AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He snapped his mouth shut. “No.”
“Why not?”
Grant ran a hand through his hair, mussing it beyond help. “Because it’s not just that I didn’t know about him.”
“Well, this isn’t an adult who can grasp the nuances of your reasons. All he knows is that you weren’t there when he was a baby. He might have it in his head that you chose not to be in his life. If his grandmother makes the smallest comment about you not being willing to commit?—”
“Did Charlotte say something?” His heart hurt, aching like it was expanding in his chest and not in a good way.
“I don’t know what Charlotte might or might not have said. All I know is that Nick’s feelings are valid. I know when my dad left, I?—”
“That’s different. Your dad left. I didn’t get a chance to be there for my kid.” His voice rose slightly, drawing the attention of a couple across the street. Grant lowered his voice and shook his head. “I didn’t know about him, but I’m not going to tell him because I don’t want to hurt the memory he has of his mother. I also don’t want to have to explain the reason his mother and I split. I was a workaholic. I thought if I could just make more money, be more successful, then I could create a life for the two of us to be happy. I wanted to give her the world, but that’s not how she saw it.”
All the words came tumbling out like they were ants fleeing their home. He hadn’t meant to spill everything. This morning had started off so well, and now he was standing here looking like a jerk. His marriage had failed because he valued money over his family.
He shut his eyes and heaved a heavy breath. Now was as good a time as any to tell the whole story.
“It’s not an excuse, but when I was born, my parents already had the perfect family. They only ever wanted a boy and a girl. I was what’s commonly referred to as an accident. I know they loved me as much as they could. That wasn’t the issue. I just never felt… wanted. I spent my whole childhood trying to prove to my family that I belonged. My siblings were both very successful. They were involved in sports and the arts. They excelled at everything, and my folks were at every practice and every competition.” He sighed again. “You want to know who showed up to my first science fair project?”
“Grant…” Bella whispered.
“It’s fine. I became the man I am today because I wanted to be successful if only to prove that I was good enough to be called part of their family. Unfortunately, none of that mattered in the end. None of my family really speaks to one another. We all went our separate ways. I guess that’s just how it goes sometimes.”
“That’s not how it’s supposed to be, Grant. I hope you know that.”
He shrugged. “All I know is that when I met Nick, I realized just how unconditional love is supposed to be. I regret everything that I prioritized over my family. I missed out on too much and I won’t let that happen again.”
“No one is saying you will.” Her voice had a soothing effect on him—one that made him want to scoop her into his arms and hug her. Only, they couldn’t do that right now. He’d have to make a mental note to do so later when they were alone.
He stared at her hard, wanting her to know just how much his next words meant. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She blinked, her expression sobering.
“No more regrets.”
“I think he’s going to like that,” she said.
Grant shook his head. “I’m not just talking about Nick. I’m talking about…” He glanced around, making sure no one was nearby. “Us.”
Her lashes fluttered more this time, and she bit back a smile. “I have to admit, I like that too.”
“Good, because I don’t want you or anyone to doubt where my heart is. I’m not going anywhere… except back to work.” Grant held up his wrist to get a look at the time. “I hope you’ll stop by later?”
She didn’t respond right away. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he might have seen some hesitation in her eyes. She was holding something back. Was it possible she might resent him for the father he’d been? Would she always think about the way her father had failed her when she looked at him? Those kinds of scars could be hard to heal from.
Finally, she nodded. “I’ll see you later.” Bella lifted her coffee cup. “Thanks for this. I needed it.” She took a few steps back, then reached for the door. Tossing him one more fleeting look, she disappeared inside.
Hopefully, this was the beginning of something even better.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
To say that Bella was disappointed was an understatement. Tonight, she had planned on stopping by to visit Grant so they could get a little more time with just the two of them. She’d hoped they could talk more about what he’d mentioned earlier when he’d brought her coffee.
Then the deputy on call tonight got sick and she had to turn around and head back to the station. That wasn’t going to stop her from paying him a visit on her dinner break. She didn’t have much time today to call him or let him know that her plans had changed, and she wasn’t about to make him wonder if she was ghosting him.
Bella stared down at her uniform with frustration. For the first time in a long while, she didn’t want to be at work. There was finally something else worth putting her energy toward. Her heart did a little skip-hop followed almost immediately by her stomach churning.
It was still unclear if that churning was a good thing or a bad thing. It had started shortly after Nick had expressed his worries over his father.
