Page 35 of Rockstar Baby Daddy

Back to Jackson’s Ridge, and back to Suzie.

As soon as I could manage it.

Suzie

~ Three months later

Being pregnant wasn’t as fun as some people made it seem. Who were these women, with glowing skin and wide smiles, looking wonderfully happy as if their nipples weren’t chafed and they didn’t have to pee every thirty minutes? I felt as though I was failing the Pregnancy Olympics, with my ill-fitting clothes, constant sickness, and general bad mood.

But despite all that, I couldn’t feel anything but happy that my baby was growing and healthy, according to all the preliminary tests.

What I feltlesshappy about was the people of Jackson’s Ridge wagging their jaws, taking wagers, and trying to guess the father of my visibly growing child. The whole town was talking, and their curiosity was piqued even more becauseIwasn’t. I hadn’t said a peep about the father’s identity, no matter how much the older ladies bribed me with pies and cookies, house cleaning, massages, or even future babysitting services, all for just a hint of the father’s identity.

They would lose their collective minds if I actually uttered the name “Gavin Ross” out loud. I wouldn’t, of course, because the last thing I wanted was to do anything to hurt him or his career, which meant mum was the word, forever and ever.Amen.

A knock sounded on the door, yanking me from my ping-ponging thoughts. I sighed in relief, happy to be rid of thoughts of town gossip and Gavin, at least for a moment. I took a deep breath and glanced at the clock, wondering who would show up at my door unannounced on a Saturday afternoon. Persy was busy with Ryan and Titus. Megan and Casey were out of town, Hannah was busy building some surprise in her garage all weekend, and Teddy and Cal were probably deep in the midst of wedding planning. That was my social circle in a nutshell, so I peeked through the security hole and frowned as I pulled open the front door.

“Granddaddy. What are you doing here?”

I hadn’t seen Gavin’s grandfather in more than a month and I figured he’d finally gone back home. But here he stood, in khaki pants and a Hawaiian print shirt, accompanied by a big bright smile.

“Haven’t seen you in a hot minute, figured ambushing you was the only way to get a minute of face time with you.”

I sighed and took a step back, feeling guilty at his words. “I assumed you went back to California. It didn’t occur to me you might want to stay so long without your grandson.” Zola worked long hours for her fellowship, so I imagined he was pretty lonely most days.

“Nonsense. This town has tons of activities for the silver-haired crowd. I’m busier now than I have been since I retired. Throw in the fresh ocean air and the hot toddies looking to make me a meal or two, and I have nothing to complain about. Nothing at all.”

“I’m sorry, Granddaddy. I didn’t mean to abandon you. Come on in.”

“You did, but that’s all right. It’s not like I haven’t heard the town gossip, but I have enough inside knowledge to put one and one together and figure out that little bump at your midsection is my great-grandchild.”

There wasn’t any point in lying to him but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words out loud, so I notched my chin high in the air, defiance coloring my tone.

“I don’t know who the father is.”

One silver brow arched in question. “Want to try that again, young lady?”

I nodded as I shoulders slumped forward. “I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.” My swollen feet couldn’t take another minute of standing and I dropped down on the sofa with a sigh.

Granddaddy dropped down beside me, leaving a foot of space between us. “I know my grandson, and I know his faults better than anyone in the world, believe me. But he’s not cruel or callous, so why would you keep this information from him?”

“I know he’s not,” I shot back, feeling defensive. “But I also know that his career means everything to him.” It was why he was so good at his craft, so passionate about his every lyric, every melody.

Granddaddy shook his head and leaned back on the sofa. “That’s because Gavin can’t imagine another life where he’s something other than a rock star. The center of the universe.” His smile was bittersweet. “He felt abandoned by his parents even though he was the one who left. They couldn’t get it together, couldn’t get over themselves and their hate for one another to provide a stable, loving home for the boy. He pretends to be over it, but I know he’s not.”

“None of us are over our childhoods.” But I had a hospital to run and a baby to care for, I didn’t have time to babysit a grown man who ran as soon as things got a little too real. “I understand, Granddaddy. Believe me, I do.”

“But you’re still not gonna tell him about the baby you’re carrying?”

“No.” I’d had months to think about it and I had no desire to revisit this mental argument. “I knew what I was getting into when I started my little affair with Gavin. It was temporary. Fleeting. And, yeah, if I thought for a moment or two that there was something more between us, the way he left told me I was wrong.”

“That’s just his way.”

“Granddaddy,” I said, a little firmer than I meant to, “I thought he and I were, at the very least, friends. But we weren’t any of that. I was wrong and I have to live with that, which I’m trying to do. I’m not punishing Gavin, I’m simply preserving my own peace and letting him live the life he obviously wants.”

I never wanted to be one of those women who tried to force a man to change or give up his dreams if he wasn’t ready. It would only lead to tears, heartache, and disaster. Mostly for me.

“The life hethinkshe wants,” he qualified. “Just give him a chance.”

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