Page 25 of Secret Baby with My One Timer

I make my way back into the living room, where Harrison is playing with Holly. I should’ve fallen for someone like Harrison.

Holly squeals when Harrison tickles her belly, the same moment the doorbell rings. When I reach the door, I turn and watch them and smile.

My God, one day Harrison is going to make a girl so happy.

I open the door. My breath catching in the wind when I see him.

I hate he looks so good.

Tortured, but good. “I’m sorry. I promise I didn’t want to hurt you. I never wanted lawyers involved or private investigators. That was my father’s doing.”

“You let him,” I whisper. “He had to have some knowledge of me. Of Holly. Otherwise, how did it happen so quickly... or have you known about Holly for longer than you claim?”

“I told my dad everything. The night in the club. Seeing you and Holly after the hockey game. That I found out you were friends with Adam Turner.” He sighs and hesitates a moment. “The Hunter Valley isn’t that big of a place. It’s not like New York, where a person can hide amongst millions of others.”

His eyes flick behind me, and I turn to see Harrison holding Holly.

“Do you know what this is like for me? My daughter is that close to being brought up by another man.”

“Harrison and I are friends,” I say.

“Did he see you pregnant? Did he watch our daughter grow inside you?” he mutters.

“Yes. All the things you could’ve seen if you hadn’t left me alone,” I mutter. “Because remember, I didn’t leave you, Oliver. You left me alone.”

“I told you what happened.”

“You left me pregnant. And if you think you’re going to come and use your money to steal my daughter from me, you’re sadly mistaken. I’m not giving her up. You can visit her. You can be her daddy, but don’t dare try to take her from me. Because my mom won’t want me to sell this house to save her life, but she will want me to sell this house to fight for Holly.”

He looks forlorn. “My father instigated the lawyer. I’m on my way to him to stop it.”

“Was it all a lie?” I whisper, not wanting Harrison to overhear what I have to say. “The words. The tenderness? Was it a ruse to get me into bed and softened, ready for this?” I laugh. “Obviously it backfired.”

“God no, Taylor. What we have is real.”

“Had Oliver. We have nothing anymore. I can’t trust you.”

“Taylor...” His voice is low and gravelly.

“No. Give me a few weeks to get my mom home and back on her feet and we can talk about Holly and moving forward.”

“We...”

I shake my head. “No. Don’t. From now on, we’re only the parents to Holly. Only she matters.”

A ripple runs down his throat as he hangs his head. “Please.”

I can feel the tears building behind my eyes. I look down and blink them away as I shake my head.

“We’ll talk in a couple of weeks.”

It’s four hours later, and I’ve only just stopped crying. I waited for Harrison to leave for his meeting about selling the rights to an app, when there’s another knock at the door. I groan as I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand.

Holly looks at me and says, “Mommy. Cry.”

“No baby. I’m tired and you must be too. You need a nap before we pick Granny up from the hospital later.”

“Play more, Mommy.”

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