.”
“Well then. I just bet he wants to talk to Dalton. I’d put even money on him wanting to set up a lunch meeting to discuss a settlement.” Patty’s tone conveyed how she felt about that. The firm’s clients for the case were parents of a toddler who’d ingested glass particles from a jar of baby food. The child had needed surgery to correct the damage done to his digestive system by the sharp pieces of foreign material, and while the gourmet food’s manufacturer had quickly offered to pay for the medical care, the baby’s mother had been suspicious. A quick investigation online had shown her there’d been a limited recall in some states, but no government requirement for the company to make a broad announcement, because they’d hidden the fact some potentially impacted production runs had been shipped outside the initial target area. Warehouse workers posting their concerns on social media had been the smoking gun. With that information in hand, the child’s mother had called the firm of Matthews, Barrows, and Aaron, and the rest would soon be history. “Go ahead and put him through, Connie. He can stay on hold here just as easy as he’s tying up one of your lines.”
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