Page 113

FIFTY-FIVE

GAVIN

Pacing the expanse of my living room, I will my nerves to settle as I wait for Ford to arrive. My time is up. This moment has been inevitable for two years. I wish I had known early on how impossible it would be to walk away from Millie Hall. If I had, I would have come clean immediately.

Now the lie has gone on for so long, I’m not sure Ford will ever forgive me.

Once the doorman calls up to let me know Ford is here, I rush to the bathroom and splash water on my face. Then I straighten my shirt and give my reflection a little pep talk.

I’ve never actually met the parents of a woman I’m dating. I’ve never cared for another woman enough to make it to this step. It’s not lost on me that, of course, I already know Ford. We’ve been friends for years. We’ve shared whiskeys over late-night rounds of poker with my brothers and gone to bars and left with different women. Hell, he’s been my wingman and I’ve been his. I was there the night he finally decided to go for it with Lake. I pushed him toward her, in fact.

And yet I feel completely unprepared for the meeting we’re about to have.

Today I’m going to look into the eyes of the father of the woman I want to marry, and I’m going to hope like hell that he can leave our shared history where it belongs. That he can see how much I care for his daughter.

At the sound of the doorbell, I hustle to the foyer. Vivi is down for a nap, and with any luck, she won’t wake up during this conversation. Though Ford would be less likely to hit me with my daughter present, I’d rather not use her like that.

When I open the door, Ford gives me a big smile and holds up a pink gift bag. “Lake sends gifts.”

I take it, grateful to have something to do with my hands. “Thanks. Come in.”

Awkwardly, I lead him into my living room, setting the bag down on the dining room table as we go. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Ford looks at his watch and shrugs. “Sure, but I’ll stick to a beer. I’m hoping Millie will let me take her to dinner when she gets home. You up for joining us?”

I keep my focus fixed on my task as I stalk into the kitchen and pull two beers from the fridge. When I return, I hand him one, then take a long swig of mine. “Maybe. I’ll see if Sara and Brooks can watch Vivi for a bit.”

“Where is Vivi girl?” He scans the room, passing over the swing and the play mat and the baskets of toys. “Man.” He huffs a laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day that your house would be filled with kids’ toys rather than random women’s panties.”

The comment hits like a dagger to the heart. Wincing, I rub at my chest to ease the pain. “I’m not like that anymore.”

He takes a sip of his beer and nods. “Obviously. Though I’m sure Millie wouldn’t mind watching Vivi so you could take a real break. Your life doesn’t have to be all about diapers.” He drops to the sofa and crosses an ankle over a knee. “You deserve to be happy. Now that you have a kid, have you considered maybe finding someone to settle down with?” He surveys the space again, his expression thoughtful, and takes a long pull of his beer. “Someone who could do all of this with you?”

The ball of lead in my gut that’s weighed me down all day grows until it’s so big I’m not sure I can speak around it. Fuck, this isn’t easy.

“That’s…” I clear my throat and suck in a deep breath. “That’s actually why I asked you to come over.”

Ford frowns, his brows pulled low. “You met someone?”

“Yes,” I say, my voice breaking. “Millie.” I sit up straighter and look him in the eye. “I’m with Millie.”

Ford tilts his head, looking at me like I’m speaking another language. “With Millie how?”

I swallow past the boulder in my throat. “She’s my girlfriend. We’re together.”

Ford grips his beer bottle so tight his knuckles are white and his hand trembles. “No.”

“Yes. I didn’t know who she was when we met, but I fell for her.” I take a deep breath. “I’m in love with your daughter.”

Ford scowls, and his face darkens. “You don’t even know who the fuck the mother of your child is, and you’ve been sleeping with my kid?” His tone is gruff, his body vibrating with anger. He sets the beer down on the coffee table a little too hard and launches to his feet. For a long moment, he paces, ignoring me. Finally, he stops in front of me and fists his hands at his sides. “Is Viviane hers?”

“ No. ” I shoot up off the couch. “You know your daughter. She would never hide something like that. She’d never abandon a child.”

He scoffs and wipes at his mouth with his wrist. “Apparently I don’t know my daughter as well as I thought. Never imagined she’d be stupid enough to sleep with a player like you.”

I grip my own beer, willing myself to tamp down on my anger. “I’m not like that anymore. I haven’t been for years.”

“Viviane’s existence is evidence to the contrary, Gavin.”

“Don’t mention my daughter’s name if you’re going to use it like that,” I grind out.

“That’s rich coming from the man who is fucking my daughter.” The moment the words are out, he flinches. Even he knows he’s crossed a line. He takes a steadying breath and schools his expression. “How long?”

“I met her two years ago. Before your wedding. I didn’t know who she was.”

His eyes cut to mine, and he stares down at me. “So you cheated on my daughter when you knocked up Vivi’s mother.”

I set my beer down and face him head-on. “No. I stayed away from her when I found out she was your daughter.”

He huffs a sardonic laugh. “How big of you.”

I grasp his shoulder, willing him to really listen. To see my sincerity. “If anyone understands what it’s like to fall for the wrong person?—”

He shrugs, dislodging my hand, and backs up. “Don’t you dare compare what Lake and I have to this .”

“Why?” Now it’s my turn to scoff. “Because you were a saint when you slept with your son’s girlfriend?”

Ford’s eyes harden. “ Ex-girlfriend . And it was different. He cheated on her.”

“And you fell in love,” I remind him.

Hands on his hips, he works his jaw, his nostrils flaring as he assesses me. “Are you telling me you’re in love with my daughter?”

“Do you think I’d have you over and sit you down to tell you about our relationship if I wasn’t? Come on, Ford, you know me better than that.” I pull in a deep breath, then another, my heart practically beating out of my chest. “When was the last time you saw me with a random woman? When was the last time I talked about dating, period? I saw you and Lake together. Then my brother and Liv, and something just—” I run my hands through my hair. “It shifted. I got what you’d been saying all along.” I let out a heavy sigh and meet his eyes, silently imploring him to consider that I could care about her. “And then I fell in love with your daughter.”

His hands claw through his peppered hair. “You don’t even know what love is.” His words are harsh, but his tone has weakened.

Jaw clenched, I stare him down. I’ll say it again. Over and over until he hears me. “I love her. I know it’s hard to wrap your head around, and if it was just me I was worried about, I’d be okay without your approval. I wouldn’t like it, but I’d accept your choice. But she needs your blessing. You don’t have to think I’m good enough for your daughter?—”

Blue eyes meet mine. “You’re not.”

I sigh, the adrenaline that’s kept me pacing all day draining from my system. “I know. But I’m who she wants. And no one will ever love her the way I love her. She and Vivi are my entire world.”

My phone chimes in my pocket then, startling me. I pull it out to silence it and catch sight of Daniel’s name on the screen. My guys rarely call, and seeing as though I’m eyeball deep in drama involving his family, my gut instinct is to answer. “I have to take this. Give me one second.”

Without a response, Ford walks to the window. Maybe the interruption is good. Maybe it’ll give him time to really mull over our conversation. Hear my words. Feel them .

“Hey, Daniel. What’s up?”

“Gav, you need to meet me at the hospital.”

My heart plummets, then takes off at a sprint. “What? Why? Who’s at the hospital?”

Ford spins around, the angry look on his face morphing to concern.

“It’s Millie. She’s been in an accident.”

The room spins. Accident? I blink, and his voice fades in and out.

“Gavin,” he says, pulling me back to the moment. “Get here fast.” He pauses, and then as the room seems to get smaller, he adds, “It’s bad, Gavin. It’s really bad.”