Quick & Reckless, page 12
“You live across the world,” Silver started, her voice low and laden with what he hoped was remorse. “You said so yourself, that work is your life, your wife, your baby, and that maybe in ten years you’d think about a family but that you didn’t have time right now. I know firsthand what it’s like not to be wanted. To be a burden and an obligation. I didn’t want Ava to ever feel that way. I can be enough for her.”
A dull ache ran up Warren’s jaw from how tightly he was clenching his teeth. “You just assumed I would be a deadbeat dad?”
“Not deadbeat,” she whispered. “Just absent.”
A growl built at the back of his throat. “I had a deadbeat dad. I had an absent dad. I would never do the same to a child. To my child.”
He brought out his phone and quickly Googled a lab that would send out a technician to do a swab test that day. He wasn’t wasting another minute not knowing whether Ava was his or not. He needed answers, and clearly Silver didn’t care enough to get them.
“And what about Trent?” he finally asked, flicking his gaze to hers. “If she turns out to be his, do you plan on keeping it a secret?”
Her lip trembled, and he had to fight the visceral urge to wrap his arm around her and comfort her. “I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to have to share her with him. For her to be a constant reminder of him, of them. The idea of Candy having any hand in raising my daughter … ” She trailed off, and then her voice grew eerily quiet. “I couldn’t bear it.”
So she wanted Ava to be his child, but she hadn’t bothered to tell him about her?
Warren jutted his jaw out. He didn’t even know this woman. Had he known her at all? Here he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her for the past year, fantasized about her and what their reunion would be like, but never in a million years did he expect this. Blindsided in the worst way possible.
He gritted his teeth. “Asshole or not, he has a right to know. I have a right to know. I had a right to know the moment the stick turned blue or pink or there were two lines or whatever.” He shifted his eyes back to his phone for a moment, found the number he was looking for, then with one last look of disbelief and frustration at his potential baby-mama, stalked off the balcony to another part of the house to place the call.
Holy fuck. I might have a baby-mama. I might have a baby.
“Warry?” His mother’s voice sang throughout the house. “Warren?”
Warren hadn’t been able to stand being in Silver’s presence any longer. And that baby, fuck, it was like looking at the photos in the goddamn hallway of his childhood home. She was his. She had to be. She had his face, his eyes, his nose. The longer he’d studied Ava, the more he knew for certain she had to be his. Now he just needed proof.
And then what?
“Warry?” Gail rounded the corner into the den where Warren had been on the phone. It wasn’t lost on him that in all the rooms of the house, he’d picked the one with all the baby shit. The bassinet had stared at him the entire phone call.
Stowing his phone in his back pocket, he tossed on a big, fake smile and answered his mother. “Hey.”
“Why’re ya in here?”
“Work call. Sorry. Had to take it.”
She shook her head and clicked her tongue, this time in disapproval. “You work too damn hard, boy.”
Warren grumbled. “Trying to make a name for myself, Mum. Nothing wrong with that.”
“There is if it kills you before you give me grandchildren. You need to settle down. Find a nice girl, get a house and have babies.”
Warren’s eyes fell back to the bassinet, and his stomach flip-flopped. “Lunch ready, Mum?” he asked, desperate to change the subject.
Gail nodded. She knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him and the settling-down topic. She’d been on him about finding a woman and making babies for the last few years. Now it just seemed to be par for the course these days when they got together. She harped on him about settling down; he rolled his eyes and changed the subject.
“Yeah, lunch is ready. Silver’s gone to put Ava back down for a nap, and Johnathan should be home in about ten.”
All Warren could do was nod and follow his mother out of the den and into the living room. A headache had set in and was throbbing between his eyes. He was on autopilot now. Toss in the jetlag and information overload, and his brain was threatening to explode out of his ears. Here he’d been looking forward to a week of vacation and walking his mother down the aisle, peppered with copious amounts of dirty, kinky sex with Silver. Now that was shot to rat shit, and instead, he was waiting to see if he was all of a sudden a father and would soon be big stepbrother to a lying little stepsister whom he may or may not have knocked up over a year ago.
Gail led him out onto the balcony, where she had a beautiful lunch set up on the round glass table. A big brown umbrella was up, shielding them from the afternoon sun, and the scent of blossoms from the fruit trees down in the yard filled the air. Had it not been for his headache, Warren would have probably inhaled deeply, popped a beer and enjoyed the warm summer day.
His mother took a seat across from him at the table. “You okay, baby? You seem off.”
He hated lying to his mother. But when he looked up into her blue eyes, he was reminded of all the secrets she had. All the lies she’d told him over the years, and suddenly the guilt didn’t seem so debilitating. So instead, he nodded again and sipped his water. “Yeah, just jetlag. Got a bit of a headache.”
Her face turned the color of pity. “Well, no need to stay long. You can head back to the hotel after lunch and have a rest. Need you right as rain for the wedding. No falling asleep when you’re walking me down the aisle.” She giggled as she grabbed the spoon handle for the cold macaroni salad, ladling a bit onto her plate. “I made all your favorites. But I’m keeping the Vegemite for myself.”
Finishing his water, Warren poured more from the pitcher. He had no appetite. Despite the fact that his mother had gone to all this work, making his favorites, he wasn’t hungry.
“Ava go down all right?” Gail asked.
Warren’s head jerked up from where he’d been staring at his plate, willing the headache to go away. Silver was there standing timidly behind him.
Her head bobbed in a single nod. “Yeah, took a bit. But she’s out.”
Warren’s mother smiled. “Well, come sit down, eat. You need calories to feed that baby. I made all of Warry’s favorites: sweet potato and chive damper, which is a kind of bread, barbecued pork sliders and macaroni salad. And for dessert, a no-bake Anzac cheesecake.” She winked at Warren. “I was going to make a lamington, but then I remembered this cheesecake is your favorite.
Warren forced another smile. “Thanks, Mum. I’m sure it’s all amazing.”
Silver pulled up a chair between Warren and his mother. Hesitation colored each movement as she dished up her plate. Was she worried Warren was going to lose his shit in front of his mother? Spill the beans about Silver’s little baby-size secret? Maybe he should. She fucking deserved it after the way she behaved.
There was a small bit of commotion in the kitchen, and everyone’s heads popped up from their plates.
“That must be Johnathan,” Gail said, her tone giddy and her smile big and bright. Warren’s chest tightened from seeing his mother so happy.
No. He wouldn’t out Silver and her deception in front of their parents. Not yet anyway. Not until he knew for certain he was Ava’s father. There was no sense upsetting his mum when she was finally happy again.
Seconds later, a tall man with a broad chest, big smile and salt and pepper hair filled the doorway. His amber eyes zeroed in on Warren’s mother and instantly softened. Without even paying attention to Silver or Warren, he took four long strides to Gail’s side.
Johnathan bent down and kissed Gail on the cheek affectionately. “Hello, my love. Sorry I’m late. Traffic was terrible.”
Warren’s mother batted her lashes at Johnathan and gazed up at him. The whole world could have melted away, and she wouldn’t have been the wiser. “As long as you’re here now. Can’t control the traffic. I’m just happy you’re home safe.”
Okay, as much as he loved seeing his mum happy and in love, the mush was getting to be a bit too much, and combined with his headache, Warren was sure he was going to throw up.
Johnathan grinned down at Gail before giving her another peck on the cheek. He straightened himself up to take in the rest of the table. His eyes landed on Warren. “And you must be Warren, or Warry, as your mother calls you.” He extended his hand, and Warren stood up from his seat to take it. The handshake was firm but friendly. Their eyes met, and Warren could have sworn he saw a hint of apprehension in Johnathan’s face. His smile was a tad crooked and not nearly as big as when staring at Warren’s mother. Was he nervous about getting Warren’s approval? Warren liked him even more if he was.
Warren smiled. “Yeah, though you don’t have to conform. I respond just fine to Warren.”
Johnathan’s smile widened, and he laughed before the two men released hands and he took a seat next to Gail. His gaze fell back to Warren. “Long flight?”
Warren sat back down and nodded. “Yeah, but I just sleep the whole time, so it’s not so bad.”
“Were you cramped in coach, darling?” Gail asked, dishing up Johnathan’s plate for him. Warren still hadn’t put anything on his own plate. He just wasn’t hungry.
He shook his head. “No, I, uh … I managed to find a killer deal for a first-class ticket. Rode in style the whole way.”
Gail beamed. “Johnathan flew us first-class to Maui last month. It was incredible. Champagne and caviar. It’s the only way to travel.”
Silver had remained silent the entire time, pushing the food around on her plate with a fork.
“Where’s Ava?” Johnathan asked, taking a bite of the damper and tucking it into his cheek. Warren’s mother made the best damper in the world, and the smell of it made his stomach grumble. He reached forward and cut a piece for his plate.
“Sleeping,” Silver said quietly.
“Oh, to be a baby. I’d love to sleep that much,” Johnathan said with a chuckle. “Did she miss her Papa?”
Silver smiled. “Of course.”
“But Nana and Uncle Warren made up your absence,” Gail tittered, then she turned to Warren, gushing, “Oh, you’re going to be an uncle. How darling.”
Warren’s face grew hot, and he noticed Silver shift uncomfortably in her seat next to him. He was already an uncle back in Tahiti, and soon he was either going to be a step-uncle or a father. Wait, would he be both? Would he be Ava’s uncle and her dad? God, he could practically hear the banjos playing in his head now.
He hadn’t been able to find a lab that was available on such short notice. So he’d called the number of a guy his brother Tate had mentioned. Justin Williams. Tate had said that if Warren needed anything while in Vancouver, Justin was the man to call. So he’d called Justin after the fifth lab had proved to be a bust, and in less than fifteen minutes, Justin was calling him back with the number of a lab technician who was willing to make a house call. The lab tech had said he’d be over to collect samples in a few hours, only now he was rethinking doing it here. Perhaps he should have the technician meet him, Ava and Silver at the hotel? Or Silver’s place?
He stood up abruptly. “I’m sorry, I need to make a call. I’ll be right back.” Then, without any further explanation, he took off to another part of the house, being sure to avoid the den this time.
He was on hold with the lab, in what appeared to be a small home gym just off the garage, when the door opened. Silver poked her head in.
“What’s your address?” he asked her.
“Pardon me?”
He rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. “Your home address? So the lab technician can come by tonight and take a sample swab of Ava’s mouth. I was going to have them come here, but I don’t want to upset me mum or your dad. We’ll tell them if we have to when we know for sure.”
Her eyes brightened. “Oh, it’s 4050 Mockingbird Lane, Apartment 301. West Vancouver.”
Warren simply nodded before turning his back to her and rattling off the address to the person on the phone. Once he got the time and confirmation, he hung up.
“Thank you,” Silver said quietly, her hand still on the doorknob. “I was coming to ask you if we could keep this from my dad until after the wedding. I appreciate you not having the technician come here.”
Warren glared at her. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for them. They’re the whole reason we’re here, and I won’t be upsetting me mum or getting her hopes up for no reason. We’ll do the test, get the results and go from there.” He went to brush past her, but then spun around, his face mere inches from hers. Fear and panic flooded her eyes. “If she’s mine, Silver, I will be a part of her life. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” Then without another glance, he turned away, calling out over his shoulder, “Oh, by the way. I’ll be there with the technician. Can’t have any more deception or funny business. We’ll be by around seven.”
Chapter eleven
Silver
“What time’s he coming by?” Kylie asked later that day, sitting on Silver’s couch back at her apartment.
“He said seven.”
Kylie whistled. Then she noticed it made Ava smile, so she looked directly at the baby lying on the couch next to her and did it again, all while balancing a glass of white wine in her hand.
“You want me to stay?”
Silver shook her head. “No. Thanks, though.”
Kylie set her wine glass down on the coffee table, grabbed Ava’s chunky little legs and began singing “The Wheels on the Bus” as she worked her legs in a bike pedal motion. Silver took a sip of her own wine, staring at her best friend. She was so grateful for Kylie. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to get through this last year without her. She’d been there for her when Silver moved all of her stuff out of her and Trent’s apartment, then she’d attended all the birthing and labor classes with Silver and was even there for the birth. Kylie was Silver’s rock. She even managed to find Silver an apartment in the same building as her, just down the hall. A fellow teacher at the elementary school, Kylie set the record straight at work very quickly that it was nobody’s business who Ava’s father was, and that just because Silver and Trent were engaged just prior to Silver getting pregnant did not mean he was the father.
Kylie even went so far as to start a rumor that Trent was in fact sterile due to a bicycle accident as a child and that he and Silver had been planning to do a sperm donor all along, so she just went along with the plan anyway, even though they were not together. That seemed to shut people up, and for the most part, everyone at work left Silver alone and allowed her to grow her baby in peace.
“I mean, I get it,” Kylie started, after she finished the song and picked up Ava, setting her on her knee. The little girl already had great head control. “You don’t want Trent to be the dad because you hate him and don’t want anything to do with him. And the idea of that slut-bag Candy having any hand in raising Ava would make my blood boil, too. But what’s your big beef about not wanting this Warren guy to be the dad? You’ve never said. Just that he lives halfway across the world, you’re not even sure where, and back when you two had your fuck-a-thon weekend, he mentioned he’s a busy man and married to his work. Is that it?” Kylie lifted one sculpted strawberry-blonde eyebrow on her porcelain forehead. She wasn’t convinced.
Silver joined her in the living room, bringing along a tray of hummus and veggies, the wine bottle and a bag of tortilla chips with salsa—their traditional Thursday night dinner. She sat down in the big comfy overstuffed chair she found at a thrift shop and popped a chip into her mouth. “Yes … no. You do realize that if he turns out to be Ava’s father, then I’m essentially no better than Trent and Candy. I slept with my stepbrother, then I had his baby. How gross is that?”
Kylie rolled her dark green eyes and adjusted Ava so she could see the baby’s face. “Mummy’s being ridiculous, isn’t she? When she shagged daddy, they weren’t stepsiblings yet. Silly Mummy.” Kylie swung her gaze to Silver. “Silly Mummy. Maybe you need to cut back on the wine. It’s making you dumber than usual.”
Silver snorted and, just to prove she wasn’t drunk, took another sip of her wine. “This is my first glass, third sip. Back off.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t drink for nine months. Now you have zero tolerance. One sip, and you’re talking like a crazy person. Speaking nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense. I’d have a baby with my stepbrother.”
“Yeah, but you’re like barely stepsiblings. Your parents are both in their fifties; you’re both adults. Plus, you hooked up first. If anything, it’s gross what Gail and Johnathan are doing.”
Silver dipped a piece of celery into the hummus. “Yeah, but they’re so happy.”
Kylie made sure Ava wasn’t going to face-plant onto the coffee table before she leaned over and scooped salsa onto a chip. “Seriously, though, what’s the big deal about not telling Warren about Ava?”
Letting out a big huff, Silver slumped back into her chair. “It’s everything. I had a crappy father in the beginning, remember? When he left my mother, he wanted nothing to do with me. I was a burden, an obligation. A monthly check He constantly canceled his visits. Never had anything to do with me if he could. And when Mum met Johnathan, my dad was more than happy to sign over his parental rights. He was even happier he would no longer have to pay child support. I know exactly what it feels like to be a burden, and I just never want Ava to feel like that. If Warren’s too busy to be a dad, I never want her to know that. There’s also the fact that I don’t even know where he lives. I’m pretty sure it’s Tahiti or one of the surrounding islands somewhere, that’s where his brothers are, but I don’t know which island. I don’t know what he does for work. I mean I know he has money, but from what? Is it legit? He mentioned real estate. But is that just a cover for human trafficking? I dunno.”
