Inked by Everly Drummond Read Free Book Online Page B

“I dropped out of school for three years to raise Parker, otherwise I would’ve been finished my degree long ago. My family helped me with some of the bills, and when Parker was six months old I went back to work part time.”
    “What about now? You’re a full time graduate student, so how can you afford to pay rent and buy groceries?” Brody recalled the empty fridge and bare cupboards, and shuddered. The thought of Avery and Parker going without made him ill.
    “It’s not like we’re starving,” Avery quickly replied, as if reading his mind. “My sister watches Parker while I’m at school or work. He usually has supper there and I grab a something on my dinner break. I may not be rich, but I can certainly afford to feed my son.”
    “Ours,” he growled.
    “What?”
    “He’s our son, Avery. But no matter, you don’t have to go without anymore.”
    “Fine, our son,” she yielded “but this is exactly why I didn’t tell you about Parker in the first place. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to take care of us because of a one night mistake.”
    “How many times do I have to tell you? You were NOT a mistake. And I’ve already missed so much of his life because of your damned pride. I’m sure as hell not going to let Parker go without because of it.”
    Avery huffed, and tossing the iPad on the sofa cushion between them, threw her hands up in frustration. “We are not starving. Parker does not go without anything . And can we please not fight over this right now. You’re going to wake him up.”
    “Alright,” Brody conceded “but this conversation is far from over.”
    “Like hell it isn’t,” Aver mumbled, and picked up the iPad. She slid her finger across the screen, unlocking it, and touched an icon labelled Photos.
    “What’s that?” Brody leaned in closer to get a better look.
    “Pictures.”
    “Of Parker?”
    No, these are pictures of my nephew,” she replied smartly.
    “Why on earth would I want to see those?”
    “I’m joking, you fool,” Avery teased, and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “These are Parker’s baby pictures.”
    Brody slid closer to Avery on the sofa, watching in wonder as pictures of Parker as a newborn flashed across the screen.

Chapter 4
     
    “I wish you’d told me, Avery,” Brody repeated for what felt like the twentieth time. He tossed the uneaten pizza crust in the box and stretched out across the sofa, clearly making himself at home. “I could’ve done something to help, to make life a little easier for you and Parker. You didn’t have to go through it all alone.”
    “I wasn’t alone. I had my family.”
    “Yeah, but it’s not the same thing and you know it.”
    As much as Avery hated to admit it, Brody was right. Having the help of her family wasn’t the same as having a man around the house or having a father figure for Parker to look up to.
    Brody glanced at a framed picture on top of the TV. It was a photo of a man sitting with Parker in his lap. There was no denying it. The thought of some other guy raising his son made his blood boil, but he pushed the thought aside, trying not to jump to any conclusions. Pointing a finger at the photo, he asked, “Who’s that, the boyfriend?”
    “Boyfriend?” Oh my God, no,” Avery laughed. “That’s my brother-in-law, Parker’s uncle.”
    Brody didn’t know whether to be relieved that some other guy wasn’t raising his son or be happy about the fact that the guy in the picture wasn’t the infamous boyfriend he’d conjured up in his mind, and a sense of relief washed over him. But the question still remained. Did Avery have a boyfriend? The only way to find out was to ask, bluntly. “So, are you seeing anyone?”
    “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Avery replied sheepishly, and for good measure, added, “Just like your divorce is none of my business.”
    “Perhaps your personal life is none of my business, but who’s raising my son is my business.”
    Avery