He rears back and holds up both hands. “Okay, not pregnant. Got it.”
I take his hands and inhale deeply. “Hazel’s dad… I’ve tried to get a hold of him. I was trying to get his okay for me to tell you who her father is. I’ve emailed, called his office, and he won’t take my calls or return any of my emails. He’s definitely sticking to the part of the NDA that says there is to be no contact. Essentially, he made it like Hazel, and I, never existed.”
His jaw flexes, but he lets me continue.
“Things have changed though, so… I’m going to tell you who it is.”
“Okay.” He stares at me.
“It has to stay between us. By breaking the NDA, I take the chance of having to pay back everything plus more. That money is for Hazel’s future. And I could see him suing me.”
“You can trust me. And you know I’ll always look out for Hazel regardless of whatever this asshole does or doesn’t do.”
I nod, but he doesn’t understand the severity of what I’m about to tell him. “Hazel’s dad is…”
“Hey, Pen… you can trust me.”
I nod, but tears fill my eyes. “I know I can. It’s just… I’m going to crush your dreams at the same time, and that’s what is the hardest for me.”
He frowns, a confused look on his face.
“Hazel’s dad is Graham Sutter.”
His hands go limp in mine, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “Graham Sutter, general manager of the New York team, or some other random Graham Sutter?”
I tilt my head and give him a look.
He bolts up off the couch.
“I’m sorry, Deck. If you want to take the offer, I understand. I know it’s the best one you’ve gotten, and I don’t know what that means for us?—”
“Fuck that, I’m not taking anything he has to offer.” He whirls around. “I’m not playing for a man like that.”
I sit back on the couch and cross my legs, letting him process the news I’ve known this entire time and was unable to share with him. Graham left me no choice. I have no idea why he even wants Decker, knowing he’s my husband now and the stepfather of his biological daughter.
“How can he sit across from me at dinner?” He paces. “He even brought you up, how we just got married. Something felt off, but I couldn’t figure it out. God, he’s good.” He turns to me. “Why does he want me? It would bring you and Hazel right to him, and if?—”
“I have no idea,” I answer. “Our relationship was brief. We were only together a few times. He was friends with my dad, and it just kind of happened. After I found out I was pregnant, he denied it, then the paternity test results came in, and he had the papers sent to me. I never even talked to him after our one brief conversation when I told him I was pregnant. His lawyer served me with an NDA and a check to make Hazel and me go away. I took it.”
“And your dad?”
“He knows only because I told him I was pregnant before talking to Graham.”
He nods and swallows, then nods again. “Well, I’m not going to play for him. He’s gotta be fucking delusional.” He sits next to me and puts his hands on mine. “Thank you for telling me, for trusting me with this.”
I nod, nervous that he seems so calm. But that’s Decker for you, it’s always brewing just under the surface.
“How the fuck could he sit across from me at that dinner. At one point he literally told me he didn’t have any kids.” His jaw tightens, and I run my palm over it.
“That’s just the kind of man he is.”
“It makes me want to tell him that I know and that he can take whatever fucking games he’s playing and fuck off.”
“You can’t. I’ll lose everything.” Unshed tears rest in the corners of my eyes.
He places his hand on my cheek. “I would never say anything unless you said it was okay, Pen. But damn it, I want to stand up for you and Hazel. Tell him what a piece of shit he is for treating you and Hazel the way he did.”
I wrote Graham off a long time ago, but I can see how heated Decker is. The idea of letting him have a go at Hazel’s absent father does hold some appeal.
