His freckled cheeks turned a shade pinker. “Nothing, I…” He coughed. “Mikkel wasn’t exactly the type to want kids.”
Lottie’s cheeks burned, too. “No, he wasn’t. He said he didn’t want anything to do with them, so I needed him to sign the papers saying so. And to get a paternity test so I could either sue him for child support or get benefits for single moms.” She stared right into his eyes. “But I’m one hundred percent sure they’re his.”
Eiric rubbed his face with his hands. “All right. I believe you. It’s just… We’re never that stupid.”
It seemed an odd thing to say, but Lottie knew she was partially to blame for that.
“I was on the pill.” This was embarrassing as hell to admit to this handsome stranger, but there it was. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t forget one, and they should have worked.”
She shrugged helplessly. She’d gone through the scenario a thousand times in her head, and she couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong.
He glanced at her sharply. “He didn’t use a condom?”
As a nurse, Lottie was used to her fair share of awkward conversations, but discussing her sexual mishaps with her ex-lover’sbrotherhad to be up there with the worst of them.
“No.” She waved her hand, wanting to move on from the subject. “I mean, it’s not important. What’s done is done, and I can’t exactly take it back.” She paused. “That came out wrong. I’d never take my babies back.”
His lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, and she thought he would be devastating if he ever stopped scowling. He didn’t seem the type, though. He likely brooded like this all the time.
His brother is dead, of course he’s brooding.
Lottie leaned forward. “You said Mikkel died? How did that happen? And when?”
Eiric’s jaw worked for a moment. “About two months ago. He drove his car off the road. Crashed onto some rocks. He was dead on impact.”
His words punched the air from her lungs. She stared at him in shock. Mikkel had been dead for two months, and she hadn’t even known it.
He hung his head and shook it as though he wanted to escape the memory. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “It’s been a while, but I still haven’t…”
He paused and looked past her to the kitchen area. Lottie followed his gaze, taking in the stack of unwashed dishes and dirty countertop. The kitchen was small compared to the vast living space with panoramic windows. This was a bachelor’s pad, for sure. Mikkel didn’t seem to be making any changes to incorporate her or their children into his life prior to his death. Not that this was a surprise. He’d made his opinion on her pregnancy absolutely clear.
She composed herself as best she could, though her throat was tight. Mikkel’s brother was grieving, and there was no use lamenting what was in the past.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she managed to whisper.
He glanced back at her. “Thank you.”
The words were raw with pain, and she wondered whether he and Mikkel had been close. She was an only child, and while she had a number of friends she adored, she couldn’t imagine the catastrophic pain of losing a sibling.
“Can you…?” She paused, thinking of her next steps. What would she need to do for her children now?
Then she kicked herself for being selfish. He was grieving. Her paperwork could wait.
“Where is he buried?” she asked. “I’d like to pay my respects if that’s okay with you.”
Eiric was silent for a beat. “On our home island. It’s…very remote.”
“Oh.”
Lottie waited for him to continue, but he clammed up again.Okay, then. Maybe he was content to sit there, looking handsome in his blue jeans and a plain gray t-shirt. The fabric looked soft and worn, and Lottie’s fingers itched to touch it. She curled her hands into fists at her sides and focused back on the conversation.
“Do you have any other family?” she prodded.
Maybe there were grandparents who would want to meet their grandkids? Even if they were born without their knowledge. Mikkel clearly hadn’t confided in anyone about her, and that made her angry. She and her twins weren’t some dirty secret to be hushed up.
Eiric’s face clouded further. “Another brother.”
Lottie tried for a smile. “You’re uncles now. Do you have any kids?”
