wore casual clothes to work and carried around gifts obviously meant for a woman. But Bridget was his ticket to getting what he wanted—
Kara.
As he puled away from the parking lot, Baron dialed his mother’s number. He’d promised Chase and his baby sister Jade he would cal. His siblings knew how to pile on the guilt.
The phone was picked after a ring. “Morning, Ma. Did I wake you up?”
Estele Fitzgerald chuckled. “At nine? Of course not, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”
He frowned at the anxiety in her voice. “Nothing. Can’t I cal you without a reason?”
“Of course you can. It’s just that you haven’t caled me out of the blue since…since…wel, let’s just say the only time I hear your voice is when I see you at family dinners. But I’m happy you did.” She laughed. “How are you, sweetheart?” Had he been that remiss as a son? He hoped not. Stil, the guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders. He saw his mother once or twice a month during family dinners, but he never caled without a solid reason since that night five years ago, the day he thought he’d never recover from a woman’s betrayal. Valerie had just delivered him a fatal blow with the news about his unborn child and he was reeling with pain and disbelief. Of course, he could have caled Chase or Lex, but Baron had found himself dialing his mother’s private line.
Within seconds, she’d gotten the entire story and was begging him to come home, so she could tel him it was okay when they both knew it would never be so. The urge had been there, but he’d resisted. He could handle it, he’d told her. But the real reason he hadn’t gone was because he couldn’t bear to see the pain in her eyes. His child would have been her first grandchild. At the time, he’d felt he was to blame for Valerie’s actions. Instead of arguing with him, Estele had told him she loved him and hung up. Within the hour, his brothers were at his door, threatening to break it down if he didn’t open.
He and Chase got drunk that night, a first since their crazy colege days. He would have done anything to dul the ugly truth, that a woman would rather kil his child and chase stardom than be with him.
Baron’s chest tightened. The pain of betrayal was stil there, less raw and devastating, but a creeping shadow that folowed his waking moments and taunted him in the dark. Five years and he was stil fighting the same demons.
He shook his head and let his mind go back to that day. His ever-cautious older brother Lex had kept an eye on him and Chase as they binged, while he sipped from his glass. The next day after his brothers were convinced he wouldn’t do something stupid like go after Valerie and her new boyfriend, they’d left with the promise to come back later. But Kara arrived immediately after they left. He never learned how she’d known about Valerie and her new man Stu Granger a.k.a. the Slugger. It might have been in the news since Stu was Major League Basebal’s new golden boy at the time.
Without Kara by his side, nagging and scolding, he would have walowed in self-pity for days. Even his loving mother had wilingly let Kara take charge. But Estele never mentioned that day again, although he knew she’d been devastated by what Valerie did.
“Baby, are you stil there?”
“I’m here, Ma. I’m on my way to see Mrs. VanderMarck in Santa Barbara.”
“Why? Is something wrong at the galery?”
Baron laughed. It was funny how everyone kept asking the same question. “No, everything is fine. I’m dropping off a painting Jade was working on. I thought you might want some wine or something from her winery. That’s why I was caling.”
“How thoughtful of you, dear. Bridget knows what I like, just ask her. And it’s sweet of you to drop off the painting. If you can, spend the day with her.”
“Ma—”
“You are her godson, Baron,” she reminded her gently.
Baron sighed. His mother, in her own way, could be very pushy. “I’d planned
Kara.
As he puled away from the parking lot, Baron dialed his mother’s number. He’d promised Chase and his baby sister Jade he would cal. His siblings knew how to pile on the guilt.
The phone was picked after a ring. “Morning, Ma. Did I wake you up?”
Estele Fitzgerald chuckled. “At nine? Of course not, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”
He frowned at the anxiety in her voice. “Nothing. Can’t I cal you without a reason?”
“Of course you can. It’s just that you haven’t caled me out of the blue since…since…wel, let’s just say the only time I hear your voice is when I see you at family dinners. But I’m happy you did.” She laughed. “How are you, sweetheart?” Had he been that remiss as a son? He hoped not. Stil, the guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders. He saw his mother once or twice a month during family dinners, but he never caled without a solid reason since that night five years ago, the day he thought he’d never recover from a woman’s betrayal. Valerie had just delivered him a fatal blow with the news about his unborn child and he was reeling with pain and disbelief. Of course, he could have caled Chase or Lex, but Baron had found himself dialing his mother’s private line.
Within seconds, she’d gotten the entire story and was begging him to come home, so she could tel him it was okay when they both knew it would never be so. The urge had been there, but he’d resisted. He could handle it, he’d told her. But the real reason he hadn’t gone was because he couldn’t bear to see the pain in her eyes. His child would have been her first grandchild. At the time, he’d felt he was to blame for Valerie’s actions. Instead of arguing with him, Estele had told him she loved him and hung up. Within the hour, his brothers were at his door, threatening to break it down if he didn’t open.
He and Chase got drunk that night, a first since their crazy colege days. He would have done anything to dul the ugly truth, that a woman would rather kil his child and chase stardom than be with him.
Baron’s chest tightened. The pain of betrayal was stil there, less raw and devastating, but a creeping shadow that folowed his waking moments and taunted him in the dark. Five years and he was stil fighting the same demons.
He shook his head and let his mind go back to that day. His ever-cautious older brother Lex had kept an eye on him and Chase as they binged, while he sipped from his glass. The next day after his brothers were convinced he wouldn’t do something stupid like go after Valerie and her new boyfriend, they’d left with the promise to come back later. But Kara arrived immediately after they left. He never learned how she’d known about Valerie and her new man Stu Granger a.k.a. the Slugger. It might have been in the news since Stu was Major League Basebal’s new golden boy at the time.
Without Kara by his side, nagging and scolding, he would have walowed in self-pity for days. Even his loving mother had wilingly let Kara take charge. But Estele never mentioned that day again, although he knew she’d been devastated by what Valerie did.
“Baby, are you stil there?”
“I’m here, Ma. I’m on my way to see Mrs. VanderMarck in Santa Barbara.”
“Why? Is something wrong at the galery?”
Baron laughed. It was funny how everyone kept asking the same question. “No, everything is fine. I’m dropping off a painting Jade was working on. I thought you might want some wine or something from her winery. That’s why I was caling.”
“How thoughtful of you, dear. Bridget knows what I like, just ask her. And it’s sweet of you to drop off the painting. If you can, spend the day with her.”
“Ma—”
“You are her godson, Baron,” she reminded her gently.
Baron sighed. His mother, in her own way, could be very pushy. “I’d planned
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