He left at a jog, but I didn’t say anything to stop him. What did it matter? They were going to find out anyway.
Rooster’s voice came back, followed by Prez, who sounded concerned when he asked, “Vegas? What’s going on?”
At this point, it was just stupid that I couldn’t answer. But even thinking about saying it out loud made the words stick in my throat and the urge to gag came back again. I never thought this would be me. I was careful, dammit.
“Come with me,” Prez said, his voice firm and unwavering. And when I didn’t automatically move, he took me by the elbow and led me away, through the group gathering in the house and into his office in the back. He closed the door behind us and forced me into the seat in front of his desk, sitting himself on the one next to it.
“Tell me what happened. Is it your mom?”
I shook my head. It was about as much as I could do. Oh shit, I’d have to tell my mom. Would this make her worse? Would she flip out?
The door to the office burst open and the crew kids flooded in, all talking over each other. I was too out of it to catch what they were saying. Prez tried to get them to slow down, making in vain attempts to get them to give us privacy, but it was hard to corral that many kids into listening.
A little face appeared in my line of vision, her big green eyes bright and happy. She crawled into my lap without even asking, and I felt my arms move around her protectively on instinct. This little girl was the catalyst. She changed the crew as a whole when she showed up. Four months old and so damn tiny, she had the crew wrapped around her finger in a matter of hours.
Butch hadn’t known Chelsea was pregnant, just like me. He’d sucked it up and stepped up for his kid. And look what he gained. Not only Ellie, but three more thanks to the woman who showed up to help him when he needed it most. He always said Ellie was the best thing that ever happened to him. Could my kid be the same thing for me?
Pulling Ellie into a hug, I smiled when her little hands patted my back. “S’ok,” she mumbled. Her baby speech was adorable and I felt myself breathe a little easier the longer I held her. If I got a kid as great as Ellie, I could handle it. Probably.
“Hey. Who wants to help Uncle Rooster prank Aunty Mel Mel?” Rooster called.
As one, the kids all turned, considering him.
“What kinda prank?” Gracie demanded.
He had to be careful pranking Mel. She was the favorite aunt for a reason and I got the feeling could easily give Rooster a run for his money on the favorite guardian. Even Rooster couldn’t combat her boundless energy. She was an ER nurse by day, super aunt by night. The kids wouldn’t turn against her easily.
He pulled a handful of fake bugs out of his pocket with a grin. “How many times can we make her jump, do you think? We’d have to hide them well or she’ll catch on.”
They all looked dubious until Rooster added, “Everyone who makes her jump gets a candy. What do you say?”
That got most of them moving, giggling as they took their fake bugs and went to hide them. Only Ellie and Zoey stayed behind. Ellie because she was a big cuddle bug and didn’t give up being held easily, and Zoey because Prez was her daddy and she was turning out to be a huge daddy’s girl. She stuck to him like glue most days and now that he was home from work, she only wanted him.
“Do you mind if they’re in here?” he asked with a sigh as he picked up his daughter. “I can get Maggie to take them if you need some privacy.”
I shook my head, rocking Ellie a little by habit. “No. They help.”
He hummed, sitting back down beside me. “Want to tell me what’s going on? I’ve never seen you like this before. The last time one of my guys looked as pale as you–”
He paused when I grimaced.
“Wait… Really?”
I nodded, offering a hand to Ellie. She liked looking at my rings. She thought they were pretty.
“Remember that chick I told you about last summer? She was in town helping a sick aunt and worked at the casino for a while?”
It was a lot time ago, but Prez’s mind was like a steel trap. He forgot nothing. If it had to do with his crew, especially, he remembered everything.
“You mean the one I warned you about because its never a good idea to sleep with your employees?” he asked suspiciously.
I huffed out a broken laugh. “Yeah, turns out she’s pregnant. Showed up at the casino to tell me. I… I froze, Prez. We only hooked up a few times. Hell, we used protection. I don’t know how this happened.”
He hummed, expression contemplative. “And you’re sure its yours?”
Honestly, no. I wasn’t sure about anything. It was a long time ago, and she didn’t look pregnant when she came to see me. Then again, she was wearing those really frumpy clothes so maybe it hid a lot.
“I don’t know. I don’t think she’s the type of person to lie, though. Besides, she was living her best life in California. Why would she come all the way back here to slum it with me if it was someone else’s kid?”
