Page 97 of Hot Stuff
“She’s showing both of us respect. Before I came along, she had unlimited access to her brother. Now she knows that’s no longer the case and being respectful because of it.”
“You give her too much credit. She’s probably just forgotten the pass code.”
“I’ll go let her in.” Oakley pulls my discarded shirt over her head.
“The hell you will! Not dressed like that. I’ll go.” I hop into my pants as I head out of the room.
By the time I get to the front door my pants are done up and the buzzer is going again.
“I’m coming!” Twisting the lock, I grab the handle and yank the door open. “This better be?—”
My words are cut off as Shelby, followed by a grim-faced Gannon push inside.
“She’s all over the internet, says the kid is yours, and you’re refusing to take responsibility for him.”
“Who is? What kid?” I close the door and turn to face my sister.
Shelby shoves her phone in my face, but I can’t focus on the screen before she pulls it away and yells.
“Kristina and the little boy who looks like a mini you!”
Oakley
“He’s not mine,” Walker says for the millionth time. “He can’t be mine.”
“I know.”
He’s pacing behind me, his reflection crossing my screen every few seconds, but soothing him is the last thing I can do because I’m busy working out who the little boy Kristina is claiming belongs to Walker is.
“I didn’t even know she had a kid.”
“She doesn’t,” I say.
“The pictures prove otherwise,” he counters.
“They prove nothing other than she’s spent time with a toddler recently.”
“Fuck!” He stops behind me and slams the fingers of both hands through his hair, tugs on the ends.
“Walker.” When that doesn’t get his attention, I leave my chair and my laptop and step in front of him. “Walker!”
“What? Sorry.” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest. “She’s a liar.”
“I know she is. And I’m pretty sure I can get to the bottom of this if you calm down and let me.”
“I can’t have a kid with her. I can’t. She’s…” He squeezes me tightly, the sound of his hard swallow filling my ear. “I can’t.”
“You don’t. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I know, in my gut, that little boy isn’t yours.”
“Fuck. It sounds horrible, but I hope to hell you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see. But first you need to take a breath and calm down. Let me do what I need to so you can stop worrying.”
“First Cantrell’s bullshit, now this. You shouldn’t have to deal with my shit, Oak.”
“When I said yes, it became our shit.”
The sigh that leaves him has his whole body softening against me. “I love you,” he murmurs into my hair.
