Page 26 of Lost on Ice
I roll my eyes. “Shut up, we’re only thirty-one.”
He laughs at that, and even though I can tell he doesn’t fully believe my reasons for coming back to Ivy Glen, he doesn’t dig further. I debate whether to bring up what I’ve been wrestling with so much since Sunday morning and the real reason I wanted to come home—Abbie’s daughter.
How old is the kid? The possibility that she could be mine haunts me, but Abbie surely would have told me if she was having my baby. There really can’t be a possibility that her daughter is mine. Just no way.
Still, I can’t stop thinking about it. What surprises me most is that the idea of being the kid’s dad doesn’t terrify me like I’d expect it would. Instead, I’m angrier at the thought of someone else touching Abbie and getting her pregnant. When I stopped seeing her, I managed to block out all thoughts of her with other men, but I can’t block those thoughts anymore. Now they’re vivid and persistent and it’s pissing me the fuck off.
“Hey, Carter,” I cautiously begin, choosing my words with care. “I, uh, overheard Sophie and Abbie talking in the hotel lobby the other morning and they mentioned Abbie’s daughter… what do you know about her?”
Carter freezes, his hand holding the bubble wand stopping midair. He regards me for a moment before shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.
“Honestly? I don’t know much. I haven’t even met her yet. From what Sophie’s said, Abbie didn’t tell anyone about the kid—not even her. She just showed up on our doorstep with the girl after she moved back and introduced her. Abbie made some excuse about not wanting to worry Sophie, especially since she was a new mom herself. I don’t know, man. It’s really strange, but Sophie says the girl is a sweet little kid.”
I lick my lips before asking the question that’s been weighing the heaviest on me. “Do you know how old she is?”
Realization crosses Carter’s expression. “I’m, uh, not sure. I think she’s between two and three years old, based on how Sophie described her.”
I do the math. Fuck. There is a chance… nah, nah, she wouldn’t keep that from me. Would she?Fuck.
“I see.” I shrug, feigning nonchalance under Carter’s concerned gaze. “We always used protection, so…”
“Yeah, so did we,” Carter snorts.
We both turn to watch Chase, who’s chucking snowballs at the back fence and laughing like it’s the most hilarious thing in the world. Cute. Innocent. Destructive. Clearly Carter’s kid. I want to ask— what does Abbie’s daughter look like? But I realize Carter either doesn’t know or won’t tell me.
Chase looks over at us and smiles before running in my direction.
“Uncle Jake! Did you see how hard I can throw?”
I give him a grin. “Yeah, sure did buddy. You’re pretty strong, huh? Think you can hit that tree from here?” I point to a big pine in the corner of the yard about six feet away from us.
”Yeah I can.” He rolls up a snowball, pure determination in his gaze. Screwing up his face with concentration, he winds back and throws the snowball as hard as he can. It hits the base of the tree with a soft splat. “Uncle Jake! Look, look!”
Chuckling, I shake my head at his antics. “I’m looking, promise! You’re doing a great job.”
Chase giggles and starts rolling up more snowballs.
“You’re kind of a natural at this,” Carter chuckles.
I shrug. “Again, I grew up with siblings. You get used to ‘em. I do like kids, though. They’re entertaining. Just not for me.”
“For a second I thought you were going to say they were relatable.”
“Har, har.” I give him a lighthearted shove. “You’re just jealous of my free-spirited lifestyle.”
Carter laughs. “Yeah, right. I’ll take cuddling up with Sophie every night and running around the backyard with Chase over random hookups and nights at the club any day.”
I give him an exaggerated wince. “Ugh, you sound so domesticated. Gross. Though, I suppose I did already admit I was sick of the party life…so I’ll give you that.”
He grins. “You watch yourself, dude. Eventually you’re going to meet a girl who wants to domesticate you too, and you’re going to willingly wrap yourself around her pinky.”
Thoughts of Abbie flash through my mind at his words, startling me. No…no, that’s not happening. Not to me. Even if it is Abbie, that’s just not the lifestyle I want.
Clearing my throat, I quickly say, “So, uh, you’ll have to help me find an apartment to rent in town.”
Carter looks surprised by the abrupt change in subject. “Oh, yeah? An apartment. Wow. Okay, dude. I can do that.”
“Great.” I kick the snow. “Hey, why don’t we take Chase out for breakfast? On me?” Anything to escape the consequences of my questions and their potential answers.
