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  He runs his hand roughly through his hair, looking stressed.

  “Chill out, Dad,” she says. “I won’t get serious with a boy until at least middle school.”

  “More like college, if I have any say in it,” he mutters.

  “Miss Vanessa, will you tuck us in?” she asks, obviously wanting to end their boy conversation.

  “Sure. I’d love to.”

  Dawson gives each girl a kiss, tells them goodnight, and then leaves.

  I tuck them into bed then read a story about a princess and a pony.

  I’m ready to say goodnight when Harlow asks, “Do you want to marry my daddy?”

  “Well, I’m not sure yet. You need to date and get to know someone before you get married.”

  “No,” she disagrees, shaking her head. “Sometimes you meet a cute boy, and he saves you, and then after you kiss, you need to get married.”

  “That’s how it works in princess stories and movies, but not in real life.”

  “But you told Daddy you love him, and when you are in love you are supposed to get married.”

  Ava lifts her head. “How come you cried when you told Daddy you love him?” She’s been texting, and I didn’t think she was listening.

  “Do you know how babies are born?”

  “I know!” Harlow raises her hand. “The baby grows in the mommy’s tummy until it’s big enough to be born.”

  Ava rolls her eyes. I have a feeling she knows more.

  “And it starts out small, like a seed. It’s itty bitty bitty,” Harlow continues.

  “I was pregnant once, but the baby died before it was born. The playroom was supposed to be for my baby when it got bigger.”

  Harlow launches herself at me, wrapping her little arms tightly around my waist.

  “I’m sorry your baby died. Is it in Heaven with my mama? Maybe she can take care of your baby there, and you can take care of us here.”

  “Seems like your daddy does a pretty good job of taking care of you.”

  “He does,” Ava says with a smile. “He can even braid my hair. I think talking about boys sort of freaks him out, though. He still thinks I’m a little girl.”

  “But since Daddy came here, Grandma has been taking care of us,” Harlow interrupts. “We had to move in with Grandma after Mama died. I didn’t want to leave our house, cuz I thought she might come back. But she didn’t. Miss Vanessa, do you cry a lot?”

  “Only when I'm sad.”

  “Mama was sad a lot.”

  “That’s because she had depression,” Ava says. “She had something wrong in her brain that made her feel sad even when she was happy.”

  “I think a pony would make me happy!” Harlow screams, pointing to her chest. “I want Daddy to buy me one, but he said he can’t afford a pony.”

  “That’s because Momma spent all Daddy’s money. At least that’s what Grandma said,” Ava whispers.

  I try to hide my surprise at her comment and make a mental note to ask Dawson what she’s talking about. How could she have spent all of his money?

  “Ponies are expensive,” I reply. “And not only do you have to buy one, you have to feed it and have a place for it to live.”

  “There’s nowhere to keep a pony here on the beach, Harlow,” Ava agrees.

  Harlow’s eyes get big, and she puffs out her lower lip, looking ready to cry. “But Miss Vanessa has a barn. My pony could live with her ponies. My pony could make pony friends. Just like we’ll make new friends at our new school!”

  Dawson pops into the doorway. “Miss Vanessa must be reading a really long story.”

  Harlow stands up, bouncing on the bed. “Yay, Daddy! Miss Vanessa says my pony can live at her house and make pony friends!”

  I start to open my mouth to explain.

  “I’m not buying you a pony right now, Harlow. We have to decide if we’re even going to live here for sure. You have to see if you like the school first.”

  Dawson mentioning not staying is like a dagger to my heart. I realize that my happiness is resting on the girls’ decision.

  So, I decide to sweeten the pot.

  I mean, a little old-fashioned bribery never hurt anyone. Right?

  “Tell you what, Harlow. If you end up moving to California, I will let you adopt one of my ponies.”

  Her eyes get huge, and she hugs me. “Yay! I get a pony! I get a pony!”

  Dawson gives them each a hug, tucks them in again, says goodnight, and then leads me out of their room.

  Riley’s Penthouse - L.A.

  RILEY

  I want to call Dallas and discuss this with him, but he and RiAnne just had their own baby, and the last thing he needs to deal with is more of my drama.

  I could call my brother, but his girls are in town and might overhear our conversation.

  So, I press Keatyn’s number.

  “Hey, Riley,” she says, sounding out of breath.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Oh, Aiden and I were walking on the beach when I heard my phone ringing up on the deck, so I ran. What’s up?”

  “I know you just spent all weekend with me but, um, could I come over?”

  “Sure, Marvel is making us a late dinner of that barbecued shrimp you love.”

  Although I’m in no mood to eat, I say, “Awesome. I’ll be right over.”

  I change clothes and head out.

  The whole way there, I’m trying to process this all.

  What it means for me.

  What it means for me and Ariela.

  I expect to ease the pregnancy into the conversation at some point during the evening, but the first thing out of my mouth when Keatyn opens the front door is, “Shelby’s pregnant and wants to get married.”

  “What? Ohmigosh, Riley. You and Ariela just—”

  “Yeah, I know,” I say, hanging my head in defeat.

  She wraps me in a hug, probably because she can tell I need one. “It will be okay, Riley. Go sit on the deck with Aiden. I’ll get you a drink.”

  “You should probably bring the bottle,” I mutter, even though I know she won’t.

  But she surprises me when she sets a twenty-five-year-old scotch on the table along with two glasses.

  “What’s wrong?” Aiden immediately asks.

  “Shelby is pregnant and wants to get married,” she tells him.

  Aiden looks at me shrewdly. “And you believe her?”

  “It’s not like she’s the first girl to tell me she’s pregnant. I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but I keep a stash of pregnancy tests in the bathroom for such an occasion. She’s the first girl to make the line turn pink. She’s definitely pregnant.”

  “You’ve told me before that you always use condoms,” Aiden says. “Did one fail?”

  “Not that I was aware of but, obviously, one did since she’s pregnant.”

  “Were you drunk when you were with her?”

  “No, it was premiere week. All business.”

  Keatyn raises an eyebrow at me.

  I roll my eyes. “Fine. It wasn’t all business with Shelby, but I was never drunk when I was with her.”

  “What do you know about her?” Keatyn asks.

  “Not much, other than her sexual preferences, and I’m well acquainted with her body but, beyond that, nothing personal. She suggested we get married right away. Has even found her dream dress.”

  “Riley, you aren’t marrying her!” Keatyn gasps. “You can’t!”

  “And you need a paternity test,” Aiden agrees.

  “Do you have to wait until the baby is born for that?” I ask, taking a slug of scotch. I know I’m supposed to be sipping it, but fuck. I’d say this warrants it.

  Marvel interrupts our conversation when he brings a charcuterie and cheese tray out for us along with a cucumber-infused water for Keatyn. “Dinner will be served shortly. Will Mr. Johnson be joining you?”

  “Yes, he will be. Thank you, Marvel,” Keatyn replies. Once he shuts the door, she scoops up a
handful of almonds. “I would think you could test for paternity when they do the amniocentesis, but many women are against that because it’s invasive.”

  “Invasive?” I ask, feeling dumb.

  “In some cases, the test could harm the baby.”

  Aiden holds up his phone. “It says here there is new paternity testing technology that is noninvasive and can be done anytime after the eighth week.”

  “Riley, do you know anything about this girl?” Aiden asks again.

  “I haven’t been very picky about who I date,” I admit.

  “Date isn’t really the right word for it,” Keatyn mutters under her breath.

  “I heard that, and you’re right. Since Ariela and I broke up, I haven’t wanted to know anything about them.”

  Tears form in Keatyn’s eyes. I know she’s pregnant and emotional, but I also know it’s because she loves me. Especially when she reaches across and gives my arm a squeeze.

  “The fact that she wants a quickie wedding concerns me,” Aiden, ever the voice of reason, says.

  “You’re having a quickie wedding cuz you knocked up Keatyn,” I tease.

  Aiden gives me the eye and is ready to tear me a new one, but Keatyn grabs ahold of his hand and intervenes. “I can kind of sympathize with Shelby on that part,” she says. “I’ve been in a long relationship with Aiden and when the line turned pink that was the first thing I thought of. How I’m not married. How I don’t want to raise the baby alone. And once I got over the shock of it, I started worrying about bringing up the baby in the best environment and all that stuff.”

  Aiden starts to say something, but Keatyn holds her hand up and continues. “You both just need a little time to process it all.”

  “She said she grew up without a dad. I wanted to tell her I could care less, but if it is my baby—speaking of that, is it even possible? Like from a timing standpoint? I don’t understand all that ovulation stuff Dallas is always going on about.”

  “That’s because they use the rhythm method of birth control.”

  “What is that?”

  “It’s a contraceptive method where you decide when to have sex based on a woman’s cycle.”

  “They have five kids.”

  “And all but the first and last were planned. When was the first time you and Shelby were together?”

  “The Paris premiere.”

  “Which was on September the twenty-third.” She sets her phone down and counts out days on her calendar. “Twenty days ago. Which is about right, Riley. A woman’s cycle is roughly twenty-eight days long. You typically ovulate in the middle of that, at around day fourteen. So, more than likely, she’s about five weeks pregnant.”

  “Five weeks? How can that be? I’ve known her for less than three weeks.”

  “It’s complicated,” Aiden says. “But basically the two weeks of a woman’s cycle before she gets pregnant count in how far along she is. They go by the first day of her last period rather than the conception date like you would assume.”

  “The timing works, Riley. She would have just missed her period, done the test, had it turn positive, and here you are.”

  “Now I feel bad for not believing her,” I say, sliding further down in my chair.

  Marvel comes outside, interrupting us again. “Dinner is served in the dining room.”

  “Would it be too much trouble for us to eat out here tonight?” Keatyn asks him sweetly. “It’s such a beautiful evening.”

  “But of course,” he says.

  As soon as the door shuts, Aiden pours each of us more scotch. “Riley, how many people did you sleep with last month?”

  “Uh.”

  “Exactly. She could have, too.”

  “Yeah, I guess, but she said she hasn’t. She says she’s in love with me.”

  “You’re a big target, Riley,” Keatyn says. “If she doesn’t know who the father is, she might go with the one who could provide the most.”

  “That’s why you have to do a paternity test,” Aiden says. “Have to.”

  I sigh for about the hundredth time since I learned about the pregnancy. “Ariela and I were talking about kids on the phone tonight. I always thought maybe—”

  “You would have kids with her?” Keatyn asks, finishing my sentence.

  “Yeah.”

  “So, you already know that you want a relationship with her? I thought you were deciding at the wedding.”

  “Yeah. I mean, we’re supposed to talk this week. Obviously, she needs to get a divorce. But, yes, I think I do want to be with her. I can’t believe that she finally comes back into my life and this happens. I don’t want a pregnancy to screw things up for us. But, if the baby is mine, I’ll want to be with it, not just see it on weekends.”

  “Then you get custody, or at least joint custody,” Aiden states. “You don’t have to live with the mother to do so.”

  “I know. And I don’t want to live with her. But she’s a nice girl. I mean, what I know of her. When she was talking about getting married and moving in, I was thinking she was a gold digger, but then she talked sincerely about family. She also said she lives in a dive. I don’t want the mother of my baby living in a dive.”

  “Then rent her an apartment if you need to, Riley, but nothing else until we get a paternity test,” Aiden says.

  Marvel comes back out with place settings, so I excuse myself. “I’m going to call and talk to her. I feel bad about the way I reacted.”

  I dial Shelby’s number.

  “Hey, it’s Riley.”

  “I’m surprised to hear from you already,” she says.

  “Yeah, about that. Look, I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. Believe it or not, I’ve had a few girls tell me they are pregnant in an effort to—whatever. Anyway, I just want you to know that I’m going to find you a new place to live. Somewhere close to me, so I can take care of you while you’re pregnant, and I can see the baby a lot once it’s born.”

  “Aww, Riley,” she cries. “That makes me so happy. I don’t want my baby to grow up without a daddy.”

  “I don’t want that either.”

  “It would be a lot easier if I just moved in with you,” she suggests.

  “No offense, but I really don’t know much about you. I can’t commit to something like that yet.”

  “You know everything you need to know, Riley. You know how to make me moan. That’s all I need. I know you’re loaded, and I’m sure you have to worry, but I’m not like that. I grew up with nothing, and it’s what I’m used to. I don’t need a big fancy place to live. But I do want our baby somewhere safe.”

  “I do too.”

  “You swear you won’t abandon me?”

  “I swear, Shelby.”

  “I was so worried. I’m not sure how I’m going to make this month’s rent. I missed a bunch of shifts when I traveled with you, and I’ve been sick and throwing up all week.”

  “I’ll take care of your rent. Don’t worry about anything. Your job is to keep our baby healthy. We can do the paternity test in a month, once you are eight weeks pregnant. If it’s mine, you won’t have to worry about money ever again.”

  “Thank you,” she sobs.

  When I sit back down at the table, Aiden says, “We started without you. You know how Marvel is about eating when the food is at its perfect temperature.”

  I place a napkin across my lap and dig in, letting the shrimp melt in my mouth.

  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, Riley,” Keatyn says, “but I couldn’t help but overhear. I’m really proud of how you handled that.”

  “And I’m wary, but I agree with her. You’re a good man. Speaking of that,” Aiden says with a grin. “Would you stand up for me at the wedding? Be my best man?”

  I laugh even though I’m touched. “Does that mean I get to throw you an epic Vegas bachelor party?”

  Keatyn tilts her head and glares at me.

  I hold up my hands. “Just kidding. How about a round of golf with the guys this week instead
?”

  “That sounds great. Speaking of great,” he says after taking a sip of his drink, “before you got here, Keatyn was telling me about the offer to sell Captive.”

  “The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Hell, maybe I’ll buy a place in the country.”

  “Really?” Keatyn asks.

  “Yeah, really. Dallas and RiAnne have their horse farm in Kentucky, and you and Aiden have this house, the vineyard, plus homes in Paris and New York.”

  “And London,” Aiden coughs.

  “London?” Keatyn and I both say at the same time.

  He nods and says to Keatyn, “You’ll be filming there. I don’t want you in a hotel.”

  “We’re also filming in Prague and Dubai. Did you buy places there, too?”

  “No, I looked at your schedule. You’ll only be in those two cities for a week apiece. Most of the time will be spent in Paris, New York, and London. Although, I don’t know how much rest you’ll get. Knox seems to think he’s staying with you. And Marvel, of course, is going. Not to mention your security.”

  She leans over and gives him a kiss. “You’re the sweetest boy ever,” she says, making me want to call Ariela. How am I going to tell her about Shelby?

  “Where do you want another house, Riley?” she asks.

  “Well, if you and Knox are going to build a studio in the sticks, I would think I’d want to be close.”

  “Maggie offered Ariela a job at the vineyard,” Aiden says.

  “Doing what?”

  “Originally, she offered her the role of fundraising coordinator to handle all our events around the world. But Logan and Grandpa think we should expand our event venue with some larger spaces, maybe a barn like ours and a small onsite hotel to house guests. We thought she could oversee that. Create the perfect venue.”

  “Sounds expensive,” I say.

  Aiden points at Keatyn. “Not any more expensive than her building Captive North.”

  I chuckle. “I suppose you’re right.”

  Keatyn looks at her phone and frowns. “Um, I just got a text from Maggie.”

  “What about?”

  “She asked if I’ve talked to you tonight and, um—”

  “What else?”

  “She wants to know if you got a girl pregnant.”