“When were you going to tell me?” he asked.
Tawny rolled her tongue over her bottom lip, the only sound the distant shrieking of children playing on the swings behind them, but the trill of their delighted laughter only made Tawny’s silence that much more pronounced.
His heart thudded in his throat and he swallowed hard, clenching his fists. “You weren’t going to, were you?”
Again, she said nothing. Instead, she stared straight ahead, watching as the cars whizzed by on the street in front of them. In the distance, one of the children on the playground had started crying.
Finally, she shook her head miserably. “I don’t know how to answer that, Luke.”
“How could you?” He tried to remain calm, but his voice shook with untenable anger. If he’d known two months ago, maybe even three, then he could have…then he might have…he didn’t know what. But that didn’t matter.
The important thing was the question. The one that, deep down, he thought he already knew the answer to.
“And what is it about me that would make me so unfit to be,” he practically choked on the words, “a father?”
“Luke, don’t.” Her whisper was so soft that he could hardly hear her over the child wailing in the background.
“I mean it. Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me? What did you think I would do? Force you to get rid of it?” The prospect alone chilled him. Like he would even try to wrestle control over a woman’s body that way. But her face remained impassive.
“I didn’t know what you’d do. And I didn’t want you to try to get me to change my mind.”
“Well, you made sure I didn’t have the option to even try,” he shot back.
“Are you saying you would have asked me to get rid of my baby?” she asked, the expression on her face gutting him almost as surely as this news had.
“No. And if you’d given me the chance, you would have known that.”
“I don’t have to justify my actions to you.” She sounded annoyingly calm, but one glance downward was enough to let him know she was shaking.
“You do when they involve my child,” he said flatly. Her gaze met his and he had to look away to avoid that soul-reading quality he’d felt their one night together.
After a pause, he glanced toward the little crowd of children and asked, “Are you taking care of it? Of yourself?”
For the first time, she looked almost indignant. “Of course I am. I have an appointment this afternoon.”
“Good.” He nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
“You will not.” She practically glared at him, her hand resting protectively on her stomach. “And don’t call my baby it. He or she is a person.”
“Tawny—” he started, but she shook her head, apparently finding her footing at last.
“Listen, nothing has to change just because you know about the baby now.” She stood, her hand still planted firmly on her stomach. “You have a life to lead, dreams to follow. I can raise this baby on my own and take good care of him or her. You don’t have to concern yourself with us. Go. Live your life, Luke.”
She started toward the sidewalk and he considered her words. If he hadn’t seen her today, he never would have known about his baby. He might have gone on, opened his bike shop, lived his life.
After all, she’d made it more than a little clear how uninvolved she wanted him to be. But then…
He pictured his brother, giggling in his playpen. Then, behind him, he could hear another trill of laughter as the kids chased each other around the playground.
Could he really go his entire life not knowing his own child? The way his own biological parents probably had done? And what if something happened to Tawny? Then his child would be just another foster kid. Just like him. What were the chances his kid would luck out the way he did?
Tawny reached her sensible sedan and he watched as she climbed into the driver’s seat while Suzette slid in beside her. The two women hadn’t spoken, but he could guess what they were going to discuss for the rest of the day, and Tawny’s last words echoed through his mind.
I can raise this baby on my own and take good care of him or her. You don’t have to concern yourself with us. Go. Live your life.
Only, going wasn’t an option. Not anymore. Maybe he wouldn’t have chosen fatherhood at this point in his life, but fatherhood had chosen him.
And he wasn’t going to let Tawny keep his baby from him without a fight.
Chapter 9
Tawny blinked, her throat tight as she stared at the screen.
The gentle thrum from the monitor was too incredible for her to believe, and her heart swelled as tears pricked the back of her eyes and threatened to cascade down her cheeks.