A Daddy for Jacoby(72)

She hadn’t told the truth yet, either.

Justin tucked the stick in his jacket pocket. Then he sucked in a shallow breath, the best he could do at the moment, and let it out with a loud whoosh.

“So, what do you say we head home? It’s past your bedtime and you’ve got school tomorrow.”

“Are you going to tell Gina I told you?”

If she doesn’t come to me first. “When I get the chance to talk to her, she’ll probably want to know where I heard…” His voice faded as a thought sprang to his mind. “Did she—Was Gina upset? About the baby?”

“No, she sounded really excited.”

Excited?

Justin wanted desperately to look out one of the small windows of the tree house to see if Gina was still standing in the yard. It was quiet, so he guessed she’d gone back inside to give him and Jacoby some privacy.

How was he going to look at her and not ask her the truth?

“Dad? Are we going now?”

“Sure, come on.”

Justin left first because he was right in front of the doorway. Reaching the ground, he helped Jacoby, taking the pillowcase but allowing him to hold on to his stuffed bear. Once Jacoby was safely off the ladder, Justin noticed they weren’t alone.

Racy and Gage stood silently on the deck with Gage’s mother. Giselle was sitting at a nearby picnic table with Garrett perched on the top, his feet braced on the bench next to his twin.

And Gina was there, standing on the far side of the yard in the shadows.

His shock must’ve shown on his face as Racy hurried down the steps and came to him. “When you called Gage, we rushed right here,” she said as if she had to explain their presence. “Landon went back to our place to tell Maggie the news. Is everything okay?”

“Ah, yeah, everything is fine.” Justin forced his gaze away from Gina to look at his sister. “Everything is great, actually. Jacoby wants to stay with me, and I want that, too.”

Cheers and clapping filled the air. Racy bent down and wrapped Jacoby in a big hug. Gage joined them and with everyone chatting at once, Justin slipped away to cross the yard.

“I want to talk to you,” he said to Gina, his voice low.

She avoided looking at him as she took a half step back. “I think we’re all talked out, but that’s wonderful news about you and Jacoby.”

He moved closer, invading her personal space. Keeping his back to everyone, he bent his head close to hers, his lips in the crown of her hair. “You know we need to talk.”

“You made it quite clear you’re not interested in anything I have to say.” Gina’s whispered reply blew hot on his neck. “We don’t have anything more to say to each other.”

She took another step and pushed at her hair, long and sleek this evening, moving it past one shoulder. That damn streak of pink caught and held his attention.

His insides twisted at the thought she was deliberately keeping the news of their child from him. Common sense told him this was the wrong place, the wrong time. Hell, she just took the test this afternoon, but he couldn’t leave it alone. Not until she told him the truth.

“Gina, it’s important—”

“So what’s the next step? Where do you go from here?”

Racy’s questions caused Justin to turn around. He faced everyone but stood angled next to Gina. If she tried to back away again she’d do it right into him.

“Aren’t you going to have to talk to…?” His sister continued, inclining her head toward Jacoby, who was now sitting next to Garrett on the top of the picnic table.

Justin nodded, his mind zooming in twenty different directions. She was referring to the Ellsworths. Yes, he needed to talk to them, but first things first. “Yeah, but I need to get myself a lawyer first. Tomorrow if possible.”

“We can help with that,” Gage said with a grin. “Our cousin Jennifer is a lawyer in Laramie. Her specialty is family law. If her schedule is full I’m sure she can recommend someone in her firm you can meet with right away.”

“And if you need someone to watch Jacoby, I’m available,” Giselle offered. “And I’ll even give up my usual hourly rate.”

“Nah, the squirt is going to want to hang with me,” Garrett said, reaching out to tickle Jacoby. “He needs to work on his skills at Space Blaster, huh?”

Jacoby laughed and wiggled from Garrett’s grasp. “No, the first thing we gotta do is get married! My dad and Gina are gonna have a baby!”