Looking at her, it’s like something inside of me has shifted already, prepared to be the dad I never thought I wanted to be.
“She’s amazing, isn’t she?” She stands and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “You can stay for a while if you want. She’ll wake up and you can hold her.”
Panic freezes my blood. Hold her? She expects me to hold something to small and fragile like it’s no big deal?
“I have to get going,” I lie, overcome with fear at actually holding her. “I’ll uh see you tomorrow.” I rub the back of my head awkwardly, already treading slowly backwards toward the door.
Alba narrows her eyes, seeing straight through my bullshit. “Okay.”
She doesn’t argue with me, just sees me to the door.
It closes quietly behind me, the lock clicking into place. I find myself immobile on the tiny front porch, trying to process everything that’s happened since I got here, but my brain can’t seem to handle it. In a haze I walk back to my motorcycle and drive home, the enormity of everything crashing down on me.
My life’s never going to be the same.
Chapter Eight
Travis
“I have a kid.” The four words blurt out of my mouth, the first thing I’ve uttered all day since walking into my shop.
Jessie looks up from the design she’s sketching, arching a brow. “No shit. I’m not surprised considering your dick really gets around.”
I scrub my hands over my unshaven jaw. I was too shaken to bothering shaving it this morning. “I’m being serious.”
She erases a line on the intricate lace rose she’s working on. “So am I.”
“Jessie.” I kick her stool. “Seriously. I need to talk about this.”
She drops her pencil and exhales a heavy breath like it’s killing her to deal with my bullshit. “What do you need to talk about?”
“The fact I have a kid I didn’t know about. I’m a dad.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh, you were serious?”
“Yes!” I snap, tugging on the ends of my hair.
“Wow, what are you going to do with a kid? And who’s the lucky lady?”
I don’t answer the first question, because frankly I have no clue. “Alba.”
Jessie rears back, pointing her pencil toward the front windows. “Stick up her ass, thinks you’re scum, Alba? The Alba you constantly fuck with? That Alba?”
I clap my hands together. “Yup.”
“That’s…something.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I don’t exactly like her tone.
She looks at me like I’m crazy for taking offense. “It’s just … you act like a boy on the playground with her—you know taunting her pathetically for attention, and she seems to hate you, so how are you two going to co-parent? Honestly, how did the two of you end up doing the deed at all?”
“Have you never enjoyed a little hate sex?”
That shuts her up, her lips pursed. “Now that you have baby daddy status what exactly does that mean for you?”
My brows furrow. “That I’m a dad.”
She rolls her eyes. “Travis,” she tosses her pencil onto the table, “be serious.”
“I am.”
She blinks at me and slowly shakes her head. I swear she mutters, “Men are idiots,” under her breath. “What I mean is, like are you going to be involved with the kid? What about Alba? Are you two a couple now? Are you just going to pay child support? What’s your game plan?”
“Fuck, Jessie, I only found out last night. You can’t expect a guy to have all the answers that fast.”
“Are you even thinking about answers to those questions? Because seriously, get on it.”
I rub my face with both worry and frustration. “This is a lot.”
“Duh, Dipshit. It’s a baby—a child—that’s a whole life to care for and not fuck up. This is why I’m never having kids.”
“Christian would’ve been a great uncle. He would’ve been so happy,” I choke out around the lump suddenly stuck in my throat at the thought of my brother.
Jessie’s eyes fill with sympathy. “I know—and you’ll be a great dad, don’t overthink it. Just be there.”
I blow out a breath, but it does little to ease the tension in my body.
“Just be there,” I repeat, my eyes drifting to the shop across the street.
It sounds entirely too easy, but maybe it’s just that simple.
Chapter Nine
Alba
I’m not at all surprised when Travis strolls into my shop just before closing. I pause in my process of cleaning the floors and flick a piece of hair out of my eyes. “Hi,” I say, awkwardness coating my words. “Dahlia isn’t here. She’s with my mom.”
He gives a single nod, hands shoved into the pockets of his raggedy black jeans. His eyes dart around my shop, taking in all the details like he hasn’t been here before.
Leaning against the mop handle I blow out a breath. “Why’d you stop by?”
He shrugs, his leather jacket crinkling with the movement. “Thought we should talk.”
“But you haven’t said a word,” I point out, arching a brow in wait.
He walks over to one of the paintings hung on the wall. It’s simple, a swipe of black paint of a white canvas, abstract and left to the viewers interpretation. For me, I’ve always seen the curve of a woman’s body, the sensuality that’s carefully leashed because of society’s standards.
“This is nice.” He waves his fingers lazily toward the painting and turns around. “Do you have any plans tonight?”
“N-No,” I stutter. “But I have to get Dahlia when I leave here.”
He smiles. “That’s cool. I’ll pick up pizza and meet you at your place.”
“Wha—I—” He doesn’t give me a chance to say yes or no. He makes the statement and walks straight out the door.
I toss my hands up in the air, rolling my eyes. This is what I get for involving myself with Travis of all people.
As promised Travis is sitting on the front steps of my place, a large pizza box in his lap.
I shake my head as I park the car and shut it off. Climbing out, I nearly scream when I come face to face with him. My hand flies to my chest and I blink at him, no sound coming out of my mouth.
How does he move so fast? He’s like a ninja.
“Can I get her out?”
I look at Dahlia, kicking happily in her carrier while making cooing sounds.
“Um, sure.”
He gives a hesitant, nervous smile. I step back, giving him space to open the back passenger door. He fumbles with the straps, but I don’t want to sound overbearing so I let him figure it out and scoop her up. He cradles her awkwardly, but he’s got a steady hold on her so I don’t worry. Dahlia squishes her face as she looks up at the unfamiliar person holding her. I know she’s probably two seconds away from crying, but she’s going to have to get used to him if he’s going to be in the picture.