“He did say he’d like me to come back, but that isn’t what I needed to talk about.”
Jordan bounced around inside the play enclosure, scooping up the kittens every time they tumbled off the pillows.
Theo crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at her. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering about when my dad dropped Jordan off.”
Narrowing his eyes, he said, “I told you I never saw your father. He had some flunky deliver her here.”
“He just walked in with a baby in his arms?”
“She was in an infant seat, and there was a small bag of diapers and formula with her. Thank God, because I wouldn’t have known what to get for her.”
Reaching in her purse, she pulled out the crumpled paper. “He didn’t give you anything else? Like money?”
As his gaze took in the copy of the check, his mouth twisted. “The check.”
“Yeah, the check. For a half million dollars. My father paid you to take our daughter?” Her voice cracked when she thought of her baby only being loved because of the money. It wasn’t something she would ever have imagined from Theo.
“He didn’t pay me to take her, Chelsea.” His voice was gruff and hard.
When she glanced at the check and pointed to his signature on the back, Theo clenched his jaw and his fists.
“I told the guy who dropped her off to keep it, that I didn’t want it, but he stuck it in the bag anyway. It was a few weeks before I even realized it was there.”
“Yet you cashed it.” The fact Theo had taken so much money from her father astounded her. Even after refusing it, he’d apparently given in.
“I was about to rip it up when Angie stopped me. She reminded me how little money rangers make and asked if I still planned to try for the FBI job. I knew with a baby and being on my own, I’d never be able to manage.”
“So this was payment for losing the career you wanted.”
“I didn’t consider it payment for anything,” he snapped and stomped away, running his fingers through his hair. When he turned back, his eyes bore into her. “I had a child to think of. One who would need all sorts of things that I couldn’t afford to give her. One that might want to go to college someday.”
His hands slammed into his pockets, but he kept his voice low. “So, yeah, I cashed the check. Not for a few months, if you’ll notice the date. I put the whole friggin’ thing in a trust fund for Jordan. I didn’t want her choosing her college by which one we could afford.”
A trust fund. For their daughter. Yet part of her was still angry he hadn’t bothered to tell her before now.
“I haven’t touched a penny. Not even the interest, and let me tell you, it’s considerable. Or hadn’t you figured that out? Look at this house, Chelsea.”
This was the second time he’d used her real name, not her nickname, since she’d gotten here. He was angry, too.
“Does it look like I’ve used any money for this? Old furniture, bathrooms that need renovating. The house needs a new roof, for Pete’s sake. The only thing I did was get you the appliances you wanted. Not that it brought you back.”
Turning away, his shoulders rose and fell. “I haven’t even taken a vacation in five years. The first year because I was too afraid to leave in case you came back and then because I had a baby to take care of.”
“Okay, I understand why you took the money, Theo. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me. I’ve been back for over three months now. You’ve had plenty of opportunity. It’s like you don’t trust me.”
The silence spoke volumes as did his eyes that couldn’t meet hers. They roamed around the yard as he took in deep breaths. Her heart chipped into tiny pieces, the way it had been before she’d come back.
“Mama.” Jordan’s sweet voice reached out and seized her. “Wescue me. I’m falling in a lava.”
Somehow, she managed a chuckle and marched toward the enclosure. Swinging her leg over, she got in and pulled the beautiful child into her arms.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I won’t let you go. I’ll always be here to rescue you.”
As Theo tromped into the house, she wondered who would be around to rescue her if she fell back into the depths of despair.
The pillow beside Theo looked deserted without Chelsea’s dark head resting on it. Her scent was still strong and pricked at his emotions. What had he been thinking yesterday when he’d gone silent after her question?
