“Taelyn wants Millie. She wants to take her away from me. From us.” My voice cracked a bit, but I kept going. “Tristan and I have been seeing each other for a while now.” Craning my neck, I made a show of staring deep into his eyes. The way he stared back was more than a little unnerving.
“We were in that selfish phase where we didn’t want to let the outside world into our bubble.”
Those long fingers dug deeper into my skin, stealing the breath straight from my lungs. “Mrs. Humphreys caught us after a business dinner one night, and we kind of spilled the beans.”
“Right.” My dad’s icy tone forced my gaze away from Tristan’s.
I knew him. He wasn’t buying this. My mom though, she practically had hearts in her eyes. Confused little hearts but hearts, nonetheless.
“She said you were engaged,” my dad gritted out.
I shook my head. “We’re not.”
“Not yet,” Tristan added way too smoothly.
I wanted to knock his damn teeth out.
“I’m not following.” Mom’s gaze traveled between me and Tristan. “Why would she think you’re getting married then?”
A loaded breath escaped me. There was no getting out of this. “Because we told her we were, Mom.”
“You lied to the social worker?”
And I’m lying to you too.
Shame coated my insides. “Yes.” Slowly lifting my chin, I added, “I did what I had to, to strengthen my chances of keeping Millie.”
For a few tense moments, it seemed as if my dad had more questions, but then my mom sighed her swoony sigh. He gave her the look—the one I always believed meantI adore you so much I forgot what I was doing— and whatever he was about to ask dissolved on his tongue.
“I’m so happy for you.” More joyous sounds came from my mom as she rushed forward and kissed my cheek. “And you.” Tristan’s body went ramrod straight when she kissed him too. “I’ll set an extra plate.” Then she was gone, calling out to Millie to help her in the dining room.
What a blessing when your mom was a hopeless romantic who didn’t ask too many questions.
My dad though…he was not.
Nibbling on my lip, I looked at him in the same way Millie looked at me when she wanted something. He didn’t even notice. Too busy staring daggers at my husband. And when the staring wasn’t enough, he stepped straight into Tristan’s space.
My dad was shorter and not as wide, but he didn’t look the tiniest bit intimidated.
“Exactly how long have you been dating my daughter?”
Tristan, freaking smooth operator he was, didn’t even flinch. “I might be off by a day or two, but I reckon it’s been about six months.” His attention was on me. “Am I right, baby?”
Either he was a brilliant liar, or he’d given this cover story way more thought than I had. I didn’t want to know which one it was.
“Ri-right,” I stammered. “Six months.”
“That so,” Dad drawled. “How come Millie hasn’t mentioned him before?”
Well shit. How the heck was I supposed to navigate this particular plot hole? No doubt, Mrs. Humphreys and whoever else interviewed us would ask the same questions.
“Because she didn’t meet me until now.” Tristan came to my rescue. “We wanted to wait until things were serious. No use in confusing a little girl while we were still figuring things out.”
He’d meant well, I knew he did. But damn if those words didn’t cut me to the very center of my being. Iwasconfusing her. I’d brought this man into our lives with the purest intentions, and in the end, when he moved on, she’d be hurt.
Didn’t all this just prove I wasn’t the right person to raise her?
“So, it’s serious now?” My dad’s low and gruff voice interrupted my thoughts.
