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“Come back,” Katrina said, and Alphé concurred.

“My kids are back there. We’ll see how it goes. This might have been the fastest relationship ever. One week. I’m so sorry.”

“See if you can figure out what happened and why,” Alphé whispered.

She nodded and took a step back so he could turn around toward home. Defeated, Calista headed back to the RV. It was already clear to her what was going on. Austin was jealous. He was purposely trying to hurt Alphé. Somehow, she would get through the rest of the trip. They had to check out at ten the next day, so she technically only had twenty-four hours to play like everything was okay.

Austin and her children were waiting at the picnic table when she got back.

“Do you want to grill wieners for lunch?”

Porter burst out laughing. “Hot dogs, Mom. And the answer is yes.”

“It feels like we just ate breakfast, but when you’re camping, all you do is eat and veg, so I’ll get the grill going,” Austin said.

He held the door open, and they filed inside, and on the table, front and center, were four iPads.

Chapter 7

Once Alphé got on the highway, he talked. “You kids want to tell me what happened back there?”

“That man said you’re not my dad,” Pris said without hesitation. “He said our dad is Porter and Davina’s dad.”

“Is it true?” Noel asked.

“You guys, I love you all so much. I want to tell you the story, and I don’t want to wait till we get home. Maybe I should pull over and let Kat drive. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Katrina said. “We can even stop for lunch unless you want to get home.”

Everyone shouted, on the verge of hysteria, “We want to gohome.”

Katrina and Alphé traded places so he could face the kids while she drove.

“A few weeks ago, I found out that my brother, Rodney, your uncle who died, is Pris and Rumor’s birth dad. I didn’t know until then, and I don’t care. I thought you were mine, and you are. But genetically, or scientifically, I’m not sure the right words to use.” He looked at Katrina. “Help me out here.”

“You’re doing fine.”

“Rodney is your birth father. But I’m your dad.”

“What does that mean?” Noel asked, incredulous. “Mom was shackin’ up with Uncle Rod?”

“Yeah, but could you use a different term so they don’t go to school and share? WTF, Noel.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re myrealdad, then,” Pris said, resolute.

Alphé and Katrina exchanged a glance and smiled. “Right, I’m yourrealdad.”

“My dad’s not dead,” Rumor said, bursting into tears.

“Oh, shit, you’d better pull over.”

Katrina put the turn signal on, and Alphé got out of his seatbelt, kneeling on the seat and grabbing Rumor until the car came to a stop. He climbed into the backseat to hold his son for a while, explaining things in the simplest way, that Alphé was Rumor and Pris’s real daddy now.

By the time they got home that afternoon, everyone emotionally exhausted, they just wanted to veg.

“We can pile on the couch and watchBack to the Future; how does that sound?” Alphé asked.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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