Never Say Never: Gravel Hill Boys Book Two

32. Ian

“She’s not goingto see me,” I insisted as Liane led me into the lobby of Madison’s high-rise. “The last time I was here, she told the doorman not to let me up.”

“Good thing you’re with me then,” Liane responded, shifting the bag of takeout she carried in her arms, sending the aroma of something Asian in my direction, causing my stomach to growl. “I know all the doormen here and they know me. I’m on the list of approved guests, and since you’re with me, you have an automatic in. “

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll be angry?”

Liane smirked. “Wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, no matter how angry she is, she needs more support. I’m heading to London tonight to clean up another mess over there, and I’m worried about her. She never calls off sick. Even when your spawn was making her throw up multiple times a day, she’d still work even if that meant sitting on the bathroom floor with her laptop. For her to call and tell me she was spending the day in bed, something’s wrong. I begged her to call the doctor but she refused. Her father’s in Paris, and I have no clue where her mother is. Even if they would come—which is highly unlikely, especially since they were both here a few weeks ago—I’m not sure I’d trust either of them to put Madison’s needs above their own. I called her grandmother, but the estate manager told me she’s abroad. Besides, why worry her when she’s so far away and you’re right here?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Ian. You. You’re the baby’s father. You need to step up.”

For fuck’s sake.

“I am trying to step up. I proposed yesterday and she practically threw me out of her office.”

The elevator door opened onto the penthouse floor. I held it open and waited for Liane to step out, but she remained frozen in place, mouth open, eyebrows somewhere near her hairline.

“You what?”

I didn’t even see the punch to my arm coming. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she hollered.

“Ow!” I rubbed my arm. Did it hurt? No. But the shock of being hit and growing up the youngest of five had me responding that way. Liane was like having five sisters instead of just four.

“You’re lucky all she did was throw you out. What in God’s name would make you think she’d want to marry you? Jeez, Ian.”

“I’m a catch.”

She snorted. “Who told you that? Your mother? Good grief.”

Liane stormed off the elevator and into the carpeted corridor. “Do me a favor, will you? Stop being an idiot and just be helpful. No wonder she’s overstressed.” The glare she shot me nearly set my hair on fire. I ran a hand over my head to be sure it wasn’t smoldering. “I need to know you’re going to be a helpful adult and not keep annoying the hell her. You’re not here to make her fall in love, hit on her, or piss her off. You’re here to make nice and make sure that the mother of your child gets the care that she needs while I’m away. Got it?”

“You should’ve been a nun,” I grumbled as I followed her toward Madison’s door.

“What?”

“I said, this should be fun.”

Her eyes narrowed. Pretty sure she didn’t believe me.

Liane knocked on Madison’s door twice, and then slipped a key into the lock. “It’s me,” she called out quietly, opening the door. I followed her inside, taking in the ultra-modern, open concept space. Directly in front of us was a staircase made of pale wood risers, black metal and glass and featured two landings before reaching the second floor. More pale wood covered the floors in a herringbone pattern, the only real pattern I could see. The walls were white, the kitchen cabinets were a pale dove gray, and the marble countertops and island featured white marble with the same dove gray veining. The furniture that was visible was also white with a few light gray pieces mixed in.

The only color that I could see was in the oversize abstract paintings that hung on the walls, and even those used color sparingly.

There was minimalism and then there was nothingism. The entire setup could induce frostbite; I should’ve worn a sweater.

She’d called my place a museum, but this looked like an art gallery. Cold and empty so that the focus was on the art. I expected a someone to appear at any moment with a tray of complimentary champagne.

Other than an orchid on the dining room table, it didn’t look as if anyone lived here. It could’ve been one of those model homes if you ignored the lump snuggled under a soft gray blanket on the stern-looking sofa.

I didn’t have a clue about becoming a father, but even I knew that this was no space for a baby; at least not one that was mobile. I pictured my sisters’ homes back in Ashwood. Cushy, overstuffed chairs and sofas. Worn leather recliners. And every surface from the ground up to about three feet that had a sharp edge had mounds of padding duct-taped to each corner. Ugly, yes, but I understood why it was necessary. My place in Savannah wasn’t much better as far as babies were concerned, but it wasn’t cold and unforgiving.

Liane moved quietly into the living room. I followed but hung back a bit. It was probably better if my face wasn’t the first my baby mama saw when she woke up. Liane sat on the heavy marble coffee table and gave Madison a gentle shake.

“Maddie,” she called softly. “Wake up, honey.”

There was movement and muffled groaning.

“C’mon, Mads. I come bearing gifts.”

I snorted. Madison’s head popped up from under the soft blanket. Given the furnishings and what I knew of these two women, it was the only soft thing in the room. Proving my point, Madison shot a harsh glare at me over Liane’s shoulder.

“What is he doing here?” Her voice was low and full of gravel. She must’ve been in a deep sleep.

“He’s here to take care of you.”

Madison shot up while I stiffened. Yes, I’d proposed—and been rejected—but it still felt as if I’d volunteered to feed raw meat to the lions at the Philadelphia Zoo.

“What?” Madison croaked as she struggled to sit up.

“Listen to me,” Liane insisted, using the no-nonsense voice I was very familiar with. “I made an appointment for you to see Dr. Abernathy first thing in the morning. I’m flying to London in few hours. Your grandmother is halfway around the world; who knows where your mother is; and your father? Let’s not even go there.”

Despite her sleep-creased face, Madison’s glare was visible as she set her bare feet on the floor.

“Ian is here,” Liane continued. “He’s your baby’s father. He’s stepping up, and you’re going to let him.”

“He proposed to me.” She made it sound like I’d insulted her instead.

“You know, there are plenty of women who’d be clamoring to marry me. I could go down onto the street right now and propose to the first woman that walked by, and I’d bet you she’d say yes.”

“Excellent idea. Go propose to someone else,” Madison said, dismissing me.

Liane glared at me over her shoulder.

“Nobody is proposing to anyone,” Liane insisted. Then swiveling to face me, she added, “I say that as your publicist and your friend. Knock it off.”

“Ha! Since when are you my friend?”

Liane’s eyes closed and she took a deep, calming breath. I wished I could calm down by just taking a deep breath, but I was too wound up. Proposing was one thing, being responsible for the health and well-being of the woman carrying my child was a whole other thing. It freaked me the fuck out.

Liane opened the bag of takeout she’d brought and handed Madison a pair of chopsticks and a white carton of something that caused my stomach to growl. I began to pace. This place was unwelcoming yet fitting for the woman shooting daggers at me from her ugly couch.

Where was the hot-bloodied, soft, and passionate woman I’d knocked up one night in March? The one who, despite my attempts to forget her, had left an indelible impression on me. That woman had to be in there somewhere. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if this snooty gallery she holed up in was a front, a barrier to protect a soft and vulnerable heart behind a wall of marble and ice. Especially if her family was as distant and self-centered as Liane made them out to be. For fuck’s sake, my parents and sisters were smothering me and I wasn’t the one carrying the baby. Where the hell were her parents?

“Do you have a guest room?” I asked.

Madison stopped plowing through what looked like vegetable lo mein, holding her chopsticks aloft, noodles dangling.

“Not for you, I don’t.”

“I meant for a nursery.” That was and wasn’t true. Yes, she needed a nursery, but if she was having a difficult pregnancy, shouldn’t I be as close to her as possible?

“Madison,” Liane warned. “You have three guest rooms. I’d feel better if he was staying with you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m fine. I just needed a day off. Yesterday took a lot out of me.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “You know, getting proposed to and all

Liane let out one of her enormous sighs. “Please, cooperate. For me?”

“Sorry. No.”

“Just until I get back. I’ll deal with Trevor and get home as quickly as I can.”

Madison set the takeout container on the coffee table and threw off the blanket.

“What are you doing?” Liane asked.

“Going to the bathroom,” she snapped. “Want to come with me?”

Madison stood, slowly, looking as if she needed to balance herself. An unfamiliar whorl of worry shot through me. She was pale and shaky, but straightened her spine and with an imperious glare, padded off to the bathroom.

Liane sighed. “I’m really concerned, Ian,” she said, her voice low. “If I didn’t have such a mess in London, I wouldn’t leave her.” She gave me a cold, assessing look. “You guys are the worst.”

“Me? What the hell did I do…lately?”

“Nothing.” She threw her arm out in the direction Madison had gone. “Other than that. I mean musicians in the collective sense. If I could send anyone else in my place, I would, but we don’t need an international incident.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Not quite, but close.” Concern marked her face. “I really want you to stay here.”

“Yeah, but?—”

“I know, but I really don’t like the way she looks. I’ll stay with her until I need to leave for the airport. You pick her up in the morning and take her to the doctor. You should be going to those appointments anyway.”

I nodded. I fought this in the beginning, was a general pain in the ass about it, but things had changed. And not just because of the intervention back home. The more I thought about it, the more I read, the more I wanted to be involved. I wanted this baby.

I wanted to be a father.

It was a stark realization, but there it was. I was ready to do whatever I could for my baby and my baby’s mother. Everything but annoy the piss out of her, which was exactly what I’d been doing. I’d dug a hole that I needed to fill.

“I want to go to those appointments. I want to see my baby developing in a healthy mother. I’m here in any way she needs me. But I don’t want to stress her out or make her angry with my presence.”

“Too late,” Madison said from the entrance to her living room. “I’m going to bed. You can all see yourself out.”

“My bags are in my car,” Liane said. “I’m staying until I need to leave for the airport. Go to bed. Your appointment with Dr. Abernathy is at ten a.m. Ian will pick you up and go with you. He’ll be going to all your appointments from now on.” She shot me a look that said I’d be going or I’d be dealing with her. Too late. I’d already made up my mind that I would be going.

Madison opened her mouth to argue, but Liane held up a hand. “Stop. He’s the baby’s father. You complained that he didn’t want to be involved. Well, here he is…getting involved. Let him in. He deserves this.”

“I’m not marrying him.”

Liane rubbed her brow. “No one is asking you to marry him. That proposal was…” She looked up at me and frowned. “That proposal was an ill-advised knee-jerk reaction, right Ian?”

Wrong. I frowned. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

“Say goodnight, Ian. Madison will see you in the morning, right Madison?”

“Sure. Whatever you say,” my baby mama mimicked. “Goodnight.”

She climbed the stairs, and after hearing the click of a door from upstairs, Liane’s shoulders dropped.

“Don’t fuck this up, Ian. I’m depending on you. She’ll never admit it, but she needs you. I hope you meant it when you say you’re willing to step up.”

Taking a deep breath, I pushed my shoulders back, and gave her a quick nod.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I’ve got this.”