AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay.” Keane claps once. “Let’s get down to business and figure this out.”
* * *
In the end,we decide that we’ll issue a statement to the press, acknowledging that I have a daughter but offering no further information. We know there will be all kinds of speculation and digging to try to find out whether I knew all along or if this was a recent development but there's no way to avoid that. I won't give them any answers—they don’t deserve it and anything I said could be dug up by Monica when she’s older. I'm not willing to tarnish Lilah just to satisfy the press’s unending appetite for dirt.
Kyra agreed to draft a statement that she’d send my way for approval, and after Monica knows I’m her father, we’ll release the statement. I just have to keep Monica’s existence a secret for now. Since I’ve been successful thus far, I feel pretty confident I can do it.
The only people who know about Monica are Adelaide, Tripp, Keane, Kyra, and Liz, and I trust them all.
I still have to run everything by Lilah and figure out a plan for after the announcement is made, but I feel more confident now that a plan is in place. Given that the wedding is so close, Adelaide has requested I issue my statement after the wedding and I’ve agreed so it remains our day. If I issue the statement before, my having a daughter with Lilah will overshadow our wedding. Adelaide is dealing with this newfound territory I find myself in and she deserves to have the perfect day she’s been planning.
But first, I have to tell my daughter that I’m her daddy. The best part of the plan.
* * *
I rock backand forth in the chair on Lilah’s porch, waiting for her to put Monica to bed. Seems odd to do that together.
I think about how drastically my life has changed in such a short time. For the better. Yeah, it was a shock at first and I was full of rage at Lilah in the beginning, and yes, it caused friction between Adelaide and myself, but I can't find any other reason not to think of having Monica in my life as anything less than the best thing that has ever happened to me. The more time I spend with her, the more amazed I am. She’s a beautiful little girl, yeah, but her spirit is what draws you in.
The screen door creaks on its hinges, and I turn to see Lilah stepping out onto the porch. She passes me a glass of iced tea before sitting in the rocker beside me.
“Thanks.” I take a sip, puckering my lips when the sourness of the lemon she’s added hits my tongue.
“She was out like a light right away. Must’ve had a busy day at school.”
“Or it could be the fifty rounds of leapfrog we played in the backyard.” I set my glass on the table beside me.
Lilah laughs. “Better you than me.”
We’re silent for a couple minutes, and it’s no longer uncomfortable. That could come to an end though when I ask her what I’m about to. I don’t think Adelaide will be happy, but it’s what’s best.
“I was thinking… what are the chances I could crash here when I’m in town? I could take the guest room or even the couch in the living room. I’m concerned—”
“That someone will recognize you? Yeah, me too.”
I’ve been lucky so far that no one has figured out who I am, but sunglasses and a hat will eventually not be enough to quell the small-town curiosity about the guy who comes into town every weekend. Still, Lilah’s deer-in-the-headlights look says she’s not entirely comfortable with the idea.
“Never mind. I’ve gone this long without anyone realizing. I’m sure—”
“No, it’s fine. I was just wondering what Adelaide would think, that’s all.”
“She knows she can trust me.” And she does. Or she should. If she doesn’t, we shouldn’t be getting married.
“Still. Don’t think I would like it if I were your fiancée.” Her voice cracks on that last word, and I pretend not to notice.
“It’ll be fine.”
“Okay, then. You can take the guest room.”
“Thanks. I met with my team this week. We came up with what we think is a good plan.” I fill her in on everything I agreed to with my team. “What do you think?”
She shrugs, and the corners of her mouth tip down. “Sounds like the best plan, I suppose. I don’t think anything will hold off the press entirely though. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that. What do I do if they show up and you’re not here? At some point they’re going to figure out who your daughter is. What then?”
Her tiny fists are clenched in her lap, and I resist the urge to take her hand to soothe that fear for her.
“What do you think of getting out of here for a while? I can set you guys up in a nice place where you can lay low until everything dies down.”
She shakes her head before I’ve even finished speaking. “I told you, I have a life here. I can’t just up and leave my job, Monica’s school, my house.”
