Alcohol You Later (6)

“And why not?” she challenges. “Where else should they be, but with their father?”

“It says right here…” I uncrumple the letter, pointing to the part near the bottom that says if I don’t want them, her family will take them. “That I can say no.” I nod, swallowing a lump of guilt. “I’m choosing to exercise that right.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Korie says, passing Ava—is that even her name? I’m so bad with details—off to her husband and charging after me. “You can’t just give your kids away.”

I fist both hands into my hair, pulling to alleviate some of the anger threatening to burst out of me. “Alleged.”

“I promised my sister that I’d deliver your children.” She shoves the little boy at my chest and instinctively I grab him. “Here they are.” She slaps her hands together a few times like she’s shaking off dust. “My work here is done.”

“I’m saying no,” I repeat, though the words taste like vomit on my tongue. I feel an unfamiliar and very unwelcome twinge in my chest when I look down at the tot I’m holding in my arms. Lightning fast, I turn away. Damn things are as bad as puppies.

Lesson learned—there is to be no more eye contact.

Stacy shakes her head, walking back to the corner I originally found her in to retrieve her purse. “If after six weeks, you decide you cannot do this, my parents will raise Ava and Alex.”

“Six wee—” I can’t breathe. This is not real life.

“Yes. Six weeks. Ellie wanted you to have them long enough to bond with them.” She gnaws on her lower lip. “Listen…my parents are old. They’ll do what they need to do for their grandchildren, but to be frank… I don’t want this for them. They shouldn’t have to start over with babies at their age.” She sighs. “You’ll keep them for six weeks. You’ll fall in love with them, and you’ll do the right thing.”

“I can’t do this.”

“You can,” she says, resting a tentative hand on my forearm. “Ellie believed it from the bottom of her heart, and despite your every action to the contrary, I’m choosing to have faith in you, Nicholas Potter.”

“What if the DNA test says they aren’t his?” Rhett asks, finally getting the stick out of his ass and coming to my defense.

“Well, then, of course my parents would take them. But Ellie was quite certain. She hadn’t been with anyone else in over a year. There’s just no way they aren’t his.”

Korie nods. “Guys…look at these babies…they are so clearly Potters.”

“And if I refuse?” Because screw all of this. She can’t just walk in here and dump these kids in my lap. I bet we could have her arrested for this.

There’s an idea. Of course, then we’d still be stuck with the issue of what to do with these babies.

“Then I will walk out of this room and go straight to all of those reporters out there and news of how you’ve denied your own children will be on the front page of every gossip rag in the world by morning.” Stacy smiles sweetly. “Your call.”

“We’ll take them,” Anika rushes out. “At least until the paternity results come back. Then we will figure out where to go from there.”

“You can’t just make decisions about my life like I’m not standing right here.”

“That is literally what I’m paid to do,” she challenges, dismissing me with an eyeroll. “Now, before anyone leaves this room, I’m going to need everyone to sign this NDA.” She retrieves a clipboard from her messenger bag, fills in a few lines and passes it first to the one with the ability to do the most damage.

Stacy’s lips move as she reads it over.

“Just says that as long as Nicholas agrees to care for the children, provided his paternity is confirmed, for at least six weeks, nothing discussed in this room tonight will ever be shared with another soul.”

Once the girl scrawls her name on the page, the rest of us follow suit.

“Stacy,” Anika nods, shaking her hand like they’ve just concluded an old run-of-the-mill business transaction. “We’ll be in touch.”

After smothering each of the babies in kisses, she leaves with a river of tears streaming down her cheeks…without them.

“Looks like you just committed yourself to some babysitting.” I try to hand Alex off to Anika, but she jumps back as if she’s just been handed a bag of flaming shit.

“I don’t do babies.” She throws her palms up and scrunches her nose in disgust as she slowly backs away.

“Well, neither do I.”

“Then, I guess you’ll have to start, won’t you, Daddy?”





“Twice in one week, Nicholas?” I grumble, still half asleep. “Starting to fear you might’ve lost your touch with the ladies.”

Hah! If only I could be that lucky.

“Hey, dude.” His greeting is sloppier than usual, instantly setting me on edge. Not to mention, he didn’t even acknowledge my little jibe, which is just plain weird. Banter is our love language, after all. “Man…it’s so, soo good to hear yer v—voice.”

The boy is sloshed.

“Wish I could say the same.” I bolt up, propping myself against the headboard to ensure I’m fully alert, driven by my alarm over his pitiful condition. “Are you all right?”