Charlene Sands – Forbidden Secrets: His Secret Baby Bombshell (страница 20)

Brooks came to his feet and sighed. “I’m done here. Carson, stay as long as you like. I’ll be outside.”

Once Brooks was gone, Graham also stood. He approached Sutton, knowing this may be the last time he ever saw the man. He had no intention of ever coming back.

“I’m glad you’re not my father,” Graham said, leaning down just enough so only Sutton could hear. “But Carson is happy to finally know. If you have to fake affection, do it. He deserves a father who isn’t a jerk.”

“I love my son,” Sutton said simply.

Graham nodded and straightened. It was so tempting to tell him about the baby. So tempting to get just one final jab in. But Graham wasn’t that much of an ass and he’d never do that to Eve. He wanted a chance to show her what a good father he could be and harassing her father was not the way to go about that.

Graham turned to his brother. “I’ll wait outside with Brooks. Seriously, take your time.”

Before Graham had gotten outside, he’d fired off a text to Eve indicating what he’d do to her if he were to ever see her in that Halloween costume.

“That man can rot in hell for all I care.” Brooks rested his back against one of the thick, white columns of the portico. “I’m happy for Carson, but damn it. That man is infuriating.”

Graham stepped forward, shoving his hands into his pockets and hunching his shoulders against the chilly breeze. “Carson has been on the fence for a while now. He wants to forgive Sutton. I hate to come to the guy’s defense, but he didn’t know Carson existed.”

Brooks jerked his gaze around. “Are you serious? You’re going to stand there and make excuses for the guy? If Mom was the love of his life, as he claims, then he would’ve moved heaven and earth to be with her. And he damn well would give a portion of his estate to his biological son.”

When Graham didn’t reply, Brooks narrowed his eyes. “This has to do with Eve, doesn’t it? You’re still hung up on her.”

He was the father of her child. Which was a few levels above being “hung up on her.”

“I’m stating the obvious, that’s all.” Graham wasn’t about to bring Eve into this discussion. She had enough on her plate without being further caught up in this battle. “Sutton and Carson need time to talk alone. You and I will only make things worse.”

Brooks started pacing on the stone walk. “I need Roman to come up with something concrete. I’m putting all my faith in him to find our father.”

“I know,” Graham said, hating how much this issue was controlling Brooks’s life. “But it will happen. We can’t run into dead ends forever. Something will turn up. Someone somewhere knows the truth.”

Brooks snorted and jerked his thumb toward the house. “Yeah. He’s in there.”

Graham stared at the double doors. Sutton knew. Absolutely without a doubt he knew. But Graham refused to beg the man. He would find out on his own. He would not give Sutton any satisfaction in getting one up on him. Ever.

Twelve

Seven weeks pregnant and her body was already showing signs of change. Eve attempted to adjust her cleavage in the strips of fabric covering her chest. The white goddess costume had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she felt very exposed.

Glancing in her floor-length mirror, she shivered as she recalled Graham’s text. The man wasn’t playing nice. He was trying to get her to give in and...well, she was having a difficult time recalling why she needed to stay away.

Oh, yeah. Someone had to be responsible and think things through right now. Someone had to step back and think straight. When he sent those messages, and there had been many, Eve found it more and more difficult to keep him at a distance.

She hadn’t seen him for several days. Too many. The messages hadn’t started out as flirty, but then she’d sent that picture and she’d opened up some sort of dam. He’d flooded her phone with messages that would’ve made her high-society mother blush.

With the cool, windy October weather, Eve would definitely need a coat this evening. Otherwise she’d freeze her butt off.

Eve glanced at the antique clock on her vanity and sighed. She was running late because insecurities over the changes in her body had her doubting her costume. But she had no plan B so goddess she was. Nobody would guess she was pregnant; of course Nora already knew, but she hadn’t said anything yet. There was no reason for anyone to believe she was expecting, so worrying over her fuller chest was ridiculous.

Still, she feared that when the rest of her family found out, when her father found out she was not only expecting, but carrying a Newport child, there would be trouble. She’d already gotten a glimpse of things to come from Nora. Her family wouldn’t be happy. Granted, she was going into this situation with her eyes wide open and not full of stars. Eve had lost a child before when she thought herself in love. Now her family would probably criticize her for making a mistake with another man who was all wrong for her.

Not that her baby was a mistake; the first person to even hint at that would have to deal with her wrath. No, her mistakes came in the form of choosing the wrong men. Clearly she had bad judgment.

By the time Eve pulled onto the Winchester estate, she was confident that she needed to tell her family. The sooner they knew about the baby, the longer they’d have to get used to the idea. After the party tonight, she’d tell Grace and their father when they were all together. It would be the perfect time. Not that there was a perfect time to drop a bomb like this. But there was no changing the fact that she was having a baby.

A baby. The thought thrilled and terrified her at the same time. She was still ten weeks away from the seventeen-week mark. She would feel so much better once she got past the hurdle that had left a hole in her heart during her last pregnancy. Eve honestly didn’t know if she could bear another loss so great. She was already facing the inevitable loss of her father, but to add a second baby to the...

No. This baby was just fine. She wasn’t going to even think that way... From now on she would have only positive thoughts. Her child was a Newport and a Winchester, which immediately equaled a fighter.

Eve pulled in behind Grace’s car and grabbed her clutch and the present she’d brought for her father—a framed photograph. Sliding her phone into her purse, Eve headed toward the grand entrance. Her childhood home was nothing short of spectacular—Sutton Winchester would settle for nothing less than the best.

Instantly memories of growing up here flooded her mind. The house always looked like a museum, but there had been a toy room on the third floor where the kids were given free rein. She and her sisters had spent hours in there playing, dreaming, fighting...all the things close sisters did. They’d run around outside playing tag, chasing each other and fantasizing about being grown-ups. Seriously, growing up was so overrated. They should’ve enjoyed those carefree days a bit more.

Pulling her wrap tighter around her, Eve made her way to the door. Without knocking, she let herself in. The aroma of something spicy, maybe cinnamon, hit her. Definitely a hint of pumpkin, too. Whatever the cook had prepared—or Nora had had catered—smelled absolutely divine. And thankfully in the evenings, Eve was fine; she didn’t have to deal with a queasy belly. So she was ready to have her fill of the party food, but not the wine.

Eve had just pulled her wrap off to hang it on the coat tree in the foyer when Nora came gliding down the hall. Eve put her wrap up and set her clutch and gift on the marble entryway table.

“You look gorgeous,” her younger sister declared. “I knew this goddess costume would be so perfect for you.”

Eve took in her sister’s vibrant green historical ball gown. “Talk about stunning. Nora, you’re glowing.”

Nora beamed. “I know it’s not what I bought when we were out, but then I saw this the other day and had to have it.”

“So what is Reid?”

“Lucky.” Eve glanced at Reid, who’d just stepped from the formal living space. He wrapped an arm around Nora’s waist and kissed her cheek. “I’m damn lucky,” he added.

Reid was dressed as a Civil War–era soldier, complete with sword dangling at his side. He and Nora looked as though they’d stepped out of a time machine. Eve was jealous of Nora’s itty-bitty waist; no doubt she’d gone for the whole corset and all. Eve’s hourglass shape was not long for this world.

“That you are,” Eve agreed, giving her sister a wink. “How’s Dad feeling today?”

“Good. He’s even donned a bit of a costume for the occasion, though he said he’d stay in the study since his oxygen and everything is set up in there. Visitors are welcome, though.”

Eve gripped the present beneath her arm and nodded. “I’m going to see him now before everyone else arrives.”

“You doing okay?” Nora asked, keeping the question vague.

Eve glanced at Reid, who showed no sign of knowing anything. “I’m great. If you’ll excuse me.”

Eve made her way to the study. She hated thinking of her father being so sick that he was confined to one room, but she knew that if he truly wanted to move about the house, his caregivers would make it happen. Her father remained in the study more out of pride than anything else. There was a bathroom right off the spacious room and hospice care had set everything up to look like a master suite. Her father’s old desk where he’d spent countless hours when he worked from home sat in the corner. Next to the desk was a large built-in shelf housing all of his favorite books.