A beat passed.Two.
“So look, I’m happy to tell Bella that Mom was speaking out of turn if that makes things easier for you.”
“That’s kind, but I think her heart is settled on it now.”
“Aww, Gen.I’m sorry.”He sighed.“Maybe I can tell her I could take her to the island for a day or so.With you, of course,” he added quickly.“I know it must be hard with your work schedule for you to get away.”
“I actually do have some time off scheduled, but I planned to spend some of that at a mentoring session downtown.”
“Your way of giving back, huh?”
“It’s a condition of my scholarship.”
He was silent for a few moments.“You’re a good woman, Genevieve.”
Her eyes smarted with unshed tears.She hadn’t realized until this moment how much she had needed to hear that tonight.“Thanks,” she whispered.
“Um, Mom’s comment tonight did make me realize that I hadn’t made Independence Day plans.Is there something that Bella might like to do?If so, I’d be happy to do it, with your permission, of course.”
Her mouth curved.He was trying so hard.“You know, you don’t have to keep saying it like that, Kyle.”
“Say what?”
“You don’t have to keep mentioning that you want my permission.I know you’ll ask, and if I can, I will.So you don’t need to keep asking.”
“I just want you to be assured that I’m not trying to steal her.”
“Thanks.I know.”
“And neither is my mom.Or my dad, but you probably got that.”
“Bella really warmed to him,” she admitted.
“I think Dad is realizing that little girls have a cuteness factor that his own son lacked.”
“Please.You heard Bella.She thinks you’re handsome enough.”
“Handsome enough for what?”he asked softly.
Her words evaporated.A line from an old movie—“handsome enough to tempt me”—floated through her brain.She swallowed.She didn’t want to be tempted.Not again.
She coughed, forced herself to focus.This was about Bella, remember?“Handsome enough for her to be happy to claim you as her father.”
“Hmm, well, that’s something, I suppose.”
There was silence for a few long seconds, but it felt comfortable.Like all the spiky uncertainty between them had been used up by others in the conversation at dinner.
“Is it going to be a problem for you or her to claim me as Bella’s father?”he asked softly.“You know I don’t want to cause any problem.”
“I know.And at this stage, I don’t think so.”
But there could be, if Bella insisted.Such as getting Kyle’s name on Bella’s birth certificate.What would that involve?She was fairly certain Kyle would offer to pay, but surely that was Gen’s responsibility, seeing as she’d been the one to leave him off it in the first place.And it wasn’t just financial cost, but the cost in time and effort.And life felt so full already that one more thing might make it burst at the seams.
“You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do.For Bella, or for you.”
Her heart warmed.“I will.But right now the best thing you can do is let me go to sleep.My shift starts at six tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.Well, in that case I will let you go.But I’ll be praying about all of this.And for you.And for Bella, of course.”
