“How about in a few days, when you take him up on that offer to go to Boston?”
Paige huffed and set the cell phone at her side. “You know I can't do that.”
“Why not?”
“There's so many reasons—where should I start? First and most importantly, if I went to Boston, what would I do with Irie?”
“Leave her with your parents. Aren't they always volunteering for more babysitting time?”
“That's so callous. Fly out to Boston to tell him he's got a daughter—a daughter I conveniently left at home in Tennessee?Ifhe even believed me, instead of assuming that I was lying and trying to get his money, he'd think I was the world's most cruel-hearted bitch for keeping his daughter from him.”
“Eh. Good point.” Emily mulled it over some more. “But you can't bring her to Boston either, or you'd look crazy and desperate.”
“I'm glad you agree,” Paige said, picking up her cell phone and waving it in the air. “Which is why I'm ready to press send on this text message.”
“Don't!Not yet. Please wait.Let's just talk this through first. Let cooler heads prevail.”
Paige set her phone down again with a roll of her eyes. “Reason number two. Even ifI managed to get my shifts at the Burger Stand covered on such short notice—which will never happen, by the way—I wouldn't be able to afford my bills after.”
But Emily was only half-listening. She tapped and swiped at the screen of her own cell phone, ferreting out information. “Whoa. Lance Couture just signed an eight-year contract last off-season wortheighty million dollars.This guy makes ten million bucks a year. You can forget about getting your shifts covered, because your Burger Stand days areover,sister.”
“It's not about his money,” Paige groaned. “Reason number three, I doubt he'll want anything to do with me once I tell him that I have a daughter, so why go to Boston to embarrass myself?”
“If that's the case? That's when you know for sure this guy is an immature dick-wad who is spooked by commitment and just wants to get laid. And then you file for a paternity test, and he'll have to bust open up that fat wallet and start paying all the child support payments he owes.”
Paige went silent. “I hope that's not the case,” she reflected after a long pause. “I think that's why I couldn't tell him tonight. I just have this crazy, irrationalhope for us—that we were meant to be together. I know it's nuts, but I can't help but hope for it the same. And somehow, telling him about Irie would change everything before we even have a chance. Like you said, it's a bomb.” A wave of disgust swept over her. “Ugh. I'm being selfish. I'm not allowed to think like that because I'm a mother now. My first priority should be Irie, not whether a guy likes me or not.”
“Youarewatching out for Irie, Paige. Hoping things work out with her father is the furthest thing possible from selfish. Would you still be thinking about Lance if you hadn't gotten pregnant? If you never had Irie, would you care about Lance atall—even if you knew he was a pro hockey player?”
Paige had to stifle a laugh. She knew Emily was right. “Probably not, no.”
“Didn't think so.”
Paige thumbed the 'send' button on her cell phone. “I still don't know what to do. I want to tell him just to get this over with. So we can both move on with life and figure out what comes next.”
“It's late, Paige. You've got to work in the morning. I suggest you sleep on it and give it some time before you do anything.”
“Yeah … maybe you're right.”
Emily stepped into her shoes and slipped on her winter coat. “Speaking of sleep, I need some. I should get going.”
The two friends hugged. “Thanks again for staying with Irie. And talking me through my insanity.”
“Anytime.”
When Emily was gone, Paige went to the bedroom and watched Irie sleep in her crib.
Sorry I wasn't strong enough for you, baby girl.
The image she couldn't get out of her head was Irie at the hockey game, seeing her father for the very first time. It was such a moving scene.Toomoving, really—it tugged at her motherly heart strings and hijacked her sense of reality. It filled her head with fantasies of the three of them together. Lance, Paige and Irie. A happy little sports family.
But deep down, she knew it was incredibly unrealistic. The most important thing was telling Lance as soon as possible.
But Emily was right. It was late, and instead of fretting over what to say to Lance and how exactly to say it, she should get her rest. She had a morning shift, after all.
Paige powered her phone off for the night, the text message unsent, and got ready for bed.
Chapter 13
