Read Second Look (A New Beginning Book 3) for Free Online Page B

help you?”
    She turned around and he backed up a step. Jennifer?
    He stared at her for a few seconds and then looked down at the little girl she was bouncing on her hip.
    “Hi, Adam,” she said softly.
    “Jenn. What…are you doing here?”
    Adam looked back and forth between Jennifer and the kid. Who is she?
    “Um, well, I,” she paused, took a deep breath and started over. “I heard you were getting married, Adam.”
    “Well, yes.” He glanced at his watch. “In a few hours, as a matter of fact.”
    Adam watched her eyes go round and her mouth dropped open slightly.
    “T…t…today?”
    Adam nodded.
    “I didn’t know it was today, I swear.”
    He saw tears well up in her eyes, which wasn’t like her.
    “Well, that’s no big deal, Jenn.”
    He wanted to be able to reassure her but he didn’t know why she was even there. His heart pounded and his chest hurt.
    “I need to tell you something, Adam. Something I should have told you a long time ago. But I didn’t know your wedding was today. I never would have come.” He saw Jennifer lean down and kiss the little girl in her arms.
    “Uh, okay?” Adam said, getting a little nervous. “What…who…,” he said and then paused. “What did you need to tell me?”
    She remained silent, making him even more nervous.
    He looked at Jennifer and then to the little girl and back again and his stomach flipped. He motioned to the little girl with his thumb. “Who…?”
    “This is Amber.” Jennifer paused for a second. “Your daughter.”
    He stared at her for several seconds, trying to process what he just heard. She must be mistaken. He looked into the little girl’s face.
    “What are you talking about? That’s not possible.”
    “Amber is 18 months old, Adam.”
    Jennifer’s voice was quiet and his heart was beating so fast he could barely hear her over the roaring in his ears. He was stunned into silence but his brain was asking all of the questions his voice was refusing to form.
    As if reading his mind, she said, “Winter break. The bar.”
    In the back of his mind, he thought about their night together. That was a little over two years ago. But there was no way….was there? He tried to do the math in his head.
    If the little girl was 18 months old and they’d been together a little over two years ago…Oh.
    Oh shit.
    He looked at the little girl. Amber. She didn’t have much hair, just a little blonde on the top, and she had familiar brown eyes that stared right back at him.
    He reached out to Amber before he realized what he was doing and then pulled his hand back.
    But if this was his daughter, why was he just finding out about her? Shock turned to anger. How could she have kept this from him?
    What. The. Fuck.
    He looked back up at Jennifer, fire in his eyes. “You’re just now coming to me?”
    Jennifer shrugged her shoulders and looked down and her feet for a few seconds before looking back up.
    “You left, Adam. It was a mistake to you, remember? I didn’t think you’d want to be a part of our life.”
    “Well you certainly didn’t give me a chance, did you?”
    Adam lowered his head and ran his hands through his hair while he waited for her to respond.
    “No, I didn’t,” she admitted.
    “That’s a common theme with you, isn’t it? Not giving people a chance?”
    He couldn’t help but bring up when she dumped him originally. He begged her not to break up with him. She broke his fucking heart. Now this.
    “So you didn’t think I deserved to know. What’s changed? You’re coming to me now because…?” He couldn’t stop the frustration from being clear in his voice.
    Worst. Possible. Day.
    “When I heard you were getting married, I realized it was wrong to keep this from you. I was scared to tell you and I didn’t want to be your burden, someone you would be obligated to be with. I’m sorry, I never should have kept her from you.” Jennifer paused and said, “and I really had no idea it was your wedding day,