Page 31 of Rockstar Baby Daddy

As if I needed the money. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” This was my life now, running from interview to photoshoot to meeting.

“Perfect. We’ll meet with them tomorrow morning.”

“No can do. I told you Wednesday mornings are off-limits.”

Alex snorted. “You can’t deliver instruments to poor kids any other time?”

“No.” I could, but I wouldn’t. “Make it later and tell them why if they give you shit.” It was a good look for me and any brands associated with me and we both knew that.

“All right. I told you it would be good to be home again, didn’t I?” Alex gripped my shoulder and flashed a wide, satisfied smile as we slid into the back of the waiting car.

Off to the next distraction, while wondering what Suzie was up to at that exact moment.

Suzie

“Hey, babe, free for lunch?” Persy stood in the doorway, arms folded and concern burning in her violet eyes.

I shook my head. “Sorry, I have plans.”

Okay, I wouldn’t exactly call them plans, but I had something I needed to do more than I needed to pretend to eat the quinoa salad I’d made for lunch.

“Does that mean he took the news well?”

I shook my head, unable to lie to my friend. “I haven’t told him yet. Something came up and dinner never happened.” I hadn’t heard a word from him since and I didn’t have the heart to find out. Until today.

Persy sent a disbelieving look in my direction. “You’ve known for couple of weeks now, Suzie.”

“I know, and I planned to tell him at dinner, but he never showed up.” That was embarrassing enough to admit, but after a few days to think about it and a good night’s sleep, I realized I was being petty by not telling Gavin about the baby. I would let him know and give him the out he so clearly wanted, and then I would return to JRMC and my quinoa salad.

Persy’s gaze narrowed and she studied me closely. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Lies! Tell me what’s going on. You look like you’ve been crying.”

“Only most of the past few nights, but it’s nothing. Really. Just hormones, that’s a thingpregnantwomen have, right?” I whispered the word because as small as Jackson’s Ridge was, the hospital was even smaller and word traveled faster than light through these corridors. “Anyway, we can do lunch tomorrow if you don’t have plans with Ryan. I’m going to the mansion to tell him now.”

That perked her right up. “That’s great! Find me when you get back and we can talk over lunch.” I frowned and she shrugged. “I can wait. I won’t starve.”

My shoulders sank in relief and I felt tears start to sting my eyes. “Thanks, Persy. You’re the best.”

“I am pretty great.” She laughed. “And you deserve it.”

I kept Persy’s kind words with me as I drove out to the cliffs, specifically to Gavin’s getaway mansion because it was not his home. The moment I pulled up in front of the beautiful piece of architecture, I felt anxious and scared. Sick to my stomach.

“It’s now or it’s never, Suzie.” With those encouraging words, I stepped from the car and made my way up the stone walkway until I stood in front of the oversized door with the giant angel knocker, and banged it four times.

No answer.

I knocked again, six times, and waited with butterflies twisting my guts into a figure eight.

No answer.

“I shouldn’t have come.” It was a mistake to come here. It was a mistake to reconsider telling him about the baby. He hadn’t called, not even today, to explain why he hadn’t shown up. He acted like we’d never had plans. Worse, it made me feel like I wasn’t just unimportant but like he just didn’t give a damn.

I took a few steps away when a voice sounded. “Are you looking for Gavin or Granddaddy Aaron?”

I froze for a moment at the sound of the low feminine voice, but I was no damn coward, so I turned slowly to get a good look at the woman who was my replacement.

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