A Baby for the Billionaire(64)

Or was Veronica?

“The baby isn’t very old. He couldn’t have had much more time with her than you.”

“Not the point,” Clara said.

“Isn’t it? As far as I’m concerned, you have a better claim. You have love binding you to this boy. All she has is blood.”

“Blood and the law on her side. Besides, if she hadn’t loved her son, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to do what she thought was the best thing for her child. Instead she would have dropped him at an orphanage or tried to raise him herself, always resenting the impact on her life. No, she made the one decision she needed to as a good parent. She found a haven for her baby. I can’t exactly fault her for that.”

Diane sighed. “Well, when you put it that way.”

“Complicated. Every which way is complicated.”

“You know what isn’t complicated?”

“What?”

“The fact that you’re in love with Walker.”

She snorted. “I think that’s the most complicated part.”

“No, you’re wrong.” Diane leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk. “In one form or another, you have loved this man for almost your entire adult life.”

She blinked. “Well, I suppose that’s true but it’s not exactly—”

“The two of you actively worked to keep each other in your lives. You know how many friends I have from college? One. And we’re down to just a Christmas card exchange now. Most old friends drift apart, but the two of you just kept getting closer. That wasn’t a fluke, Clara. That was by design.”

“He has a hard time making friends.”

“He’s a gorgeous male with a black card. How hard could it really have been?”

She kept her mouth shut. The fact that Hunter had had multiple possible mommies said enough. Walker didn’t need her to fill any lonely nights. She wasn’t just a default choice. When they spent time together it wasn’t because they had no other plans. It was because they wanted to be together more than they wanted to be apart.

Wasn’t that at the heart of any good relationship?

“He picked you just as much as you picked him. You’re not being left outside here. He’s standing right there ready to help you climb over the window ledge. Don’t run unless that’s what you really want.”

“But what if he could be all that to Veronica? Wouldn’t it be best for Hunter to be raised by his biological family?”

Diane shrugged. “I think the best thing for any child is to be raised by people who love and want them. You’ve proven that part more than his mother has.”

Clara took a sip of coffee to buy herself some time. “There’s just more to it than my feelings, is all I’m saying.”

“And all I’m saying is sometimes it’s okay not to be selfless. Don’t bow out of this race because you think you know the best answer. Have a real talk with your partner and then decide what comes next for both of you.”

“When did you get so wise?”

“You basically stopped coming to work for a month. I had to do something.”

Clara stuck out her tongue in response.

“Want me to come over tonight to keep you company, or are you going to head for Walker’s?”

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll check in on Hunter.”

Diane smiled. “Bridesmaid. All I’m saying.”

Laughing, she drained the rest of her cup. “Promise.” Setting it on the desk, she pushed to her feet. “I should at least try to write that exposé for you.”

“Like your brain is going to be good for anything today.”

“Well, I can at least sit in my cubby staring at a blank page for the next two hours.”

“Or you could figure out what you want to say to Walker when you walk through his front door today and see him.”

Her cheeks heated at the thought. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Or I could do that.”

Diane waved her away. “Get out of here early. You have business to sort out.”

With a grateful smile, Clara left the office. Yes, she’d plan what to say, and tonight there’d be no unanswered questions, no misunderstandings. She’d ask him for exactly what she wanted, and if that wasn’t something he could give, then she’d pick up the broken pieces of her heart. But Diane was right. It was better to know.

One way or the other.



Her key turned in the lock, and an irrational burst of relief filled her. She was coming home to where she belonged.

Opening Walker’s door, she stepped into the entranceway and tossed her purse on the waiting table.

“Hello?” she called. “Anyone home?”