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His father shrugged. "It's up to you. She won’t be able to avoid you."
*****
"You’re restless, black beauty." Todd grinned as she gave him a baleful look. " I know that expression. Book not going well?"
He was a bar owner, rough and ready with bulging muscles and piercings all over his body. He’d shaved his head and there was a tattoo of three naked women dancing on his skull. They’d struck up an unlikely friendship when she was doing research for her book several years ago.
He was the only one apart from those close to her who knew she was the bestselling author of Crime Beat. The bar was almost empty at this time of day, which was the reason she’d stopped in.
"Not really." Grabbing the bottle of beer, she stared at it for a minute, contemplating if she should chance taking a sip. "I might be pregnant."
Todd raised his eyebrows as he put aside the cloth he’d been using to wipe the glass clean and sat on the stool facing her. "Come again?"
She gave a rueful laugh and decided that one bottle wasn’t going to do her any harm. "What? I can’t get pregnant?"
"Where’s the guy?"
"There is no guy, not that way anyway. I think it’s time I have a baby and I did the deed to try and make it happen. I’m just waiting to see if it does."
"You just suddenly decided, hey, why not make a baby? Who the hell are you and what have you done to my friend?" He demanded.
She rolled her eyes at him and put the bottle away. "What's wrong with trying for a kid? I’m twenty-eight."
"I get it, your eggs are drying up and you’re erring on the side of caution."
"Bite me."
"I’m sure the dude did that many times. Who is he, by the way? Is he worthy of you?"
"Relax, Dad." She murmured dryly. "I just want a child; we’re not planning on getting married."
"So, you’re committing yourself to this man by having his child and what, he isn’t good enough to hitch your wagon to?"
"I’m not the marrying type."
"Are you the mother type?"
"Yes." Reaching for the bottle, she took another sip. "I’ve thought about it and my mind is made up. You don't think I’ll be a good mother?"
He stared at her before picking up the cloth and resuming his polishing of the glass. The first time he’d seen her walk into his bar, he’d been blown away by her beauty. But from that first time, he realized that she wasn’t only beautiful, she was tough and no-nonsense about it.
She was no pushover and had proven that time and again. It was at the third meeting that he realized who she was related to. "I think you’ll make a great mother."
She grinned at him. "My sentiments exactly."
"I don't have a kid."
"Why is that?"
"You wouldn’t put out for me." He grinned at the scorching look she sent him.is
"I decided that fatherhood was not for me. My old man wasn’t there and Mother dearest was a drunk. My line of work isn’t the type that has me going home at night to change diapers." He gave her a quizzical look. "Which, by the way, you’ll be doing a lot of."
"I’m rich enough to hire a nanny."
"How long before you know if you are pregnant?"
"Another week or two."
