Every December [Soon to be Self Published]

Chapter 27

Austin

I am in the middle of dinner with my new caddy, Aiden Greene, a twenty-five-year old currently working for an amateur golfer. He has the curse of being incredible at what he does, but the right time for a more permanent position hasn't opened up.

My gaze shifts from the table to the restaurant entrance. Brielle breezes in with her pregnant belly on display in her tight-fitting dress, causing every male to look. Here we go again. Instead of sending the latest sonogram picture, she disregards my wishes-again-and now crashes what's left of my dinner.

Aiden makes eye contact with me and purses his lips together. A silent understanding passes.

"Hi." Brielle turns her attention to Aiden and stretches out her hand. "Welcome to Austin's team. We haven't officially met. I'm Brielle."

"I've already heard about you," he comments, unsmiling. His light brown eyes offering her an unfriendly place to linger.

Aiden's going to do just fine on my team.

Frazzled by his lack of falling instantly in love, Brielle makes an annoyed face and plops down in the chair next to me. She places her handbag on the floor, making herself comfortable. Like she's going to stay awhile.

"I should get going," Aiden makes his excuses. "I'll see you at nine a.m. tomorrow at Canyon Ridge."

I stand and shake his hand. "I look forward to it." I sit back down, and once he's out of earshot I turn to Brielle. "I asked you not to come."

Her smile wanes. "I know, and I'm sorry. Austin, I miss you. If I wasn't pregnant, I would walk away, I wouldn't show up like this." She runs her hand lazily over her belly. All the confidence she walked in with is suddenly gone. Quietly, she brings her gaze to mine. "I can live with the fact that you won't forgive me. Just don't exclude me from your life either."

"I'm not excluding you, I'm in the middle of a business lunch." We haven't so much as kissed or held hands since I got back to town. That's all media, all speculation, which is taking a toll on me. That, and, my thoughts are full of Lydia, why she hasn't bothered to explain about the photo of Hartley and her mother. We're nearing February, and there's been nothing.

Maybe she's the one who didn't want this to work, but she owes me an explanation, and she's run out of time to do that. If there's anything left to say, which I'm starting to feel strange, usually I'm never the one hanging on, but I need to know why she lied, I need to hear it from her. That's what it will take to permanently end this. The sooner the better so I can move on to the next woman and the next. Not Brielle. Someone new. A private smile touches my lips. Someone who doesn't break her ankle so easily.

Squashing those thoughts, I deal with the woman in front of me. "You have to stop showing up like this. We've gone over this. To death."

Her gaze moves around the room checking on her audience. She brings on the tears. Amplifies her voice. "You're making a mistake. You know that, right? Our son deserves to start this world with both parents by his side." Her voice raises even more, giving the diners an earful.

I set my napkin on my plate and get up. "Brielle, if you show up like this again, my lawyer is going to be involved." Without so much as a goodbye, I walk over to the back and find my server. I pay the bill and I get out of there.

There's nothing I can do about Brielle, but becoming a father has me thinking about the future. Ever since the weather's changing, becoming warmer, the more I'm unsatisfied. I should have responded to Lydia's texts weeks ago, and I'm pissed at myself for automatically thinking of her every time I have a free minute. I continue to the place where the Uber will pick me up, a side street busy with people out this time of night. Every night since I got home from the holidays I've thought little of Brielle, except when it's about the baby. I've been thinking of another woman. Another woman who lives on the other side of the country. The same woman who has lied to me and I deserve to know why. If I'm going to move on, I need answers first. It's what I've been putting off and what I can't any longer.