Laurel’s brow creased. Never did she remember seeing Grady Cassidy like this. Sometimes he used to growl about his dad or complain about his teachers but she’d never seen him so off-balance, his eyes darting around as if not sure what it was safe to look at. ‘And you want to tell me about it?’ she asked, curious that it would be her. Why not Mac, when they were so close?

He paused to pinch the bridge of his nose and squeeze his eyes tight shut. ‘I’m emotional.’

She settled back on the sofa to sip her wine, giving him time. It seemed to be her evening for people getting emotional.

He began to speak without opening his eyes, as if it were easier that way. ‘Pippa’s pregnant.’

‘Oh.’ Compassion and understanding flooded through her. ‘Oh, Grady, I’m sorry. I get that being difficult. One of the worst things about infertility is that your condition affects your loved one, and it doesn’t get easier when they move on.’

‘Loved one,’ he almost spat. Angry eyes flew open. ‘I don’t even want to look at her.’

Laurel said nothing to what seemed an extreme response but her heart went out to him. She would have expected him to be more controlled but could empathise with his misery.

He drained his glass and filled it straight up again, firing out sentences. ‘She’s not in a relationship. The father’s some bloke she met online. He doesn’t want the child. She’s asked if we can pretend we were seeing each other again on the down-low and she got pregnant. Get back together. Pretend the baby’s mine. Says I can adopt it and no one will ever know. Says it’s my best chance to be a father. Says it could be “perfect for us”. Says we can live happily ever after.’

‘Oh,’ Laurel breathed, trying to absorb such a shock scenario. ‘How do you feel—’

He leaped to his feet. ‘Outraged! She thinks it’s OK to dump me as “defective” then take me back on a best-of-a-bad-job basis? She seemed to think I ought to be grateful.’ He slapped the wall in frustration, his back to Laurel. ‘I feel hurt and furious. Like the top of my head’s going to blow off. No one wants to feel they’re not someone’s first choice but to use my deepest pain as bait, to present being allowed to father her accidental pregnancy as a reward … that’s cold.’ He slapped the wall twice more. Then his hands dropped to his sides and his head tipped back. ‘I needed to tell someone who might understand.’

She rose and went to him, heart wrenching at his obvious anguish. ‘Someone who might tell you it’s OK to feel like this?’

He let his head fall forward. ‘Yes.’