Inhaling deeply only made him lightheaded. ‘Someone left a baby on my doorstep just now.’
Lottie’s gasp caused him to move the phone from his ear. ‘What! Have you called the police?’
The memory of officers dragging his parents off to a police car hit.
‘Spencer!’ Lottie shouted.
‘No,’ he snapped, not meaning to.
Her breathing had settled, he could hear, but he knew she was still annoyed by his lack of action.
‘What’s going on?’ came Samuel’s muffled voice in the background.
Spencer listened while his sister explained. It wasn’t long before she was back to talking to him.
‘Look, Spence, I know how you feel about foster homes and such, but if someone’s left their baby, the police have to know, or at least call Henley. He’ll know what to do for the best.’
‘He’s my son.’
Silence loomed.
Lottie must have mouthed the information to Samuel, because Spencer heard him say, ‘Oh.’
‘I’ll be there as soon as I can,’ said Lottie. ‘Sam’s already packing our things.’
‘No, you don’t need to come here. Enjoy your last night at the hotel. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Lottie scoffed, cracking the line. ‘Oh, yeah, because I’m really going to sleep soundly tonight with this on my mind.’ A loud sigh followed. ‘How do you know he’s your son?’ she asked quietly, sounding somewhat suspicious.
Spencer explained about the letter, then read it out when she asked to hear it. There was another round of silence, which was good, as he needed the break to wrap his head around the facts too.
‘Do you know who she is?’ asked Lottie.
The question made him cringe at his old self. He’d had way too many one-night stands, but as far as he was concerned, he’d always been careful. While shaking his head at himself, Lottie repeated her question, this time with a snap to her tone.
‘No,’ he mumbled.
‘Oh, come on. Surely you must have some idea. The letter said Archie’s three months, right? So add that to the nine months in the womb, assuming she went full term, and that’s twelve months. One year, Spence. What were you doing around this time last year?’
‘How can you expect me to remember what . . .’ He trailed off as his cogs started to turn. Yes, yes he did know what he was doing in February the year before. He was at the childcare conference, as it was helpful to his course. ‘Bloody hell,’ he muttered, eyes widening at the memory.
After Lottie’s accident, he’d made the decision not to sleep around anymore, but he caved that one night at the hotel. The regret he’d felt the next morning waking in his room had him leaving for home before the sun came up. He’d been so thankful he’d left her room the night before. At least he didn’t have to see her ever again.
He gazed at Archie.
‘I honestly thought you’d stopped all that, Spence,’ said Lottie, waking him from his memory. ‘You said you had when youfinallytold me about your new chapter.’ The disappointment in her tone didn’t go unnoticed.
‘She was the last time,’ he said, wallowing in his own disappointment. ‘I haven’t been with anyone since. And now I’m thinking clearly, it has to be her.’
‘Do you know her name?’
Even though she couldn’t see him, he still shook his head. His lack of reply told her the answer.
‘Oh,’ said Lottie. ‘Well, where did you meet her?’
‘A conference.’
Lottie seemed to perk up. ‘That’s good. We can track her down from there. Was she staff, a delegate? A—’
