Coming Home (Morelli Family 6)

I wrinkle up my nose. “That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“He is fun personified,” he states dryly.

“Must run in the family,” I tease, lightly jabbing him in the chest.

He catches my finger and brings it to his lips, but then he glances over to do a Rosalie check.

“Hi,” she says, standing on the wing chair and waving at us.

Mateo sighs, dropping my hand. “Kids.”

I grin, kissing his cheek. “Kids are great. I’m a big fan.”

His tone couldn’t be any drier. “Yes, I’ve gathered.”

“Seeing you in daddy mode really does it for me, too. I think you’re going to have a really good night.”

“Oh, am I?” he asks, amusement dancing in his eyes.

I nod. “If you didn’t have to go meet Dr. Doom, I’d dispense of the little tea Nazi and haul you upstairs right now.”

“I take it you’re not mad at me anymore?”

Flashing him my sweetest smile, I tell him, “I’m never mad at you.”

“You were last night,” he points out.

“You were being difficult.”

“How new and different for me,” he says, lightly.

I roll my eyes, leaning in to give him one more kiss before I get off his lap. “All right, munchkin,” I call over to Rosalie. “Let’s go upstairs so Daddy can get back to work.”

“I wanna stay and help Daddy work.”

I approach the wing chair, holding my arms out to pick her up. “A very kind offer, but it’s almost nap time.”

Her brown eyes glisten with annoyance and she wrinkles up her little face at me. “I don’t want a nap.”

“That makes one of us,” I tell her, lifting her anyway and putting her on my hip. We head back over to gather her tea cups and we each lean in for another kiss from Mateo. She grabs him by the shirt and pulls him in for a group hug. I smile up at him and wink. He rolls his eyes.

By the time we get back to Meg and the other littles, their game is over. Rosalie runs over to join Westley as he climbs a giant stuffed puppy dog and I take a seat with Meg. Ju has come back from her lunch break, but I don’t have anything pressing to do, so I stay.

I should have plenty to do, but the wedding planning has come to an abrupt halt. I’ve wanted to talk to Mateo about it (I have no desire to get married while eight months pregnant) but since my pregnancy is such a sore subject for us right now, I’m avoiding it.

“Hey, can I talk to you?”

I glance over at Meg. “Of course. What’s up?”

Grimacing faintly, she nods toward the door. “Actually, I need you to come to the bathroom with me.”

This makes me frown. It’s not often we need to be out of Mateo’s view, but my curiosity is piqued, so I follow her out.

Once we’re closed inside the nearest bathroom, Meg braces herself against the door and stares at me.

“What’s up?” I ask.

Her gaze drops to my stomach. Inexplicably, she appears nearly as distressed as Mateo about the activity within my womb. Then she brings her gaze back to mine. “I’m the reason you’re pregnant.”

My eyebrows rise. “You’re the baby’s father? Oh, thank God. Mateo’s going to be very happy to hear this.”

“I’m not joking, Mia.” Shoulders drooping, she swallows and takes a step away from the door, closer to me. “I told Vince you were going to be at the bakery that day.”

This is a weird joke, even for Meg. I stare at her for another minute, waiting for some sign of levity, some sign that this is just one of her weird jokes, but I get the very distinct impression it isn’t. I have to work a little harder to breathe, my head automatically shaking in denial. “What?”

“He came the week you were in the Bahamas and I was there to cover you. It was impulsive and stupid, and I’m going to blame it a little on the male Morelli in my own womb right now; I think his inevitable sociopathy is infecting me while he steals all my brain cells.”

I am not at all amused. “Meg, why? Why would you…? I don’t understand.”

“I was sick of sharing. Not even sharing; I was an obligation fuck that he remembered to visit every once in a while. It sucked. It wasn’t fun anymore. These aren’t good excuses, there obviously is no good excuse, I just thought… I thought… I don’t even want to say what I thought.”

“No, say what you thought. How did you even…?” My mind is spinning. I drift backward, leaning against the sink. How could Meg betray me like this?

Sighing, she speaks quickly, like she has to get it all out as fast as possible or she’ll change her mind. “I thought if Mateo couldn’t find you, then hey, no more sharing. And if he did find you… he’d kill Vince, and it would drive a wedge between you like last time. Only this time I wouldn’t help fix it, because you’re both epically bad sharers and I wanted that to stop.”