Loving Her (8 page)

“My daughter asked you if I was her father. How the
hell do you think I feel?”

“Jesus, don’t take it out on me. I talked to her. It’s fine now. I told her the woman didn’t know what she was talkin’ about. She thinks the lady got mixed up.” I wrapped my arms around my husband’s body. “Please calm down. It sucked that you had to go through that, but she doesn’t suspect
nothin’, Ty. She was just a curious little girl who got confused. Bella knows you are her dad. You’d be a fool to not know that already.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I’m freaking out over here. Thinking about losing her
kills me. I was trying to do something nice for my nieces and nephews and I ended up getting my heart ripped out. It fucking sucked.”

“You’re worryin’ about nothin’.” He needed reassurance. More than anyone, I could understand his fears. Isabella was Ty’s weakness. The fear of losing her, in any way, made him shut down. I feared the day she became a teenager and started dating, because I knew it would break his heart when she fell in love with another man. I guess it was a father’s biggest fear, giving up that bond that he and his daughter shared.

“I hope you’re right. If the truth ever came out, it would kill me. We’ve worked so hard to bury that secret.”

Van caught us off guard. “What secret are you two burying?”

Ty looked over at our cousin and his closest confidant. “Tucker Chase.”

Van’s eyes lit up. “That’s a name I never wanted to hear again. Why would you bring that up? I never want to think about that son of a bitch again.”

I felt for Van, who had lost a baby because of my scum of an ex. “Van, it’s not what you think. Bella and Ty got the puppy from someone that knew me and Tucker. She asked her if she was mine and Tucker’s daughter in front of Ty. It just happened and we’re tryin’ to make sure Bella thinks the woman was mistaken. She can’t know Tucker ever existed.”

“Does she believe you?”

“I hope so. I mean, I am her mother, and I told her the woman was confused. I told her I never knew anyone by that name. I wish I never did.”

“Don’t say that. Izzy wouldn’t be here
, and we’d never have this life or our twins. Everything happens for a reason.” I appreciated that he was trying to be positive.

“Ty’s right,” Van added. “We’ve all got so much to be happy about. It sucks that the woman mentioned him, but as long as Bella thinks nothing of it, everything will be fine. Come on, we’re here to spend time together. Let’s stop feeling so depressed and have some fun.”

“Van’s right. I’m freaking out over nothing. Iz has no reason to doubt who I am to her. I’ve been with her for as long as she can remember. She chose me to be her dad, right?”

“Right,” I agreed.

Ty finally smiled and we headed back to the front where everyone else congregated.

He walked over and hugged Bella and I watched her smiling at his affections. It was all I needed to put my mind at ease. My family was the most important thing to me
, and I felt like I wanted to hunt down that woman and beat her senseless for upsetting Ty.

Chapter 11

Tyler

After the whole fiasco happened, I kept to myself for the rest of the afternoon, with the exception of helping Colt bury Sam. We waited until just before dinner and let the kids put in everything they’d made for her.

Noah was especially emotional, but he did his best to try to hide it from all of us. Even my in-laws and Colt’s mother came to support Noah and the rest of the heartbroken children.

The dog funeral was pretty cute. Each chi
ld put something in the hole and then we stood around. Noah stepped forward, with tears in his eyes. Christian walked up and clung to her brother’s side. He took a deep breath and sat a shoe box down on top of the body. “This is for you, girl.” He was crying harder. “I put your favorite ball inside and some of those army men you loved to chew on. Mom packed a sandwich bag full of your favorite treats and I wrote you a letter about all of our secret missions we had in the woods. Thanks for being my best friend for all these years. Nobody knows this, but I remember the first day I showed up here at the ranch. I was so scared that night and you never left my side. You’ve slept in bed with me every night since then.” My nephew took a second to calm down, but was unsuccessful. “I’m goin’ to miss you so much, girl. Have fun in Heaven. I’ll see you there one day.”

I looked over at Van, who was crying and holding Addy. Colt stood behind them with his head down. He’d grown up
understanding that pets were just pets, but I think we all knew that Sam had been so much more to him than that.

I grabbed Miranda’s hand and watched my boys standing there with their sister.

For a few moments everyone was quiet.

“Alright, everyone go on inside. Uncle Ty and I will take care of the rest.”

As the crowd of family did as Colt requested, Noah stayed behind. “Dad, you mind if I stay and do it? I think Sam would want me to help.”

Cold motioned for Noah to use the bobcat. We both stood there and watched his strong son pushing the dirt with the big machine. Inside of the little box he was crying, saying goodbye the only way he knew how.

I patted Colt on the back. “You alright, cuz?”

“Yeah
. Thanks for the puppy. After seein’ this, I think it was one of the best ideas you’ve ever had.”

“I don’t think Noah’s going to forget about Sam anytime soon. She was an awesome dog.”

“That she was.”

We helped Noah finish and returned the bobcat to the barn before we headed back inside.

Izzy was waiting for Noah to return. As soon as we walked in the door, she followed him upstairs to his room. Since there’d been no mention of what had taken place earlier, I felt that things were going to go on as if it never happened.

The house was full of voices, laughter and commotion. As big as it was, there was never enough room for the kids to run around and act crazy all at the same time.

Christian was tough, but the twins ganged up on her every chance they got. This visit was no exception.

I heard screaming right after we’d gotten up from dinner. My legs couldn’t get up the stairs fast enough. In the playroom, I foun
d Jax and Jake standing over Addy and Christian. They’d pulled all of the heads off of their Barbie’s. Christian was hysterical, holding two parts up for me to see. “Look what they did? I hate them. I hate them so much!”

Van came running up and put her hand over her mouth. She looked at me and I started laughing. I didn’t mean it, but it was just too funny.

“Get your little butts out of this playroom right now!” She pointed toward the door and watched the twins run out.

I grabbed one of the
Barbie’s and started putting the heads back on, one at a time. “Sorry girls.”

“They’re stupid! We’re not playing with them anymore.”

“Yeah, anymore,” Addy repeated her sister.

I looked up at my nieces and watched Van kneel down and start helping
to fix the dolls. “They are stupid, but they’re your family. I know you don’t like them right now, but one day you’ll be friends. I promise.”

“Yeah
, right. I don’t want to be friends with those stinky boys.” Christian scrunched up her face like the boys were repulsive.

Van started laughing. “You know, Mommy and Uncle Ty knew each other as kids. I used to think he was stinky too.”

“You did?” They seemed shocked as both girls looked from me to Van.

“Yeah, she hated me. She said I was a turd, like every single day. I tried to share my cookies with her and everything.”

She nudged me and laughed. “He also called me a boy and so did your daddy.”

The girls started to giggle. “They did?”

“Yes. Then one day everything changed. Now I love them both and Uncle Ty is right. One day you will all be friends. It’s how family is.” Van handed Christian the last Barbie and we both stood up as they began to play again.

Once outside of the playroom, she stopped me. “How are you doing?”

“It’s been a shitty day.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, Ty. You have to know how much Bella loves you.”

“You know what it’s like, wishing that you could be that one thing to them that you can’t ever be. My blood will never run through her veins and as many times as I try to think it doesn’t matter, something always reminds me of how much it does. How much longer can I live with this lie, Van? Will it be when she gets sick again? When she’s a teenager? When she’s an adult? Don’t you think that the longer the lie lasts the worse the repercussions will be?”

“You don’t want to tell her the truth
, do you?”

I shrugged. “No. I want to be her father. It’s all I want.”

Van hugged me tightly and I rested my head on her shoulder. “I wish Noah was mine, but I’m okay knowing that he loves me no matter what. I have to believe that Bella would feel the same way about you. She’s always loved you, Ty.”

I pulled away and kissed her
forehead. “Thanks.”

When we got back downstairs,
Miranda and Colt were sitting at the table with cards dealt. “What took you so long?”

“Yeah,” Colt laughed. “We saw the boys come runnin’ down. What’d they do now?”

Van sat down next to her husband. “They ripped the heads off all the Barbie’s.”

Miranda and Colt began to laugh. My wife looked at me and shook her head. “They get it from their father. I swear he reads them his book of pranks every night before bed.”

“I don’t have a book, but I bet people would buy that shit.” Miranda wouldn’t complain if my actions made her rich. “Just think about it, baby, I could buy you diamonds, fancy cars, and all the sex toys your heart desires.”

Miranda kicked me under the table. “Shut up. I don’t care about any of that. I’d rather have a husband that knew how to act his age, at least for
twenty four hours in a row.”

“Sorry, I’d need a lot of medication for something like that to happen,” I teased.

Colt shook his head and we saw the twins walking in the kitchen. The puppy had been sleeping in the corner and Jax picked her up. “Get up puppy.”

They started carrying her out of the room. “Hey, where do you think you’re going with her?
”

“Nowhere,” Jake replied.

The four of us knew that nothing always meant something. “Put that dog down and go find something to do that doesn’t cause destruction, or I’m going to take you to the guest house and leave your butts there alone. Remember that monster living under the bed?”

They put the puppy down and ran out of the kitchen.

Miranda nudged me. “Great, Ty. They’re goin’ to be sleepin’ with us tonight.”

She was right, but at least I got a kick out of seeing them scared

“They’re sleeping here, right Colt?” I smiled and looked over at my cousin, who didn’t seem amused. “That’s what Van told me upstairs.”

She
tried to kick me under the table, but ended up making contact with Miranda’s leg. “Ouch, shit! That was my leg!” Miranda leaned down and rubbed her limb while Van put her hands over her face.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry. I meant to kick the ass sitting next to you.”

Miranda elbowed me as I began to laugh.

“Actually, Ty, I recall Randa and Savanna sayin’ the kids were all stayin’ at the guest house with you, on account of us needin’ some alone time.”

“What do you need alone time for? You’re too old to perform. Did the Doc finally prescribe you Viagra?”

Colt looked annoyed, but realized that if he tried to come back at me, I’d keep pushing his buttons. “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. In fact, I already took one a few minutes ago. In about an hour, we’re goin’ to need to go upstairs.”

The room got quiet, and only him and I started laughing.

Van shook her head. “I heard those pills make a man last for like four hours. Who has time for that? I want twenty minutes and then I’m ready for bed.”

Miranda giggled. “I know, right? It’s a good thing Ty’s a minute man.”

They laughed more.

I gave them both dirty looks. “I have never been a minute man.”

That was apparently
funnier. They reached across the table and held hands laughing, as if they’d discussed the subject before.

“Keep telling yourself that, Ty.”

Even Colt, who normally got pissed when my old relationship with Van was brought up, seemed amused. “You got them gangin’ up on you now, cuz.”

“Yeah, paybacks are a bitch.

“It’s not your fault. Some men just can’t perform for long periods of time. That’s what they created vibrators for,” Van blurted out.

“Right, every woman owns a rabbit,” Miranda added.

“Are we going to play cards, or make fun of me all night?”

Colt reached his arms behind his head. “I’m pretty entertained.”