Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(32)

Sean grinned a lopsided grin. “I had a little Chivas to handle the news. I just found out I’m a father.”

Noah’s eyebrows lifted and he smiled. “Depending on where you are in life, I can understand the need for a Scotch. Let’s head for the RV. We’re less likely to be interrupted there.”

“Good idea. Sorry I didn’t make an appointment.”

Noah laughed. “Did the news make an appointment?” he asked. “We have to be flexible in this business. Come on.”

Sean soon found himself settled in a slightly messy but comfortable RV behind the church. Noah closed an open laptop, cleared away some papers and poured Sean a cup of coffee. “Want to take your coat off and stay a while?” Noah asked him.

“I’m fine like this,” Sean said, though he was getting real warm. They sat at what served as Noah’s table and Sean dove right in, telling the story. He started with the ending first—how he’d found Franci four years after their breakup and realized how foolish he’d been to let her get away. Then he went back to the beginning to explain the one and only issue—as far as he knew—in which they weren’t compatible. And finally he talked about the fight that caused them to part company.

“We both said things we shouldn’t have said. It got ugly—I don’t know if we were mad about not changing the other one’s mind, or if we were each standing by our own convictions. Honest, Noah, I don’t know anymore.” And while looking into his coffee cup, he went through some of the things they’d said to each other before parting ways. The he-said-she-said of it all.

“I can’t help but notice, you got yourself a bruised hand and a shiner,” Noah said.

“Oh,” Sean said with a laugh. “Oh, man, did you think—? No way, Noah—it wasn’t a physical fight between us. I’d never strike at a woman or child. And I’d only hit another man in a fair fight. I got these ‘souvenirs’ when I ran into Franci in the grocery and got a little insistent that we get together to talk. I did grab her arm, at which point a man about the size of a Mack truck threw me into the melons and pummeled me. He was protecting Franci, though he didn’t know her. And then Franci jumped him to defend me. And then we all got arrested.”

There was silence for a moment. “Gee, Sean, you’ve had an interesting few days.”

“Tell me about it. Then I spent the night with her.” He boldly connected eyes with Noah, waiting to be told how many Hail Marys that would cost him, but Noah didn’t even flinch. “It was like coming home, I swear. I was never so happy in my life—I found my girl again. I told her how much I’d missed her, how much I loved her, and when the morning coffee was perking, her daughter came bouncing in the house after spending the night at Grandma’s. Franci hadn’t told me yet, but there was no mistaking those bright red curls and powerful green eyes.”

“You don’t have red hair,” Noah supplied.

“It’s on both sides of the family—my mother, my dad’s sister, a few cousins. Believe me—it’s Riordan hair. Besides, Franci would never—” Sean took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat. He didn’t want to even consider the idea that someone else was Rosie’s dad. Noah listened and, at a point, got the coffeepot and refilled both their cups.

“Mind if I ask why you were so adamant about not marrying or having children?” Noah asked.

“I didn’t think it was right for me,” Sean said with a shrug. “At the time, four years ago, I was twenty-eight. I had a whole plan for traveling the world with Franci, for having the freedom to do the things we both loved. Guys in my squadron who married their college sweethearts could only afford to go on camping vacations, and they couldn’t afford regular baby-sitters so they had to take turns caring for the kids if they wanted to go out on Friday or Saturday nights. If they stayed too late at the bar, their clothes might be burning on the lawn when they got home, and they needed a kitchen pass for poker night. I didn’t want that life,” he said. “I just flat-ass wasn’t ready for that. I was young, flying fast jets, living large, had a beautiful woman—there wasn’t anything else I wanted. Plus,” he said, taking a breath and glancing away, “it would’ve helped if I’d had a chance to come up with the idea on my own. You know? She gave me an ultimatum! Now or never. I called her bluff.”

“Um, Sean?” Noah said gently. “Apparently she wasn’t bluffing.”

“I’m better at poker,” he said.

“Hopefully,” Noah said.

“This is a mess. I’m furious with her for not telling me sooner, but at the same time I’m not sure I want to be a father.”

Noah coughed into his hand. “Uh-huh, but it sounds like that ship has sailed.”

“Yeah, ask me how much that pisses me off! Plus, I can’t let her get away again. She asked me to please not break Rosie’s heart—it tears me up that she’s afraid I’d hurt the kid. I’m sure this is my fault, but it must be hers even more. It would help a lot if it was more her fault than mine.”

“You about ready for some input?” Noah asked. “It’s free advice, and you’re under no obligation.”

“Go for it,” Sean said.

“Forget all that—it’s in the past. You’ll work through it, hopefully without hurting each other. Right now? Get to know your daughter. It’s the most important part of this whole drama. Get to know Rosie. Whether you want to be a father or not, you are one, so press on—start a relationship with her right away. Both of you have been missing out.”