Leave the Pieces (Strawberry Inn Book #5)

Chapter 5

GLEN

I can’t believe what’s happening right now. I met Emory a year ago at a music festival. It was a bachelor party of sorts for one of the guys I went to college with. Throughout the weekend, this woman caught my eye. I could tell she was younger than me, but there was something about her demeanor that just grabbed my attention. I knew she was working because she almost always had a clipboard in her hands and was running around both days we were there. On the final day, I saw her in the actual concert pit area.

We got to dancing and one thing led to another. After a smoking hot kiss, I invited her back to the vacation home we were staying in. Some of the other, single, guys also found women and we had a rather large after-party. Emory and I didn’t stay with the group long. The connection between us was palpable. Eventually, we made it to my room and spent the next few hours exploring each other. There was a primal need with her that I didn’t recognize. I chalked it up to a thrill of a one-night stand.

Part of me was disappointed when I woke up the next morning and caught her trying to sneak out. She was so stubborn and didn’t want me to take her back to her place, but I’m not a fucking asshole. It may have been the most gentlemanly thing I did, returning her to her place that morning. There were no weird feelings between the two of us, I didn’t think at least. She wasn’t trying to be clingy and I didn’t offer up a long-distance relationship. Hell, the only thing I knew about her was her name was Emory. Well, that and she really liked when I bit her neck.

I half considered making my way back to the music festival this year, but it wasn’t in the cards. The fact that she’s standing in front of me right now is making me have an out-of-body experience. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Callum is my kid. Based on how long ago we hooked up, how old Callum currently is, and the note I noticed in his file during my quick scan that stated he was born a little early, she would have had to hook up with somebody around the time we did for is to not be mine. Maybe she did, but the look in her eyes at this moment tells me that it isn’t the case.

“Glen, I can, um…” she stutters, but I don’t need to hear the rest of that sentence.

I tap a few buttons on my tablet and hand it to Jessica. “Please get some medical history information, I’ll be right back.”

Jessica nods, but she’s clearly confused. I walk past Emory but refuse to make eye contact. I need to get out of this room before the walls start closing in on me. There is too much to take in right now. Not only do I have a kid, but he might potentially have a major medical condition to deal with. I’m the one that treats and heals, I’ve never been on the other side. I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Tina. I need a friend right now, somebody who can center me once again.

“I’m so sorry,” I knew it was Emory behind me. Even though I was facing the wall, trying to get myself back together. “I never would have wanted you to find out this way.”

Slowly, I turn around and take her in again. She looks just as beautiful as she did before. She is even wearing those thick-framed glasses that she had on the first day of the concert. There were obvious changes that happened during our year apart. Her shape was different, with a few extra curves in places. She wasn’t wearing makeup and the blotchiness of her skin was obvious. Her eyes were red and the dark circles told a story of a mom that wasn’t getting much sleep and running on empty. “He’s mine?”

She gently nodded her head but crossed her arms over her midsection. I’m not sure whether it was to protect herself or hide away. “He is. I did what I could to find you, but all I had was your name.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I looked up the records for the tickets purchased, but there were no Glens listed.”