AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is that what has you so upset?”
Mary Elizabeth wet her dry lips and forced herself to get a grip on her emotions.“Cheryl and Jerry are not going to like it.Cheryl’s always been so hard on Hadley.”
“Sweetheart, I know you and Hadley are close, but if this will cause problems between you and Cheryl, maybe you should try to stay out of it as much as possible?”
“I’ll try,” she said simply.Cheryl was her friend.Always had been.But over the years, when Hadley had reached the age where she could babysit to earn money and she and Cheryl butted heads so often, Hadley had become more than her friend’s daughter, more than a babysitter.
“MeMe?Is something else bothering you?”
She stiffened at the query and unlocked her arms from around Adam.“I’m overly tired, I guess.First Georgia and now Hadley…”
The time for tears was long over.She needed to take action, like Tessa said.Find out if the man she’d seen was somehow related to Dean.
“Okay then.So how about we place that order so you can make an early night of it?Maybe Italian?Sound good?”
She nodded, knowing that, regardless of what she ate, it would taste like sawdust.“It sounds perfect.You order while I get this mess cleaned up.”
“Will you take a ride with me to go get it?”
She nodded again, finding it amusing that the man had spent the day on a golf course but still loved cruising around Carolina Cove in his golf cart.They could easily walk to the restaurant near the pier, but it wouldn’t be nearly as fun for Adam.He’d special ordered the customized cart to resemble an old-fashioned red farm truck like the one his grandfather had used so many years ago.
Adam found the menu he searched for and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.Mary Elizabeth turned back to the mess and dumped the burnt fish into the disposal before cleaning the skillet, listening while Adam ordered her favorite meal.
Adam knew her so well, knew everything there was to know about her.
When she’d gotten pregnant with Allie and had trouble, she’d been forced to reveal her secret pregnancy to the doctor and Adam.It had taken a while for Adam to accept that she’d kept such a thing from him, but he’d forgiven her.They’d moved on and focused on their family.
But now… What if the results of the DNA test changed everything?
Hadley’s laughterfilled the kitchen, and Bryson liked that he’d been able to draw such a response from her.Her smile transformed her features and brightened her shadowed eyes.“Dinner was outstanding.Thanks again for the invitation.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.Thankyoufor the stories about Nan.I had no idea she could be such a rebel.”
“She was a character, that’s for sure.”
“She always seemed so…grandmotherly to me.I definitely can’t picture her running down the boardwalk in her nightgown chasing off a pelican.”
“She was bound and determined to get her dinner back because there was plenty of fish for that pelican to eat in the ocean,” he said with a shake of his head.“She was a firecracker, that woman.”
“I wish I’d known that side of her.I mean, I saw hints of it on the rare occasion, but my mom usually ushered me out of the room and made sure I knew what was proper and what wasn’t.I would’ve loved to have seenthatside of Nan.It seems the more natural one.”
“Maybe your mother stressed the need to set an example.”It was more likely that Georgia’s fun-loving personality rubbed the uptight Mrs.Dummit the wrong way.
“Maybe,” she mused.“I mean, I can certainly see that as the case.I was the disciplinarian with my kids since Kyle was rarely home, so I’ve no doubt I came across as militant at times.If you ask Max and Abby, they’d totally say I was the mean mom whereas Kyle was the fun dad.”
“When they reach a certain age, they’ll understand.”
“I hope so.Do you have children?”
He shifted in the chair and shook his head.“No, my wife passed on ten years ago.We were never able to conceive.”
“Oh, Bryson, I’m sorry.I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine.It was a long time ago.She had an undiagnosed heart issue,” he said since that was usually the next question.“She seemed fine.Then one day she just collapsed.”
“I’m sorry.Truly.It… It sounds like you have a fondness for children.I hope you don’t think this is too bold of me to say, but if you want children, it’s not too late for you.A lot of men our age are just now settling down and having families.I wouldn’t be surprised to find out my ex is going to be a new father soon.”
Herex?It was the first time Hadley had mentioned her husband—or her marital status.His gaze dropped to the rings she still wore and he frowned.What was going on?“I can’t picture myself with a baby on my knee.Not anymore.I don’t want to be the doddering old man cheering on my toddler.Some things aren’t meant to be.I’ve accepted it.”
