Chapter 15
NOAH
My heart was all kinds of heavy as I took the elevator down to the first floor.
I had two more children.
The idea was so hard to process that I still felt as if I was in a dream.
It was anything but. I’d held both children in my arms. Hell, I’d delivered them. There wasn’t any way the situation could’ve been more real.
My phone buzzed with a text as I stepped out of the elevator, my heart skipping a beat at the idea of it being from Sadie. As I reached for my phone, however, I realized that she didn’t even have my number. The mother of my children had no way to contact me.
I pushed that aside, easing my phone out of my inner coat pocket and checking the screen. The text was from Camilla.
Hey! Had to head out to the office. I messaged Sadie and told her to tell me if she needs anything, but I figured I’d message you too in case she was asleep or something.
I stepped close to the wall in the hallway, getting out of the way of the doctors, nurses, and patients making their way up and down the length of it. I held the phone in my hands, my thumbs over the keypad. However, I couldn’t bring myself to write one single word to her.
There wasn’t much I could say that wasn’t a total damned lie.
But I had to say something – and it had to be convincing; Camilla wasn’t just a lawyer, she was a damn good one. That meant she was especially adept at sniffing out bullshit. On top of that, I’d never much been in the habit of lying to my daughter.
Just checked on her and the wee ones. They’re good for now. I’m sure she appreciates you being there for her.
She replied with a heart emoji.
I drove home and replayed the conversation I’d had with Sadie over and over again. I thought about what I’d said about co-parenting, wondering if that had been the right call to make.
It made sense. After all, what the hell kind of future besides co-parenting could we have together? Sadie was far too young for a man my age and not to mention my daughter’s best friend.
Hell, I was closer to her parents’ age than hers.
Her parents. Jesus, what the hell would Jack and Annette say when they found out that I was the father of their grandchildren? That I’d slept with their little girl? Both of them had always been the laid-back, good vibes sort of people. However, finding out that I had been with their daughter might challenge their peace-loving sensibilities.
No, Sadie shouldn’t be with a man like me. She was still young and gorgeous. A woman like her would have no trouble finding a man her own age, a good man who wouldn’t be afraid to step up and take good care of her and the twins.
To my surprise, however, a surge of jealousy ran through me at the thought of another man with Sadie. I pushed it aside, knowing that jealousy was about the least useful emotion I could have at the moment.
I thought about my reputation. The kids came first – there was no question about it. Whatever I’d have to suffer for them to get the upbringing they deserved, I’d gladly endure. All the same, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when the truth got out.
What Sadie and I had done hadn’t been illegal, but some seriously questionable lines had been crossed. If the fact that it’d all happened at a Pitt Medical gala were to ever get out would only make things worse.
I pulled up in front of my three-story house in Cherry Creek, a grand, Tudor-style home that was far too much house for one man living alone. I wasn’t sure what I’d been thinking when I bought the place, other than I’d wanted a home big enough that I wouldn’t ever have to think about upgrading.
The house had a private driveway of gray cobblestone that looped around behind the enormous property. My backyard was a big stretch of green shrouded by trees, their branches hanging over the pool that I barely had time to enjoy.
There was a small guest home that I’d imagined Camilla could stay in if she ever wanted to save some money.
I pulled my truck into the four-car garage, parking it next to the dark blue, ’69 Mustang that I’d bought as a weekend joyriding car, my BMW motorcycle parked on the other side of that.
I stretched once I was out of my car, the last twenty-four hours weighing on me like a boulder. A quick check of my Rolex revealed that it was a little after three, more than late enough for a drink, as far as I was concerned.
I stepped into the spacious kitchen through the garage door, the massive room decked out with stainless steel everything, top-of-the-line pots and pans hanging over the gigantic kitchen island topped with marble in the center of the room.
My main focus however was on the bar in my den. I grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards and made my way through the kitchen, stepping into the large room.
The space was still warm and homey despite its size, the tall, windowed walls looking out over the deck and backyard beyond, the sectional couch of dark, rich leather situated with a fireplace on one side, and a seventy-five-inch TV hanging on the wall above it.