Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“You’ve got some crazy, stupid idea that you won’t be a good dad because of how your mom treated you.” Her eyes lock with mine as if she can read every insecurity, every fear, inside me.

Even though she’s pushing all my buttons, frustrating the hell out of me, I’m so grateful to have her in my life. Fighting with me for my happiness and what she believes is right.

But tonight, she’s wrong.

“So now you’re an expert on the woman you haven’t even met?”

“I don’t need to know anything except that she left her little boy behind.” Chloe takes a breath, placing her hand over my clenched fist on the counter. “Remember when I was little, I used to ask if you could be my protector forever? Let us be that for you for once, Charlie. I know you’re scared, but please let us in. Let Daisy in.”

The hopeful gleam in her eyes dies when I pull my hand out from under hers.

“I know you mean well, but I don’t want to discuss this. Not now, not ever.” My jaw clenches to the point of pain. “But since I also know how hard it is for you to give up once you’ve set your mind on something, let me be clear. Yes, everything you said is true. Maybe my belief is misplaced. But no one, including you, can change how I feel about this. This is for Daisy and me to figure out how we want to move forward.”

“But you’re not talking to her, dammit. Or are you making plans in your sleep?”

“That’s enough.”

I don’t know if it’s my raised voice or that my housekeeper knows I’ve never taken that tone with my little sister, but she hurries into the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. K. Everything’s fine. My brother’s just being his usual dumbass self.” Chloe’s lips curl, but her eyes shoot daggers at me until she turns her gaze away. “Since you’re here, can I ask you something? Daisy’s been having morning sickness and can’t keep anything down. Even though Willow’s excited that the baby is finally making its presence known, which to be honest, everyone thought would be a miracle in itself given its Charles’ kid, Daisy’s diet is taking a serious hit. She mentioned craving your pierogi yesterday. Could you make some, and I’ll take it over to Willow’s?”

Mrs. Kowalski’s already tying her apron, while I’m stuck on her words. People are having fun at the expense of my baby. What the fuck?

“Sure. I’ll also make a big batch tomorrow. Daisy can freeze it.”

“Thank you so much. You’re seriously my last hope. Everything GG sent has been rejected by Daisy’s stomach, and our great-gram’s only a few recipes away from taking it as a personal offense.”

What in the hell is happening behind my back? Here I thought my family had no clue Daisy was pregnant, but not only do they know, they’re also dispatching food and are more up-to-date on her present state than me.

“If you know so much, shouldn’t that have been the first thing you asked Mrs. Kowalski when you came here?”

It’s as if my words don’t even reach my sister. She waves her hand, swatting my concerned words like a fly.

“Who the hell are you to worry about her?”

A seething storm churns inside me, a tempest of fury and frustration as she dismisses me so easily on such an important matter.

“She’s still my wife, in case you’ve forgotten, sis.”

But my low, threatening voice has no impact on Chloe. “Go away, Charlie. Take your grumpy macho act elsewhere.” She shoves me out of the chair before turning back to my housekeeper. “Mrs. K, do you want to see the baby? Daisy had her ultrasound this morning. I can’t believe my little blip of a niece is already ten weeks old.”

A possessive pang hits me like a tornado as Chloe pulls out her phone and slides it across the counter to my housekeeper. I reach for it, but my sister snatches it away, while Mrs. Kowalski freezes, her hands in the air.

“You come to my house uninvited, drink my wine, ruin my evening with your nonsense talk, and yet you keep such a big thing from me? Give me that phone, Chloe.”

“I’d die before I let you see my niece. Only those who care about Daisy and my little princess have the right to see her pic. Since you care about neither, you can fuck off.”

My blood rushes in my ears, a roar that drowns out everything else but her words and the desire to see the picture.

“Your niece wouldn’t even be here if not for me. If anything, I have the first right to her before anyone else, and especially you.”

“Oh, really! Your contribution in her making means shit, Charlie. You need care and compassion to be a real dad or mom. And you’ve shown neither to my niece.”

If I weren’t burning in frustration, I’d have laughed at her use of the word contribution, but her one word seems to pinch deeper and deeper inside me.

Niece. Again.

My muscles tense.