Page 131 of Shame the Devil

“Yep,” she said. “But you knew that when you hired me. Let’s go.”

Blake waited until they were in the elevator, at least. Then he said, “Kristiansen called me today. He wanted to talk about your situation.”

“Uh-huh,” she said. “You know—I’m a grown woman. I’m not sure what all this antler-bashing is, but I think you could consider this. It’s not even my first time around as a single mom. I’ve done the whole thing before, all the way through. Not many thirty-four-year-olds can say that. And I’m prepared to do it again.”

“Slow down there, slugger,” Blake said. “I already got this today.”

Jennifer looked at him sidelong. The elevator reached the basement, and she headed for her car with Blake loping along beside her. When she had the door unlocked and had slung her laptop bag inside, she asked, “What, exactly, did you get today?”

“Basically, that he’s got this. Kristiansen.”

“That he’s gotwhat?”

Blake sighed and ran a rueful thumb along his jaw. “That he’s looking out for you, and I don’t need to do it anymore. Told me to back off, if you want to know the truth. Let’s see if I remember this. ‘You might be her boss, but that’s it. Anything else? Back right the hell off. No more questions about whether she’s OK. I’m not calling your wife and asking her if she’s OK, or if the kind of sex you’re having is all right with her. Because it’s none of my business. If Jennifer tells you she’snotOK, if she asks for your advice, you can give it to her. If not—back off. I’ve got this.’ Hell of a way to talk to your quarterback.”

“You’re not his quarterback anymore,” Jennifer pointed out.

“Yeah, see, I hate that,” Blake said, and she laughed.

“Also,” she said,“I’vegot this.”

“Oh,” Blake said. “So he’s not going to the doctor’s appointment with you? Not looking at that little blob on the sonogram and holding your hand?”

“Well, yeah, he is. He’s the father, remember? We’re doing it together. And how do you know about the little blob on the sonogram? Wait. Blake …”

He grinned. “Yep. We are.”

“Wow. Congratulations.” She laughed. “That’s … that’s great. That’s amazing. How’s Dakota doing?”

He sighed. “She is not a patient woman. I can see myself already, going for fried chicken at two in the morning or some damn thing.”

“Oh, you love it,” she said.

“Well, yeah. It’s pretty awesome. But she says it’s harder than she thought. She can’t believe how tired she is. How emotional she is. Like she’s carried away. So that made me think—you sure about this? About Kristiansen? He good enough to you? You’re not getting in too deep? Because I’ve got to tell you, whatever he says now—he’s still the guy he’s always been. History matters.”

“I know what he’s been.” She wasn’t worried about being late anymore. She needed to say this. “You know how I know it? Because he told me so up front. I never expected to change him. I don’t think people can really change each other. They can bring each other out, maybe, but that’s it. But what I think is—he’s a lot more than he realizes. A lot more than he’s ever given himself credit for. Maybe he won’t stick with me. That could be. But then, he’s never promised to. He’s going to stick with our son, though. I’m sure of that. I know that, because I know him. And you don’t know the man he is. You have no idea of the … the strength of his character.”

Blake looked taken aback. Also alarmed. “Whoa. See, that’s what I was worried about. I know you like to think the best of people. But—”

“You’re wrong,” she said. “I don’t think the best of people. Iknowpeople. Plenty of them, I don’t think much of at all. But I know Harlan. And just like I’m going to forgive you for this, because I know you’re doing it out of concern, I’m going to forgive him for calling you. Because he’s doing it out of his outsized sense of responsibility. And out of love.”

“Whoa,” he said. “No. This is the padlock thing. Iknewthat padlock was bad news.”

Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling tolerant anymore. She was getting mad. “Blake,” she said. “I’m going to tell you something. Listen carefully. You don’t know me. I’ve got a side you’ve never seen. I’ve got a piercing you wouldn’t believe. One that I’ll bet Dakota doesn’t have. So think about this. Maybe Harlan’s in sexual … sexual thrall tome.And you know—I think both of us can separate sex from love. The person I see when I look at Harlan is pretty darn great. No, the person I see is exceptional. And maybe what he sees is a strong woman who’s sweet and sexy and helps him laugh, somebody he can baby a little, too, because he needs to do that. Somebody who makes him feel like a man, and like abetterman.”

For once, the quarterback had nothing to say. She said, “Yeah. That’s right. And I’ve got a baby to look at. And a hand to hold. I’m out of here.”

.

55

A Person

Harlan was getting antsy.Jennifer was five minutes late already. She wasneverlate. His mind went to those possibilities again. A car wreck, for some reason, featured heavily. He shifted on the upscale waiting-room chair in the quiet, luxuriously understated surroundings of the highest-rated obstetrical practice in Portland, noticed the looks he was getting from two expectant dads, and groaned inwardly.

If she didn’t show up within about sixty seconds, he was going to have to talk football. Yeah, he knew the Devils needed help on their pass rush and a more reliable kicker. He didn’t want to talk about it while he waited to see his kid.

A flip of his stomach at that. And wherewasshe?