by Wendy Smith
He’s kept his word and stayed away until now.
I’m grateful to him for making sure I didn’t have hospital bills, but it was the least he could do considering the way he’d treated me.
I take a deep breath and pull open the door.
“Grandpa,” Kaia squeals, launching herself off the floor. She runs straight at him, and he closes his eyes as she wraps her arms around his thighs.
“Hi, Kaia. I’ve got a gift for you.” He meets my gaze. “I hope that’s okay.”
I nod. “It’s fine.”
We just look at each other for a moment before I wake myself out of my daze. “Sorry, come in.”
He walks through the door, Kaia right beside him, and looks around the room. I hope he’s happy. I hope he realizes us living here is his fault. He took our little house away from us.
“First of all, here you go.” He hands Kaia a wrapped package, and she looks at me.
“It’s okay, baby. You can open it now.” I smile.
She drops to the floor in front of the couch. The paper flies as she tears it off, and my smile widens at how happy she is. “Thank you,” I say.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d let me in. But I’m in town on business, and I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“Take a seat and I’ll make coffee.”
He nods, taking a seat on the couch.
While I spoon the coffee into the mugs, a million thoughts run through my head. Should I tell Cole’s father about the baby? Has Cole already told him? Is that why he’s here? I’m not sure if I’m ready for him to know yet.
When I step back into the living room, Jensen’s eyes are fixed on Kaia. The joy in his expression is gratifying to see. Her life is what he missed out on, and that’s on him.
“Need help with the box, baby girl?” I ask.
“No, Mommy.” She grins up at me.
I hand Jensen his coffee and sit on the couch.
“I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here.” He takes a sip of his drink and places the cup on the coffee table.
I nod. “The hospital was rough, but I want you to know I appreciate everything you did for me.”
“It’s an open-ended offer. I’ll take care of all your medical bills because we need you to be well.” He sighs. “What I wanted to do was explain things to you. There’s a lot you don’t know about my connection to your family.”
“I know you were friends with my father.”
He gives me a wistful smile. “Your father meant the world to me. We were best friends when we started school. Much like you and Cole were.”
I suck on my bottom lip and nod.
“I met Nicole in high school. And Joseph met your mother. We left school, got jobs, got married. Only your mother wasn’t happy. Her father was an alcoholic, and she followed in his footsteps.” He takes a deep breath. “Anyway, I discovered she was sleeping around. Joseph didn’t believe me at first. Then she announced she was pregnant.”
I swallow hard.
“No matter what, Joseph adored you. He vowed that whether you were his or not, he would love you and take care of you. And he did. But Dana just kept drinking.” There are tears in his eyes. My father’s death was sudden. He went to work one day, had a heart attack, and never came home. I never thought about Cole’s father losing his friend.
“He worked so hard. I miss him every day,” I say.
“So do I. Your mother didn’t want anything to do with us after that. I was always surprised she didn’t mind your friendship with Cole.”
I shook my head. “She didn’t seem to care about much. Not until Kaia came along. That’s why I spent so much time at your house when I was growing up.”
“I should have understood that better. For so long, I blamed her for my best friend’s death. And you.” He places his hand over mine. “I should never have blamed you. You were a child. And then you became pregnant and said it was my son’s. I didn’t know if I was watching Dana all over again, but I didn’t want Cole to end up like Joseph.”
Tears roll down my cheeks. “You were so awful to us.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Here you are working yourself to the bone to provide for you and your daughter. I should never have done what I did. Even if Kaia wasn’t Cole’s, I should have taken better care of you. Joseph would have wanted it.”
“It’s taken you a long time to work that out. There was never any doubt that Kaia was Cole’s. He’s her father.”
He nods. “When Cole called and said you were in hospital, all I could think about was Joseph. That’s why I came. And the second I laid eyes on Kaia, I knew I’d been wrong. She’s you and Cole through and through.” He lets out a loud breath. “I’m so sorry, Brooke. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Mommy, look.”
I turn my head to look at Kaia. A couple of weeks ago, she saw a toy on TV she told me she desperately wanted. It was a dog that moved and barked and talked. And it was way out of my budget.
Now she holds one in her arms.
“Let me fix that for you.” Some of the ties haven’t come off, and it’s still attached to the box. I untwist them, freeing the toy. “Oh, baby. He’s beautiful.”
“He’s my friend.” She hugs him tight.
I swallow. “Say thank you to Grandpa.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.” She launches herself at the couch, wedging herself between Cole’s father and me.
“You’re very welcome. You were so excited when we saw the ad on TV for it when we were staying in the hotel.”
She beams. I watch his face as he watches her. There’s a strain there, and I can see the emotions he’s feeling as he takes in her excitement. There’s love and regret—something I never thought I’d see from him.
As she plays, he moves his gaze to me. “Joseph would be so proud of you. I’m so sorry he never lived to see Kaia.”
I nod. “Me too. I miss him so much.”
“He loved you with everything he had. And Cole loves you just as much.”
I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand. “I wish I could remember.”
“I know you do.” His eyes are warm, and I see an affection in them I never saw before. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. It wasn’t just seeing Kaia that shook me—it was seeing you in that hospital bed. I’ve been haunted by it ever since, and thinking of Joseph since that day.”
“I was always so scared you’d try and take Kaia from me.”
He shakes his head. “Never. Even if I had believed the worst, she needs you. But I think she also needs Cole now she knows him. I’m not asking for another chance for me, Brooke, but I’d really appreciate you giving Cole one.”
I lick my lips, and run my fingers through Kaia’s curls. “I’ve been thinking about him a lot.”
“Being apart from you two is killing him. And Nicole is itching to see Kaia. She doesn’t know I’m here, but she’d love to spend time with both of you.”
I nod. “I’d love to see her. She was always so good to me.”
“I know I wasn’t.”
“You wanted to protect Cole. I understand that much.”
“Grandpa, look.” Kaia puts her new toy on the floor. The dog walks, then barks, and asks for someone to play with him.
“I’m glad you like him.”
“I love him.” She picks the dog up and hugs him. “I wish we could get a real dog.”
“We can’t have pets here, Kaia, but one day.” I give her a smile. I look back at Cole’s father. “Thank you for coming. And for everything you’ve said. It means a lot.”
“I’m glad I came. Seeing Cole so desperate hit me so hard. And then I thought about how hard things have been for you. It’s all my fault.”
I don’t have anything else to say, so I shift my gaze back to Kaia. “How about we invite Daddy for dinner one night?”
Her eyes widen. “Can we?”
“Sure. Maybe we can have some pizza.”
“Pizza’s my favorite. Daddy likes it too,” she tell
s Jensen.
“Is it? I think your dad has good taste.”
“Would you like to stay for dinner?” I ask.
“I’d love to. I’ll pay.”
While the past four years can’t be erased, I know this is a huge step for a very proud man. He hasn’t treated me well, but everything he’s said means a lot. That he’s prepared to swallow his pride and apologize says a lot.
He hands me some cash out of his wallet, and I pick up the phone to order pizza.
Seeing him get down onto the living room floor with Kaia to play with her toy fills my heart with joy. I can’t forget what he did, nor can I forgive him, but I think we can move forward. Kaia’s delighted with his presence, and I understand.
She has such a big heart, and he’s her grandfather.
I order Kaia’s favorite, pepperoni, and sit back and watch them play. Jensen is a changed man. He’s all smiles, and that look of enchantment on his face while watching Kaia gives me a warm feeling.
She’s the one who matters most in all of this. If she wants a relationship with her grandparents, then she’ll have one. I won’t stand in her way.
The time passes as I’m lost in thought, and the knock catches me by surprise.
“Brooke?” Jensen says.
“That’ll be the pizza. Sorry. I was a million miles away.”
I walk to the door and pull it open, inhaling the scent of oregano as I hand over the money and take the delivery.
“I’ll get plates. Just point me in the right direction,” Jensen says.
“Let’s just put it on the table and eat there.”
He grins. “I haven’t done that in years.”
I place the pizza down and open the boxes. My stomach grumbles at the smell of cheese and pepperoni.
“Pizza!” Kaia drops her dog on the floor and runs to the table.
I shake my head at her. “Your poor toy.”
She shrugs and picks up a slice of pizza.
Jensen laughs. “That’s nearly as big as your head.”
Kaia grins, and takes a large bite. “Yummy.”
“Is it, sweetheart? I’ll have to try,” he says.
I laugh. “I never saw you as a pizza man.”
“I’ve never really been much of one. But if Kaia likes it, it must be good.”
My heart’s warmed by his enthusiasm for my daughter.
“She has good taste. This is the best pizza around here,” I say.
Watching Jensen Masters eat pizza has to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Not because he does it in a weird way or anything, but because he was always a sit-at-the-table-and-use-the-silverware kind of person. I keep my thoughts to myself and enjoy the treat he’s paid for.
Kaia plays up to him, fluttering her eyelashes and chatting away about anything and everything. Seeing her like this warms my heart. My life has been so chaotic, I never stopped to think about how lonely it was, for me and for her.
She loves having her grandfather in her life.
“Kaia, it’s time for bed,” I say after an hour.
She pouts.
Jensen taps her on the nose. “Listen to your mother. I’ll come and see you again soon.”
“Good night, Grandpa.”
He pulls her onto his lap, and she wraps her arms around his neck.
“Good night, Kaia. Grandma and I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Hearing her so affectionate toward him tears at my heart.
Kaia takes my hand, and I lead her to her room where her pajamas wait. She wraps her arms around my neck as I button up the top.
“Can we see Daddy soon?” Kaia asks.
I smile. “Soon. Are you going to go straight to sleep?”
She nods.
I hug her tight, kissing her on the forehead, and lift her into her bed. She closes her eyes, and I sit with her for a few minutes, stroking her hair.
I place my other hand on my stomach. This child deserves to know its father. Just as Kaia did. She missed out on so much, but I’ll be damned if she’ll miss out on more. There’s so much to work through in my head, but I need to do it for the sake of my children.
Our children.
For a moment, I sit and listen to her breathe. Kaia and I have been through a lot together. After Mom died, we moved four times before I found my job and we moved here. This has been her home longer than anywhere else. Her stability is so important.
She sighs, and I lean over and kiss her temple.
I swear I’ve never seen anyone fall asleep as fast as she does, and I smile to myself as I stand and pull away.
Jensen looks up at me as I enter the room.
“Kaia asleep?” He smiles.
I nod. “Out like a light. It doesn’t take much with her.”
“She’s so sweet. You’ve done such a great job raising her.”
“Thank you.” I sit on the couch. “Would you and Nicole like to see her more often?”
His eyes light up. “We’d love to.”
“I’m not really in a position to travel a lot to see you, but I want you to know that you’re more than welcome to come and visit us. Just let me know ahead of time so I can plan for it.”
He nods. “Of course. Thank you. This will mean the world to Nicole.” His eyebrows dip. “Things aren’t that good between us right now. I lied to her, and that meant she missed out on Kaia too.”
“I hope you can work things out.”
“Me too. All I wanted was to protect my family, but I did the opposite. Anyway, I’m in town for a couple more days. Do you want to go out for dinner tomorrow night? My treat.”
“I’m working.”
He frowns. “I thought that you would have given that up. Is Cole giving you enough?”
I nod. “He’s giving me plenty, but—”
“You don’t want to give up that security yet.”
“No. I can’t.” I let out a loud breath. “I’m sure both you and Cole mean what you’re saying, but it’s all just words right now. I need time to work out what to do. And I need to make sure that Kaia and I are secure before I give up that income.”
He nods. “I understand. I’m not sure I like it, but I understand.”
“You didn’t seem to care before.” The words come out without me thinking, but I have no regret.
“I’m ashamed of my behavior, but I did always know where you were.”
“Did Cole know?”
He swallows hard. “No, and my actions have put a wedge between us that I regret. I hope in time he’ll give me another chance.”
I nod. “He loves you. I’m sure he will.”
“He loves you. I’ve never heard him so angry as he was when he called me to confront me over the money. And I’ve never seen him fall apart the way he did when you were in the hospital.”
Cole was angry about him withholding money from me. He didn’t know. Did I know this before the accident? Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I let him back in.
I swallow down tears. “You don’t have to convince me. I know how he feels.”
He smiles, and it’s genuine, and that just makes me want to cry even more. Why couldn’t he have been like this from the start?
“I’ll get going. But I want you to call me if you or Kaia need anything. Anything at all.”
I nod. “I will.”
He stands, and I follow suit. “When I get home, I’ll talk to Nicole. We’ll come back together next time.”
“That’s fine. Kaia will love it.” I screw up my face. “Can you please not bring her gifts every time, though?”
Jensen chuckles. “Of course. I just remembered how excited she was when she saw that ad for it, and when I spotted it in the store, it had Kaia written all over it.”
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful. But I don’t want her taking it for granted.”
“I understand.” He bends to place a kiss on my cheek. “See you next time. I’ll give you a call when we work out when we can be back.”
When he leaves, I’m still not sure how I feel about Cole’s father having anything to do with Kaia. He denied her parentage, denied her getting the support she should have had. But if my recovery from surgery has taught me anything, it’s that life’s so short.
Whatever my relationship with Jensen, Kaia deserves to get to know her grandparents. They’re the only ones she has.
And Cole. Cole deserves better. I’ve been so torn over him, but this little insight into what happened before the accident has helped. Maybe I need to open my heart to him again.
I’m not sure what the future will bring for me and my children, but our world is changing, whether I’m up with the play or not.
I just hope I’m ready.
7
Brooke
Monday night at the bar is hard.
We have a rush from eight to ten, but it dies off by eleven. I’m grateful for the peace, and looking forward to going home. Fatigue is hard enough to fight without the late nights, but this is what I signed up for.
“Go home now if you want.”
My eyebrows rise as I stare at Marcus. He’s been as accommodating as Jenny has since the accident, but he never usually lets any of us go home early unless it is an emergency.
He smiles. “I’ll pay you for the last hour. Go and be with your family.”
“Thank you.”
His expression softens. “We all nearly lost you, Brooke. I’ve never had something like that happen to someone so close. It scared the shit out of me.”
“It still scares me. I wish I could remember what happened.”
He nods. “I’m sure. Are you okay getting home?”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
I have to face this if I’m going to get through. For a year, I walked home without incident, and I’m not letting this beat me.
Grabbing my bag, I say goodbye to Katie and Eric in the kitchen and head out toward the door.
“Brooke. You leaving early?” Craig looks up from the bar.
“I’m heading home. Have a good night.”
He smiles. “You too. Is Cole coming to get you?”
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Just be careful.” His eyes convey his concern, and I’m grateful, but I need to take control of my life.
