Page 8 of Mending Hearts

“Cheeseburger.”

“For me?” I turned in surprise toward Pasha.

“Yes. Same place. Same burger. Can’t have just one.”

“All right. I’ll talk to him.” I grinned.

Pasha waved him over, and as soon as Tyler got close enough, I snatched the paper bag from his hand and ushered him into my corner suite. I opened the bag and breathed deeply.

“Huh. He wasn’t lying.” Tyler leaned against the wall after he’d closed the door.

“Who? About what?”

“Your man out there said I needed to get you a cheeseburger as a peace offering.”

With a frown, I unwrapped the burger and took a bite. All my worries melted away, and I closed my eyes with a soft moan. “Red meat is my sin and salvation. Do you think I can turn that into a song?” I hummed a little tune as I took another bite. “What else could be my sin and salvation? I don’t think anyone will buy a song about a burger.” I turned it around in my hands, taking another bite. It was a pretty fucking amazing burger.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone that happy for a cheeseburger. Though, I gotta admit, the burgers from that place are better than any of the others.”

“I haven’t eaten red meat in five years. Five years.” I splayed out the fingers of one hand for emphasis.

“Got a craving?”

I cocked my head and thought about it. That was possible. Could the baby be the one who liked cheeseburgers this much? “Control freak for a mother. Gotta eat them while I can.”

He continued to stand by the wall while I polished off the second burger. I patted my belly and threw the wrapper in the garbage. Across the king-size bed, along the bar area, across the other furniture, and on the desk, I had clothes spread out, trying to decide what to wear tomorrow. Thinking about the procedure made my brain hurt, made me wish I’d never met the man on the other side of the room, never found his voice soothing, his cognac eyes addictive. If not him, the father would have been someone else. At least he hadn’t been an asshole when I’d told him. With faulty condoms, I was lucky I hadn’t become pregnant sooner with someone worse.

“Why are you here? I told you I don’t need your help.”

“I know.” He pushed off the wall and pulled out the desk chair, moving a small pile of clothes. His gaze traveled around.

I wondered if he was a neat person. The store had been well-organized and clean. Didn’t meanhedid that.

“So, why are you here?” I asked.

From his pocket, he pulled out a lollipop. Between his fingers, he twirled it, lost in thought before yanking off the wrapper and sticking it in his mouth.

“And what’s with the lollipops?” He sucked on one the night of the benefit while he sewed my outfit back together. I’d assumed it was something they were handing out backstage, not a frequent occurrence.

He twisted the stick in his fingers. “I used to smoke. A lot.”

“And now you eat lollipops like they’re meals.”

“I rarely finish one.” With a shrug, he took it out of his mouth and dropped it into the bin under the table. “Helps me focus.”

A smile played at the edges of my lips. I’d seen a lot of weird habits in the music industry, but a fixation with lollipops was a new one. If he’d been smoking at the benefit, I never would have gone near him. The stench of cigarettes stuck to everything, including someone’s breath, lingered deep in their throat. Kissing a smoker was like licking an ashtray. Gross.

“I’m going to preface this by saying that if you reject my idea, I’m still coming with you tomorrow. I won’t be an asshole about it.”

“I can’t raise this baby.” I narrowed my eyes.

“You wouldn’t have to.” Tyler rose when I opened my mouth to speak. “Hear me out.”

I closed my mouth and crossed my arms. Where was he going with this?

“I’ve been thinking about this since you came to my shop this morning. I would never have chosen to be a dad like this. It’s not how I thought my life would go. But the baby is here, and if you’d consider it, I’d like a chance to raise him or her.”

“I—”

---