A Baby for the Billionaire(67)

“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. “Transition 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.