Page 43 of Daddy's Reckoning

Erin grinned. “Well, no, but how hard could it be?”

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out my phone, pulled up a Youtube video, and while I was at it, ordered a cookbook or five.

CHAPTER 11

ERIN

“Here you are. Lunch.” Three days after the eggs Benedict fiasco, Theo tiptoed into my room, holding a tray that boasted a simple pasta dish I was pretty sure was one of Lennon’s recipes, a rose in a vase, a bottle of water, a bowl of sliced fruit, and a small chocolate bar.

“Mmm. Thank you,” I said as I took it from him, setting it on my lap.

Theo sat on the edge of the bed and looked between me and the TV. “Whatcha watching?”

“Golden Girls.” It was my go-to comfort show at the moment, but I’d watched it too much, and even it was getting old. How much longer could I stay cooped up in this room indulging Theo’s desire to treat me like an invalid princess?

“Hmm.” Theo grabbed the remote from where it lay on the mattress, pointed it at the TV, and hit pause.

“Hey!” I protested, though I didn’t really care.

Theo rolled his eyes. “We need to talk.”

Four simple words that everyone hates to hear. I told myself it was no big deal but I couldn’t help the buzz of panic deep inside me. “W-what about?”

“Goals. Needs. Expectations. Rules.” The last word was said with a pointed, Daddyish stare.

Oh, so that’s what this was about. I picked up my fork, stabbed a bite of pasta and brought it to my lips. “I’m eating.” Before he could say anything else, I shoved the food into my mouth and chewed, staring him down as I did so.

Theo, ever steadfast, just met my stare and waited patiently. When the bite had been chewed to nothing, I swallowed and sighed.

“So, talk,” I muttered petulantly, hating the way I sounded. I didn’t want to be so difficult, but I didn’t know what to say. Theo was the one insisting that I needed a Daddy and though I didn’t disagree, the reasons I’d originally hired him were irrelevant now. At least until I decided what to do with my life.

“Have you thought about what to do about school?” Theo asked, as if he’d read my mind.

I took another bite of the fresh, lemony pasta and shook my head while I chewed. School seemed impossible right now. Even thinking about it exhausted me. It was only going to get harder. How would I manage when I was hugely pregnant, or worse, with a newborn? I didn’t know, but I hated the thought of quitting just as much.

Laying down my fork, I sighed. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I hate the idea of quitting. The grants are what provide my living expenses, and so I’ll have to replace that income, anyway, but more than that… I don’t know. It feels like a losing situation either way.”

To his credit, Theo listened and didn’t immediately try to solve the problem, though I could see he wanted to. Instead, he just slowly nodded. “I get that.” He grabbed my fork and speared a piece of watermelon, chewing thoughtfully.

When he was finished, he handed the utensil back to me. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I can help with whatever expenses you have. And you don’t have to go back to work or school. I can certainly afford to provide for you.”

“I know you can, and I know you would, and I appreciate you so much, everything you’ve already done, but…” I trailed off.

“An escape route,” Theo supplied.

“Huh?”

He frowned. “My mother always told my sisters that if and when they got married, had kids, or even moved in with a man, to have an escape route. Money of their own set aside so they never had to stay in a bad situation purely for financial reasons.” He twisted his lips into a grimace. “I will never be a situation you need to escape from, Erin, but I respect that you’ve learned the hard lessons in life the same way I suspect my mother has. I hate that. For both of you.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I hate it, too. And it’s not that I think you’d ever put me in a bad situation. It’s not about you.”

“I know.” He nodded. “It’s about you.” His jaw ticked from side to side. “I’m going to set up a trust for our child. The moment he or she is born. Maybe before. I’d like to set up one for you, as well.”

I sucked in a breath. That was exactly what I didn’t want. “Theo—I?—”

He shook his head, rolled his eyes, and grinned. “I know, I know. So let’s not talk about that. Let’s break this down instead of looking at the big picture as a whole right now. Summer school starts in a week. Are you signing up to retake biochem or not?”

“N-no,” I stuttered, feeling relief mixed with a healthy dose of panic when I said the word out loud. “N-no, I’m not. I don’t…” I sighed because I hated admitting that I wasn’t Superwoman, and I couldn’t do it all. “I really need a break.”