AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Flushing pink, I slapped him gently in the stomach with the back of my hand. “No, I mean, I love you.”
Grabbing me around the waist with the hand not holding the stroller, he pulled me close. “I love you too, Tally Palmer. So fucking much.”
I kissed him until my knees felt like jello and I was breathless. “That’s a relief, otherwise this unrequited pining thing might have gotten real old, real fast.”
He laughed and kissed my temple, then walked me to our new favorite deli around the corner. It was one of those places that only served the workers in the surrounding industrial zone, and the decor was as varied and rough as the clientele, normally a weird mish-mash of office workers in matching suits and guys in high-vis vests with hard hats under their arms. But the place did a mean sandwich, and I was excited about eating my body weight in processed deli meats, now that I was no longer pregnant.
After ordering, we grabbed one of the open tables. There weren’t separate tables; most people were happy to sit at the huge counter that wrapped around the grill and chat with the cooks or each other.
I parked Bobbi-June beside us, and a guy could have come in here shirtless, covered from head to toe in grease, and it would look less conspicuous than a baby. We got some weird side-eyes, but mostly, people ignored us. Maybe I should buy her a bright yellow vest so she fits in.
The short-order cook dropped off our food, made a funny, happy face at Bobbi-June which was made slightly more comical by his complete lack of teeth, then went back to the kitchen without saying a single word to us.
I’d just had my first bite when another guy walked up to stand beside our table. He looked almost as out of place as the baby, with his beige chinos and fleece sweater-vest. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah?” Hayes asked, his eyes flicking between me and the guy, like I should know who the hell he was.
“Are you Tally Palmer?” he asked, and I smiled. Maybe he was a NASCAR fan. It didn’t happen often—out of sight, out of mind and all that—but occasionally, I was recognized.
Nodding, I put my hand out for him to shake. “Yeah, I am.”
Instead of placing his palm in mine, the guy slipped an envelope between my fingers. I didn’t even know where he’d pulled it from. He didn’t even look at me as he said, “You’ve been served,” in a bored tone. Then he turned and walked out while I stared, my brain struggling to catch up with what had just happened.
I dropped the envelope. It felt like a rattlesnake, curled in a ball, waiting for me to move so it could strike. I knew exactly what was going to be inside that envelope, and I wanted to set it on fire.
“Tally?” Hayes said hesitantly, as I peeled open the sealed envelope and looked inside. Brick Willtot’s name jumped out at me, like the boogeyman of my nightmares.
“Buck’s family is suing me for custody of Bobbi-June.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
TALLY
The next week was hell. Brick might have all the money, but I would bankrupt myself fighting him in court, if I had to. There were no depths I wouldn’t sink to when it came to keeping my baby.
The guys had been great, but they didn’t know what to do either, not really. They’d offered me up their savings, and Jesse had called a lawyer he knew for recommendations. They’d talked me down off the ledge several times, and had spent all night holding me while I cried.
Willy and Colin had been excellent too, and Willy came with me when I went to see the lawyer. While she’d been outraged on my behalf, she hadn’t been as confident that the whole thing would be thrown out as I’d hoped.
“Look, you’re a single mother with a dangerous job. You don’t own any assets, have minimal support, and you’re coming up against one of the richest families in the country, who are extremely well connected. You’re going to have your work cut out for you.” Will protested, but I just sat there in stunned shock. “Look, it isn’t hopeless. The baby is well cared for and obviously well loved.”
“What if I married her? Would that help her case? I’m not exactly in the poorhouse,” Will asked, and I turned to stare at him.
Had he just offered to marry me? That was fucking weird.
The lawyer, Serena, raised an eyebrow. “You are comfortably well-off, Mr. Love, but you aren’t Willtot rich. You’re worlds apart. He’s in the top hundred richest men in the country.”
It had been so fucking awful, but I didn’t care. I was going to beat this, and if I had my way, Brick Willtot wouldn’t see a hair on Bobbi-June’s head ever again.
Unfortunately, despite my current turmoil, life still went on. It meant that I still had to work; in fact, it was more important than ever. Antony had given me a week off after I’d mentioned I was having some family issues, but I couldn’t remain on leave forever. It was hard when all I wanted to do was load her onto a plane and run away.
Because when it came down to it, no matter how much I loved the guys, I would choose my baby over them. I knew in my heart they’d understand too.
But we weren’t there yet.
Hayes helped me unstrap her carrier from the car when we parked in our designated spot, and I felt like my whole body was made of lead. I was exhausted from sleepless nights and the stress, and a bad feeling in my gut.
My first sign that something was off at work too was Valeria looking at me with wide eyes and a frown.
