The Grand Duel (The Grand Men #4)

Chapter 54

FIFTY-FOUR

Charlie

Two weeks later…

I watch Lissie’s hands shake as she ties the giant blue bow, the bouquet of flowers she’s put together from the garden as abundant and full of life as she is.

Her eyes narrow as she moves each stem, dragging out each second of the ticking clock above the mantle.

“Lis,” I try. “It’s perfect.”

“Is it too much? Do you think the flowers will stay fresh?” She places her hand on her stomach, turning to look up at me. “Are you okay?”

I smile at her.

Stepping into her space, I take her chin between my fingers and kiss her. “I’m okay,” I whisper. “But you’re freaking out a little bit.”

Her eyes dart between mine. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Emily had the baby late last night, a healthy little boy, and we should have the results to the paternity test this morning.

She didn’t want either Jack or me at the birth, choosing to have her sister with her instead. Lissie woke me up on the sofa at eleven o’clock to tell me that Emily had messaged, that I’d missed the text.

I knew the second I told her what the message read that it broke her inside. No matter how incredible she’s been, coming to appointments, extending herself to Emily as a friend, she couldn’t pretend in that moment.

“Do you want to come today, Lis?”

She swallows, frowning. “What do you mean? You want me to come.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Her hands readjust at my back, and I know her toes are probably going a mile a minute in her shoes. “You want me to come,” she repeats, her voice cracking.

I shake my head at her, huffing a laugh.

I don’t want to do this alone. I’m as nervous as she is, knowing the next few hours could potentially change our lives forever.

“Why don’t you give one of the girls a call? I think Scar is home today. Get her to come over for a bit.”

Her brows rise. “I can’t let you go on your own.”

“Yes, you can.” I run my hands up her back. “Go and have a cry in the shower or something. You’ll be here when I get home, won’t you?”

Her face tightens as she fights her emotions, nodding her head at me.

I kiss her forehead and let her go. “Call Scarlet, okay.”

“Okay.”

I take the flowers, careful not to mess up what she’s spent hours making.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, baby.”

“You’ll call me?” She walks ahead of me and gets the front door. “You’ll call me when you know?”

“As soon as I know, I’ll call,” I promise.

“I love you.”

I smile at her from the car, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. “I love you, too.” I don’t add that I love her more because she already knows it.

And if for any reason she ever forgets, I’ll be the first to remind her.

Once in my car, I pull on my seat belt and sit for a minute, just looking up at the cottage.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I eventually head off out of the drive and onto the road.

Lissie couldn’t come with me today. I knew that when I rolled over in bed last night and found her sat up and awake. Neither one of us could sleep, both aware of what this day means.

Funnily, the us in all of this isn’t what scares me. Not anymore. What scares me is that little baby boy and my ability to be a good dad if it turns out he’s mine.

I already know he’ll have a host of people who will love him. My parents would be overjoyed to have a grandchild.

I’d make it work.

I’ll have to.

It’ll be okay.

Lissie is going to be incredible. There’s no doubt about that. She’ll likely show me how it’s done.

I huff a shaky laugh as I think about it, tightening my hands on the steering wheel.

She’d be better at it and tell me exactly how to do things.

It’ll be fine.

Everything is going to be fine.

My smile drops as my heartbeat catches up with my thoughts. And then my phone sounds, ringing throughout the car.

I frown at Emily’s name on my touchscreen, clicking to accept the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Good morning, Charlie.” She rushes out the words. “Sorry, I know you were going to come to the hospital, but I wanted to catch you before you left. It’s umm…it’s the results. They’ve been emailed to me already, and?—”

“You have the results already?”

“Yes,” she says, her voice shaking. “I have them.”

I pull my car over, closing my eyes the second I put the handbrake on. “Are you okay?” I ask, trying to slow my mind.

She hesitates for a second. Long enough to make my heart feel like it might explode. “Yeah, I’m okay…” A lie. She’s lying. “He’s, umm…oh god, sorry.” She sniffs, as if getting upset. “He’s not yours, Charlie. He’s Jack’s.”

The air in my lungs is sucked from me, leaving me seeing stars.

“I’m so, so sorry you’ve had to go through all of this. Lissie, too. You’ve been so kind to me the entire time, and I want to thank you for that.”

He’s not mine?

I’m not the dad.

I run my trembling hands over my face. “You don’t have to thank me,” I tell Emily, knowing she’ll hear the emotion in my voice and not caring. “I’m sorry that you had to go through this, too.”

“I think I was kind of hoping that it was going to be you. As messed up as that sounds.”

I need to tell her.

I need to tell my Lissie.

With adrenaline making my legs feel like jelly, I take a second, put the car into drive, and turn around in the road.

“It’s not messed up,” I say. “I hope for your sake Jack steps up now.”

“Me, too. I’m so sorry again. Take care, Charlie, and thank you.”

“Emily,” I blurt out, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Yes?”

I frown, knowing in my gut it’s the right thing. “Lissie and I are always here if you need support.”

“You don’t?—”

“I know. But the offer will always be there. I can only imagine how daunting this must be for you right now.”

“I’m sure we’ll be okay.”

“You will be. You’ll do great. Goodbye, Emily.”

The call cuts out and I drive on auto pilot back to the cottage, sitting in my car for a solid five minutes once I arrive.

I’m not the dad to this baby.

I’m not putting anything on anyone.

I’m just Charles.

Hers, and hers alone.

Fuck .

I push open my car door, rounding the bonnet and stepping into the cottage.

“Scar?” Lissie calls out from the kitchen.

I step in through the archway, spotting her frantically washing up the dishes at the sink.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s your day off, but I feel like I’m snowballing, and I can’t stop. Charles has gone, and I could tell he was nervous, and now I feel awful that I haven’t gone with him…”

I slip my arms around her waist, breathing her in.

Her body goes rigid, her head twisting up to see me.

Smiling, I shake my head.

“Put the kettle on, Lis,” I say, watching her face fall in disbelief.

And with those five words, I just know that everything is going to be okay.