Breaking Even (Sterling Shore 5)

He lets go a sad, bitter laugh while shaking his head. “Erica didn’t have a kid. This kid is six-years-old. I met the mom long before Erica and I got together, and I had a one-night stand. I used a condom, but... apparently shit happens. Condom broke, and I didn’t even remember our night together until she said something about it.”

I can barely breathe, so I can only assume he’s suffocating.

“Damn. And you’re sure? That’s it’s yours, I mean.”

He nods slowly, his eyes cast downward as he struggles to digest it all.

“Yeah, it’s legit. I have a daughter. Just got the results back from the paternity test yesterday. That’s why I left, and that’s why I was texting. My lawyer has been working hard on this. I seriously have a daughter named Angel.”

Still a little in shock, I ask, “Is she living here?”

“Yeah. The mom’s name is Allie. I met her one of the times I was in Cancun. Turns out she was living four hours from here, and moved here to be with one of her friends. Now she’s a nurse at Sterling Memorial. She wasn’t sure about telling me, but the kid kept asking about a father, and then we literally ran into each other at the grocery store. She took it as a sign that she needed to do the right thing.”

Holy shit. “And she didn’t think to do the right thing years ago?”

He frowns as he leans over and rests his elbows on the desk. “It was a one-night stand. She didn’t know my last name. She only came to Sterling Shore to meet me once she saw me in a magazine article with Tag. She started to call me several times and kept chickening out.

“But she ended up landing a good job at the hospital, and now she’s living here. She’s been trying to find the courage to approach me for the past three months. I want to know my kid, but she’s made it clear that I’m not allowed to give her money or see her outside of Angel. Apparently I was a major asshole to her that night. It was a bad year for me, and I fucked her and walked away. I don’t really blame her for not being too happy with me.

“I begged Ash not to set that date up with Brin last night, but you know how pushy she is. Tag hasn’t told her what’s going on, so she didn’t know any better. Then I felt like a jerk for being such a horrible date, and I wanted to make it up to her by asking her out on another date. But the truth is, I’m seriously not in a place to date right now.”

I can’t blame him for that. Hell. That’s wild.

“Sorry, man. I wish I knew what to do.”

He blows out a harsh breath as his hands shake. I don’t know how he’s holding it together. “Allie is going to let me meet Angel eventually, but it might take a month or two. She wants to ease her into the transition. A month. I might have to wait an entire month to meet her. My lawyer says he can make sure I see her within a week. But Allie is already terrified of me using my money and influence against her.

“I’m afraid if I push her too fast, she’ll flee and I’ll never get the chance to know my daughter. So I’m playing this her way. She wants time, so I’ll give her a little time. In the meantime, Tag’s helping me get my house ready for a kid. There’s a lot of shit to being a dad, and I’m honestly freaking the fuck out a little.”

“I’d be freaking the fuck out a lot,” I murmur, reaching under the desk and pulling out the bottle of whiskey to hand him.

He raises and shakes his hand in one motion, refusing the alcohol. “I have to go to Mom’s right now. She still doesn’t know. I’m about to break the news to her, and hope she doesn’t beat the hell out of me. I can’t believe I didn’t give her my last name. Hell, I think she said I lied about what it was.”

That doesn’t sound like Wren at all. But we all do stupid shit from time to time. Just turns out that his one time being shitty ended up altering his life. Now he’s missed six years of his kid’s life.

“If you need me or just need someone to get shit-faced with, you know I’m here.”

He laughs sadly while scrubbing his face with his hands. “I might take you up on that offer real damn soon. Tell Brin I’m sorry, but don’t tell her why.”

I wave him off like he’s ridiculous for even thinking I’d share that. But Brin is going to think this had something to do with her.

“I’ll take care of it. You just worry about you and your kid right now.”

He sighs hard. “That sounds so strange. My kid. Erica wanted kids and I told her no. Not because I didn’t want them, but because she and I were never going to last, and I knew it before I married her. I’m so stupid. Who marries someone they don’t even really want to be with? Am I really ready for a kid right now? What if I fuck her up?”

I’m the worst possible person for this conversation. I’ve never even had a serious relationship. A kid? I don’t know the first thing about this.

“Wren, you’re the most level-headed, mature, and grounded one of us. You’ll be an excellent father.”

He smiles, and I mentally pat myself on the back. Good. I said the right thing. And I believe that he will be a good dad.

“I need to go, but I’ll catch up with you later.”

I nod as he stands, and then I reach for my phone. It’s rare that I spend a Sunday night at home—since I enjoy living instead of being a recluse—but tonight I’ll make an exception. I have a ton of shit here to do, but there will be one girl who has a major complex if I don’t head over now.

And I can’t show up empty handed.

***