The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(87)

“Stupid?”

“Yeah. I mean, people could start knocking on my door, suing me for paternal support, right? Dumb mistake. Should never have done it.”

“I . . . don’t think anyone can sue you for paternal support.”

“That’s good, then. I only did it because I needed money. The clinic had ads out in the local paper, and I thought, Why the hell not? A quick buck, you know?”

Brynn’s heart skipped a beat. “A quick buck.”

“Yeah. But when Teresa—Kinsey’s mom—found out about it, she was pissed. That was the first time she kicked me out, but not the last.”

“You were together with Kinsey’s mom?”

“On and off, but it’s been years. How’s Kinsey doing anyway?”

“You don’t know?”

He shook his head and spread his hands. “We don’t see eye to eye.”

This was nothing like she’d expected. “You know she’s . . . sick.”

“Yes.” His smile was gone. “It’s awful. Tragic. She needs to buy a kidney.”

“Well, not buy,” Brynn said. “She’s on the list for a donor.”

“Yes, but I told her she’d get it faster if she bought it. Kidneys fetch a pretty penny, you know.”

“Did you ever get tested?”

“Did you?” he asked.

“Of course.” She set down her still-full shot glass, not liking the odd feeling deep in her gut. “And if I’m a match, I’m going to give it to her. For free.”

He gave a slow shake of his head. “Maybe not a chip off the old block after all.”

While she was sitting there, feeling like throwing up, his cell phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. “Hey, honey,” he said, voice oddly low as he turned to eye the hallway. “I thought I told you not to call me during the day. Texts only.” He listened for a beat, then whispered, “Yes, we’re still on for tonight, but I’ve gotta go.” He disconnected and caught Brynn looking at him.

He smiled. “Prank call.”

“Uh-huh.”

His smile faded some. “Look, it’s not what you think.”

What she was thinking was that he was a whole lot like Ashton. Charming, charismatic, but also a snake. Which was funny, since they said a girl always goes for someone like her dad.

Luckily, she’d learned that she deserved more. She stood. “I’m sorry, I have to . . .” She gestured to the door and then headed that way.

He was right behind her. “Already? We were just getting to know each other. Let’s keep in touch. Where do you work? Where did you say you were living?”

Shaking her head, she opened the door and practically ran out, crossing the street to the next block with absolutely no destination in mind. Her eyes were blurry with unshed tears, her heart was pounding in her ears, her chest felt like she’d been stabbed with a hot poker, and she couldn’t breathe.

The man was cheating on his girlfriend. He wanted Kinsey to buy his kidney.

And he was her father.

For a second, she really did think she was going to be sick right there on the street, and she sank down to sit on the curb, head to her knees.

That’s when she heard what sounded like high heels coming at her. From the corner of her eye she saw those heels appear.

Black, strappy, high-heeled sandals.

Her humiliation was complete. She closed her eyes. “If you’re here to yell at me, you’ll have to wait until after I throw up.”

Brynn expected this to send Kinsey running. Instead, she stepped off the curb, inspected it with a wrinkled nose, and then carefully, gingerly sat down.

Brynn lifted her head and stared at her in surprise. “You’re going to get dirty.”

“Not my biggest problem.”

Since Brynn was pretty sure she was Kinsey’s biggest problem, she dropped her forehead to her knees again. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?”

“Where’s Eli?”

“Are you kidding me? You dumped him. Even knowing all he’s been through and how he would take it, you walked away from him. And I thought I could trust you with him.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Wasn’t it? Because all Eli’s guilty of is putting the two of us together. To him, family isn’t about blood. It’s about who you choose. And he chose me to be his sister, and you to hold his heart. To him, our unit is everything. And you tossed it aside like it was nothing. You tossed him aside like he was nothing.”

Brynn closed her eyes. “Please just go away. I’m still mad at you.”

“Yeah, well, I inspire a lot of that. It’s a talent.” Kinsey eyed her own feet. “You should know I had to park three blocks away, and these shoes, while doing amazing things for my calves, are killing me. What did the asshole do this time?”

Brynn turned her face away, not wanting to do this right now, but knowing there was no choice. “You should’ve told me about him.”

“That’s the general consensus,” Kinsey said grimly.

Brynn sighed. “I couldn’t not come.”

“I know.” Kinsey paused. “And I’m sorry. Truly. I really was just trying to spare you, but I know now I can’t make decisions for you, that it isn’t fair to you. Are you going to throw up or not?”