Page 40 of The Sacrifice

“I heard about it while checking out at the grocery store.” Tammy stomps into the room with her black handbag clutched in her fingers. “Your neighbor apparently saw a woman on your back patio several mornings in a row with a baby. And then saw a moving truck pull in. I can’t believe you got yourself into the mess. The ladies at the store were whispering and looking at me with pity.”

“I’d flip them off if I were you.” Jackson lifts Hadley higher on his chest.

“Jackson….” His father, Rick, gives him a stern look.

“While I would love to, it’s not a proper response for a respectable woman to give while in the store.”

“That’s better.” He shuts the door with a snap, and I step toward the kitchen. Do I stay or go? I told him I didn’t want to be his dirty secret, but I don’t want to impose on family matters either. Hadley is not my daughter, and we just started seeing each other twelve hours ago.

Tammy tosses her purse on the sofa. “I can’t believe you did this. It’s irresponsible, immature, and downright immoral.”

“I’m not going to disagree with you. Having sex with Hadley’s biological mother was not my best judgment. But since that night, I’ve lived above board.”

“It’s a little too late for that.” She taps the toe of her shoe on the floor. “You’ve now got a kid. Or maybe you have a kid, depending on the DNA results. No matter what, we have to deal with the aftermath. Everyone is so disappointed in you.”

My back bristles, and I stop. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t feel the same way about the situation when I heard, but I hadn’t seen him in over five years. These are his parents. They’ve seen him grow up. Graduate high school and college. Get drafted into the pros. Earn a paycheck that anyone would be ecstatic to receive.

He’s not that same stupid kid. I don’t even know if he was ever that person. Yes, he made a poor choice. He had sex with a woman he didn’t care about, and the contraception failed, but Hadley is perfect. I’ll never say she was a mistake.

“That’s enough.” His jaw is tight as he holds Hadley closer to his chest as if he’s attempting to shield her from the negative vibes in the room.

She throws her hands in the air. “Your brother is happily married with two kids, which he did in the right order.”

“So?”

“Why can’t you be more like your brother? He and Madison have been together since college, and they didn’t have sex until their wedding night.”

“Really? You believe that?” Anger flashes in Jackson’s eyes. This is going to go bad. Very bad. No one likes to be compared to their siblings. And the likelihood that Tate and Madison waited to have sex until they were married is ludicrous.

“Tammy…” His father tips his head in my direction.

“What?” she growls. Her eyes widen when she sees me, and red floods her face. “Oh, hello, Mia.” She slaps on a smile that looks fake as a Chinet set out on a dining room table. “It’s so good to see you. Thank you for stepping in and helping Jackson out with his little problem.”

I lick my lips and exhale. “Hadley is not a problem. She’s a baby. A sweet little girl who’s not done anything to deserve a less than open-armed welcome.” Tammy’s head snaps backward, and the fake smile disappears.

Jackson closes his eyes and rubs Hadley’s back. But that’s not all I have to say. They need to hear the rest. “I felt the same way when I heard Jackson had an unexpected baby dropped off on his doorstep, but he’s wonderful with her.”

When he opens his eyes, and they meet mine, it’s impossible to miss the sheen of tears he’s trying to suppress. I walk toward him and place my hand on his back. “He’s been nothing but mature and responsible.” I’m not about to broach the immoral comment because she would not appreciate the things we did last night without wedding rings on our fingers. The corner of his mouth twitches as if he’s on the same wavelength.

“So, you think we should welcome this child into our lives when we don’t know if he’s the father? And forget that he was probably drunk and….” She shudders and places a hand over her heart. “I’m not even going to say it.”

“Mom, I’m not going to say Hadley is a mistake. And if that’s how you feel, I’ll ask you to leave.”

I retrieve Hadley from his arms and walk over to Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes. “It’s pretty easy to see she’s his.”

When they look at her, Rick shakes his head. “Damn stork marks. Every kid in the family has those.”

Tammy bites her lips together and sighs, “She looks just like Jackson did as a baby.”

Jackson rests his hands on his hips. “You can disapprove of how she was conceived. But you won’t treat her with anything less than respect if you want to be a part of my life. Because she comes first.”

His mom shifts her attention from him to the baby in my arms. “It looks like I was wrong.” She holds out her hands. “Hand her over. I might have to flip off Judy Ford. She always thought her shit didn’t stink.”

“Tammy?” Rick stares at her in shock.

“Rick…” She returns his stare as I hand Hadley to her. “This is our granddaughter. We can’t let anyone insult her.”

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Women.”

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