I swipe my finger over the phone and head back down to Quinn and Daisy.
“Hi Mom, what are you doing up so early? It’s only like six in Mexico, isn’t it?”
“What’s this we hear about you having a baby?” she says, getting right to the point like she always does.
I meet Quinn’s eyes and mouth the words, “My parents. They know.”
Quinn cringes. “Wow, news travels fast in the hockey world,” she whispers back, as she walks around the room with Daisy, bouncing her gently.
“Is it true?” Mom asks.
“Who have you been talki
ng too?”
“Luke mentioned it to his mother. She called me right away. We all talk you know, and if it is true, why am I not hearing it from my own son?”
“Sorry. I just found out yesterday. She was basically dropped into my arms, and I wanted to figure things out before I called you.”
“We’re coming home right now.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Yesterday, I would have been all over the idea, but Daisy isn’t my mother’s responsibility. She’s mine—Quinn beat that fact home—and she shouldn’t cut her vacation short because of it.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got everything under control.”
“I hardly think so,” she says. “You’re not equipped—”
“I know,” I say quickly. “But Quinn is here helping. She’s going to stay with me for a while, until I can find a nanny.”
“Oh,” she says, surprise in her voice. “That’s awfully generous of her.”
“Yes, she’s very generous,” I say, my gaze on her ass as she sits Daisy in the bassinette we bought yesterday. But suddenly my mind is on other things, like how generous she was with her mouth, her body last night in the kitchen, in bed. Shit. The last thing I want is a boner while I’m talking to my mother.
“Quinn is such a lovely girl. The kind of girl you need in your life, Jonah.”
“She is in my life, Mom. She’s always been in my life.”
“You know what I mean. Anyway, who’s the mother? Why did she just leave the child with you? How come she never told you about her before now? Are you even sure she’s yours, Jonah?”
“She’s mine, Mom.”
“Do you plan to marry the girl?”
Jesus, I knew it would lead back to this.
“Listen, just go enjoy your vacation. We’ll all talk when you get back, and I’ll answer all your questions.”
“Are you sure, Jonah? We can catch the next flight and be home by tonight.”
“We’ve got everything under control. I’ll fill you in when you get home. Right now, just go and have fun. I insist, Mom,” I say, a little more force behind my words.
“Well, if you insist.”
“I do. Have fun, tell Dad I said hello, and I’ll talk to you later.” I slide my finger across the screen to end the call and glance up to find Quinn watching me.
“How did that go?”
“I managed to talk her into not coming home.”