With this thought in mind, I pick up my phone and dial my mother’s number.
“Is everything okay, Amanda?” my mother asks.
“It’s fine,” I assure her. “So, I spoke to Lyle, and we sorted things out. We’re back together and he’s said that, even if we don’t stay together, he’s in it for the long haul with the baby.”
“That’s wonderful news, honey,” my mother says, sounding overjoyed. “Now what?”
“Now?” I groan. “Now I need to tell dad. Remember when you said you’d deal with him?”
“I remember,” she says, amused. “Alright, I’ll give him a call. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” I say dutifully. “Thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We hang up. I release a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. That’s my father hopefully taken care of. He’s going to be angry, but I have no doubt that my mother can handle him. I just need to wait to get the all-clear from her.
It comes sooner than I think. Barely five minutes later, my phone chimes with a message.
“He took it well. Too well. Be careful.”
My stomach drops. Damn it. My phone chimes again. This time, the message is from my father.
“Please come into the office. I’d like your report on yesterday’s meeting.”
Well… fuck.
It’s with trepidation that I head up to my father’s office. I don’t know what kind of mood he’s in, but I know it’s not going to be good, especially if I got a warning like that from my mother.
It’s never a good sign when my father takes bad news better than expected. It means that he’s beyond angry.
I take in a deep breath and knock on the door.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, trying for a smile.
Sitting behind his desk, he looks up.
“Amanda,” he rumbles. Well, he sounds calm at least. “Come in and shut the door.”
I snap the door closed, feeling oddly like I’m imprisoning myself. Hoping that’s really not the case, I head to the desk and sit in one of the hard chairs. Lyle’s chairs were far more comfortable and welcoming. If I do ever take over the company, Lyle will be the first person I go to for tips on decorating an office tastefully.
“How did the meeting go?” my father asks.
“Good,” I say cautiously. It’s like traversing a minefield; the smallest misstep could set everything off. “Brandon and I introduced some of the employees together, the ones who work specifically on hardware. They’ve already started discussing and throwing out ideas.”
“Good,” he says with a nod.
Okay, yeah, he’s mad if he’s agreeing with that. He didn’t want the alliance in the first place. The only reason he’s even allowing it is to try and teach me some kind of lesson. If he’s saying “good” that things are working well on that front, it means that he’s putting all his focus into being angry at something else.
I can definitely guess what that something else is.
“Yeah, good,” I say. I jump to my feet. “So, if that was all? I have a lot of work to do and…”
“Don’t you have something to tell me, first?” my father interrupts.
I stare at him numbly. He’s going to make me say the words out loud. I guess he deserves that; he’s the baby’s grandfather, after all.
“I’m…” I swallow. “Dad, I’m pregnant. It wasn’t planned… It was completely an accident. I forgot protection one time.”