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She shook her head. “No. She never told me.”
“They have those DNA tests now. If you wanted to try and find him, we could explore our options,” Daniel said.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course.”
They sat in silence for another few minutes before she spoke again. “What am I going to do for a job?”
“You don’t have to work at all if you don’t want to.”
She bit her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth. Her mother’s words ringing in her ears. As much as Ali knew she wasn’t with Daniel for his money, people would perceive it that way, especially if she didn’t have a job of her own.
When she didn’t say anything, he turned her to face him. “Did you mean what you said earlier about wanting me to always be responsible for your well-being?”
“Yes.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Then let me take care of you. I have the means and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. You can take care of the house, and if you want to help me with my flips, you can do that as well.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I want you to be happy.”
She cupped the back of his head and brought his mouth to hers. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, sweetheart.” He kissed her again, this time slow and deep. It was only the sound of the garage door opening that had them pulling apart. He gave her one last kiss, then settled her against him once more.
A few moments later, Bradley strolled it. He took in their position on the couch and lowered himself into a chair on the other side of the room. The weariness in his features said it all.
“You okay?” Ali asked.
Bradley met her gaze. “Yeah.” He paused, then met her gaze. “I owe you an apology.”
She stilled.
“I guess I owe you both an apology.” Bradley ran his hands over her jeans. “I’ve met a lot of people at the law firm. A lot of not-so-great people. Some who are only out for themselves and don’t care who they hurt in order to get what they want.” He met her gaze from across the room. “I thought you were that type of person, Ali. I thought...” He blew out a breath and ran a hand over his face.
“Did something happen with my mom?”
Bradley laughed, but there wasn’t anything joyful about it. “Today has been...enlightening, to say the least. And the last couple of hours? Well, let’s just say I’ll never forget them.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You have no need to apologizes, Ali. You’ve been nothing but nice to me since I got here, despite the way I treated you.”
“I get it,” Ali said. “You want to protect your dad.”
“That’s no excuse. I’m getting jaded in my old age.”
Daniel snorted.
“Anyway.” Bradley stood. “I’m gonna go grab a shower before dinner.”
“Wait,” Ali said, making him pause. “What happened with my mom?”
“I took her to get some groceries, then dropped her at your apartment.” He shivered and she didn’t think it was because he was cold.
“She made a pass at you, didn’t she?”
He held her gaze for a long moment but didn’t answer. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes, then I’ll get dinner started. It’s the least I can do on my last night.”
“You’re leaving?” Daniel asked.
