Loving Her (11 page)

“
It sounds like you had a full day. I’m glad. It’s nice to be able to visit again. Noah missed you. Everyone did, I think. We’re all so glad you’re better.”

“
Today was fun. Anything is better than the hospital, but Kentucky is my favorite place to be. How come we don’t live here? When you and dad were datin’, did he live here, too?”

Her question caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure how to answer. “We weren’t officially a couple until we went to live with
daddy. He’d visit me all the time, though.”

“How come? Why didn’t he stay with you when you were pregnant with me?”

I felt completely uncomfortable. “What’s with all these questions?”

She shrugged. “I just want to know.”

“Remember how daddy talked about bein’ in the coma?”

She nodded.

“Well, when I found out I was pregnant, he was in the coma. When he got out, he had to take care of some things before we could be together. Nothing would have kept him away from you.”

“W
hen you got pregnant, did you want to live with daddy?”

I didn’t know what to do. I was panicking. My daughter was asking questions that I didn’t want to answer. “Yes, sort of. He got hurt before he knew about you. When he found out, all he wanted to do was be with us. That’s why we moved in with him and why we got married.
I’ll never forget his face on the day you were born. You’ve seen the pictures. He was so scared, having to deliver you in the car. I could see how much he loved you in that moment. Then he held my hand the whole way to the hospital and he kept me from being scared. Aunt Van was there, too. It was her car you were born in.” I patted her on the butt. “All done, kiddo.”

“Mom, one last question.”
Most of what I’d just told her was the truth, so anything she had to ask about that day would have been the truth. Ty delivered Bella and nothing could ever take that away from him.

I sighed and turned around to
face her. “What is it, sweetie?”

“Never mind. It’s not important.” She climbed in the shower and I almost ran out of the bathroom
to avoid any more of her questions. As much as it was killing me, I couldn’t imagine how much worse it was going to get.”

I found Ty outside, full of sweat and completely preoccupied. He saw me and stopped what he was doing. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to freak out, but in case Bella asks, we were together when I was pregnant. I told her you went into the coma and that’s why we stayed in Kentucky until you got better, and we moved in with you and got married. I’m sorry, I panicked.”

“She really asked that?
I can’t believe this shit is happening.”

“She didn’t act mad, Ty. She was more curious.”

He didn’t seem to get my reassuring comment. “Jesus Christ, the lies are just piling up.”

“Please calm down. We don’t know if this will amount to anything. Don’t jump to conclusions, babe.”
I shouldn’t have even told him, but knew I’d feel guilty if I hadn’t.

“Miranda, this is ridiculous. How much more proof do you need? She’s basically spelling it out for us. She knows we’re lying and it’s only a
matter of time before she figures it out, or we get our stories messed up. Stop trying to make it seem like this ain’t a big fucking deal, when you know it is.”

I had to walk away. First, because I didn’t want to get into an argument with him when the family was around. Second, because arguing with him wasn’t going to solve anything. I had to stay on his side, whether I felt he was being irrational or not.

“Miranda, don’t walk away from me.”

I turned around and shook my
head at him. “Ty, we’ll talk about it later. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

Van’s dad was already lighting the fire and the kid
s were looking around for sticks to roast marshmallows. Van was leaning on the picnic table watching them. “What was that about?”

I leaned on the table next to her. “Bella asked me if Ty and I were together when I got pregnant.”

“Wow. What did you tell her?”

“I said we were and then he got into his accident. I know he was with you then, but they don’t need to know that. Besides, I don’t think Colt wants anyone to know he swept in and stole you away while your boyfriend was in the hospital.”

We both laughed.

“You make it sound so scandalous.”

I nudged her. “You were a bad girl. I heard all about that hot sex in Ty’s dad’s truck. Apparently, you two couldn’t keep your hands off one another.”

Van looked over at her husband, who was hard at work. “I wouldn’t change a thing if I could go back in time. Would you?”

I watched Ty and thought about my life before we were together. “If I hadn’t been runnin’ from Tucker, I’d never would have been with Ty. Sure, we probably would have hooked up at some point, but our life is what it is because of all of our trials and tribulations. So no. I wouldn’t trade it. Ty’s a wonderful father and he keeps me on my toes. Besides, you and I both know that behind the comedian, is the most loving man I’ve ever known.”

“True, but I wouldn’t share that secret with anyone else. He likes people thinking he’s a douche. I don’t understand it, but it’s the truth. There’s been so many times where I wanted to strangle him but, at the end of the day, if I need a shoulder he’s always there.”

There was a time when I would have been jealous of their relationship. No woman wants their husbands ex to be one of his best friends, but Van was our family. Her bond with Ty was nothing romantic. Her cancer scare had proven that to everyone, especially Colt, who had to apologize several times for assuming they were involved.

When we heard the screen door slamming shut, we both turned to see Bella and Noah walking outside. They walked up to the guys and looked at the playhouse. Ty grabbed Bella and kissed her on the side of the head. When she didn’t run away, Van and I looked at each other. “That’s a good sign, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think it is.”

“Kids are curious by nature, Miranda. I know you’re both worried and maybe you have good reason, but Bella is a good girl. She’ll probably drop this whole thing as soon as you go home. Think about it. She’s finally heading back to school with all of her friends. Once that happens, she’ll be too busy to worry about some stranger that died a long time ago.”

“I hope you’re right, Van. It would be nice if this all went away. I haven’t seen Ty act like this since he was tryin’ to get those papers. I mean, I know how much he loves her, but that man has risked his life, broken laws, and even put our marriage on the line to give her the perfect life. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. I wish that was easy to explain to a curious eleven year old.”

“Hopefully, one day, when the time is right, he’ll be able to tell her everything he’d done. When that day comes, I can’t see her hating him. She should love him more for everything he’s done to protect her.”

“Let’s pray that’s what happens.”

I sat there with my cousin, watching Bella standing there with Ty. I couldn’t, for the life of me, picture them not being close. I had to pray that Van was right.
Hopefully, going home would make this entire nightmare disappear.

Chapter 15

Tyler

Later that night, Colt pulled me aside. I knew what he was going to talk about, but as my family, I found it important to hear him out.

“Ty, I get that you’re upset about Bella. I can’t imagine what it’s like for you or even Savanna to love a child that you weren’t a part of makin’. When I see her with Noah, I know that there ain’t anything she wouldn’t give to have Noah be her real son. In her heart, he already is. I think that’s why she understand
s you so much. The two of you have opened your lives up for two children that neither of you had to do. Of course, Savanna and I were married when Noah came into our lives, but you and Miranda weren’t anything. I think we all knew that from the day she was born you had some kind of attachment to her. Helpin’ bring a child into this world will do that to you, but you stepped up. You didn’t just want to be some uncle that visited from afar. When Bella was born, you turned into a man. No matter what happens from here on out, nothin’ can change the bond you have. I’m sayin’ this because I’ve seen my son doubt his feelin’s for Savanna. It took him a little while to see it, but when he did, he knew he’d been wrong to push her away. Savanna is the best thing that could have happened to that boy. He needed a mother, and she stepped in at a moment in her life when things were horrible for her. Ty, you have that bond with Bella. You know it in your heart. If she does uncover the secret, it may take her a while to get over it, but I promise you, she will.”

We stood
there staring at each other as I tried to ponder on what to say. “We’ve brought her up to understand that lying is bad. How do you think she’s going to feel when she realizes that our whole relationship is built on one?”

“Hopefully, she will get
why you did it. Look Ty, if you peel away the layers of the secret, it was all out of love. You weren’t bein’ selfish when you signed up to be her daddy.”

“I still remember the day she said it. We were sitting in a car waiting to go into church. Van was
there visiting and I couldn’t believe it. I don’t care what medical tests say. I’m her father.”

He put his hand on my shoulder. “That you are, cuz. Keep tellin’ yourself that, no matter what happens. You’re goin’ to be alright. No matter what, she’s a part of this family and so are you. You will never be alone.”

“You probably think I’m being a pussy.”

“Hell no! Tyler, you’re a lot braver than you give yourself credit for. I don’t know if I could have done what you did. People assume I’m this all around great guy, but I couldn’t have claimed a child that wasn’t mine. I’m selfish that way. If Savanna had a child with someone else, especially if it was yours, I’d never be able to see past it not being mine. I wanted my own kids.”

“You would have adopted.”

“That’s different. That child wouldn’t have belonged to Savanna and some other guy. When you look into Bella’s eyes, what do you see looking back at you?”

I thought about his question for a moment. “At first look, I see her mother. She looks exactly like her.”

“You know what I mean, Ty.”

Colt was right. From early on, especially when they first came to stay with me, I’d felt it and seen it for myself. I wasn’t just signing up to be her dad. There was this bond between us, like she’d picked me out herself. She was the one who called me daddy and it was her love all along that made me fall in love. “I see myself. When I look into her eyes, I see my daughter.”

He put his hand on my shoulder and looked right into my eyes. “That ain’t ever goin’ to change.”

Colt left me standing there, thinking about a lot of things, not that I hadn’t already had a bunch on my mind. Maybe I needed him to remind me of the big picture.

We finally headed in the house to say goodbye to all the grandparents and Lucy.
Miranda and I had decided to get an early start on the drive home and it was easier to say goodbye now, instead of having to drive to each person’s house.

Karen, my mother-in-law
, hugged me tightly. She whispered in my ear when she spoke so that nobody else could hear. “I don’t care what anyone says. You’re the best father that I could ever want for my grandchildren. I know I gave you a hard time, at first, but let’s be honest, you weren’t exactly in the best of ways. You’ve got nothing to worry about, Tyler. There’s no way you will ever lose that little girl. When everyone else in the world doubted your intentions, that baby knew you were the one. She’s always known. None of us could ever have the bond that you share with her.”

She grabbed both sides of my face and forced me to look her in the eye. It was emotional, hearing my mother-in-law being so positive to me. For so long, I’d always been the one they were watching, waiting to screw up. Through their doubt, I’d finally been noticed for doing something right. “Thanks, Mom. That means a lot.”

“I love you, kid. Even if I used to call you my nephew and my friends still don’t understand how you and my daughter aren’t really blood related.” She smiled, and I felt the burning in my eyes again. Just thinking back to those days seemed like forever ago. We’d all become so close, because time heals all wounds.

“I still would have slept with her if she was my cousin
.” I winked at her, and she lightly slapped my chest.

“Some things never change.”

“I have people on their toes.”

She gave me one last hug and finally walked away, smiling. Clearly I was joking. If Miranda was my cousin, I never would have touched her. It was weird enough when we first got together, after calling each other family our whole lives.

The boys whined about going home and Bella wasn’t happy either. Miranda and I rounded them up anyway and headed back to the guest house.

Since we were still so hung up on ticks, I took the boys into the bathroom and looked them over before forcing them to get in the shower.

“I don’t need a shower, dad.” Jax hated getting washed. He acted like it was going to melt his skin.