couldn’t keep it a secret.”
“She’s going to get ripped by Meg and Caroline,” Josh said. “No doubt about it.”
“I know. The thing is, she deserves it.”
That was the truth, and Kevin sensed even Harper knew she was going to be blasted for this. The fact that she didn’t dispute the fact made him feel more protective. He couldn’t win.
Josh placed his beer on the cooler and nodded toward the sledgehammer. “Got another one of those?”
“On the back porch.”
Josh left and returned with the spare sledgehammer and a pair of goggles that had been hanging on a hook by the door. He positioned himself in front of a bare section of wall marked with a big red X. “This wall coming out?”
“Yeah, I’m combining the kitchen with that small sunroom over on the other side. It’ll be nice in the morning.”
“Uh-huh. It’s a big house.” Josh looked at the wall and struck it, smiling when the plaster caved in. “Shit, this is fun.”
Kevin smiled and hoisted his own hammer onto his shoulder. “Nothing like it. You sure you’re not going to break a nail or something, rich boy?”
“Fuck you,” Josh said, responding to the familiar trash talk.
Kevin swung the hammer and put a hole in the wall the size of a basketball, but then reality struck again and the fun was gone. “I have a kid, man. No warning. What am I supposed to do?”
“Damned if I know. I’d talk to a lawyer if I were you. You want to make sure your rights are protected.”
“I’m more concerned about making sure I’m legally Anna’s father. I don’t know what’s on the birth certificate, and I don’t want there to be any question.”
“You might want to see if Jason can tell you anything about Harper. He can give you some insight about how you should handle her.”
“I don’t even want to talk to her right now. I’m so freaking pissed.”
Josh knocked another piece from the wall. “You won’t be able to stay pissed at her forever. You’ll forgive her.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Maybe not, but you will. Plus, it’s better for Anna if Mommy and Daddy appear to be on the same page.”
“I know. Harper makes me crazy, though.”
“She’s really under your skin?’
“Yes, and I wish she weren’t.” He took two quick swipes at the wall and watched the hole grow. “Does it show?”
“Yep.” Josh lowered the sledgehammer and leaned on the handle. “Kevin, look, you two have a lot to work out, but it’s not fatal. And if you like her . . .”
Kevin stood with his back to Josh for several minutes. Then he tilted his head toward the ceiling, almost like he was looking for an answer. “How could she do that to me? How could she not tell me?”
“I’d lay money that she’s just as confused as you are.”
“I can’t get my head around it, you know. If I hadn’t moved back it could have gone on for years. YEARS!” Kevin’s rage boiled over, and he swung the hammer and let it hit the wall. He then turned his wrath on the cooler, kicking it and sending Josh’s beer flying.
He’d been dreading seeing Harper again, but he knew the two of them needed to have a private conversation about how they were going to move forward with parenting Anna. The problem was he didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how he would stay in control.
This wasn’t going to be easy. He wanted to know everything about his daughter and about everyone in her life. Which meant he needed to meet the nanny, Kim. Calling first would be the nice thing to do, but Kevin decided a surprise visit was in order.
He didn’t want to deal with any more lies or secrets, so he had to keep Harper guessing. The way he saw it, it was her turn.
***
“Harper Poole,” she said crisply into her phone.
“Your name is Emmalyn.”
Her mother. Great. Could her week get any more complicated? It was bad enough that she was waiting for the axe to fall regarding her announcement to Kevin. He’d told his family. She was sure of
“She’s going to get ripped by Meg and Caroline,” Josh said. “No doubt about it.”
“I know. The thing is, she deserves it.”
That was the truth, and Kevin sensed even Harper knew she was going to be blasted for this. The fact that she didn’t dispute the fact made him feel more protective. He couldn’t win.
Josh placed his beer on the cooler and nodded toward the sledgehammer. “Got another one of those?”
“On the back porch.”
Josh left and returned with the spare sledgehammer and a pair of goggles that had been hanging on a hook by the door. He positioned himself in front of a bare section of wall marked with a big red X. “This wall coming out?”
“Yeah, I’m combining the kitchen with that small sunroom over on the other side. It’ll be nice in the morning.”
“Uh-huh. It’s a big house.” Josh looked at the wall and struck it, smiling when the plaster caved in. “Shit, this is fun.”
Kevin smiled and hoisted his own hammer onto his shoulder. “Nothing like it. You sure you’re not going to break a nail or something, rich boy?”
“Fuck you,” Josh said, responding to the familiar trash talk.
Kevin swung the hammer and put a hole in the wall the size of a basketball, but then reality struck again and the fun was gone. “I have a kid, man. No warning. What am I supposed to do?”
“Damned if I know. I’d talk to a lawyer if I were you. You want to make sure your rights are protected.”
“I’m more concerned about making sure I’m legally Anna’s father. I don’t know what’s on the birth certificate, and I don’t want there to be any question.”
“You might want to see if Jason can tell you anything about Harper. He can give you some insight about how you should handle her.”
“I don’t even want to talk to her right now. I’m so freaking pissed.”
Josh knocked another piece from the wall. “You won’t be able to stay pissed at her forever. You’ll forgive her.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Maybe not, but you will. Plus, it’s better for Anna if Mommy and Daddy appear to be on the same page.”
“I know. Harper makes me crazy, though.”
“She’s really under your skin?’
“Yes, and I wish she weren’t.” He took two quick swipes at the wall and watched the hole grow. “Does it show?”
“Yep.” Josh lowered the sledgehammer and leaned on the handle. “Kevin, look, you two have a lot to work out, but it’s not fatal. And if you like her . . .”
Kevin stood with his back to Josh for several minutes. Then he tilted his head toward the ceiling, almost like he was looking for an answer. “How could she do that to me? How could she not tell me?”
“I’d lay money that she’s just as confused as you are.”
“I can’t get my head around it, you know. If I hadn’t moved back it could have gone on for years. YEARS!” Kevin’s rage boiled over, and he swung the hammer and let it hit the wall. He then turned his wrath on the cooler, kicking it and sending Josh’s beer flying.
He’d been dreading seeing Harper again, but he knew the two of them needed to have a private conversation about how they were going to move forward with parenting Anna. The problem was he didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how he would stay in control.
This wasn’t going to be easy. He wanted to know everything about his daughter and about everyone in her life. Which meant he needed to meet the nanny, Kim. Calling first would be the nice thing to do, but Kevin decided a surprise visit was in order.
He didn’t want to deal with any more lies or secrets, so he had to keep Harper guessing. The way he saw it, it was her turn.
***
“Harper Poole,” she said crisply into her phone.
“Your name is Emmalyn.”
Her mother. Great. Could her week get any more complicated? It was bad enough that she was waiting for the axe to fall regarding her announcement to Kevin. He’d told his family. She was sure of
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