We sit in silence as Darcy brings us food. She gives me a stack of chocolate chip pancakes and a heaping side of bacon. She knows me so well.
I dig in, waiting for Christian to explain his parents. I won’t go back on my promise to Lark, I won’t let them take her.
“My parents only want the illusion of a grandchild. All their friends now have grandchildren, and they suddenly feel like they are missing out.” He slides his eggs around on his plate. “I know what they are doing is wrong, but I’m nothing, Wren. I made nothing of myself. It was the topic that Eric and I beat into the ground. I wanted to become something, live for something, and he was helping me with that before?—”
“He died.” It sounds just like him. Even from the grave, my bestie is looking out for the rest of us Earth dwellers. “What did you want to do?”
“Same thing I always wanted,” he whispers.
It’s an answer I already know, one we spoke about years ago. “You still want to be a teacher.”
“History.”
“I heard you got your teaching degree.”
“Yeah, so did my parents. I told them I was getting a business degree and even paid off my guidance counselors to lie to them—until graduation day.” He drops his fork. “They threatened to make me pay all of the student loans if I didn’t do what they wanted of me.”
My heart hurts for him, for the path they forced upon him. “Now?”
“I know the choices I made were the wrong ones. I know I allowed them to dictate my life, and all I hope is that you’ll realize that the choices I made were done out of fear.” He swallows, leaning forward. “Let me make it up to you, Wren.”
“How, Christian? There is a chasm between us, I don’t know if either of us can mend.” I swirl my syrup around my plate.
“I promise to keep my parents in Georgia and prove I can be the man Eric believed I could be. Let me get to know my daughter,” he begs.
“Okay,” I whisper, taking a bite of my pancakes.
“That was too easy,” he says, shocked.
“That’s because you haven’t met me yet.” Kenzie pulls up a chair, wearing a chilling smile on her face. “I’m about to make sure your promises hold up in court.” She doesn’t even introduce herself as she sets a recorder between us. “Shall we begin?”
“Here?” Christian asks in surprise.
“Welcome to small-town life. Buckle up, Southerner, because we’re about to upturn your entire life,” Kenzie answers.
It takes everything in me not to laugh, because she isn’t wrong.
CHAPTER 29
After listeningto Kenzie spout off legal terms for a whole three minutes, I packed up my breakfast and left, choosing to spend the rest of the day with Lark. Perhaps a part of me needed to assure her I would always be there for her no matter what. I knew negotiations would happen with her father at some point, and though Kenzie said she would take care of the Southern oil tycoons, my stomach is still twisted up in knots at the thought they could even have a claim on Lark.
It isn’t that I don’t want her to meet her grandparents, but that I want them to do it for the right reasons, and not because they are using my girl for clout. It’s something that won’t be solved overnight, no matter how much I wished it could be.
The key here is and always will be patience. I don’t have patience, but I’m willing to do my best to learn.
Sunday, we all help put up Christmas lights on the B&B while consuming sandwiches and other finger foods. I’m still not hooked on where this entire Wonderland situation is heading, but I admit, curiosity itches at my spine.
Normally in the South, or in any city, most people just want to go shopping and purchase gifts after Thanksgiving. Whilethere are a few little stores scattered around town, they haven’t been any busier than any other day, which surprises me.
It dawns on me as we string up lights while conversation washes over me.
“What’s your one gift this year?” Seraphina casually asks Arlo.
One gift?
“My one gift?” He peers out from behind a pile of tangled lights, his blue eyes sparkling as the golden glow of the twinkle lights give his eyes a mischievous glint. Then those eyes land on me, and my breath whooshes right out of my lungs.
Seraphina coos, but my eyes never drift from Arlo’s. Not even as he smiles and glances away with a slight blush on his face.
