Page 76 of Bound Hearts

“I’m here to meet some buddies. We had a squash game, but we normally head here after. Are you leaving?” he asks as he reaches over to help adjust the small bag slipping off my wrist.

“Yeah, I had lunch with some friends.” I shift one foot back, getting my balance as I juggle the bags. “They were intent on giving some gifts. I’m just waiting on the driver,” I explain.

He nods slowly, his eyes pinned on me; he seems to be formulating a theory. Most of the time, I’m able to read people, a gift from law school.

“You know, it’s great that you and Foster are married and a baby is on the way.” I hold my smile as I wait for him to say more because I feel it coming. “A lifesaver on the bizarre clause situation. I guess he told you about it,” he not-so-casually mentions as he swipes his thumb across his jaw.

An instinct has me straightening my posture and looking directly at him, needing to show I’m unaffected. “He did. It’s a little crazy. Guess fate decided to step in.”

A sly smirk begins to form, almost calculating. “I guess it did. Foster isn’t one to give in easily, but damn it, it took me off guard that he ensured he had a baby by the end of the year. It’s good that fate stepped in right when it did.” His scoff is concerning, and my body begins to feel uneasy. “I mean, I was like, fuck, do a surrogate or make an arrangement with someone. But fate, right? Not like he got you pregnant on purpose so that we actually get to retain control of the company. Time was ticking.”

A weird seed begins to sprout in my head.

I try to hold my face steady. “Time?”

His chin lifts slightly, studying me, and then a pin seems to drop. “Oh shit. Did he miss that detail?” Patrick actually seems taken aback that I don’t seem to be aware. He reads through the façade of my emotionless face.

“Humor me,” I say, direct and sharp.

Patrick looks briefly to the side, then swings his gaze back, his smirk long gone. “He needs a baby. There’s a timeline to the clause in our mom’s will. The deadline is this year by his birthday in December. Surely, he told you that?”

Swallowing, I feel nauseous. I do my best to remain steady. “Excuse me, I see the doorman motioning that my driver is here. Enjoy your meal.”

“You don’t need any help with the car?” he offers.

“No. I’m fine,” I lie.

The entire ride back home, my chest tightened as I thought over the details. Tiny things. Each small memory pricked at me. An entire list was formed.

He wasn’t surprised I was pregnant.

He was relieved when I said I wanted the baby, and there was no hesitation about the marriage.

He’s more than on board.

And I keep circling back to how he seemed to be more intuitive to my pregnancy before I knew, or his look when he wasn’t surprised.

Panic sets in, along with a string of emotions. My brain is spinning.

Entering the living room, my entire body is tense.

Foster rises from the couch, turns the television off with the remote, and smiles at me. “How was the massage?”

My breath picks up as I stare vacantly at him. “I ran into your brother.” Foster stalls. “He, uh… mentioned a minor detail about something. You told me about that fucking clause. I just assumed a wife would give the image of settling down that you needed for your family. But you not once said anything about a fucking timeline for having a baby.” My eyes zip up to see that Foster has frozen.

“I can explain,” he says calmly.

Shaking my head, I scoff a sound. “A timeline. I’m pregnant now. I don’t know how you physically could, but fuck,” I begin to freak out. “Tell me the truth, how much of a coincidence is this pregnancy?”

He tucks his lips in and pauses for a far-too-long second.

“Please let me explain…”

21

FOSTER

Sutton’s eyes flare with fear, and my heart shares the sentiment.