Page 91 of Broken Destiny

Jack pointed at me knowingly. “There it is.”

“Stop,” I muttered, fighting the fluttering feeling building in my stomach.

“I’m serious,” he continued. “The man couldn’t take his eyes off you at the party. Even Maureen noticed.”

“That’s exactly why this is a bad idea.”

“Why?”

I let out a slow breath and looked away.

“Because he’s not just some guy, Jack.”

A quiet pause stretched between us for a moment.

Then I finally looked back at him.

“He’s Emma’s father,” I said quietly. “The one I told you about.”

“What?” His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. “He’sthe one you told me about?”

I nodded.

Jack leaned back slowly, staring at me as though he were trying to piece everything together in his head.

“Well,” he muttered under his breath, dragging a hand over his face, “that explains a lot.”

“Jack—”

“No, listen to me for a second,” he interrupted gently. “I don’t think you’re going to like what I’m about to say, but I’m saying it anyway.”

I already knew where this was heading.

“He came back into your life after all these years,” Jack continued. “Not only that, but he’s spending time with the kids, with you, with all of you together.” He shook his head slightly. “That doesn’t feel random to me.”

I let out a tired breath.

“Jack—”

“I’m serious, kid. Maybe this is fate. Maybe life is giving the two of you another chance to fix what was broken.”

“No,” I said firmly. “I’m not going to break up his engagement just because we share a daughter.”

“Aren’t you at least going to tell him about his daughter?”

My stomach twisted as I stared down at the table before answering.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want Emma to become the reason he comes back to me,” I admitted quietly. “If he chooses me, I need to know it’s because he actually wants me. Not because he feels obligated to do the right thing.”

“So you do want him back?” Jack asked, and a slow, knowing smile appeared on his face.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”