One night stand with my daddy's best friend
23

Chapter 23 Ava

A knock rattled the front door, prodding me off the couch. Who the heck was that? It came again.

I frowned. Was I expecting someone? Oh, right. Liam. Dinner with my dad.

I rubbed my racing heart and went to the door. My hand slipped on the handle so I wiped it on my dress and tried again. This time, it worked.

"Hey."

Liam was in a silk black shirt tucked into black dress pants and shiny black dress shoes. His face was clean-shaven and his hair was styled to perfection, as usual.

Despite looking like a dream come to life, the butterflies in my stomach weren't for him.

"Ava?" His eyebrows pulled together. "Are you okay?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm excellent." I back walked into the living room. "H-how are you? You good?"

He followed me inside and closed the door. The frown never left his face. "You sure?"

"Can't you tell? It's a beautiful day. I've never been this good." His face crumpled, sympathy lining his eyes. "Worried?"

I swallowed, my fake bravado falling apart. "Can't we just say something came up and not go?"

"Ava, we agreed."

"I know what we said. But I don't want to face him. Do you?" Liam said nothing.

I spun away from him. "I can already imagine how it'll go. There's no way he'll be cool with it."

"We don't control his reaction. Just our own actions. That's important to remember."

"Well, his possible reaction scares me." I paced the short length of my living room.

"Ava-"

"Liam, you know him. He won't take it in stride. He'll be upset. With me,

with you..." I stopped and faced him. "W-what if he "

The words stuck in my throat, unable to verbalize them. The last thing I wanted was a falling out between Liam and my dad. They were the best of friends. And that friendship was ruined because-

"Ava." Liam's smooth, commanding baritone rushed over my senses and chased away that thought. "Look at me."

I raised my gaze from my folded hands.

He'd come a step closer, and now every inhale carried his manly scent. If confidence was a cologne, it'd smell like that.

"It's going to be alright."

I tried to make myself believe that and it hadn't worked. It still wasn't working now. "He'll be mad, Liam."

"And?" He closed in on me, firm hands gripping my shoulders. "We hide forever because he'll be mad?"

I swallowed. "Liam..." "We can do this, okay?"

I closed my eyes and pulled in a breath, trying to believe it. In an effort to calm my nerves, I remembered how things were just a couple of days ago.

Liam and I hung out together. Just two soon-to-be parents. The knowledge of our baby just between us.

That was bliss.

This was a nightmare.

"What if it all goes wrong?" My eyes popped open. I laid my hands on his chest. "What if he "

"Ava, we cannot stop what we must do because of the possibilities." "But he may not accept us and the baby."

"I don't expect him to right away. But we will allow him whatever he needs to get him there. If he needs time, he'll get time. If he needs to hit me to feel better-" his lip quirked "then that's alright, too." "Liam!" I frowned. "No one's hitting you." He chuckled. "I'm just saying."

"How are you this calm?" His eyes sobered. "I'm not."

A smile pulled at my lips and an answering one came from Liam. "So, can we go? Are you ready?"

I took a long, deep breath and sighed. It did nothing to center me. I

shrugged anyway. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Liam planted a kiss on my forehead and pulled me with him to the door.

The drive over was quiet. Every mile that brought us closer to my dad's house tightened the knot in my chest.

By the time we stopped in his driveway, it was a miracle I could still breathe.

Liam shut off the engine and slanted a look at me. It was early evening and the soft shadows fell across his face.

He'd been the picture of composure back at my apartment, but now, not so much. His gray eyes carried worry lines around them, and they burned with intensity.

"We should go in." His voice was deceptively normal, but I caught the strain in it.

That didn't help my confidence.

"Great. We're doing this. We're going in right now." "Mm-hmm."

But I couldn't move. "Ava?"

"Okay!" I spun to the backseat. "Let me just get-where's the dessert?" "What?"

"Liam, I always bring dessert for Sunday dinner. Where is it?" Liam blinked. "I didn't see any dessert at your place."

"Oh God." I fell back in my seat and wrapped my arms around my stomach. "I forgot. I got dressed then I...I sat down on the couch and googled how to tell a person unpleasant news..." "Our child is not unpleasant news."

"Then afterward you came and I" I turned to him. "I didn't get dessert, Liam!"

"It's just dessert. I'm sure Thomas won't mind."

"No, it's not just dessert! It's tradition. The way things have always been." My heart raced so fast I had to pull in slow, deep breaths. "If I don't have it, he'll know something is up." "Well, something is up."

"Oh geez. This is going to be a disaster. We have to turn around. We need to go back and get something, anything."

"Ava, no. Look at me." When I didn't comply, he cupped my cheek. Then he turned my head so my gaze was on his. "Your dad won't get mad

over forgetting dessert, I promise." I gulped. "You're sure?"

"Very." The line between his brows was at war with the smile on his lips. "It's all good, okay?"

"You think so?"

"I know so." His thumb ran over my cheek softly. "We'll get through this tonight."

I closed my eyes and absorbed his words and his touch. His presence calmed me. For what it was worth, I was glad I wasn't doing this alone. "Ready?"

I blinked open and nodded.

Dad met us at the door with a wide smile. "Peanut!" He swept me into a hug and squeezed. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, Dad."

He let go and faced his friend. "Liam, you made it."

A sensation crowded my gut. Would Dad suspect something was up since Liam and I had shown up together?

My eyes snapped to his face. His smile was in place and genuine, with no suspicion in his eyes.

"Come in, you two. Dinner's ready."

Dad disappeared into the house. Liam and I shared a look before following after him.

We stood in the foyer, eyes still on each other. Dad went on speaking, but neither of us listened. I, for sure, knew I didn't hear a word.

All I could hear was my heartbeat and the ticking clock. Dad would soon discover the truth. And I was going to be the one to tell him.

It had to be done.

I grabbed my scarf, but my hands fumbled around it, tangling it. "Should I help?"

My eyes shot to Liam. "No."

Dad was in the kitchen, but his booming voice carried over to us. If he saw us touching...

"You're going make it worse."

Liam ignored my protests and made quick work of removing my scarf.

I pulled in a breath, then skirted around him to hang it up. Liam did a one-eighty so I remained in his line of vision. Like he didn't want me to leave his sight.

That'd surely tell Dad something. Isn't that what you want?

I wasn't sure anymore.

I hugged my arms around myself, trying to get my shivering under control.

"God, Ava." Liam pulled close. He planted his hands on my arms. "Get it together."

I'm scared.

His eyes softened. "It'll be okay."

He rocked forward like he wanted to hold me. I wanted it, too. I started to drift toward him.

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Liam's hands fell from my arms like I was burning him..

Dad hadn't noticed. Or if he did, he didn't care. That's how much he trusted us.

"Come on, come on!" He waved us in. "The food's not going to eat itself."

I pushed myself forward despite the tightness in my chest.

Dad set out the dishes on the dinner table. This was the part I always helped him with. Maybe sticking to our routine would ground me.

I picked up a place setting and started to lay it on the table. "So, what have you been up to?"

My heart flew into my mouth and the plate slipped from my hand and slammed against the table.

"Ava?" Dad's brows knitted. "Uh, nothing. Much."

His frown didn't ease. "I think you should sit." "I think so, too." I took a seat.

I was still trying to pull in a calming breath when I felt a presence next to me. I turned and found Liam lowering himself into the chair beside me. "What are you doing?" I whispered. "Sitting."

"Don't-"

Dad returned with a pan of focaccia bread. "You won't guess what happened."

Liam and I didn't say a word.

"I got the delivery of the swiss cheese I'd been expecting for months.

And it cleared out within three days. Can you believe it?"

I murmured a response but I doubted Dad heard me.

He put a slice of the bread on my plate and his. "Folks in Hannibal love it. But I've switched vendors so it wouldn't take too long to get here."

His eyes went to the empty spot opposite me and his brow rose. He'd expected Liam to sit there.

But he didn't say a word. Just rounded the table, placed Liam's plate, and dished his serving. Then topped them all with oil and vinegar.

"It's a brilliant product, I tell you." He rubbed his hands together as he took his seat. "Let's eat."

The meal looked delicious. Dad made the best focaccia bread I had ever tasted. But I couldn't bring myself to take a bite.

My stomach was a jumble of nerves. Nothing would stay in there, anyway. And I needed myself present for what we were about to do.

If I could disappear right now, I would. Or fast-forward to the end of the pregnancy. Maybe by then, my dad would be on board with it, and we could escape this difficult part-telling him. But that wasn't possible.

He deserved the truth. And not from anyone. Not even from Liam. It had to come from me. I owed him that much.

"What is up with you two?" My gaze shot to Dad.

"You don't like the meal, is that it?" He looked between Liam and I. "You've been quiet all evening and you haven't touched your bread yet. Did I do something wrong?"

My heart squeezed. I looked at Liam.

His gaze held the same determination I felt. It was time for me to tell Dad.