Teresa Southwick - What Makes A Father

He stood with Charlie in his arms, then moved to the blanket on the floor and gently settled the sleeping baby next to his sister. After stretching his cramped muscles, he met Annie’s gaze. “So, what you just said implies that your mother wasn’t supportive.”

“She had issues.”

He waited for more but that was it. “Had? Does that mean she passed away?”

“No. She lives in Florida with her husband.” When Sarah let out a whimper, Annie jumped up as if she’d just been waiting for an excuse to end this conversation. “Did she have a bottle?”

“No.”

“Okay.” Annie scooped up the baby and went into the kitchen to get a bottle from the refrigerator.

Mason didn’t claim to be a specialist in the area of feelings but it didn’t take a genius to see that Annie wasn’t comfortable talking about herself. Either she was hiding something or there was a lot of pain in the memories. So now he knew she was a graphic artist, had adored her sister and missed her terribly. And there was stuff in her past that she didn’t want to talk about.

That was okay. She was the mother of his children and he wasn’t going anywhere. In his experience as an ER doc, he’d learned that often people held things back but eventually the facts came out. And he wanted all the facts about his children’s legal guardian.

Chapter Three

Several weeks after Mason walked into her life Annie got her first really powerful blast of mom guilt. There had been some minor brushes with the feeling, but this one was a doozy.

Because of him, and by extension his mother, Florence, everything had changed. For the better, she admitted. The woman was fantastic with the twins so when she’d offered to watch them while Annie went to a mandatory meeting in the office, she’d gratefully accepted.

It had only been a few hours ago that Annie had walked out of her apartment but it felt like days. She checked her phone to make sure there were no messages. The empty screen mocked her and she felt the tiniest bit disposable, followed by easily replaceable. There was a healthy dose of exhilaration for this unexpected independence mixed with missing her babies terribly. The verdict was in. She was officially conflicted and on the cusp of crazy.

If all that wasn’t guilt-inducing enough, she was going to have a grown-up girlfriend lunch. She should call it off and go be with Charlie and Sarah. Even as that thought popped into her head, she saw Carla Kellerman walking toward her with a food bag. Her friend had stopped to pick up something, as promised. So if Annie bugged out now, Carla would be inconvenienced. She would just have to eat fast.

“Hi.” Carla came into her cubicle and smiled.

This woman was completely adorable. Perky and shiny. Straight, thick red hair fell past her shoulders and went perfectly with her warm brown eyes. She had the biggest, friendliest smile ever. And a soft, mushy heart. The occasional loss of her temper was almost always on someone else’s behalf and made her completely human. As flaws went, it was adorable.

“I forgot how much I love this office,” her friend said, looking around. “If I didn’t already have a job, I would want to work here.”

C&J Graphic Design occupied the top floor of an office building on the corner of C Street and Jones Boulevard in the center of Huntington Hills. The light wood floor stretched from the boss’s office at one end of the long, narrow room to the employees’ lounge at the other. Overhead track lighting illuminated cubicles separated by glass partitions. The environment had a collaborative vibe and Annie loved seeing her coworkers’ creative ideas and them having easy access to hers.

“Hi, yourself.” Her stomach growled. Loud.

“Apparently my arrival with provisions isn’t a moment too soon.” Carla grinned. “I guess I don’t have to ask if you’re ready to eat.”

“Follow me. There are drinks in the break room fridge. Or we could sit outside.” It was October but Southern California was still warm. There was a patio with wrought iron tables and chairs shaded by trees and surrounded with grass, shrubs and flowers.

“That. Door number two,” her friend said. “I need fresh air.”

They grabbed drinks, walked to the elevator and Annie hit the down button.

“Maybe we should go wild today and take the stairs,” Carla suggested. “I could use the exercise.”

“Since when? Don’t get me wrong,” Annie added. “I’m a supportive friend who will follow you bravely down eight flights of stairs. But this switch from ‘I can’t stand sweat’ to ‘We should take the stairs’ is different.”

“Not really. I always think about it.”

Annie opened the stairway door and they started down. “But I can’t read your mind. You never said anything before. What’s changed? Got a crush on the boss?”

“Hardly. I work for Lillian Gordon.”

“I know. But didn’t her nephew come in to help the company over a rough financial patch?”

“Yes. Gabriel Blackburne. But he’s kind of a hermit. Keeps to his office, hunched over a computer, presumably strategizing how to turn the company around.”

They’d reached the ground floor and both of them were breathing a little harder as they headed for the rear door that led to the patio.

Carla gave her a look. “You have the strangest expression on your face. Why?”

“Because Mason’s last name is Blackburne.”

“Who’s Mason?”

“The babies’ father,” Annie clarified.

“Small world,” her friend said. “We needed this lunch even more than I thought so you can fill me in.”

“I wonder if Mason is related to your Gabriel Blackburne. It’s not that common a name,” Annie said.

“I guess it’s possible.” Her friend moved decisively to the table with the most shade, put the bag down on it and sat in one of the sturdy metal chairs. “From what Lillian tells me, Gabriel is not a fan of her business plan but he does approve of the branding campaign C&J did for Make Me a Match.”

“Well, he sounds a little intimidating, but definitely has good taste in graphic design companies.” Annie sat at a right angle to her friend. “You’d expect Mason to be that way, but he’s not.”

Carla pulled two paper-wrapped sandwiches and napkins from the bag. She handed one over. “I need details. A text saying ‘twins’ father showed up and DNA confirms’ isn’t much information.”

“I haven’t had much time in the last few months.”

“Two babies. I get it. And you’re a saint, by the way. So tell me everything.”

Annie explained about contacting the men Jessica thought could be the father and Mason showing up last. “He’s an army doctor just back from Afghanistan. So, military and medical.”

Carla took a bite of her turkey sub and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. “He sounds honorable to me. I haven’t known you long but I’m learning that you’re good at finding flaws.”

Not so far, Annie thought. “You know me pretty well. I’m not holding my breath he’ll stay honorable. For now he’s good with Charlie and Sarah. Not too proud to ask for help. The first time I left him alone with them, he called his mom for backup.” Annie wasn’t sure why, but she’d believed him when he’d said he wouldn’t have let her think he handled the twins without a problem. “Florence, his mom, is fantastic. Loves kids and thrilled to be a grandmother. She has them now.”

“Lillian’s sister is Florence. Has to be the same family,” her friend concluded. “Like I said, small world.”

“No kidding. If Gabriel looks anything like Mason, I can see why you think you could use the exercise.”

“He’s pretty, but a little too dark and brooding for me. Besides, he keeps reminding everyone that he’s only there temporarily.” Carla shrugged. “So the twins’ father is a hottie? It could be a reality show— Real Hotties of Huntington Hills .”