Page 5 of Sharing Forever in Hope Creek (Hope Creek #2)
You’ll make this okay because that’s what you do.
Jack bit back a derisory laugh. Sure, he could handle any problem that came his way in the corporate world—in fact he thrived on problem solving. But this …? It would be a hell of an adjustment. A life-altering adjustment.
Seeing her raise her hand to massage the muscles at the base of her neck, he tried to ease the tension between them. ‘Jim’s not going to be outside unlocking his gun cupboard as Margaret delivers the news, is he?’
His attempt at levity earned him the hint of a smile.
‘I don’t think he’ll reach for the gun at this stage, but there’s a good chance you’ll face an inquisition over dinner.’
‘Understandable,’ he conceded. ‘Now I’ve accepted Margaret’s invitation, I’m guessing I’ll need to run the gauntlet of the full family dinner?’
‘I’m afraid the inquisition is inevitable.’
‘Can you guarantee I won’t be hung, drawn and quartered?’
A smile played at the corner of her lips. ‘I don’t think you have to worry about a lynching. I don’t think anyone’s been tried and hung by a kangaroo court in Hope Creek for a couple of centuries.’
‘So I only have to be concerned about the drawing and quartering then?’
This time his mock concern drew a real smile. ‘I think you should be okay.’
‘Good to know.’ Man, but she is even more beautiful when she smiles. ‘Any burly brothers about to join us?’
‘No brothers, only two sisters and one soon-to-be brother-in-law,’ she told him. ‘And given Mitch is a friend of yours, I’m guessing you have nothing to worry about from him.’
‘Hm.’ Knowing Mitch and guessing his friend’s super protective instincts were going to come to the fore, he wouldn’t be able to dodge hard-hitting questions the second they were by themselves.
But at least they knew each other. Mitch should know Jack could be depended upon to stand by Callie and the baby if the test proved his paternity.
And Mitch would surely be the first person to advise him to get the paternity test done given what he’d been through.
‘Dinner promises to be a fun occasion. I don’t recall ever having been in a situation where I’ve felt at such a disadvantage. ’
‘My family’s no doubt in the kitchen feeling all sorts of awkward while they salivate over the roast beef and wonder when they can sit down to eat, but I assure you once the carving is done, there won’t be any knives drawn.
’ She moved her hands restlessly on her lap.
‘I guess, if you want to be involved in … all this … once the DNA test proves you’re the father, you and I have a lot to work through. ’
‘If the test proves positive, we’re obviously going to need to get to know each other. However, I can tell you right now that I’m not the sort of guy who’d walk away from his child.’
‘You’ve already made that clear.’
He nodded. ‘Had you stayed, I would have asked you to spend the day with me, to have dinner with me. To spend another night with me.’
She raised her eyebrows as she tilted her head. ‘A two-night stand rather than a one-night stand?’
‘No.’ His hand cut through the air in denial. ‘I don’t go into relationships thinking about how long it’s going to last.’
‘Just how promiscuous are you?’
Whoa! ‘I’m thirty-five, Callie. I’ve had some long-term relationships and some shorter liaisons, but I’m no modern-day Casanova.’
If she keeps biting her lip like that, she’ll make it bleed , he worried.
His inner voice immediately suggested, Then you can kiss it better.
Shit.
‘You said you wanted to see me again. Are you saying you wanted us to … date?’
It was such an old-fashioned word but he had, hadn’t he? ‘I guess that’s what you’d call it. I wanted to build on the night we had together.’
‘Oh.’ She no sooner widened her eyes a little in surprise than she frowned again. ‘Why have your long-term relationships ended?’
Oh hell . Given the circumstances, that was not a question he wanted to answer honestly, but he knew honesty was imperative.
Forcing his clamped jaw to relax, he took a steadying breath and steeled himself to say the damning words. ‘Because the women I’ve been in relationships with have started talking about wanting marriage and babies.’
Although he wouldn’t have thought it was possible for Callie to become any paler, somehow it happened and her shoulders rounded so she seemed to shrink into herself where she sat. ‘You’ve never wanted children either?’
‘No.’ It was the honest truth. ‘Listen, Callie, I need some time to come to terms with this and I’m sure you do too.’
She nodded.
Mitch cleared his throat from the hallway. ‘Do you need more time now or can we eat dinner?’
Jack watched Callie and observed every emotion that flitted across her features as she appeared to dig deep for strength. He admired that she rallied herself and took charge.
‘We can eat dinner,’ she agreed before ordering firmly, ‘But, Mitch … No questions tonight and make certain Jim knows that too.’
‘My questions will keep over dinner,’ Mitch conceded before he shot Jack a levelling look. ‘You’d better steel yourself for the conversation we’re going to have when we leave here tonight.’
Jack didn’t need the warning. He knew his friend well enough to know exactly what he was in for. ‘Understood.’
Understood and expected.
When Mitch turned on his heel and headed back down the hall, Jack said to Callie, ‘I’ll let you lead the way.
’ But she hadn’t stood and walked more than a few steps before he reached out and touched her arm to stop her.
Seeing tension in the stiffness of her movements, the set of her shoulders and the rigidity of her spine, he wanted to reassure her.
‘Your family obviously love you and want to know how I’m reacting to this news. We’ll get through this, Callie.’
He’d get through it.
He was damned sure it wasn’t going to be comfortable, but he would get through it.