“Watch it,” he warns, and I see it in his gaze. He’ll only take so much. “I obviously knew who your father was, but I had no idea you existed.”
Ouch.
“He doesn’t talk about you. I don’t think he’s ever mentioned a child, nor has your mother.” My husband looks thoughtful for a minute before shaking his head.
“How do you know them?” I inquire. It’s not the first time the question has popped up.
I knew Jordan was wealthy before I heard his name. It’s in every line of his body, the cut of his hair, his personal aura. What I don’t understand is how my parents could possibly know someone so wealthy.
“Dad is only a salesman.” The sardonic look he gives me tells me I should know better. “He’s not?” Now I’m really confused. For as long as I can remember, my father has worked for an office supply company, going from company to company hoping for exclusive con
tracts.
“Your father works in the IT department of my company.”
“Oh.” Perplexed, I ask, “Why lie?” I don’t expect an answer from him but feel the need to say it out loud.
Sighing, he pulls me closer to his warm body. Relaxing into his arms, I listen to his soothing voice. “Your father has worked for my family for over twenty years. I don’t know why he’s lied to you. Nothing Maxwell, Limited does is hidden from the public. We sell military-grade equipment to the U.S. Defense Department.” Taking a breath, he squeezes my arm. “Your father is an ordinary IT guy. He fixes viruses and bugs in our computers. He doesn’t have access to our equipment, blueprints, or anything worth selling.”
“So how did he incur so much debt?” Again, not expecting an answer from Jordan. But he seems to know my father better than I do.
“Horse races, mostly.” His voice sounds frustrated. “Bet on the wrong horse, and everything went downhill from there.”
“How do you know this? Why haven’t they told me?” The answer is simple. They didn’t want me around anymore. Informing me that they were having financial problems wouldn’t have even been a blip on their radar.
“Enough of them. Tell me about you, Mag-pie.” Well, at least, he’s not calling me Maggie. I hate that nickname.
“What do you want to know?” I suddenly become shy with the spotlight turning on me.
“You just graduated college, didn’t you? What did you study?”
Shifting in my seat beside him, I say quietly, “I dropped out.”
“Why?”
“Umm, pregnant, baby, school. Doing it alone isn’t exactly an option. It’s not like I have decent role-models for parenting. This kid needs all the attention I have.”
“Where’s the father?”
“Europe somewhere. He’s not interested in being strapped down with a baby.” Shrugging, I try to play it cool, but it hurts like hell. I know what it’s like to be rejected by a parent. I don’t want that for my child. Ever.
“Did you love him?” Jordan’s question startles me.
“God, no. I barely tolerated him.”
“So, why’d you sleep with him?” Good question.
I don’t know how to answer that without sounding like a needy, little girl. “I wanted to feel connected in some way. We’d been dating for a few months and were at a party drinking. One thing led to another, and six weeks later, I’m pregnant. Another six weeks, and I’m married to you.” I try shrugging it off like it’s nothing, but it’s everything.
“He just left? Decided the consequences of taking advantage of a vulnerable girl were too much for him to bear?” Oh, the husband is pissed off now.
“It’s not a big deal, Jordan. I’d rather him out of the picture than treating my child like dirt. I can do this alone, just not while attending school.”
He remains quiet for so long, I begin to feel rejected all over again.
“You’re wrong,” he finally says.
“About what?”