Expecting a Fortune, page 7
Lauren gave him a baffled look. “Carly’s not staying here, Devin. She’s coming with me. Of course, you’ll see her. We’ll have to work out weekend visits and which holidays she’ll spend with you.”
“Hold on. Her friends are here. She’s been with some of them since grade school, and all they’ve ever talked about is attending high school together. And she’s planning to try out for the freshman volleyball team or maybe taking up cheerleading again.” He met her stare with a hard one of his own. “You can’t just yank her away from all of that. This is her home.”
“I’m not yanking her away from anything.” Lauren shook her head. “She’ll still be in contact with her friends. And she can join the volleyball team or the cheerleading squad at her new school in Corpus Christi. In fact, their volleyball team has made the regional or state championships for the past five years.”
“Her new school. So you’ve already made up your mind. Don’t I have a say in it? And what about what Carly wants? Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“Of course what Carly wants counts.” Lauren threw up her hands. “But we have to be realistic. All those activities she wants to get involved in—if she stays here, who’s going to take her back and forth to them? You say you’re going to adjust your schedule, but how long will that last? You barely have time for her now.”
Irritation prickled over him as he stood. “That’s not true.”
“How much time has she spent holed up with you in your office because you’re working? Or babysitting another puppy you volunteered to foster while you’re working? Or tagging along with you on researching a story you’re writing? Even the father-daughter-meal outings you take her on are work related. Carly knows you’re reviewing the restaurant.”
“How?” he demanded. “Because you told her?”
“No. Carly’s the one who told me. She started noticing a review from the ‘anonymous’ restaurant critic appeared in your paper right after she went to the place with you. And you don’t have to worry about her telling anyone. She thinks your little secret is exciting.”
Carly keeping his secret was the last thing he was worried about. He was worried about losing his daughter. “I can’t change the past, Lauren, but if Carly was living with me, there wouldn’t be any scheduling problems. I would make it work.”
His ex crossed her arms over her chest. “And if you can’t, then what? According to our agreement, she’s supposed to spend two weeks and two weekends a month with you. That hardly ever happens.”
“You make it sound like Carly isn’t my priority.”
“She is—along with running the newspaper and chasing the next headline story.”
Déjà vu hit with her last comment. It was a near repeat to what Lauren used to say during their arguments before they’d decided to get a divorce.
From the look on Lauren’s face, the same realization had crossed her mind. “I don’t want to fight about this. I just want what’s best for our daughter.”
“And so do I.” Devin released a measured breath. “But we won’t be able to decide what’s best for her if we’re dragging our past into it. We have to consider all sides of this decision. And that includes exploring the possibility of her staying here with me.”
“You’re right...we have to work this out for Carly’s sake. She shouldn’t see us divided on this. We also need to work out our differences before we approach her about what’s going on.”
“I agree. This is our problem, not hers.” Grimness entered his tone. “It upsets her when we’re not getting along. The last thing we should do is stress her out.”
“At least we’re on the same page about that, but as far as the rest...” Lauren uncrossed her arms. Her expression shifted from stubbornness to resignation. “There’s only one way for us to solve things.”
* * *
Devin drove into the parking lot of the Saddle & Spur Roadhouse. As he pulled into a vacant spot, his earlier conversation with Lauren, along with her accusations, played through his mind.
He couldn’t imagine not having Carly in Chatelaine and only seeing her on weekends or select holidays. And yes, according to the agreement they had now, despite equal custody, she often didn’t spend the two weeks and two weekends a month with him. But that wasn’t because he didn’t want her with him.
They knew Carly saw Lauren’s place as home. And that made sense considering the three of them had once lived there as a family. They’d adopted a three weeks there, one week at his place schedule, and everyone had been happy. But if their daughter wanted to spend a few extra days or weekends in one place or another or wanted to pop by to see him, neither he nor Lauren objected.
His ex-wife throwing in the informal agreement change like it was a negative was more than just a little unfair considering they’d made the adjustment for a good reason. And she shouldn’t have just sprung her decision on him. But the fact that she already had a high school picked out for Carly made Devin wonder if this move to Corpus Christi had been in the works for a while.
Yes, she had a right to excel in her career, but when it came to their daughter’s welfare, it was a joint effort, not a singular one. And as far as him being able to balance his work schedule and look after Carly, he already had the perfect blueprint on that. His father had done it while raising him as a single parent.
Outside the truck, Devin locked it with the key fob and headed toward the restaurant. At least he and Lauren agreed on one thing. Just like they had with their divorce and the original custody agreement, they were using a mediator to reach an amicable decision.
As he walked past a four-door sedan to the left, he did a double take. Bea...
She was just about to open the driver’s side door when her gaze met his. “Devin...hi.”
“Hello.” He walked over to her.
Dressed in black jeans, a white blouse, and a short tan jacket, her appearance was casual yet professional. And she looked pretty as usual.
Standing in front of each other, she seemed as unsure as he felt about how they should greet each other. They leaned in at the same time for a hug.
He breathed in her light floral fragrance, and any awkwardness he’d felt before melted away. Familiarity and sense of rightness replaced it, tempting him into holding her a bit longer.
They released each other.
Meeting her gaze, Devin debated what to say. He couldn’t ask if she’d taken a pregnancy test yet. “How are you?”
“Good, but busy.” Bea’s smile curved up her mouth, but it didn’t light up her face. Adjusting the purse strap on her shoulder, she looked at the restaurant. “The owner here has some extra tray racks he wants to get rid of. He called to see if I was interested in them. They’re practically brand new.”
“So are you interested in them?”
“Yes. We need them. Some of ours were...lost.” As she looked up at him, uncertainty briefly shadowed her face, and she looked just as lost. “I should go.” She headed back to her car. “See you, Devin.”
“Bye, Bea.”
He hadn’t known her long at all, but he could sense something was off with her. Was he just picking up on the stress she was under with the café, or was it something else?
His phone rang. It was Quinn. She and Charles were probably wondering where he was.
Turning toward the Saddle & Spur, he answered the call.
“Devin, wait...” Bea called out. “I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Nine
I’m pregnant... The confession had just flown out of her mouth. Hearing herself say the actual words that had drummed in her mind all last night felt surreal.
As Devin turned to face her, he spoke into the phone. “I’ll call you back.”
And she’d not only just told Devin, but most likely whoever he’d been on the phone with had heard it, too. Along with the guy she hadn’t noticed walking past them.
The realization of her announcement, including the fact that her life was about to change in a huge way, made it hard to breathe. Oh, shit...
He came to her side and wrapped an arm around her. “You’re okay. Take a deep breath. Good. Take another.”
Devin guided her to his truck. Once she was inside the front passenger seat, he went to the driver’s side, got in, and snagged a small bottle of apple juice sitting in the middle console.
He cracked it open. “Here—drink some of this.”
Bea accepted the bottle. She took a sip, and the feeling of lightheadedness started to fade. Fine sand-colored granules stuck to her fingers.
Devin noticed her staring at her hand. “It’s cinnamon sugar from French toast sticks. Carly was eating breakfast in the car on the way to school this morning.” He opened the glove box, took out napkins, and traded them for the bottle.
Making sure his daughter had breakfast on the way to dropping her off at school, apple juice and napkins at the ready... There was no doubt in her mind that the strong, confident man sitting beside her was a natural parent. But as for her? She had no idea where to start in becoming one.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.” She balled the napkin in her hand. “I didn’t mean to drop the news on you like that—or for whoever you were on the phone with to hear it along with that guy walking through the parking lot. Please tell me you don’t know him.”
“I don’t.” Devin studied her face. “And even if I did, I don’t care what he heard. Now will you please answer me truthfully. How are you? And where are you in your thinking about being pregnant?”
Bea sorted through her whirling emotions. “I feel like I’ve been put in a scrambler and shot back out of it. I’m shocked and overwhelmed.” The sincerity in his gaze prompted her to be even more honest. “And I’m a little frustrated this didn’t happen to me sooner.” She responded to his questioning look. “Eight years ago, when I was married, I tried to have a baby...but I couldn’t conceive. I’d given up on the possibility of ever getting pregnant.”
“And now you are.” Devin glanced away with a pensive expression.
“And what about you.” Bea balled the napkin tighter in her fist. “How are you feeling about this...honestly?”
His chest rose and fell with a breath. “I’m shocked, too. I’ve been in this situation of becoming a parent before, but this is different.”
Different... She read between the lines, imagining what he wasn’t saying. Back then, he’d been in a committed relationship with someone he’d cared about. “I’m not expecting anything from you. I want this baby, but I know having another child isn’t necessarily what you want.”
Devin met her gaze. “I didn’t say that.”
“You just said this situation is different.”
“Different in that I’m not in my early twenties trying to get a foothold in my career while becoming a new parent,” he clarified. “I have experience. Which is why I won’t let you go through this alone.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want us to feel forced to be together. Or for you to feel trapped. Let’s be honest...we don’t know each other.”
Devin wrapped his hand around her closed one. “No, we don’t know each other that well. And I don’t know what it’s like to be pregnant, but I do know going through the changes of pregnancy can be a lot, mentally and physically, especially for a first-time mom. And, of course, I want to know my child. And that includes getting to know you, Bea.” As he turned more toward her, he held her hand a little tighter. “I don’t want you to be alone or even feel that you’re on your own in this—financially, emotionally, or on any other level. It will be easier if you let me be there for you.”
Seeing his earnest expression lifted some of the heaviness that had started weighing on Bea that morning. She really didn’t want to go through the experience alone. She’d gotten a taste of that in her past marriage.
She and her ex had tried for a long time to get pregnant. When it hadn’t happened, she’d been open to other avenues, but Jeff hadn’t been. If she couldn’t have a baby “the old-fashioned way,” he’d told her, then he hadn’t wanted one. The past memory played through her mind. If she couldn’t have a baby... He’d actually said that.
That comment had finally awakened her to what she’d refused to see. Jeff hadn’t been physically or emotionally there for her—and not just with their fertility issues. She’d been the one who’d given everything. All he’d given was promises he’d never kept. He also hadn’t understood what she’d needed from him as a husband. And he hadn’t been willing to make changes to sustain their marriage.
What Devin offered was the opposite of that. But what if he couldn’t keep his promises? What if she put her faith in him and he bailed on her, too? She couldn’t go through that again, especially with a baby on the horizon.
Bea met Devin’s gaze. “I have to be up front with you—I appreciate you wanting to be supportive, but I’m anxious about it, too. You already have a responsibility to Carly. You also run a business. Adding in me and the baby will add more to your already busy life. I don’t want to set you up for failure by expecting too much from you.”
“It’s a legitimate concern. And since you were honest with me, I should be honest with you as well.” Grimness shadowed his face. “I just found out this morning that Lauren—Carly’s mom—accepted a transfer to Corpus Christi for her job. And she wants to take Carly with her.”
Bea’s heart went out to him. Devin had probably still been reeling from the news when she’d dropped her bombshell revelation on him. But despite that, he hadn’t hesitated in looking after her.
Even though she’d had no way of knowing that her timing was bad, a hint of guilt still rippled through her. Sighing, she relaxed her grip on the napkin, allowing Devin to grasp her hand. “I’m sorry. I know that must have been tough to find out.”
He huffed a breath. “Yeah, I definitely didn’t see that coming. We’ve decided to go through mediation instead of the courts to come up with a decision. We’ve worked things out this way before. Hopefully we can do it again. We just have to remember what’s best for Carly.”
“That’s an important focus.” And one she didn’t want to get in the way of.
“It is. I’ll have to be available to attend sessions with the mediator. And when we tell Carly what’s happening with her mom and the move, I’ll need to be there to help her process the situation. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be there for you and the baby, too. I just have to balance my time.”
But it wasn’t just about time. How would his daughter take the news about the baby? And would the pregnancy negatively impact his position when it came to negotiating the new custody arrangement for his daughter?
Bea held back in asking the questions. Devin had just found out he was about to become a father again along with the prospect of spending less time with his daughter. He hadn’t had time to figure all that out yet. And just like she needed support, he probably did, too.
“I appreciate you telling me what’s going on with your ex and Carly. You and I being honest with each other puts us on the right course.”
“There’s something else I need to tell you.” A look of regret came over Devin’s face. “I’m the newspaper’s anonymous restaurant critic.”
Chapter Ten
In the Chatelaine Daily News office’s main conference room, Devin, Charles, and Quinn sat at the large rectangular table reviewing a draft of Sunday’s newspaper on their tablets and laptops. The program they used allowed them to make changes in real time so they could all see and comment on adjustments.
As Devin scanned the pages, one thought shadowed the rest in his mind. Bea was pregnant.
After their night together, he’d realized that was a possibility, but hearing her say the words was a whole other reality.
She’d looked so anxious. Assuring her that everything would be okay had been important to him. And he would live up to his promise to be there for her. But was he ready to be a dad again?
His heart thumped a little harder as he released a pent-up exhale. He and Lauren had planned having Carly. And as a married couple, bringing a child into the world had been a natural next step for them.
He and Bea weren’t even close to ready for this. And they had to find a way to get there. Starting with her forgiving him.
The hurt look on Bea’s face that morning after he’d confessed to writing the review about the café played in his mind.
I’m not holding it against you for not telling me, Devin. I was the one who suggested we set everything aside. But that doesn’t erase the fact you encouraged people to question if they should give my restaurant another chance... I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this. I need time...
That was what she’d told him before she’d gotten out of his truck. She’d also mentioned she’d contact him when she was ready. He could have mentioned that by not being transparent about what had happened at the café on opening night, she’d missed the opportunity for there to be a balanced view on her situation.
But that thinking was from the outside point of view of a journalist and restaurant critic. Not Bea’s...what? Just the father of her baby? Had his admission relegated him to only that role in her life? Discontent and concern tugged in his gut. He didn’t just want to know his baby, he wanted to get to know Bea.
When they’d been at the wedding reception, they’d shared a natural connection that hadn’t been merely on a physical level. A part of him believed that even though they had put a one-night limit on being together, they still would have linked up again. Their connection might have grown into something more. Wasn’t that part of their relationship worth exploring, especially now that they were expecting a child together?
