Between her job, her pregnancy, and everything else she prioritized, she could prolong the process.
He wasn’t sure he wanted that either.
It would be shots against her, but delay the end results, increasing his anxiety.
“Do you want to get some lunch?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said. “Are you going to text Rene first or just show up at her place?”
“I haven’t decided. I’m playing both scenarios out in my head. I don’t think it will be a mark against me if I just showed up, but she could spin it that way with her attorney.”
“If she has one,” she argued. “You could say you were here on business and knew she had the day off and stopped to talk about this. If she can’t, you just leave. I don’t think that’s horrible.”
“And not a lie. I wouldn’t have come over just to talk to her.”
But he could have given her a heads up and told himself he would not do that.
Rene had reached out to him last minute the entire time they were together. Even dating. He was always waiting on her to make plans or be available.
His mistake.
Rather than go back to his car, they walked to a restaurant and got a seat.
“Even if you did, that is your choice,” she said.
“Do you want me to stay back when you go to Rene’s?” she asked.
He played that in his head as well.
Would she be upset if he asked? He didn’t want her to sit in the car on a chilly day when he didn’t know how long he’d be, but having Alana with him might escalate the situation.
“What do you think?” he asked. “So far you’ve been spot on.”
“I think it might be best if you do it alone, but if you want me there, I’ll gladly be by your side. I can just stay on the ground level in the building or the hallway of another floor. She won’t even know I’m with you.”
“It’s probably for the best.”
They finished lunch, drove to Rene’s apartment building, Alana staying in the lobby while he went to the fourth floor.
No elevator and he knew damn well she’d be bitching about carrying Becca up and down these stairs. No way it was safe for his daughter.
When he got outside Rene’s floor, he typed a note about the stairs before he forgot, then knocked on the door.
No one answered, so he knocked again.
After silence, he turned. It was too much to hope she’d be home.
But the door opened and a guy was standing there.
“Can I help you?”
“Sorry. I was looking for Rene Simons.”
“She’s out right now. Who are you?”
“I’m Becca’s father,” he said. “Brennan Austin.”
The guy looked younger than him and confused over why Brennan was at the door.
