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Nicole’s good mood popped like a punctured balloon Brittany’s input shouldn’tthat Raoul wouldn’t listen

"When are you going to tell Hawk?" she asked "He needs to knoas okay keeping your secret before, but it’s starting to bother otten worse after he’d talked to her about dating for real Now she felt as if she were keeping secrets from so to Brittany, this is all total happiness, so ait?"

Raoul looked at her "I know you don’t agree e’re doing, but ourto have a baby Thatme"

"But you’re mad"

"I’ I know it see to be fine, but what if it isn’t? You don’t have a backup plan"

"I love her, Nicole Love doesn’t couarantees You have to take it on faith I want to be with her I want to see her smile every day I want to hear her voice and have her tell o to sleep, feeling her heart beating against mine I want her to be thein life, with her, because being with her is the best part of ht, stunned both by the words and the eer or some kid who needed a place to stay He was a et it I’ll stop pushing"

Probably because what he’d said hadabout herself She, too, was in love with so, sexy man who made her heart beat faster every tiuy who made her want to believe in possibilities and hope and love A hter was pregnant and fro secret

Lucky, lucky her

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

HAWK SCROLLED through the Web site He wanted to plan a weekend aith Nicole after football season ended

So out different hotels But he didn’t want to spend the whole tis on his mind Maybe Portland It was only three hours away and there were plenty of good restaurants Or they could head down to the Oregon wine country and do soham, close to the Canadian border He’d heard one of the teachers talking about a small hotel with a spa Noasn’t into the whole ht be and he wanted to make her happy

San Francisco was only a couple of hours away by plane Still, there ait time at the airport, time he could spend with Nicole in bed

"Daddy, can I talk to you?"

"Hhter into his study but didn’t turn his attention away from the computer

Should he ask Nicole first or surprise her? He wanted the trip to be a surprise, but woht need to e, but what about Nicole’s business? Yeah, he would have to tell her

What if he could find a place with a private hot tub? Now that was soet behind

"Daddy, are you listening?"

"What? Sure, honey Go on"

He forced his attention away frohter Brittany stood in the doorway to his office

"Like I was saying, I’ve been thinking a lot about Moh"

What? When? "Uh-huh"

"You had a very special relationship," Brittany continued

He still had no idea what this was all about "We both loved you a lot You know that, right?"

"Sure I’ve always felt special, Daddy Like I’ really important"

"Good" His attention strayed back to the screen

"That’s why I’ in your footsteps"

Footsteps? He clicked on a link

"You know With the baby and all"

Baby?

Hawk’s gaze narrowed down to a single point of light He heard a rushing sound, followed by the thundering of his heart It was as if he suddenly weighed ten thousand pounds He could barely hter

"Baby?"

She paused, then licked her lips "Uh-huh" Her smile trembled at the corners "Are you excited? I’m excited, Daddy, and Raoul is, too Now letto be fine We have it all worked out We’ll do what you and Moe and I’lla mom A little scared, but excited Raoul’s really happy And he’s going to pick a good school One I’ll like, too"

Hawk heard the words, at least he thought he did But none of the? Had she suddenly started speaking Polish or so to his feet, feeling the heat of anger matched only by his sense of betrayal

She took a step back "Daddy, don’t bedeal? You said you weren’t hag sx with Raoul"

She flushed and stared at the floor "Yes, well, ere Sort of"

"Sort of? Not if you’re pregnant If you’re having a baby, you weren’t going halfway Goddammit all to hell, Brittany, how could you do this?"

She looked at hi with tears "Daddy, don’t yell at ratulate you? You’re only seventeen You’re still in high school You’re supposed to be s around behindsx with Mo there "This is about you I can’t believe it Even if you illing to be that du with it"

"Why wouldn’t he? We love each other We’re getting married"

"The hell you are You’re seventeen You’re not doing anything but going to your room"

"What? You can’t send ht now and you’re going to stay there"

She started to cry "Daddy, no Why don’t you understand? This is ant"

"You’re too young to knohat you want and apparently you’re too young to have any judgment I expected better of you, Brittany"

"That’s how I feel about you You’re being horrible"

Too little, too late, he thought, knowing he wasn’t feeling it all now, knowing it was going to get worse Pregnant? This was a disaster What about her future? What about college? A kid would screw up everything How had this happened?

He shook his head He knew all too well how it had happened He’d been there, done that, bought the T-shirt Or bag of diapers

"I’rabbed his arm "Daddy, no I want toto your roo to stay there You are not to see Raoul or talk to him or text with him You’ll have no contact The only time you’ll leave this house is when I drive you to and frolared at hinant I hate you"

"You’re not ht now, either"

"Nicole wasn’t anything like this," she yelled as she sto"

Everything went cold and dark Hawk fought to not put his fist through a wall