This Baby Business

“RockYourBaby is doing much better. I had a blog post go viral, and now we’re getting all of our sponsors back.”

“What’s viral? That’s a good thing? Let me get Kirk back on the phone. I don’t want to talk about that company.”

Daddy still sounded bitter, even if “that company” could be a part of his retirement if they played their cards right. If Carly could get any real help from her family, it would be so much better, but she had long ago realized she was in this alone.

“No, that’s okay. We don’t have to talk about the company. Just know that soon I’ll be able to sell it and send you and Kirk some money to help with the physical therapy bills.”

Too late, Carly forgot it had been the wrong thing to say to Dad.

“No, I don’t want any of that money coming to me. I told you and your brothers. Your mother meant that to be for our children. Not me. I’m an old man.”

“But Da—”

“I want you to take your part of the money and go back to New York City, honey. Finish school. I know your mother could have been more supportive, but she was worried about you. She liked having you nearby, you know that.”

But if she hadn’t been home, she would have missed out on the last year of Mom’s life. It had all worked out for the best. “I sometimes think I’d like to go back.”

“Maybe the timing was off. You can’t give up.”

“Okay, Dad, you’re right. I’ll think about it.”

It was the only way she’d get him off the subject. Agree. It wasn’t like she didn’t think about it every single day. It would be nice to get a second shot at her dream of life in the Garment District. But that wasn’t likely to happen until she grew a little more confidence in herself. In her own abilities. They’d taken a hit, and even if she was pissed that she’d let one person derail her dreams, she couldn’t go back until she felt sure he was dead wrong.

* * *

LEVI WOKE IN a good mood. To put a real stamp of approval on the morning, Grace had gone to bed at ten o’clock the previous night and had woken him up only once. A record.

While he waited for his coffee to brew and Grace to wake up, he checked email on his phone. There was a new email from Sandy’s father stating that he’d asked for an emergency child custody screening in California family court because he now feared for Grace’s safety.

Feared for her safety.

Levi was her father and would sooner light himself on fire than hurt a single hair on her head. Not much fazed him anymore, but that lone email managed to piss him off royally. Sandy’s parents were methodically chipping away at him. It took everything in him not to throw his cell phone across the room. They were never going to give up—he should have realized. Should have dealt with the situation early on and maybe he wouldn’t be in this mess.

He woke Grace, changed her diaper and put her into one of the many outfits Carly had given him. No sooner had he turned his back to lob the diaper in the trash can than Grace spit up all over and he had to change her again.

Monday went FUBAR fast after that.

He’d dropped Grace off at Carly’s, where even seeing her open the door in her Tasmanian Devil slippers didn’t manage to cheer him up.

Later in the day, two delayed and entitled Silicon Valley VIP passengers did not help his piss-poor mood. He was still exhausted. Hell, he’d been tired for weeks. Now, seeing Carly day in and day out—and playing tonsil hockey with her—had him horny as all get-out, too. If anyone so much as looked at him the wrong way today, he might have to kill them. Matt and Stone were avoiding him, because they were the only two people who would sense he was on the edge and ready to snap. They were both smart enough to know he could kick their collective asses with one hand tied behind his back. If the past was any indication, they were going to avoid him for a while and let him simmer. Then they’d stage a sneak attack.

If they could find him.

The fact was he couldn’t risk losing Grace. Ever. He’d been taught to make decisions first with his brain, not his heart. This one required little thought. She was his daughter, not theirs. All he wanted was to be left alone to raise his daughter in peace, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen. Another serious talk with Sandy’s parents would be his next logical move. Actually, it was long overdue. It would be even better to meet face-to-face, and since he figured they’d be in California to attend the sham hearing, maybe he could meet with them first. He couldn’t afford a lawyer, so he guessed he’d represent himself.

An emergency screening. This had to stop. Worse, they almost had him doubting himself.

Was he being selfish in raising Grace on his own? Maybe she’d be better off with a grandmother to raise her and a female influence in her life. It was logical, his left brain said. A woman’s touch for a little girl. But in this one instance, his brain wouldn’t cooperate. The idea couldn’t take root. Because even if he’d never had much of a sense of family other than summers with his grandfather, he wanted that kind of stability for Grace. His friends had become a sort of family for him—getting up in his business all the time for one thing—but he wasn’t sure that would be enough. They would soon have their own children to raise. Their own families.