Page 59 of Zone
Melody’s nose wrinkles, and she blinks up at me, frowning. “Have I heard of her?”
“Probably.” I exhale heavily. “Mom gave me the name of a sitter service. I filled out all my information, but I don’t know how long it’ll take to get somebody.”
“You’ll have to interview them, of course.”
I stand at the bar, resting my hands on the countertop. My head drops, and I do my best not to give in to the overwhelm crashing over me right now. “I’m not picky.”
We’re quiet a moment, waiting for the water to boil. Melody looks up at me. “You’re actually doing a pretty good job with all this. It’s a lot, but you’re doing okay.”
The way she says it almost makes me believe her.
CHAPTER 14
Melody
Knox Bradford sits in the window seat of his penthouse apartment in a white tank with a baby girl asleep on his chest looking like some kind of idealized image of the dream father.
Cricket’s little face is the picture of contentment resting against his rounded bicep, and her silky dark hair and intense blue eyes do make her seem like his daughter.
He places the bottle he was giving her on the table beside him and glances up at me in a way that squeezes my stomach.
All the insanity of this afternoon has calmed, and he’s utterly gorgeous. Who am I kidding? Even overwhelmed, with baby poop on his shirt and anguish in his eyes, he’s perfect.
“It’s like I stepped onto a roller coaster and it hasn’t stopped dropping and spinning for three days.” His voice is low, a soothing vibration for a sleeping baby. “She’s so helpless. I’ve never had anybody depend on me like this. It’s a lot.”
“Do you know anything about her mother?” My voice is equally quiet.
His full lips pull down on one side, and he shrugs. “Her name was Jules Allen, but I’m waiting for more information. The lawyer who brought Cricket said if I disputed my paternity, they’d order a test, but it can take up to ten days to have an answer.”
The little girl exhales a big sigh at that moment, and I think about her earlier in her little chair, kicking her legs and blowing bubbles.
“She’s really cute. How old is she?”
“Nine months.” He looks down at her asleep on his arm. “My mom said skin-to-skin time helps establish a bond.”
“Do you want that?”
His expression falters. “If she’s mine, then yeah, I definitely want that. If she’s not…”
I can see the conflict in his eyes, and my heart melts a little more. It’s written all over his face. He doesn’t want to believe she’s his, but he also doesn’t want to abandon her if she’s not.
Turning what I know over in my mind, I glance up at him. “Why would this Jules say she’s yours if she’s not?”
He shakes his head, looking down at the baby. “I guess she believed it was true. I know I’m supposed to just go with that. Why would she lie about it?”
I stand, crossing my arms and pacing the living room. “It’s probably best to reserve judgment until you know for sure.”
He exhales heavily. “I can’t believe I don’t at least remember her name. She clearly remembered me enough to say I slept with her.”
“Is it possible she used a nickname? Where were you…” I do some quick math in my head. “Seventeen to nineteen months ago?”
He drops his head back, and those luscious musclesstretch in his neck. “Eighteen months ago, I was a first-round draft pick for the New Orleans Saints. Austin and I were down here talking to scouts. When the word came, it was the happiest night of my life. I wanted to celebrate, but he went back to the hotel. Some of the guys were with me, and we all stayed out late.” He lifts a hand, sliding his fingers over his closed eyes. “I know I did some things I wouldn’t normally do, but I’ve never been a fuck boy. I know the names of the women I sleep with.”
My eyes slide to his, and he’s so earnest, my chest softens. “I believe you.”
Quiet falls. I look past him, through the picture windows, out at the lights of the town. It’s a dark night, no moon, and windows are lit in the tall buildings. Further west, towards Canal Street, the lights of Bourbon create an orange glow in the hazy night sky.
I trace his face in the silhouette. I study the lines of his jaw, his chin, his lips. My eyes drift higher, and sapphire blue clashes with them in a way that makes me smile and blink down.
