Read Online Forbidden: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance by Vesper Vaughn - Free Book Online

haven’t gone to bed yet, to be honest. I was just calling to check in. I’ll be down in Santa Barbara in a few days for Thanksgiving. Wanted to make sure you’re holding up alright!”
    I sigh and rub my eyes as Ryan sucks on his bottle. “I just have this feeling that Paul is going to cancel. I don’t know why.”
    Jillian makes a disapproving noise.
    “Spill, Jill,” I say.
    “It’s nothing. It’s just – I still don’t know why you’re with him. He’s an asshole.”
    “We are having a baby, Jillian.”
    “Terrible reason to stay with someone, honestly,” Jillian replies. “I mean, Ryan is going to grow up in an unhappiest household with a bitter mother who blames him for her being stuck in an awful relationship.”
    Ryan throws his bottle onto the ground and formula sprays everywhere. “Wrap it up, Jill. Anything else you want to add while I’m on the line?”
    “I can’t promise I won’t punch Paul when I’m down there,” she says. “Love you, girl. Travel safe.”
    “Love you, too,” I reply, hanging up the phone. I grab paper towels and clean up the formula mess while Ryan laughs. I still can’t shake the feeling that Paul is going to miss the flight.
    I shake my head. Why would I think that? He's never done that before. The plane tickets were expensive. There is no way he will want to cancel.
    I reach over as Ryan suckles the bottle and take another look at my phone. I see that I have twelve text messages from my mother, which is par for the course with her. Most of them are reminders to not be late (as if I have any control over that) because dinner tonight is at eight o'clock on the dot and her chef has to leave early for some family obligation.
    The rest of the texts are links to articles about how the flu is spreading across the country and to make sure that I don't touch any bare part of my body to anything on the airplane. I roll my eyes.
    I scroll to the weather app. I see with relief that the weather at my mother's house is going to be sixty-eight degrees and sunny the whole week. Maybe it’s being housebound with the baby or maybe it’s the fact that our heater isn't turned on yet, but this winter is already wearing me down.
    Ryan finishes his bottle and throws it onto the ground with a clatter. The noise makes him burst into uncharacteristic tears. I reach over and grab him, cradling him in my arms to soothe him. He calms down almost immediately and starts playing with my hair. I let him do it. I open my phone and send a text to Paul. "Hope your day is a good one, honey," I type with one thumb. I hover over the send button, reluctant for some reason to ship it off into the great void.
    I have the feeling that Paul is avoiding me.
    Two can play at that game. I delete the message and set my phone down, gulping down my already lukewarm tea. I squeeze Ryan’s butt and realize he needs a new diaper.
    Well, Paul won't be able to avoid me once we are in California. In California, everything will be better.
    Ryan screeches in my ear as if to punctuate this thought.
    Six hours later, I am standing in the foyer of our house with Ryan in his car seat and three suitcases next to me. Paul isn't answering his phone. I dial for the tenth time and he finally picks up. He sounds like he’s out of breath. "Hey, Tessa," he says. He sounds happy, which is a mood I haven’t found him wearing in months.
    "Where are you?" I ask, rocking my foot on Ryan's car seat to keep him asleep. "We need to leave for the airport in five minutes. If I miss this flight, my mother is going to kill me."
    Paul actually laughs at this. I am stunned by the sound. "Come on, Tessa, we're the only ones coming this Thanksgiving anyway, right? What's the big deal?"
    "Paul, you know how my mother is. I'm not arguing about this with you. Where are you?"
    He exhales. "Tessa, I'm going to have to take a different flight. Maybe one tomorrow?"
    I feel my stomach drop like a stone. "Tomorrow? Tomorrow is the day before