Huh.He stared at her, saw the faint redness of her chin, realized just what Minnie must’ve thought.How horrified she must’ve been to know that Kyle was back in Gen’s life.
He shook his head.“I really don’t know what to say to you right now.”
“Please, I know I don’t have any right to ask, but I don’t want to tell Bella just yet.Not like this.”
“Tell me what, Mom?”
Gen blanched, and for a second compassion twisted past his rage.A tiny part of him could see how hard this was for her.Could even understand her rationale for not telling him.But that was quickly swamped by the cascades of heated frustration he was only just managing to keep a lid on.
Well, good luck to her.She’d need it.“I’m gonna go.But don’t for a second think that we’re finished here.”
Gen resumed her seat, sank her head into her hands.“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.So am I.”
For this woman was not the one he’d thought he could spend forever with.She was not the woman he loved.This woman?He didn’t know her.At all.
* * *
“Mom?”Bella turned from watching Kyle’s exit out the front door.“Why were you yelling?”
Gen bit her lip.How long had she tried to model grown-up behavior then just spoiled it all by acting like a child?
“I’m sorry.”The word for today.Sorry, sorry, sorry.
“It’s okay.”Bella drew near and hugged her.“I don’t think I like him.”
“Kyle?”Bella’s golden head nodded.“You need to give him a chance.”
“Why?”
Ah, the million dollar question.Becausehe’s your fatherwouldn’t cut it.Not yet, anyway.And pleading for her daughter to have understanding for a man she hadn’t even known about until this morning was a little bit of a challenge.
“Sweetheart, just trust me on this.”
“Are we going to see him again?I hope not.Not if he makes you cry.”
“I’m not crying,” she insisted, even as she thumbed away some persistent leaky tears.
“Mom.”Bella encased her in a hug, which did release her tears, even though she tried to hold them back.
This was what she was afraid of losing.If Kyle, or more likely his parents, were to pay high-priced lawyers that enabled them to get their clutches on Bella and tore her from Gen, she’d never forgive herself.And after all her mother had endured, she was unlikely to forgive Gen either.
Oh, Mom couldneverfind out who had visited today.
“Bella, can you please do me a favor?Grandma can’t know Kyle visited today.Not yet.”
“You want me to keep a secret?”
Gen nodded, even though this went against all she had trained her daughter to do.Secrets could be dangerous.But in this case it felt more dangerous if Mom knew.There was no telling what lengths she would go to in order to protect her only grandchild.
“It’s just for a little while, until I figure out what to do.”
Bella’s forehead wrinkled, but then she nodded.“Okay.”
“I’m so sorry about all of this, Bella.”
“Is he… is Kyle my father?”
