Jilted (30 page)

Being around the Browns made him realize that maybe he’d written his siblings off too soon. Colleen had mentioned losing him when Skylar had come around, and realized he did neglect them to some extent. But he wasn’t letting them off the hook for their role in his breakup with Skylar, but now he had had a different perspective. In time, maybe he could work toward building something with them again but for now, he had to focus on finding his own way to happiness.

“Daddy, it’s our turn!” Harper tugged on his shirt sleeve. The kids had roped everyone into playing their favorite board game after dinner. Everyone sat around the dining room table taking turns pressing a pop up bubble to get their colored pieces around the board. Because it was a four player game, they had to double up into teams. Skylar and Finn were together, Priscilla and Tristan were a team and he was with Harper. Izzy was the only single player.

“You can go ahead and press it for us, sweetheart.”

“But I pressed it last time,” the little girl pointed out. It seemed his little princess had a sense of fair play just like her mother.

He kissed the top of her forehead. “You’re right, but you’re my lucky charm. You always get better pops than me.”

“Okay.” Harper reached across the table and pressed the bubble. She popped a six which allowed them to move their last piece to home base. “We won!” The little girl jumped out of her chair and did a lap around the table.

Tristan folded his arms across his chest and pouted. “That’s no fair. If Daddy was on my team, I would have won. I called Daddy first anyway.”

“But we teamed up yesterday,” Ashley pointed out. “The next time we play in teams, it will be Finn’s turn. Besides, when we were a team, we lost. Remember? You can’t win all the time, son, but you can be gracious in defeat.”

Tristan scrunched up his face but then let out a sigh. “Okay. But can you tell Harper to stop running around the table? I don’t like it.”

Harper stopped running long enough to stick her tongue out at her brother. “In your face!” She yelled before continuing her victory laps.

“Harper,” Skylar spoke in a warning tone.

But Harper either didn’t hear her mother or ignored her as she continued to run around the table pumping her little arms in the air screaming, “Number one! Number one!”

Even Finn, the most even tempered of the three, glared at his sister. As Harper was about to pass Ashley’s chair, he scooped her up in his arms and swung her around. “Okay, princess, that’s enough.”

Harper giggled. “But we won, Daddy. We’re winners and everyone else is losers.”

“That’s not very nice. Like I told your brother to be gracious in losing, you have to be a gracious winner.”

Harper frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means no one likes a sore winner. How would you feel if one of your brothers did that to you?”

“But Tristan does it all the time!”

“And that’s wrong, too. When you win, you shake hands and say ‘good game.’ The point of playing a game is to have a good time and when you brag, it doesn’t make it fun for everyone else. Do you understand?”

“Okay, Daddy.” Harper then looked at everyone at the table and said, “Sorry,” she apologized in a small voice.

Ashley gave her a quick squeeze. “That’s my girl.”

Skylar stood up. “Okay, guys I think after that exciting game, it’s time to give you three baths and get you to bed.”

“Aww, Mom, can’t we stay up with Daddy?” Tristan whined.

“Yeah, we want to stay up with Daddy.” Finn seconded.

“Listen to your mother,” Ashley spoke up.

“Will you tuck us in, Daddy?” Harper asked.

“Of course.”

That answer seemed to satisfy them. Skylar mouthed the words
thank you
to him as she herded the children out of the dining room.

Izzy stood up next. “I think I’m going to my room to study. Later.” As the teenager walked out of the room she gave him a long, questioning look. Ashley wasn’t sure what to make of that stare; it certainly wasn’t the hostile one she’d given him for the past couple days. He could only hope that she was starting to warm up to him.

With most of the other occupants gone, it left him and Priscilla. She was putting away the game so he helped her pick up the pieces. Once it was all boxed up, Ashley intended to excuse himself. But Priscilla motioned him to sit.

“Please stay, I’d like to speak with you.”

Ashley slowly sat back down. “Okay.” He was very nervous. Priscilla Brown was a woman who commanded respect, not by words but by her actions and the way she carried herself. Short in stature like her daughter, she was still every bit as intimidating as a burly six foot tall man, especially when she looked at a person with that direct stare of hers.

“So. What are you after, Ashley?”

He didn’t expect this question and wasn’t exactly sure how to answer it. “Um, I’m not sure what you mean.”

She raised a brow. Her lips were slightly tilted. “Oh, I think you do. After ignoring my daughter and your children for five years, all of a sudden you push your way into their lives trying to play Mr. Hero. So I ask again, what are you after? What do you want from my daughter?”

Ashley thought about that question and he could only answer with absolute honesty. “Even though I know I don’t deserve it, I want her back and I want to be a full-time father to my children.”

“I see.”

“And to be clear, I didn’t know about the children or else I would have been there for them every step of the way.”

“Funny that you should mention that because as I clearly remember it, Skylar went to your office to tell you about the pregnancy but you turned her away.”

“I guess she didn’t tell you why?”

“My daughter shares a lot of things with me, but the one thing she doesn’t do is betray another person’s confidence, even if they don’t deserve it. She told me about that day and she even relayed to me that you told her why you did it but she left some details out, probably because she respected your privacy. But I deserve an explanation. Skylar wasn’t the only one you hurt. I treated you like a son. From the first time my daughter brought you home to meet me, you were family. Izzy couldn’t stop bragging about her new big brother. We were ecstatic when you proposed. We were even willing to put up with you raggedy-ass family and I won’t apologize for saying that. Those people were awful to us and especially to my daughter. But you were worth it because I saw someone who truly loved my baby. Whenever you looked at her, the love was so obvious. She was your world. But then you destroyed her in front of all those people and broke her heart. And you also crushed mine and Izzy’s. Now I’ve tried to bite my tongue for the sake of peace in this house. Hell, to be quite honest, I’m not really happy that you’re here, but my grandbabies want you here and I won’t kick you out as long as that Solomon character is on the loose.”

“Priscilla—”

“No. Let me finish. We really cared about you, so yeah; you owe me an explanation too.”

Hearing this made Ashley feel like an even bigger asshole than he already was. Priscilla was correct. She and Izzy had been nothing but warm and welcoming to him and to treat Skylar the way he had was a slap in the face to them. There weren’t words adequate enough to describe his regret. “You’re right. What I did wasn’t acceptable and I hate myself for hurting Skylar, you and Izzy. But the truth is, I was a broken man long before I met your daughter, and all my problems seemed to come to a head shortly before the wedding.” Ashley then relayed everything that led up to him publically ending his engagement to Skylar. He left nothing out from his mother’s affairs, to his father’s suicide. He then went on to tell her about what his mother had done to make him believe that there was no pregnancy and then finally about how he learned the truth. He was out of breath by the time he was finished.

“Wow,” Priscilla whispered. “Skylar told me some of those things but not all of it. That’s pretty mind-blowing, Ashley.”

He snorted. “And I lived it.”

“I’m so sorry you had to live like that. What your mother did…that was just inexcusable. I’m not letting you off the hook by any means but I understand things clearer now. Sometimes we don’t always make the best decisions when we’re in a lot of pain. You should have talked things out with my daughter, but I get it. You feared you’d end up like your father. Having to grow up in an environment like that would have to be hard. I had a similar experience.”

Ashley raised a brow. “You did?”

“Yes. I grew up in a very strict religious home. My parents kept me on a very short leash and I did all I could to please them, but nothing ever seemed good enough in their eyes. I think my father was disappointed that I wasn’t a boy and my mother just went along with whatever my father said. The one thing that I remember the most about them was that they loved to maintain the appearance of a perfect family. They’d brag about me in public and in church but at home it was a different story. I couldn’t wait to get away from them. I think that’s probably why I fell for the first guy who showed any romantic interest in me. When I got pregnant with Skylar, my parents kicked me out.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I’m not. I admit it was a tough road. My boyfriend was sent to prison for doing something he shouldn’t have and I had a child to take care of with no support, but I know that if I was still with them then they would have broken my spirit eventually. For all the fancy airs they put on they weren’t perfect. My father had more affairs than I can count. I remember because they’d argue about it when they didn’t think I could hear. A couple of my father’s women even came to our house to cause trouble. I always wondered why my mother stayed. Something like that can really mess with your head. So I understand, Ashley. And I forgive. But I need to know, do you love my daughter?”

Without hesitation, he answered. “With all my heart. I never stopped loving her even when I tried to convince myself otherwise. If she honors me with another chance, I won’t take it for granted. I want to shower her with all the love she deserves and I will spend the rest of my life making her and the children happy.”

Priscilla was quiet for a moment. She gave him a long-accessing stare. “You know what? I believe you. I’ve seen the way you look at my daughter these past couple of days. And I’d be a fool not to notice how quickly you’ve taken to the children. And they love you too. But it’s not going to be easy for you this time around. You’re going to have to be patient with my daughter, but if she decides to take you back I’ll support the union.”

Ashley was humbled by the generosity of this woman. “Thank you. This means so much.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Skylar will be wary. She’s very unsure of herself when it comes to love but I think eventually I’ll be planning another wedding. But I’m warning you right now, if your mother is in any way involved I can’t promise you that I won’t kick her ass.”

Ashley chuckled. “Duly noted.”

Priscilla stood up and walked over to him. “Now give me a hug, son.”

“With pleasure.”

<><><><><><>

“I didn’t think they would ever get to sleep,” Skylar sighed as she leaned against the wall outside of her children’s bedroom.

Ashley chuckled. “They really do love their bedtime stories, don’t they?”

Skylar smiled. The triplets had convinced Ashley to read them three bedtime stories. The only reason why she didn’t speak up was because it was cute watching Ashely and the kids interact. Like he’d already pointed out, she’d had the kids to herself for over four years and he had a lot of time to make up for. Seeing them together made her wonder how her life would have turned out if they had all lived together as a family. It made her wish for a different time and circumstances but she quickly pushed that thought away. She couldn’t dwell on the past. This was her life now. And she just didn’t have the courage even think about starting anything romantically with Ashley again. “Usually, I read one story a night. You got conned.”

“Those little stinkers. I didn’t mean to override your authority.”

“Well, for tonight its fine, but eventually I’ll have to impress upon them that they can’t play us against each other, especially when they start spending time at your place.”

He raised a brow. “You’re willing to let them spend time with me alone?”

“I don’t see why not. You guys get along really well and you are their father. Maybe you should convert one of your spare bedrooms to a more kid-friendly space for them before that happens, though.”

“Actually I have another place in mind. I mean I have another house. They could each get their own room.”

This was news to her. “When did that happen?”

“I bought the house a little over five years ago. As a wedding gift to you. I never got around to living in it and I didn’t have the heart to sell it.”

Her heart pounded in her chest. Why did he have to do this to her now, when she was trying her hardest not to fall for him again? “You mean you didn’t live in it with Tiffany?” She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. He’d married that tramp right after breaking her heart.

“No. She didn’t even know I owned it. My so-called marriage to her was a joke and didn’t last two months. It was annulled so technically it didn’t even happen. Besides, it wouldn’t have been right to allow anyone else to live in that house but you. But now if I’ll be getting the kids sometimes, I’d like to start making it a home.”

She noticed that as he spoke he moved closer to her. Ashley dipped his head and it was clear that he was diving in for a kiss. Skylar was paralyzed by the intensity of his gaze. She couldn’t move if she wanted to. Her heart pounded. And as she felt his breath against her lips, the doorbell rang, snapping Skylar out of the trance she was in.

“Uh, I should go get that before the bell wakes the kids up.” She couldn’t get away fast enough. Allowing him to kiss her would have been the biggest of mistakes. Skylar refused to let herself go down that path again.

She hurried down the stairs and saw her mother heading toward the door. “I got it, Mom!”

“Okay. Were you expecting anyone? What if it’s that man? I should go get my bat.”