The men of the Ashford family were in full celebration mode, as if this was a done deal and Claire would walk through their door tomorrow.
"I must call your grandfather and give him the good news." Griffin grinned and carried Quentin high, throwing him in the air and catching him with pride on his face.
The little boy giggled and screamed, opening his arms and begging for more.
"Dad, don’t rush to call grandpa," Luca said. "His birthday is next week on Saturday. The old man is also officially retiring and handing over the company to you. What better gift is there for his birthday-farewell celebration than a great granddaughter?"
Apollo nodded eagerly. "Looks like I won’t need to bring any other gifts this year. Claire has taken care of it for me."
Mrs. Paisley was not like the men in her family. She cleared her throat, narrowing her eyebrows. "Aren’t you all getting ahead of yourselves? We don’t know if this baby is a boy or a girl unless the sonogram says so. Also, this is Claire Dane we are talking about! The Claire Dane who would rather walk three miles home than share a car with Apollo! This is a real thing that happened by the way, and I know because I offered her that ride. She sneered at Apollo and said she would rather share a cab with a serial killer! What makes you think she will willingly allow us into her life?"
"She was willing to sleep with him." Griffin rolled his eyes. "Don’t overthink it, darling. They have obviously turned their hatred into passion."
Hugo turned to Apollo, tapping his fingers with a look of mischief and curiosity on his face. "Is it true brother? Have you gone from enemies to lovers?"
Apollo pursed his lips. He couldn’t define where they were. Did Claire hate his guts? Absolutely. Did he find her annoying? Incredibly so. So, they were not friends, but he didn’t think of her as an enemy. He had carried her into a hospital willingly before he even found out about the pregnancy.
"That silence would be a no, my not so clever geniuses," Paisley sighed. "This is going to be harder than doing business. Have you considered the fact that Claire Dane might choose to terminate the pregnancy?"
All the men gasped. Only the children who were playing with the dogs remained the same: happy.
Apollo turned to leave the house, sparking like a blade that struck stone. "I am going to keep an eye on that crazy woman every hour of everyday from now on." He was already thinking back to her recklessness when she climbed onto the ledge. One small mistake, and she would have ended up crushed like a watermelon on the ground.
Before he could get far, his mother grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt. "Slow down Apollo. Do not risk angering her or she just might do that or marry into another family with my grandbaby to spite you."
The more she talked, the more worried he became. What if Claire couldn’t stomach the thought of carrying his child? Fear bloomed in his heart. He felt like a blind man grasping at invisible strings.
Luca shook his head. "Mom, I may not know Claire Dane personally, but I don’t think she is the kind of woman who would go to such extremes to make Apollo suffer. It is best to approach her cautiously and see what she intends to do. If she doesn’t want to raise the child, she can give up custody and we can pay her. Think of it like surrogacy."
Paisley nodded. "See Apollo. Your brother is thinking with his brain. You should do the same more often instead of running off like a startled horse only to create chaos."
With a proud smile, Luca continued, "If she plans to have the child but wants nothing to do with Apollo, then we involve the law and get joint custody."
"These are all great suggestions, but I only want one," Griffin declared thunderously. "Mother and child must join our family. Be it tomorrow or in ten years, she is the only daughter-in-law I will acknowledge in Apollo’s case. A smart woman like her will raise a smart child. I will not have my granddaughter raised by one of those brainless bimbos you have been involved with in the past."
Paisley sighed and walked back to the couch, pulling Apollo along. As she sat down, she shared her thoughts on the issue again. "We must handle this with care. A woman like Claire Dane may be down on her luck now but it will not be like that forever. If she could build one business, she can build another. If we rush in and offer money to buy her baby, I am afraid she will kick us out.
If we suggest joint custody right from the onset, she might see us as a threat. From now on, I will handle how we approach her. I will meet her and try to get close to her. Slowly, I will pull her and her family into ours."
She looked at her son with sharp eyes. "Apollo, your job is just one. Stick with her like ketchup on white jeans--loud, permanent, and everyone notices. Help her around the house, go with her to every doctor’s visit, play nice with her brothers and parents."
"Or a cat on a warm laptop. Clingy, inconvenient but secretly comforting." Griffin cleared his throat before cutting in.
Paisley snapped at her husband. "We are not getting a damn cat!"
Griffin’s cheeks turned red and he looked away from her.
She patted Apollo’s hands and added, "Don’t use your money and influence to threaten her or make her feel like she is not worthy of you or this family. As much as you may dislike her, push it down. This is not about you; it’s about your child and the child’s mother. They need to feel like you are all part of the same family."
"And remember that your grandfather will not hear of an Ashford child being a bastard." Luca reminded Apollo. "Convince Claire to pretend that you are dating before grandpa meets her. If he asks when you plan to get married, just give a vague future date until you actually have a real answer."
Apollo laughed softly. "You make it sound so easy Luca, but you don’t know Claire like I do. If I make that suggestion, she just might castrate me on the spot."
Luca walked to the couch and slapped him on the shoulder. "So, I wish you good luck, little brother."
Hugo repeated the same words. Their sons thought it was a game, so they patted Apollo on his thighs and parroted their fathers’ words.
Apollo accepted everyone’s good wishes because he definitely needed all the good luck in the world to survive Claire Dane.