Page 51 of My Ex’s Dad

“What happened to the man who often says that love is a myth?” He smirks as he stands.

I shake my head, peeved that he’s calling me out on this one-eighty. It’s got to be a surprise for him. I’ve never pursued a woman like this, never wanted one while keeping my distance and working out how to play the game with her. But he has no idea how deeply Liliana has gotten under my skin. Not just from the two nights we shared, naked and sated in bed. Not from that quick orgasm I gave her in the alley either. It’s who she is. Generous, honest, ready to give and not take.

“If I’m being completely sincere,” I admit, “I can’t claim to understand it either.”

I only met her for such a short time. We’ve spent more of it apart than together, but there’s just something about her. Something that pulls at me and keeps her in my thoughts and my dreams, driving home that as much as the idea sounds like sappy superstition, Liliana could very well be the one. And she’s about to slip away when I want to keep her far longer than this.

“I’m sure it will fade,” I add as I pull my jacket on. “I’m sure that after she comes to the Grayson Ball and I get a reminder of what it’s like to be near her, it’ll fizzle out.”

He hums a reply. It’s not a sound of agreement or argument, but just to show he’s listening and attentive. Maybe skeptical, too.

I am as well. Doubt nags at me as I call it a night and head home. This place is my life. Work is what consumes me, but I can’t help imagining how different things would be if it didn’t. If I were to ever open myself up to allow a woman—even love—to matter more.

21

LILIANA

Ihave no business being this calm after Anton cornered me in the alley and fingered me. I definitely have no right to dismiss what he said, about how he always gets what he wants. It’s a fact of life. He has the power, money, and means to get anything he wishes for.

Except me.

That’s also a fact of life, one that he is not going to change through any magic of sheer willpower alone.

His claim should have me freaking out, worrying he’ll escalate from having me watched to something worse. But I don’t have the time or energy to dwell on it. If he were that serious about forcing his way back into my life, he wouldn’t play nice. He’d just do what he wants and have me hauled off somewhere. He hasn’t, so I have no reason to panic.

Even if I wanted to, I simply don’t have the downtime or energy.

“I can’t believe that of all the bakeries in the city, we got this order.” Jenni is all smiles as she says it, busy stacking more boxes onto the counter.

I grin, nodding as I continue counting and double-checking the parts of the massive order that I’ve been waiting to complete. And that is the reason why I can’t dwell on what Anton said or what he did to me in the alley. This massive order came in so unexpectedly that at first, I worried if Jenni and I could pull it off. It’s an overnight boon for us, one that we’d be fools to turn down.

With Margarita and Rob helping, we barely pull it off. Keeping up with our regular orders while turning out enough for this one feels like a marathon, but it’s worth it.

“Maybe someone saw the ads for the delivery service that’s coming up,” Rob says, hustling more dough over to Margarita. The sweet smell of yeasty bread isn’t bothering me too much, but skipping lunch is going to cost me later, given the morning sickness. The all-day sickness.

Ugh.

Don’t think about it.

“I’m not sure the ads could’ve gotten the bakery this much notice,” I admit. “I only started running those ads yesterday.” I am glad for this mega order though. It will more than pay for the cost of the preliminary ads I recently made up as a test to announce the upcoming delivery service. “However this company found out about us is a godsend.” That’s all that matters.

“Oh, I agree,” Jenni says, unable to wipe the smile off her face as she works. “No matter how overwhelming this is right now, it’s good. It’s a step in the right direction.”

I want to believe her, but I’m too practical to get my hopes up. We won’t land orders like this often. Still, even a one-time windfall helps. Whatever it takes to get the bakery closer to surviving.

I twist to set another box on the counter, ready for Margarita to load up when the oven’s done. Moving too fast, I pull a muscle in my upper back. I wince, breathing through the twinge. It hits so suddenly I can’t mask it.

“Liliana!” Jenni notices, of course. “Take it easy.”

I sigh at her mothering. She’s still the only one who knows about the pregnancy, and she’s kept her word. She hasn’t told anyone. But scolding me now is just one more sign of how closely she’s watching my status and the changes I’m going through.

“I’m fine,” I tell her.

I am. That little flare of pain isn’t from the pregnancy. It’s from sleeping on her couch, which isn’t comfortable at all, but I’d never open my mouth to complain. I’m far too grateful for her. For her friendship, her willingness to work hard, her openness to let me stay. Her secrecy is a blessing too.

I have to wonder when the guilt will catch up to me for taking advantage though.

Because as I stand here and shift my weight on my feet, so tired from the long day already, I imagine how much worse I’d feel when I actually start to show. And when the baby comes.