Page 143 of Holiday Heir

I adjust Charlie higher against my chest. "I'm serious about Lainey. And I bet Charlie misses her granddaddy too. Don't you, baby girl," I coo at Charlie.

"Goooo," she says.

"See. She does miss him," I declare.

Lorraine's expression shifts slightly, but she still isn't on board.

I sigh. "Lorraine, I've met you. Lainey's met my parents. She's met my whole damn family at this point. Everybody knows what's going on except the one man I haven't looked in the eye yet."

"He knows about you. Trust me, I've filled him in."

"I'm not sure how I should take that," I admit.

Her lips twitch.

I sit taller. "Look, you talking about me and me meeting him aren't the same thing."

"No," she carefully admits. "It isn't."

Charlie squirms, so I swing my thigh out to bounce her on my knee. "If Charlie grows up and some man gets her pregnant, then shows up eleven months later telling everybody he loves her, I'm gonna want that son of a bitch standing in front of me explaining himself."

"You love her?" Lorraine studies me more carefully now.

"Yep. And don't toss all the gibberish about how long we've known each other, or other stuff in my face. It is what it is. I'm a man who knows what I know, and I love Lainey and Charlie." I grin at her, teasing, "I even might have a spot in my heart for you," but it doesn't come out as great as it sounded in my head.

Lorraine still doesn't give an inch.

I blurt out, "Look, I'd probably want to shoot the bastard."

"It's crossed her daddy's mind. He might do it."

I stop bouncing Charlie. "You serious?"

Lorraine takes another drink of coffee.

I narrow my eyes.

She cracks. A smile appears over the edge of her mug.