Some of the family had gone with Glenna’s sister-in-law to the store to get supplies for the baby. Other members were in the kitchen putting together food for the adults, as the evening threatened to stretch beyond the hours allotted for the party. His father and his father’s fiancée, a word Broderick still had to get used to associating with Jeannie, had given Glenna and Broderick the chance to speak privately. Here, in this room, where he was waiting and pacing.
Raking his hand through his hair, he let out a sigh at the exact moment he heard the door click open.
Spinning around, he saw Glenna, baby in tow.
Damn.
Glenna was always stunning. For as long as he had known her, her slender frame and bright eyes had drawn him in. As did her intelligence and generosity. All the layers that made her Glenna were undeniably attractive.
But seeing her with the baby sent his heart pounding. This was a softer side of Glenna he’d never glimpsed up close before. A tender, nurturing side that made him…damn. He didn’t know. He’d never been with a woman who looked like that.
In his gut, he felt a stirring. He wanted to protect his potential child.
And Glenna.
Her smooth voice interrupted his staring. “Fleur’s calmer now, and I imagine once she eats she’ll sleep for the night.”
Sitting in a plush padded rocking chair, she settled herself with the baby. A heavy sigh slid from Glenna’s lips as she gave him a weary but valiant smile.
Broderick crossed to the sofa adjacent to her, his leg brushing hers. Even with the barrier of his jeans and her wool slacks, he could still remember the feel of her skin. A hint of her almond scent teased his senses and threatened to distract him, making him want to lean closer and inhale.
And now wasn’t that distracting as hell?
He gathered his thoughts and sat. “I think we’re all in agreement that you and I need to talk.” He glanced at his boots, the leather still damp from his ride earlier. The world had gone haywire in less time than it took water to evaporate. “As awkward as this is, we need to know what we’re facing, depending on whose child this is.”
The weight of those words hit Broderick as he fully realized how awful this had to be for Glenna. He’d been so wrapped up in his own shock, he hadn’t thought about how hurtful this had to be for her. “God, Glenna. I’m sorry. This has to be painful for you. I assume since you haven’t shut this paternity question down altogether, there’s a possibility the baby is Gage’s?”
Her brow furrowing, she shook her head, a whisper of blond hair escaping her loose topknot and grazing her cheek. “I don’t know for sure. We were having a…rough patch. It’s not…impossible that she could be his. But I have no knowledge of her and he certainly never mentioned any pregnancy.”
Her eyes looked past him, drifting to the painting of the Alaskan forest. A moment of weariness flashed over her face, but he watched her quickly gather her composure, a skill developed in boardroom meetings. Her attention returned to the baby. Smiling again, she rocked the tiny girl gently.
“I’m sorry about the problems you and your husband had.” And he was. If this was indeed Gage’s child…
“Me, too. But you can tuck away your pity for me and save it for Fleur.” Glenna looked up from the baby. “And you? You didn’t shout ‘hell no, not my kid.’”
“It’s possible.” He had to admit it. “I met Deborah Wilson when she came up here to do a series of articles on the likelihood of us pursuing a pipeline. She and I went out. It wasn’t serious. But there is a possibility. Not probable, since I was only with her once and we, um, used protection. But then nothing’s one hundred percent except abstinence.”
“Then she could be yours.” Glenna bobbed her head up and down, her loose topknot glimmering in the warm light.
He gave her a sidelong glance, weighing his words, but knowing he needed to share what was on his mind. “We went out a few times, but I ended it when she broke down in tears telling me she was involved with a married man.”
There were some lines he did not cross. He might not want marriage for himself, but he still believed firmly in the sanctity of the union . Even when dating, he stayed monogamous for the duration of that relationship.
Glenna inhaled sharply. “You believe that married man was my husband.”
“I didn’t say that.” He reached across to touch her elbow, to comfort her. “I’m only saying this baby is here, and there’s a chance she’s family.”
Family to one of them. That alone was enough.
His touch lingered, and he found himself unable to pull away.