Page 160 of Contentious

“I know, and it’s super cute.”

“I am not cute.”

“You kind of are, and Hadley is a lucky girl to have you for her daddy.”

“I’m glad you still think that after the way I behaved.”

“Hurt people hurt people, Griffin.”

“It’s no excuse.”

“Maybe not, but at least you own it. A lot of guys would still be running from the truth. You confronted it head-on, and I respect that.”

“I’m surprised you told me about her in the first place. That was more than I deserved.”

“I debated not telling you, and then I thought about what you do for a living and how it could go very bad for me if you found out later that I’d kept her from you. And besides, it felt shitty to not tell you.”

“I wish you hadn’t gone through it all by yourself.”

“I wasn’t alone. My mom was here, and my friends were great. I was very well supported.”

“They probably all hate me.”

“They’re aware that you didn’t know about her until after she was born and that you’ve shown up for us from the first day you learned about her.”

“Oh wow. Well… That’s probably more than I deserved from you.”

“I didn’t want my closest people hating on Hadley’s dad. That’s not in her best interest or mine.”

He ventured a glance at her, suddenly feeling vulnerable, which was another new development for him. “How would you see this so-called paternity leave unfolding?”

“Well, I guess you could stay in the guest room and spend as much time as you’d like with Hadley while you’re off.”

“You wouldn’t mind having me around that much?”

“Not at all. It’d be good for her to be able to bond with you and get to know you better.”

“Are babies aware of things like who’s around and stuff?”

“They’re absorbing everything from the minute they first open their eyes, and from what I’ve read, the first year is super important that way. It sort of sets the foundation for who they’re going to be.”

Griffin wanted so badly to be part of that.

“I’ll talk to my dad and brothers tomorrow.”

“You don’t feel like I pressured you into it, do you?”

“No, you opened my eyes to the fact that there’s more to life than work, and my daughter needs me present for her during this important stage in her life.”

“Would it sound condescending for me to say I’m proud of you?”

“That means a lot coming from you. I appreciate that you’re giving me a chance to be here for her.”

“I know you do, but here’s the thing… I won’t stand for you disappointing her—now or ever. If you commit to her, you’ve got to stay for the long haul.”

“Fair enough.”

“If you don’t think you can do that, duck out now before she gets attached. I promise I won’t hate you for that, and I won’t let her hate you either.”