Page 22 of Knocked Up By The Mountain Man

I knew this was the worst-case scenario, and I tried to emotionally prepare myself for this as I made the journey out here the first time and the second.

But getting the door literally slammed in my face feels a lot worse than anything I could have ever imagined.

I blink back tears, trying to stop them before they start. I don’t want to turn around and let Adam see them. I want to hide my shame, to claim some kind of control over this situation. But despite my best efforts, the tears fall anyways.

CHAPTER 12

JACK

I pull up to Toby's house to see Alyssa in the arms of my best friend, her head on his shoulder.

At first, I see red, thinking that Adam must have been just as drawn to the woman as I always have been.

But then I notice her tears.

She's not just embracing my best friend. She's sobbing right into his shoulder as he pats her comfortingly on the back.

He looks up, seeing my truck approach, and pulls away guiltily. I stop my truck and get out.

"Are you okay?" I ask, coming to Alyssa’s side.

"I'm fine," she says, her voice shaky.

"What happened?" I ask the question to Adam rather than to her.

Adam shrugs.

"She knocked on his door. He opened it. They talked. Then he closed the door. And then she cried.”

His mouth is grim, and he looks just as pissed off on the outside as I feel on the inside.

I'd like to open Toby's door and rip him out of that little house, pummeling him for whatever he must have done to reduce my woman to tears like this.

I don't like seeing her cry. I decide I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she does as little of this as possible going forward.

That is, if she'll agree to stay here. To have our baby here in Wildwood and raise it with me together. I've never wanted anything more in my life.

This woman brings something out of me that I didn't even know I had.

I need her to stay here. Need to prove to her that I'm in it for the long haul.

Even if I did talk about how much I didn't want kids…that was different. That was with Carla. With other women. Women who aren't her.

With Alyssa, I want things that I never thought I could be capable of having. Never thought I could be capable of deserving.

I pull Alyssa away from Toby and into my chest instead.

"What happened?" I demand.

"He pretended he didn't know who I was," she sobs. "Pretended he doesn't know who my mom was. Like I never existed. Like it never happened."

She sniffs. I tighten my hold around her protectively.

"I don't know what I expected,” she continues. “I thought maybe he wouldn't want to have a relationship. Maybe he would let me down…but I didn't expect him to completely gaslight me like this. I know he's my dad. I recognize him. I'm telling the truth!”

"Of course you're telling the truth," I say quickly, with a frown. "I would never doubt that. You know who your dad is is…and so do I.”

"Yep," Adam sounds behind me, glaring at the house in front of the truck. “We know exactly what kind of man this guy is.”