Page 4 of Tinsel in Telluride

“Luca might be Zach’s father,” I admit softly, my voice shaky.

It’s the first time I’ve ever said the words out loud. They cut deeper than I expected, but also bring a sense of relief that I’m not the only keeper of this secret anymore.

“So, The Scum of the Upper Peninsula is also the Scum of the Upper East Side?” Indie clarifies and I wince, wishing it wasn’t true.

I’m also realizing we need to diversify the way we nickname shitty men.

“Not exactly,” I explain, shame washing over me. “Hemightbe The Scum of the Upper East side, but he also might not be.”

They’re both silent, eyes zeroed on me, waiting for further explanation.

“Remember that hospice fundraiser you didn’t want to go to and sent me instead?” I say to Willow.

She nods. “It's not that I didn’t want to go. I was sick.”

“Sure, we’ll go with that.” We both know it’s a bald-faced lie. Before Bishop came along, my bestie hated public speaking and schmoozing donors. It didn’t matter that her name did all the convincing. She frequently pawned events off on me.

“Either way,” I continue, “that night Luca was at the fundraiser.”

“And what you fell on his dick?”

I roll my eyes. “So eloquent, Inds, but essentially yes.”

What really happened was I didn’t say no when he asked me to dance, because after a few too many glasses of champagne, I had every intention of telling him all the reasons he really was the Scum of the Upper Peninsula. Which I did. Then he responded with how incredibly sexy that was. The next thing I knew, we were in a closet at the end of the hallway, fucking up against a vending machine. Skittles falling out as we both came brings a whole new meaning to taste the rainbow.

“Does he know?”Willow murmurs, trying and failing to keep the hint of judgment from her voice.

I wince internally. She doesn’t mean anything malicious by it. She’s come to care for Luca after he helped her and Bishop out this past spring. If it wasn’t for him, the two of them likely wouldn’t be together. Which blows my mind. The Luca Donati I know doesn’t do anything without an agenda.

Still, I’m the asshole here, no doubt.

“No. I didn’t tell him. I don’t know for sure if Zach is his, or if he belongs to the guy I hooked up with from the club the weekend before.”

Though it would be par for the course if Luca were the father.

My entire life has been a testament of taking lemons and making lemonade. Why should this be any different?

When everyone in my hometown thought I was a delinquent—I found my friends at boarding school. When my parents died in a tragic accident—I helped start a nonprofit for children who’ve lost their parents. I got knocked up and couldn’t marry the guy my grandparents wanted in order to get back into the good graces of society—I’m thriving being a single mom doing it all on my own.

In short, I wouldn’t be surprised if Luca Donati turns out to be the father of my son. I’m just not sure how the hell I’m supposed to make lemonade with that.

Willow furrows her brow, and I already know what my glass-half-full friend is going to say.

“I’m still having a hard time reconciling Luca is the same guy who accused you of stealing.”

It’s the same argument I’ve been making in the confines of my mind since seeing him at spring training. Because she’s right. He doesn’t seem like he’s the same guy.

But tigers can’t shed their stripes. And I’ve been burned too many times by the Donati family to believe he hasn’t got ulterior motives.

“So, what now?” Indie asks. “Are you going to tell him?”

I shrug and pick at the skin at the corner of my nail in a futile attempt to avoid their stares. “Now I figure out how to work with him and then we move on.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you should tell him.” Willow presses her lips together, and I get the feeling it’s the only thing stopping her from saying more.

“Of course you do,” I scoff, at the same time Indie rasps a high pitched, “Really?”

Willow shrugs sheepishly, twirling a piece of her golden blonde hair around her finger. “I’m just saying. I think Luca will surprise you. Plus, we see so many kids come through Renegade Hearts, wishing they had both of their parents. You have the opportunity to give that to Zach.”

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