Page 14 of Secret Baby with My One Timer

“She doesn’t want to,” she whimpers. “She’s scared she’ll lose the house with the out-of-pocket payments.”

“Her life must be more important,” I say.

She stares at me for a moment. Does she not recognize me? Is she pretending to not know who I am? “Of course it is. Don’t you think I told her that? But she is adamant Holly and I don’t lose our home.” Her shoulders sag and her head hangs low. “She’s going to die, so I keep my home.”

“That’s one hell of a sacrifice.”

She nods lightly and gives me a feeble smile before taking the coffee that Mia hands to her.

Her eyes close for a moment. Slowly, she sips on the hot beverage before she opens her eyes to see me staring at her again.

I don’t know if she realizes, but she chews on her lip as she side glances from me to Holly. And when her eyes lock on mine, that’s when I see it.

That night... it’s all coming back to her.

She takes another slow sip from her coffee as she holds my gaze. The tension between us builds as we silently understand everything we’ve done and I’m suddenly realizing I’m not only here for my daughter, I’m here for her too. The girl that the club refused to divulge her information, nothing at all, not even her full name.

The girl in the gold dress, the golden hair, and eyes so blue I stared at them forever the night we shared.

Her gaze locks on me for a moment before she looks at Holly. And I know I’m not imagining the small swallow on her throat or the audible gulp she just made or the way her hands are stroking over the goose bumps on her arms.

“We need to talk.”

“Me,” Adam says.

“No, I need to talk to Taylor,” I say.

Mia cocks her head at me. “What’s going on?”

I turn to Taylor and say, “I’ll let you tell them.”

She clears her throat. “I’ve only just realized and I’m still getting my head around it myself.”

At least she’s not denying me. “So you know why I’m here?”

She glances at Holly and yes; I was here for my daughter, but now I’m wondering how I insert myself into both Holly’s and her life.

She sighs and nods. “You’ve come at a terrible time in my life.”

“I’m truly sorry for that, and I’m not here to cause trouble. You hold all the power, Taylor.”

“I doubt that.” She rolls her eyes upward. “Come to my bedroom. We can talk there.”

“Absolutely.”

Chapter 6

Taylor

“When did you know it was me?” he asks as he shuts the bedroom door, locking us in the room together.

“What was you?” I know exactly what he is getting at. But I want him to say it.

“Holly’s dad.”

Slowly, he walks to me. His amber eyes on mine, making the words I want to say to disappear in a puff of gasped air.

I see him now as I visualize a mask over his eyes and the top half of his face. Why didn’t I see it before?

---