“So?”
“Orchard is a very small town.As soon as word gets out, people are going to talk.”
She covered her face with her hands.“I know.I didn’t want to think about that, but you’re right.”
He touched her arms and lowered them to her sides.“I’m not trying to be difficult, Jane, but these are things we have to talk about.”
“But do we have to deal with them now?”
“Why not?”
Because I’ve just realized that I never stopped loving you, shethought.Because I want you to hold me and love me and promise me this time we can make it.Because I need to hear that I’m not too late.“I just thought—” She shrugged.
“What about her birth certificate?”
“What about it?”
“Am I listed as her father?”
“We went over this already.Of course.”
“Good.Then we won’t have to deal with the formalities of an adoption.”
“Adoption!What on earth are you talking about?”
He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter.“I want to legally recognize Billie as my daughter.I’m meeting with my lawyer and changing my will.Everything will be left to her—in a trust of course.There are certain family heirlooms that will go to Dani and Ty, but the bulk of the estate—”
“Stop!”
She walked out of the kitchen and down the hall.He followed.When she reached the front parlor, she instantly regretted leaving the safety of the other room.The scent of roses filled the parlor.The soft light from the lamp caught their peachy color and made the individual petals look as if they glowed.
“You’re going too fast,” she said, without turning around.“We have to handle this situation one crisis at a time.The first item is dealing with the three of us as a family.”
“But I want Billie to be taken care of.”
“I’ve done that.”She spun to face him.“She’s been taken care of just fine.By me.I’ve been responsible all these years and we’ve managed to survive without you.”
“That isn’t necessary anymore.”
She saw by the stubborn set of his jaw that she wasn’t getting through to him.“We don’t need your money.”
“Don’t let your pride interfere with what’s best for the child.There’s medical insurance, contributions to her college funds.I want to take care of the details.You shouldn’t have to do it on your own.Billie is my daughter, too.”
Where had he gone?she wondered as she looked searchingly at his eyes.The deep brown gave nothing away.But sometime between the last time she’d seen him and this, she’d lost herability to find his vulnerable side.The need to control had returned in full force.
“You want too much, too soon,” she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.Despite the muggy heat, she felt cold.
He leaned against the doorframe.“I’d also like to go with you when you meet with her teachers.”
“Dammit, Adam, are you listening to me?”
“Of course.”
“Adam, I’m not a child anymore.You can’t push me around.”
He frowned.“I don’t understand why you can’t be reasonable.”
“Reasonable?”It hurt so much, she thought as the tears formed.She blinked them back.“You can’t win this by controlling us.You can’t make me stay or Billie care about you by giving her your last name or putting her in your will.That’s not what matters.It’s the people.Us.You.Me.Billie.Love us.Let us love you.That’s how we’ll make it work.”
