Page 97 of The Fiancé Hoax

She handed me a copy of the ultrasound image. Gazing at the black and white image of my baby, I felt tears pressing against my eyes once more.

Dr. Temple said goodbye and left me to change into my regular clothes. Recalling the earlier incident with my father, I moved quickly.

I grabbed my purse and checked out at the front desk. If I hurried, maybe I could get to Cooper before Dad broke the news of my pregnancy.

24

COOPER

I parked outside Marsh's law firm, my ears ringing and my heart pounding.

But Marsh's car wasn't here. I pounded my steering wheel in frustration. My phone pinged with a text.

Marsh: Where the hell are you?

Cooper: At your office. Where are you?

Marsh: At your house.

Cooper: Monica will let you in. Wait in my home office. I'll be there in fifteen.

Thirteen minutes of white-knuckle driving later, I pulled into my driveway.

Felicity had just texted me asking if I’d found her dad. I fired off a response that we were both at my house before I hurried inside.

Marsh stood in my study, his face red and furious.

“What the fuck, Cooper? I trusted you. And now you're screwing around with my daughter.”

It wasn't a question. It was an accusation. Betrayal was written all over his face.

“Marsh, just keep calm here, okay?”

“She's not one of those women you used to pick up at bars, Cooper. She's my daughter. And she's twenty years younger than you!”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Sixteen, to be precise.”

But that only made his nostrils flare more.

“I don't give a rat's ass.”

“Are you going to tell the judge the engagement is a pretense?”

“I haven't decided yet.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

“That wouldn’t help Felicity, you know. It would be bad timing with her interview about to go to print. Bad publicity is the last thing she needs right now.”

“What do you know about what my daughter needs?” he scoffed.

“I know what her business needs. And I know she deserves success.”

“Don’t talk to me about what she deserves, Cooper. Felicity deserves to be with someone her own age.” He leveled me with a defiant look. “Someone who loves her for who she is.”

“I do love her for who she is.”

I froze. It was the first time I had admitted I loved Felicity. I’d never even admitted it to myself before now.

But it was true. And it felt damn good to finally say it.