Hush (Just This Once) Read online

  “Look, Chloe.” He moves to touch my hand but pulls back before he makes contact. “Forgive me for this but it’s a subject we need to address. Griffin, my lawyer, brought it up and it’s been gnawing at me.”

  I look up as the server approaches and places the tea on the table in front of me. “Thank you.”

  Evan waits until he’s out of earshot before he drops a bombshell in my lap. “Once you are eight weeks along, I’m going to need you to take a paternity test. I can’t get invested in this if the baby isn’t mine.”

  Chapter 32

  Evan

  I don’t know why the fuck I don’t trust my gut in situations like this. When I called my friend, Griffin Kent, to talk to him about how I could legally help Chloe, he immediately mentioned the idea of a paternity test.

  I laughed at first because Chloe doesn’t strike me as the type to fuck more than one guy at a time. I told Griffin as much but he brought up the fact that even if she only slept with me since that night, she may have been with someone else in the days leading up to our one-night stand.

  Pushing that possibility aside was easy when I was at work. It was the moments between when I was alone in my apartment or on the subway that doubt crept in.

  Now, I’m sitting across from her and the expression on her face erases any questions I have. She looks stunned and hurt, even if she’s trying to put on a brave front.

  “Of course,” she answers as she picks up the small china teacup. “I haven’t been with anyone else in a long time, but you’d be remiss if you didn’t ask for a paternity test. As you said, we don’t know each other very well.”

  Fuck. I fucked up.

  I didn’t have to bring this up today. I could have waited until she was at least in her second trimester. She’s been through so much shit in her life and when she’s finally in reach of one of her dreams, I smash it under my heel with the inference that she sleeps around.

  “Let’s put that aside for now,” I try to retreat and save the conversation.

  “No.” She puts the teacup back down without taking a sip. “It’s a valid point. I’ll ask my doctor about when a test like that can happen.”

  I’m frustrated with myself. I didn’t have to bring this up tonight but my past edged me on. One bad experience can taint a person forever.

  “I’ll call Rita tomorrow and we can set up an appointment that works for us both.”

  “Why?” She leans back in her chair. “I have insurance. I’ll go to the appointment and report back to you. If it makes you more comfortable, I’ll give Dr. Bergstein permission to share the details with you herself.”

  “I want to be there for you, Chloe.”

  She pushes to stand. “I’m a big girl. I can handle a doctor’s appointment. Besides, you’re always busy. You don’t have to take time away from your work to hold my hand.”

  I stand too, unsure of what to say next.

  “Let’s put the help on hold until you can be sure that your investment in this is valid.”

  “My heart tells me the baby is mine, Chloe.”

  Her hand drops to the T-shirt that’s covering her flat stomach. “It is, Evan. You’ll see and once you do, we can work out the details of what works best for the baby because that’s the only thing that matters to me.”

  It’s not the only thing that matters to me. She does too and I’m scared that I’ve fucked up the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

  ***

  “You haven’t been your usual insulting self, Evan.” Jordan pats me on the back. “What’s up?”

  I look over my shoulder at him. He’s been beaming ever since Kylie and him decided to go exclusive. There isn’t a soul who works in this hospital who saw that one coming. They are about as mismatched as two people can be, but obviously there’s something there. Kylie looked just as happy this morning when I saw her after my rounds.

  “Your ear hair is longer than the hair around my dick.” I arch a brow. “Does that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?”

  His hand leaps to his ear. “My barber usually takes care of that. I’ll have to ask Kylie to trim them tonight.”

  I turn back to face the x-rays in front of me. “Sounds like a fun date. Maybe she can take on your toenails too.”

  “How do you know about my toenails? My podiatrist said that cream he gave me would help.”

  I huff out a laugh. “That’s both disgusting and fascinating.”

  “Fascinating how?”

  He moves so he’s standing next to me. Other doctors are milling about but we’ve all learned to mind our own business unless asked. It works well for us. You have to be as focused as you can be when you’re dealing with life and death cases on a daily basis.

  “What does Kylie see in you beyond the obvious?” I circle my finger in front of his face.

  He skims his hand over his cleanly-shaven chin. “I listen to her. I appreciate her. I make her feel special.”

  I’m not buying it. “What else?”

  He lowers his voice. “The sex is phenomenal.”

  “Phenomenal?” I ask as I study the x-ray. “Your word or is that coming from Kylie?”

  “I had a dry spell before I met her,” he admits. “There was a lot of pent up energy waiting to be released. Kylie was the beneficiary of that.”

  I turn my attention to the tablet in my hands as I make notes on the x-ray and the treatment plan I’ll discuss with the patient this afternoon. “If you make each other happy, I’m all for it. I have to admit, I didn’t think it would progress into anything.”

  “No one did.” He chuckles. “We’re an unlikely pair, but when there’s a connection that’s undeniable, you’ve got to go for it. That’s what I did and look at me now.”

  I do. He looks relaxed and content. I can’t use either of those words to describe myself at the moment.

  “Keep her happy.” I poke him in the shoulder. “Or I’ll come for you. I’m an expert with a scalpel. Don’t forget that.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” He opens the cover on his tablet. “I need you to consult on a case. I’m on the fence on this one and I want you to push me over to one side.”

  I take his tablet and run through the information on the patient’s chart. “Send this to me and I’ll have a closer look this afternoon.”

  “You and I make a great team, Evan.” He gives me another pat on the back. “As much as I like, Kylie, you’re the best vascular surgeon we have.”

  It’s a compliment I never thought I’d hear. It means a lot. “Thank you, Jordan, I appreciate that.”

  “You didn’t let me finish.” He grins as he reaches to take his tablet back. “You’re the best vascular surgeon we have without ear hair. You’ll never be as good as me.”

  “I’ll take second best over that ear hair any day of the week.” I grimace. “Seriously, man, get control of that before you trip over it.”

  Chapter 33

  Chloe

  “So you’ll be able to do the paternity test without having to get near the baby?” I rub my stomach. There’s still nothing there to speak of other than a small roll that I’ve been trying to work away with sit-ups for the past six months.

  “We can do it with a simple blood test once you pass the eight week mark.” Dr. Bergstein glances at the calendar hanging on the wall in the exam room. “You’re going to hit that milestone soon, Chloe, so you can talk to the baby’s father and arrange for him to call in so we can set up a time for him to have his blood drawn. We’ll require a sample from you too.”

  Since her office is across the street from one of Manhattan’s busiest hospitals, I have to wonder whether Evan is close.

  “Evan Scott said that you two know each other,” I say because maybe she’ll put two-and-two together and realize that my potential baby daddy is her friend.

  “Evan Scott?” she repeats back with a furrow of her brow. “Oh, yes. We met years ago. He’s a great guy. I take it you two are friends too?”

  Technica
lly, we aren’t friends at all. We’re two people who are having a baby together.

  “I know him, “ I admit because I don’t know how to classify what we are.

  She turns her attention to a prescription pad in her hands. “I’m going to give you a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. You should take one daily.”

  “I can do that.” I scoot forward on the exam table. “I’m good to go?”

  “You are.” She looks over at me. “If you see Evan anytime soon, tell him I said hi and that I hope his little guy isn’t running him ragged.”

  There’s no way in hell that’s a euphemism for Evan’s penis. It’s not a little guy. I need clarification because I only have sparse details about the man I’m about to share a lifelong connection with in the form of a living, breathing human being. “His little guy?”

  She moves toward the closed door. “His son. Kim switched doctors before the birth but I was there the day they found out it was a boy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier man than Evan that day.”

  I slide off the table and pick up my purse before I take the prescription from her. I follow her out into the corridor and as she leads me back to the reception area her words ring over and over in my head.

  Evan is already a dad.

  That’s a surprise I didn’t see coming.

  ***

  Dealing with everything that’s been thrown at me lately on my own was a good plan until I realized just how overwhelmed I am.

  After I saw Dr. Bergstein I went to the pharmacy and dropped off my prescription. I listened as the pharmacist explained the benefits of the vitamins to the baby. She had kind eyes and when she asked if I had any questions, I almost blurted out that I needed advice about how to talk to my baby’s dad about his son.

  I didn’t because it would have obviously been highly inappropriate and also because there’s someone else who will give me the advice I need.

  He’s sitting across from me now.

  “When you invited yourself over I didn’t think it was so we could have a staring contest, but I’m game, Chloe. You know I can beat you any day of the week.”

  I laugh. “I didn’t come here to stare at you.”

  Rocco looks around his modest apartment. “Was it for the ambiance? As you can see none of that exists here.”

  I dip my chin down. I called him on my way home from work. I told him that I had something important to discuss with him and by the time I stepped into his building, I was already filled with doubt.

  “I need someone to talk to, Rocco.”

  That draws him to his feet and over to where I’m sitting on a leather sofa. He takes a seat next to me. “I’m here. You know I’m always here.”

  He’s the same age as Evan but they couldn’t be more different. Rocco lives his life day-by-day, exploring new adventures whenever they present themselves. He travels on a whim and sometimes leaves New York for weeks at a time.

  Evan’s life is confined to a hospital where he devotes himself to bettering others.

  “I wish my mom was still here,” I say through a sob. “I love you, but I just wish she was here.”

  “Me too,” he confesses as he circles an arm around my shoulder. “I loved her too. I miss her every day.”

  I know that he does.

  All three of my brothers wept at my mother’s funeral service. They’d come to love her as much as I did. When she died, our lives were upended but we held fast to each other.

  Our love for her and for each other kept us afloat.

  “I’m here, Chloe. Tell me what’s happening.”

  I inhale a sharp breath as I look at his kind and compassionate face. “I’m pregnant.”

  Chapter 34

  Chloe

  “Pregnant?” Rocco’s gaze drops to my stomach before it skims over my face. “Chloe, are you sure? You and Chris tried for so long. How is this possible?”

  Christopher Newell and I tried for years to start a family. He’s older than I am by two decades and very successful. I met him when I interned at his law firm before college. He divorced his second wife, pursued me and I finally gave in.

  Our wedding was everything I thought I wanted. It was the perfect life on the outside, but behind the doors of our apartment on Park Avenue, it was an ongoing battle to have a child. Christopher wanted an heir and I couldn’t deliver, so I became his third ex-wife.

  “My doctor said that miracles happen.” I manage a small smile. “I’ve always had irregular periods and the fertility doctors that I saw with Chris told me that the chemo had damaged my eggs. No one thought this was possible, Rocco, yet it’s happening.”

  He tugs me into his chest. “It is a miracle. You’re having a baby. What did dad say? He must be over the moon.”

  I push back so I can look up and into his face. “I haven’t told anyone. You’re the only one who knows.”

  “Did you tell Evan?” he questions. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions but I’ve seen the way the guy looks at you. I’m assuming he’s the dad.”

  “He is…” I trail off not sure of how to tell him that Evan isn’t quite as sure as I am and he already has one child to take care of.

  “What’s the problem? I don’t know him at all, but I don’t see you getting involved with a deadbeat. Is he not going to step up to the plate and own this?”

  I watch as his jaw ticks. Rocco is a master at covering his emotions but when he’s angry, there’s little he can do to veil that.

  “We’re going to do a paternity test.” I pat his knee. “That’s part of this process.”

  “Why do it if you’re both sure he’s the father?”

  It’s a valid question that I don’t have an answer to so I resort to asking him a question of my own. “If you had a one-night stand and the woman got pregnant, you’d want a paternity test, wouldn’t you?”

  “Hell, yes,” he says empathetically. “We’re not talking about a one-night stand, Chloe. We are talking about two people in a relationship.”

  I’m not surprised that he has blinders on when it comes to my personal life. “Evan and I started as a one-night stand. We both believe that’s when the baby was conceived.”

  “I understand, “ he finally says after staring at me for a beat. “The details don’t matter. What matters is that you’re going to be a mom and you’ve got your family to lean on.”

  “Thank you.” I kiss his cheek. “There’s something else that I want to talk about.”

  His eyes widen. “I can’t imagine it’s going to be more mind-blowing than what you just told me, but I’m all ears.”

  “I found out that Evan has a son.” I hear the tremor in my voice. It’s the first time I’ve said it aloud, even though I’ve been replaying Dr. Bergstein’s words in my mind all day. “He didn’t tell me. I heard about it from someone else.”

  He leans his back against the sofa. “How well do you know this guy, Chloe? A kid seems like a pretty big deal to me. You’d think he’d want to share the good news before you two got too serious.”

  This is the part of the conversation that I’ve been dreading. “Do you know how I told you it was casual? Well, it’s really casual. We only exchanged numbers after we found out I’m pregnant.”

  “It’s not casual anymore. You two are going to share a child. If you heard he already has one, you need to talk to him about that. It’s going to impact your baby’s life since they’ll have an instant sibling.”

  “You’re right.” I nod my head in agreement. “The next time I see Evan I’ll ask him about his son.”

  I will. I just need to use the time between now and then to figure out how exactly I’ll do that.

  ***

  I feel my cheeks blush as Evan approaches me. He’s dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. He’s carrying a bouquet of pink roses in his hand.

  I’m not dressed nearly as smartly as he is. I’m still wearing the plain black dress I’ve had on all day. Meeting him for dinner was his idea and since
I had a late meeting, I agreed that seven p.m. at the pasta place was the best I could do.

  “You look very handsome,” I say as he stops in front of where I’m standing just inside the door.

  The place is busier than the first time I met him here.

  He pushes the bouquet at me. “You’re radiant, Chloe. I don’t know how you can be more beautiful each time I see you, but you are.”

  I like that he thinks so. I know he’s not just saying it. He believes it.

  I follow him and when he pulls out a chair next to a table, I sit. “I’m glad you called me. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

  “You can call me whenever you want.” He takes a seat next to me. “If I’m busy it will go straight to voicemail but I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

  I take comfort in that. Once he realizes that he is indeed the father of my child, I’ll need him more. I have no idea what it’s like to go through a pregnancy and then the early days of the child’s life. Evan does. He’s already tackled it all once.

  “I’ll remember that.” I place the roses next to me on the table. “Dr. Bergstein said we could do the paternity test once I’m eight weeks along.”

  “I know I’m the father.” He places both his hands on the table. “I don’t know why I doubted it. It might have been fear. I’ve been through this before, Chloe.”

  “I know,” I admit. “I heard about that.”

  My words take him aback. He runs a hand through his hair. “You know about that? There’s no way you can know about that, Chloe.”

  “Dr. Bergstein let it slip.” I shrug. “I admit I was surprised but I know now. I think we have to discuss how it will impact both of them.”

  He looks right at me, his eyes trained to mine. I see confusion mixed with frustration. “What exactly did Rita let slip?”