Impossible To Resist (BWWM Romance Book 1)(103)

“It’s just that her dad put his foot down about the adoption idea. He absolutely won’t hear about it at all. As far as he is concerned, she either aborts the kid or gets the hell out of his house, never to go back. So, she’s really stuck.”

Reggie shrugged and looked deeply at Connor. “That’s why I’m here, which I am sure you were wondering about. She won’t come to you because she thinks you don’t care about her at all because you are getting married or whatever it is that you are doing, so she doesn’t feel like she has anywhere else to turn, but I thought that you should know, because I thought that maybe you could try to find some way to help her out, if you care about her.”

Reggie finally stopped speaking. He had said all that he came to say, and maybe a little more, and he had left the ball in Connor’s court.

Connor stared at him for one long moment and then said, “I need your help.”

Reggie looked at him with a little smile. “Yeah? What are you going to do?” he asked as he watched Connor pulling his coat on.

“I’m going to go to her house and talk to her and to her father, and things are going to change one way or the other, but if I have anything to say about it, she and I are keeping that baby, no matter how we have to do it. I need you to take me to her father’s house. I don’t know where she lives.” He looked at Reggie imploringly, and Reggie pulled his gloves back on and nodded his head.

“Alright! Let’s go!” he grinned as he followed Connor out of the door.

Twenty minutes later, Reggie and Connor walked up the sidewalk in front of Catalina’s house and knocked on the door.

Reggie was certain that he had never been so nervous in his life. Harold pulled the door open and looked at them.

“Good morning, Reggie,” he said, not sure who the other man was. “Do you and your friend want to come in? It’s cold out there.” Harold stepped back and held the door open for them.

Reggie chuckled and gave Connor a sidelong glance. “My friend…” he mumbled as he laughed and Connor looked back at him.

They walked into the house together, and then Reggie looked at Harold and took a deep breath. “Mr. Marshall, this is Connor James. Connor, this is Catalina’s dad, Harold Marshall.” He made the introduction and then he immediately took several steps backward.

Connor held his hand out to Harold and as he was saying that it was nice to meet him, Harold’s voice raised the roof off of the house.

“WHAT?!” he roared furiously. Then he looked directly at Reggie. “You brought this son of a bitch to my house!”

Connor dropped his hand and pursed his lips, looking downward for a moment before raising his eyes toward Harold again.

Reggie shrugged. “Well, Cat needs some help, and he’s the father of their baby, so… yeah. That’s why he’s here. I’m looking out for my friend,” he answered bravely, still standing several feet back from Harold and Connor.

Harold’s head swung back to face Connor and he glared hotly at him. “I can’t believe you’re standing in my house!” he yelled as he closed his hand into a fist and drew it backward.

Connor’s eyes grew large and he followed Reggie’s example and took a few steps back. “Sir, I’m sorry to come here unexpectedly, but I just found out about the baby, and I obviously have a responsibility that needs my immediate attention.”

Harold shook his head. “You’ve done enough to my poor girl; she doesn’t need anything else from you, you bastard. All she needs is to change schools to get away from you and get that damn abortion and then all her problems will be solved!”

His fist was still waving behind him, so Connor kept his distance. “Mr. Marshall, I don’t want her to get an abortion; I want her to keep the baby and I want to help her raise it,” he told Catalina’s father honestly.

Harold’s anger reached new boundaries. “The hell you say!” he hollered loudly, “She is not keeping that bastard kid of yours, she is going to go get an abortion and focus on herself and her education, she’s going to graduate and then she is going to make a good life for herself and you are not going to get in her way again! Do you understand me?” he thundered angrily.

Connor was about to argue back, but just then Catalina came out of her room and looked at her father. “What on earth are you yelling about out here!” she began, but then she looked over and saw Connor and Reggie standing there and her mouth fell full open.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in amazement.

Connor tipped his head toward Reggie. “Your best friend let me know everything that’s going on,” he told her seriously, and then he looked between her and her father. “I’m here to tell you that I want you to keep the baby!” he told her firmly before her father could interrupt them.

Her hands flew to her mouth as she covered it in surprise. She shot a look of shock at Reggie. “You told him about the baby?” she gasped.

Reggie shrugged. “Someone had to do something, nothing good was going on here,” he said, taking a couple more steps backward and bumping into the wall.

Catalina looked back at Connor. “What do you mean, you want me to keep the baby? How am I supposed to do that? I have no way to take care of a baby!” she cried out anxiously.

He looked back at her with wide eyes. “Yes, you can keep the baby. I’m going to help you!”