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TWENTY-FOUR

HANNAH

I’ve just hit submit on my article when the alarm on my computer chimes, signaling it’s time for my Zoom meeting. When I finally load the app—which, of course, needs updating, when does it not?—the squares are all filled with familiar faces.

The dads.

My stepdads, to be more precise. The four I sent the meeting invite too. My mother is supposed to be on the call, but as usual, she’s late.

I smile and say hi, all the while holding my phone beneath the desk and furiously typing a reminder text to my mother. Every other person who’s logged on has an actual job. They have better things to do than sit around and wait after being summoned like this, but my dads have never once blown me off when I ask to talk. I see them all individually here and there, but during the summer when I have no free time, we normally group chat. It’s better than nothing.

The text I sent shows that it’s been read, but when she doesn’t respond, I sigh and focus on my dads. Looks like she doesn’t plan to make an appearance. It’s not really a surprise.

“Is Langfield working you too hard?” Pierce asks. He’s Riggs and Ash’s father. He knows Beckett’s family, though I don’t remember how.

“No, I’m fine.” I wave a dismissive hand. “Just my mother.”

In unison, all four men nod. They know the reality of life with Marilyn almost as well as I do. I’m honestly not convinced Marilyn is the name her parents gave her. My suspicion is that she changed it when she turned eighteen, but she’ll never admit to it.

“You should come with Noah and Oliver the next time they come for dinner,” Noah’s father, Liam, says, his gaze assessing. “You look like you could use a good meal.”

“Yes, I probably could. And I’ll take you up on that.”

“Is there a reason for the call, or did you just miss us?” Kevin, Matt and Tim’s father—Ryot—teases. He’s a lawyer, and his firm is extremely busy. He’s not rushing me—or he doesn’t mean to—but his time is valuable, so I get right to it.

I clear my throat and sit straighter. “Uh, yeah. The reason I set up this call is?—”

“Oh, hello, boys!” My mother’s flirtatious voice drowns mine out as she appears on the screen. Her picture appears smack dab in the middle of the group of them. I know the layout is Zoom’s default, but it makes my eye twitch either way.

“Marilyn,” Pierce says, his tone firm. “Hannah was just filling us in on what’s going on in her life.”

My heart squeezes at the way my dads always show up for me. Even small things like putting my mother in her place mean so, so much.

“Oh, Hannah, darling, of course we are so excited to hear about your life.” Though she’s speaking to me, her gaze is wandering. Clearly, she’s more interested in checking out all of her ex-husbands than actually listening to what I have to say. The woman is shameless.

I let out a quick breath and paste on a smile. “I wanted to tell you all that I’m having a baby.”

Like with my brothers, the dads speak at once. The questions echo the ones my brothers asked almost verbatim. After assuring them that I’m happy and that the father is a good man who wants to be involved, Pierce reminds me that he’ll make him be involved—he is prior military and scary as fuck, just like Ash. Ryot says he’ll set me up with the best family law attorney in Boston so I can make sure he pays child support and then some. Liam tells me he’ll sit that boy down for a chat right away.

Hands held up, I reassure them that none of that will be necessary.

Bryce, the only man in the group who doesn’t have his own kids, tears up, going on and on about how excited he is to be a granddad and how he can’t wait to visit when the baby is born.

I’m not an emotional person, but my eyes get hot, and I have to blink away the mist clouding my vision.

Ryot is headed into mediation—the timing couldn’t be more perfect—so we say our goodbyes. I promise to send them all the next sonogram picture and to keep them updated when I find out the sex. If Daniel and I decide we want to know. My guess is that he’ll be eager to find out, and I’m a planner, so the more information I have, the better.

The second I log out of the meeting, my phone rings. To my surprise, when I see my mom’s name on the screen, relief settles over me. She didn’t say much on the call, and to say that didn’t hurt would be a lie.

I accept the FaceTime request and smile. “Hey, Mom.”

“Oh, Hannah, a baby!” she coos.

“Yes, I know it’s unexpected, but I’m really excited.”

Though I may still be terrified, it’s true. I never planned to be a mom. Never played with dolls when I was a little girl. Never imagined holding a baby who looked anything like me. And I certainly didn’t sleep with Daniel with any intention of becoming his baby mama. But as I splay a hand over my stomach, something I find myself doing more and more often, I can’t help the excitement that bubbles up at the thought of our child.

“Yes, quite unexpected. Liam looked good, didn’t he? Do you know if he’s still single? Maybe I should come visit you.” Her eyes light up. “You probably need my help, right?”

“Because of the pregnancy?” I ask, choking back a huff. “I’m okay, Mom. I’m traveling a lot. No need to come anytime soon.”

Shoulders back, she humphs. “That can’t be good for the baby.”

What the hell does she know about what’s good for kids?

“It’s fine.” I imbue all the firmness I usually save for Jasper Quinn into my tone. I find it’s best when dealing with my mother too. She doesn’t take hints. “The doctor says I can travel for the majority of my pregnancy without any problem.”

Her lips turn down in concern. “And then what will you do?”

My heart clenches. Could it be possible? Does she actually care about my well-being?

“I can come and stay with you then. Maybe Liam and I will bond over our first grandbaby.”

My stomach rolls. Never mind. There’s no concern for me in that calculated tone. “Oliver is the first grandbaby.”

“Well, he’s not mine.” She waves a hand.

I sigh. “Right. Listen, I have to go.”

“Okay. Think about what I said. I’ll give Liam a call and see what he thinks about getting together when I visit with you.”

Right. Then, when Liam shows zero interest in her, she will show zero interest in coming to visit me. That’s fine. Easier, even.

Once I’ve ended the call, I cradle my stomach again. “I won’t be like her. I won’t be like her.” It’s my mantra. One I haven’t uttered in a long time. In college and during my ridiculously short marriage, I chanted it almost constantly. A few months into the marriage, when I gave up on the institution, is when I realized I was exactly like her.

I’m not cut out for marriage. But that doesn’t mean I’m not cut out to be a mom. I’ll be better.

I won’t be like her.

“We never see you anymore,” Sara whines. Lunch on the seaport was a must after so many days spent traveling. The last thing I wanted to do with the couple of days I have in Boston is spend my lunch hour in Langfield Corp’s lunchroom. Beckett Langfield doesn’t half-ass anything, so it’s the nicest lunch facility in corporate America, I’m sure, but if I see any of the baseball players in the next hour, I may rip their eyeballs out. The guys are in rare form this season. With a bunch of rookies on the roster, the mid-season itch is strong.

And Jasper. Fucking Jasper. Every time I give that kid some rope, thinking he can handle the responsibility, he goes and tangles himself up in it like a stupid dog.

“Baseball season,” I mutter as I stare longingly at the sangria Lennox and Sara ordered. They offered not to drink, but both Ava and I waved them off. Millie didn’t order a drink at first, and for a moment I wondered if she’d be making an announcement soon, but when the server brought the sangrias, she asked for a mimosa, so I guess I’ve just got baby on the brain.

“How was Canada?” Lennox asks Ava.

She and War just returned from a three-week visit to Canada. He wanted to show the kids where he’s from. After that, they made a stop in Nebraska to see Ava’s parents.

This is the first time I’ve seen the girls since I announced my pregnancy. It’s safe to say I missed them something fierce.

With a fifty-two series schedule from February through October, it’s just the way it is. There’s little time to stop. Though the pregnancy has made it harder to handle. I’m tired all the time and cranky because I miss my bed and my friends.

And if I’m honest, I miss Daniel.

Thank god next week is the All-Star break. Four baseball-free days. I might sleep for three of them.

“It was so good.” Ava is glowing. I’ve literally never seen a prettier pregnant person. Her wavy red hair is like a halo highlighting her rosy cheeks, and her green eyes are bright like she’s getting lots of rest and sex. She’s probably having all the sex with her hot hockey player husband.

I’m jealous as fuck of my best friend.

Normally, I’m all for my friends having great sex lives. I’m never jealous. If I want something, I go out and find it.

But now that I’m barely having sex, that green-eyed monster keeps rearing its ugly head. I can’t very well just call Daniel for a hookup when I’m in town, can I?

Though I normally don’t give a shit about rules, I find that, with him, I overthink far more than I ever have.

I sip my water, and when I set it back down, every eye at the table is on me. Oh. Oops. Clearly I spaced out and missed the complete breakdown of Ava’s trip. And by the expectant looks on all the girls’ faces, one of them asked me a question.

“Hmm?” I ask, feigning like I didn’t quite catch it.

Millie giggles. “Lennox asked how you’re feeling.”

“I probably shouldn’t say horny?”

Ava blushes, and Millie folds her lips in.

Lennox, of course, squeals. Decked out in head-to-toe pink—including her hair—she bounces in her seat, a huge grin splitting her face. “Why shouldn’t you say that? Is it true that pregnancy sex is better than normal sex? I read that all the blood is centered down there, so it’s supposed to be incredible.”

I peek over at Millie. Typically, I have no shame, but I worry about making her uncomfortable. I guess I want her to like me for her brother. It’s odd. I know. I’m not with her brother. But I’m her future niece or nephew’s mom, so rather than overshare, I just shrug.

“Don’t be shy on my account,” Millie says quickly. “I know my brother.”

“Speaking of her brother,” Sara says, her tone full of mischief. “What’s going on with you two?”

I shake my head and swallow down the lump in my throat. “What do you mean?”

“He hasn’t shut up about the baby since he told us. Right, Mills?” Sara looks at her sister-in-law for confirmation.

Millie nods. “He’s very excited.”

My cheeks heat. I know he is. At last week’s OB appointment, Daniel made sure we got a good fifteen images of the baby for the baby album. He framed his favorite and set it on the bookshelf in my living room next to the first. I imagine he’s done the same at his apartment, but I can’t confirm, since I’ve never been there.

“He’s been nothing but helpful since we found out.”

Lennox scrunches her nose. “Helpful? Toothbrushes are helpful. Tell us the good stuff. Are you guys a couple? What are you going to do when the baby is born?”

Sara nudges her roughly in the ribs. “Shush.”

Though a hint of unease swirls in my stomach, I laugh. “It’s fine. Honestly, we barely know one another. I like him. He’s a great guy.” I turn to Millie. “He’s going to be a great father.”

She nods, though her smile is forced. She knows as well as I do that Daniel doesn’t do relationships, and that if I weren’t pregnant with his kid, he’d likely be doing a different woman every night during his offseason.

And if I weren’t pregnant, I’d be sleeping with a different man in every city while traveling with the team.

Like two peas stuck in the same pod for the rest of our lives.

“Anyway,” I say lightly, returning to Lennox’s sex question. That’s what I’m good at, after all. “My nipples are oversensitive, and you’re right—the orgasms are out of this world.”

“I knew it!” Lennox hoots, and the girls all dissolve into giggles. The focus turns to Ava, who’s bright red, as they press her for confirmation.

Though Millie’s gaze quickly wanders back to me. And I have to wonder, what is Daniel saying in response to these questions? Is anyone asking him what his intentions are? Should I?