One More Chance

“Please, and we’d like to sit in Jimmy’s section,” she replied.

The girl nodded, still staring at me with wide eyes. Crap, this could not be good.

“And”—Blaire paused and looked at the girl’s name badge—“April, if media of any kind were to show up at the club, Mr. Kerrington would be very upset. I’ll be sending him and Della a text once we’re seated asking them to up the security. Do you understand what I am telling you?” Blaire was a badass. I wanted to be like her.

The girl bobbed her head and swallowed nervously. “Yes, Mrs. Finlay, of course.”

Blaire beamed a smile at the girl. “Thank you, April. I appreciate your help.”

April blushed as if Blaire had just paid her a high compliment, then led us to our seats. I don’t think the girl wanted to leave our table; I was almost prepared for her to ask for an autograph.

“All right, April, stop your fangirling, and let these women breathe. They came for breakfast, not to be gawked at. Damn, girl,” Jimmy said as he walked up to our table.

Poor April scampered away.

“She’s new, but she’s sweet. I can work with that,” Jimmy said, then blasted a smile our way. “Look at you two gorgeous women without your overprotective men, eating here alone. I might take advantage and make my move.”

Blaire’s eyebrows rose, and she looked knowingly at Jimmy. “I think Clint might get a little upset if you did that, hmm?”

Jimmy laughed and shot her a wink. “You picked up on that one fast.”

“He was all smiles when I asked if you were here. I’d have to be blind not to pick up on it.”

Jimmy smirked. He knew he was beautiful, but he was one of the nicest people I’d met here in Rosemary Beach. “What can I get you two to drink? Coffee, maybe? Or cappuccinos?”

I had strict instructions to stay away from caffeine. “I’ll take an orange juice,” I told him.

“I’d love a cappuccino, thanks, Jimmy,” Blaire said, and glanced down at her menu.

I wondered if she even had to look at the menu. She had worked here until Rush had demanded she stop when she got pregnant. I assumed she knew the menu by heart at this point.

“The quiche is great, but then, so are the raspberry and cheese scones,” Blaire told me.

I decided quiche with a whole-wheat croissant would do. I was trying not to eat sugar—it was healthier for me to avoid it.

“Uh-oh, he looks like he’s on a mission,” Blaire said in a whisper, and I looked up to see Woods Kerrington taking long strides toward us. He looked concerned. He stopped at our table and turned his attention to me. Those dark eyes of his were serious, but Blaire was right: he meant business.

“Kiro just got past security. They said he was cursing and ranting about finding you. I’ve called Rush, and he said to get the two of you to my office and lock you up until he deals with Kiro. The guys working security said he was furious and has been drinking.”

My dad was here. He knew. That was the only excuse for him acting this way. Blaire immediately stood up and reached for her purse. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“I need to be here,” Woods said. “He has a driver, but I don’t think he’s prepared to deal with him. Kiro’s liable to knock my valet guys out if they say the wrong thing to him.”

“I’ll get her to your office,” Blaire assured Woods, and she grabbed my arm. “Come on, I know a back way.”

I didn’t have to run from my dad. I had never run from him in the past. I wasn’t scared of his angry ranting. He never got mad at me. But if he thought the baby was harming me, he wouldn’t be happy. He wasn’t used to being told no, and this time, I would be telling him no.

“Do you think you can calm him down? Or maybe Rush can?” I asked Woods.

Woods nodded. “Finlay can handle him. You get out of here.”

I did what he said and ran from my dad. I felt horribly guilty about it. It worried me that he was drinking again. Was Emily OK? Had something happened with her? Did he need me? Maybe he didn’t know about the baby. Maybe he was just having a wild, drunken episode and missed me. It wasn’t like he hadn’t shown up in North Carolina like this when I was growing up. Whenever Kiro Manning missed me, he jumped on a plane and came to see me, even if it was after a concert and he was high as a kite. My grandmama had hated it when he showed up like that. The one time he had come to my school, still drunk from the night before, basking in his fame, had been humiliating. But he was my dad. I dealt with it.

“Where is she, and where is that stupid f**k who knocked her up!” Kiro’s voice was slurred, but it carried down the hall as he entered the restaurant. I cringed and said a silent prayer of thanks that Grant wasn’t around for this.

I couldn’t hear what Woods was saying, but his voice had a hard edge.

“Rush will be here any minute,” Blaire whispered as she led me into an elevator that would take us to the top floor.

I couldn’t look at her. This was humiliating. She and I hadn’t actually discussed my pregnancy yet or the complications. All she had said was congratulations when she had arrived this morning at Grant’s condo.

When we were safely inside Woods’s office, Blaire locked the door behind her and let out a sigh. “Wow, he’s upset. Did you just tell him?” she asked, turning to look at me.

I walked over to the plush leather sofa, sank down into it, and dropped my head into my hands. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be down there dealing with him. He wasn’t going to calm down until he saw me. I just couldn’t face him yet. I didn’t want to hear him tell me to abort my baby.