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“Thanks, man. I hope Vanessa is not too affected by this. It won’t be easy to learn that their father let their alcoholic mother go off with them.”
“He was probably fed up with fighting with his family over his children’s mother. From what I learned about him; he was a rather timid man. The mistake was meeting Lydia in the first place. She was bad news.”
“She’s okay now. I guess age has caught up.” I don’t know why I’m defending Lydia.
“It could be worse. Their father could have turned out to be a criminal or a rapist,” John says.
“You have a point there. Vanessa’s biggest worry was that he was a married man, and they were a result of a sordid affair. She’ll be pleased to learn that he got only married afterward.”
John cocks his head and stares at me. “I’ve never seen you like this. She must be a very special woman.”
“She is,” I grudgingly admit. John and I have known each other for years and we frequently go out for a drink together. He knows all about my aversion to relationships.
“Hey, I wish you all the best,” he says.
“Thank you,” I tell him, uncomfortable with the conversation. “How are things going with Penny.”
He stares at me blankly. “Who is Penny?”
I laugh. If I have an aversion for relationships, John’s is an illness. I don’t know what happened to make him frightened of long-term relationships. Guys don’t talk about such things.
“Alright, then. Did you catch the game last night?”
He instantly perks up and launches into an analysis of the game.
Chapter 21
Vanessa
The screech of tires on the drive makes my belly muscles clench. Logan is home. I’m sick with nausea as I wait for information on how his meeting with John went. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for all my life. I finally get to have all the questions I’ve always had about my father, answered.
Ivy is in the playpen, happily rolling from her back to her front, unaware of the turmoil her mother is going through. Heavy footsteps come to me and before Logan knocks, I’m at the front door. I pull it open and when I see the folder in his hand, all air leaves my lungs.
“Hey,” he says and step in and kisses me on the mouth.
My lips are freezing cold against his warm ones. Seeking his strength and heat, I part my lips, deepening the kiss. In an instant, my tension evaporates and all that is in my mind is the tantalizing taste of barley in Logan’s mouth. His tongue finds mine and they swirl together; electric currents sizzle through me. I let out a groan at the same time as Ivy babbles. Logan and I pull apart and smile at each other.
“If I knew that was the welcome waiting for me, I’d have been home hours earlier,” he teases.
I laugh. “How did your date with Emma go?” I ask him, leading the way in.
“Very well,” he says and launches into detail over his and Emma’s afternoon. He moves to the playpen as he speaks and drops the folder on the floor. He takes Emma’s hands and pulls her up to her feet. Her little legs are supporting her now and she loves standing up.
“You’re going to be good friends when you meet,” he tells Ivy.
Ivy giggles as though she can understand what Logan is saying.
“We can’t wait to meet her, right, Ivy?” I say.
A soft look comes over Logan. “I’m thinking of bringing her home for a visit soon.”
“We’ll love that.” Seeing him so excited about his daughter stirs up a longing in me to tell Gabriel about Ivy.
Maybe I’ve misjudged him, and he’ll be captivated with his daughter just as Logan is. In keeping them apart, I might be denying Ivy a chance to have a relationship with her biological dad. When I’m done with this issue of my father, I’ll call Gabriel. It’s comforting to have a valid reason for delaying my communication with my ex. He’s not a person that I’d planned on ever seeing again. But this is not about me. It’s about Ivy and that’s what matters the most.
Thinking about my father makes me tense up again. As though sensing what’s on my mind, Logan turns to me with a serious expression.
“John found your father. All the information is in this folder.” His glance shifts to the folder on the floor.
My eyes follow his and fear clenches my heart.
“He wasn’t married until after your mother,” Logan says and relief surges through me.
“That’s something at least,” I say and inhale a deep breath. Suddenly, I don’t want to do this alone. I want to do it with my sister. “I’ll call Lexi and we can read together.”
I grab my phone. I hate springing this on my sister without warning and now I wish I’d said something. She answers her phone on the third ring.
