“Did Ethan do something?” he asked.
“No,” she said, as she looked down at the envelope. “I have to tell you something.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Please don't be mad at me. I did it to make myself feel better. I was sure it was going to come out exactly as you said. I know you told me to drop it. I couldn't get it out of mind. Promise you won't hate me,” she said, as she looked up at him.
“I don't know what you did,” he answered. “I could never hate you. What's going on?”
She took a deep breath in.
“Julie,” he said. “What did you do?”
She took another deep breath.
“Ethan doesn't know,” she began. “I couldn't stop thinking. Something seemed off. She looked like you and nothing like her brother. Her birthday was so damn close.”
“Julie,” he snapped.
“Kelly is your daughter,” she quickly said.
Julie looked up with tears in her eyes.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I shouldn't have done it. I know that. Please don't hate me.”
“What do you mean she's my daughter? How do you know?” he asked.
“I ran a DNA test,” she said. “I did it the night they were all at my house talking to Kyle about taking a job here. I was hoping to be wrong. I really was. I couldn't fight the voice in my head telling me she was yours. Things didn't add up. When I saw Kyle, it was even worse. I am so sorry, John.”
John took the envelope from her hand and opened it. He took out the papers. When he read them, he felt like his world was crashing down around him. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Neither of them said a word for a long time. John looked up from the papers.
“How could she do that to me? How could she keep me from my own child? Do you think she knows?” he said.
“I don't think she does. I think she really believes Kelly belongs to Luke. If you guys were careful, why would she think otherwise? She didn't even remember sleeping with him. She said she was going to come to you when school was over. If she thought Kelly was yours, she would have told you. Unless she thought it would be too much for you. You had just gotten Ethan. She didn't want to be with him. She married him because of the baby. That's what she said. Do you think Luke knows the truth?”
“I don't know,” John said. “How could he? He knows what they did. If he thought she wasn't his, wouldn't he have told her? I missed out on my daughter's life. Sandy said Luke treated Kelly bad. I can't believe my child went through that. Wait.”
John stopped and thought for a moment.
“Why would he treat Kelly bad if he didn't know? Sandy said he tricked her into getting pregnant with Kyle. He treated Kyle great. Maybe he knows more than she thinks he does.”
“I don't know,” Julie said. “I hope you're not mad at me. I would understand it you were. I'm sorry for getting in your business. I knew she was yours. I really did. That means I have a niece already.”
“I have two grandchildren. Oh, shit! I can't believe this. I would have been there. I would have raised her and treated her so good. I missed out on my own child.”
John looked down at his lap and shook his head. Julie put her hand on his.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“
I have no idea. I never expected this to happen. I don't know what to do.”
Chapter 27
John needed time to think about his situation. He knew one thing for sure. He was going to court with Sandy. It wasn't an option. He wasn't sure what was going to happen between the two of them, but he wanted some answers. John wanted to be a part of Kelly's life. He just wasn't sure he could be with her mother. It was one thing to decide not to be with him, but it was something completely different to keep his child from him.
The three weeks that followed were more confusing than he thought possible. He made excuses not to see Sandy. Work was one of those excuses. He had given his notice, but he hadn't told her yet. His last day of work was the Friday before her court date. John spent many hours at the station getting all of his work done. He didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else.
He let Sandy know that he was going to court with her. She assured him that Kelly was going and he didn't have to see Luke. He didn't give her an option. He was going and that was it. She asked him if everything was okay or if she had done something wrong. He told her everything was fine. It was just that he needed to get some things done and everything would be back to normal shortly. John encouraged her to spend time with Kyle.
John talked to Ethan about the house next to his in Hawaii. He talked to the realtor and looked at tons of pictures. It was time, he thought. John put a bid in and bought the house. He was sick of regrets. There would be no more for him.
He hadn't seen Sandy since the night Julie told him. John needed to find out the truth, and he wasn't sure she would be honest with him.
John showed up to pick up Kelly and Sandy. It was super early in the morning. The long drive to her old life was quiet. John didn't want to say anything in front of Kelly. He knew that seeing Luke was going to be hard on her. The whole day was going to be hard for all of them. Sandy reached over and took his hand in hers.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
He nodded.
“How are you feeling about today?” he asked.
“I couldn't be happier. I'm going to officially be free. Thank you for coming. You have no idea how much better I feel with you here. I know he won't be able to hurt me in any way. I know that you'll protect me. He won't do anything but say horrible things to me, but I feel so much better knowing you're here with me.”
John couldn't believe she was telling him how happy she was to have him with her. How could she say those things, he thought? How could she act like what she did was no big deal? Was she ever going to come clean about his daughter?
Kelly had a nervous look on her face when they got out of the car at the courthouse. John took her hand and assured her that everything would be okay.
“He's not a nice person,” she said. “He's my father, but I don't like the way he treats my mom.”
No matter how upset he was, John couldn't help but want to comfort both women. One as his daughter, and the other as his woman. He knew the day was hard for both of them and wasn't going to let his feelings stand in the way. They needed to know that he was there for them. He grabbed one of each of their hands and walked into the building. Luke was standing with his lawyer. He looked much older. As soon as he saw John, the smile dropped from his face. Sandy's lawyer walked quickly toward them. He began talking about how everything was going to go. It would be pretty simple. She didn't want a single thing. There was nothing for Luke to fight. John kept eye contact with Luke the entire time. They followed their lawyers through the door to the room they needed to be in.
As Luke walked passed Sandy, he looked over at her.
“You ran straight to him, didn't you?” he whispered. “Is he the reason you filed?”
“No,” she said. “I filed so I could get my life back. You took everything away from me. I want it back.”
John was on one side of Sandy and Kelly was on the other.
“Kelly,” Luke said.
“Hi dad,” she replied.
When John heard her call Luke dad, he felt like he was going to be sick. He was so pissed that the fucker had raised his daughter as his own. Not only did he have the only woman John ever loved, he also had his child.
“Don't you have somewhere to be?” John asked, as he pointed over at Luke's lawyer.
Luke made a grunt sound and walked away. They waited patiently for their time in front of the judge. The two lawyers walked to the front with their clients. The judge asked Sandy if everything was correct in what she was asking for.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“You want nothing?” the judge asked. “No property, no money, and no alimony.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered. “Just my li
fe.”
The judge went through the motions of what needed done. As soon as it was over, Luke signed something and stormed out of the courtroom. Kelly stayed with Sandy to talk to her lawyer. John excused himself, saying he needed to use the restroom.
He walked out of the building and closed the door behind him. As soon as John got outside into the air, Luke turned back from where he was going and stalked back toward him.
“I can't believe you came here with her,” Luke snapped.
“How could you?” John snapped back. “You were my roommate. I thought we were friends.”
“You left her,” Luke answered. “I wanted her from the moment she walked into our room with you. When you left, she was devastated. I knew I was going to be the one to save her. She was going to be mine.”
“When did you find out?” John yelled. “When did you find out about Kelly? I know that you know.”
“Of course I do,” Luke said with a smirk. “Why do you think I got her pregnant with Kyle? I wanted to keep her with me. She belonged to me.”
John couldn't stand the shitty look on Luke's face. He thought about all of the time he lost with both Sandy and Kelly and something snapped. He charged forward, grabbed Luke by the neck, and shoved him against the outside wall of the building.
“When did you figure it out?” John yelled. “Tell me now.”
“I always knew,” Luke said sarcastically.
“How?” John demanded.
“We never slept together at the party.”
There was a gasp noise behind John. He couldn't stop. He needed answers.
“Do you honestly think she would have gone against precious John? Hell no. She talked about you the whole night. She talked about how much she loved you and how she was going to be with you at the end of the term. Her friend handed her another drink, and she passed out. I carried her to my bed, took her clothes off, and crawled in next to her. When she woke up, I was right there with her. She wasn't going to go back to you after that. I knew it. There would be to much guilt from what she had done.”
Luke let out a laugh.
“She automatically thought the baby was mine. Her cycle hadn't been messed up until after we were together. That pregnancy made everything so much easier for me. It helped that her mother threatened her. That my friend is how I got her. When I thought she was onto me, I got her pregnant for real. The dumb bitch fell for it.”
John pulled his arm back and punched him in the face over and over. When he heard sobbing sounds coming from behind him, he snapped back to reality. He turned to see Kelly standing with tears streaming down her face and Sandy on the ground with her head in her hands crying. John dropped Luke and went to Sandy and Kelly.
“You didn't know did you?” he asked, as he pulled Sandy's hands from her face. “You really didn't know she was my daughter.”
“I had no idea,” she said through her sobs. “I promise you, John. I would never have kept her from you. I can't believe this is really happening. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you missed out on your daughter's life. I love you so much. I would do anything for you. Please forgive me, John. I love you more than you'll ever know.”
John looked up at Kelly. He felt horrible for the way she found out. If he had known they were out there, he never would have said anything. He just needed answers from Luke. John stood up, grabbed her hands in his, and looked into her eyes.
“I just found out. Julie ran a test on us without me knowing. She had asked me several times if it were possible. I kept telling her it wasn't. I told her your mom would have told me. She wasn't convinced. I just found out that it was true.”
John handed Kelly the paper Julie had given him.
“I need you to know something. I never would have walked away from you. I hope you believe me. I can't believe your my daughter. I missed every bit of your growing up. I'm so sorry. I loved your mother more than you could imagine. When I left school to raise my brother, she stayed behind. I've spent twenty-seven years thinking about her. I had no idea that she married my roommate or that she had children. The accident was the first time I had seen her. I didn't know she had a child until she asked me to call you. Not for one second did I think I was your father. I never thought she would keep that from me. When Julie told me, I was so mad at your mom. I thought she had hidden it.”
John squeezed Kelly's hands. Sandy stood up next to him.
“I swear I didn't know. I can't believe he made me think I slept with him at that party. I don't know what to say to either of you. I'm so sorry. I never would have kept you from each other. I stayed with him because he was your father. You were the one I wanted to be with, John. Is that why you haven't spent time with me? You thought I lied to you.”
“Yes,” he said. “I was still coming here to be with you two. I was going to ask Luke about it. I wasn't sure who knew and who didn't. I was shocked when he said that he knew and you had no idea. I was even more surprised when he said that you hadn't even slept with him. I had a child and never saw her. It devastates me. I raised my little brother. I surely would have raised my own daughter. I missed out on everything. That asshole took everything from me. He took you and he took my child. I'm not going another minute without you as my child, Kelly. I will always be there for you and the kids. You can tell them what you want. I can just be John, or I can be their grandpa. It's totally your decision. I won't miss another thing in your life. I'm so sorry.”
Kelly took a deep breath.
“I didn't see this coming. I thought he treated me different because Kyle was a boy. I never knew who you were until a few weeks ago. I didn't know you and mom dated. I never imagined you were my dad. This is crazy. You're a nice guy. I kind of hoped that you and my mom would get together. That sounds crazy now. That means Ethan is my family. Julie is too. I can't believe she did that.”
“Me neither,” he said. “I'm glad she did. I would rather know the truth now. I can't believe it's true. I'm not old enough to be a grandpa.”
John laughed as he shook his head. When he looked at Sandy, she had tears streaming down her face.
“He took my whole life,” she said.
“Don't say that,” John said. “You wouldn't have Kyle. I know you wouldn't trade having him. He's a great kid.”
She wiped her face and nodded. Luke was watching them from where John had left him.
“I'm sorry for shutting you out the last few weeks. I was so hurt at the thought of you keeping my child from me. I can see now that you really had no idea. I also see that you didn't just sleep with some guy two minutes after I left. I'm sorry we missed that time together, but I'm through with regrets. I don't want to live in the past. I want to build a future. I want to travel and relax for the rest of my life. I don't want to be extravagant or blow money. I simply want to sit on the beach and enjoy my time.”
John looked into Sandy's eyes.
“I quit my job,” he said. “I bought a house in Hawaii.”
“When?” she asked.
“Friday was the last day I worked. The house I bought last week. I thought about my advice to Kyle and decided to live what I spoke. It was time to live for me.”
She shook her head. He could see the sadness in her eyes.
“I love you, Sandy. I always have. You're it for me. I'm not wasting one more day without you in my arms when I fall asleep at night. You need to move your stuff into my house tonight. I'm marrying you. I'm not waiting until the perfect moment to ask. That didn't work for me before. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be the one to protect and take care of you. I want to make up for every moment we spent apart. You will never have to struggle or ask permission for anything. That's not how love works. You will have every single thing you want. I don't care if it's ice cream and chips in front of the television or an extravagant trip. You will have it all. I want to give you the world. Be my wife. Be my forever. I love you, baby. Will you marry me?”
“I don't need expensive trips or a big home. All I nee
d is you. I don't care if I have to live in my tiny apartment for the rest of my life. The only thing I care about is you being right there with me, John. That's all I've ever needed. It's always been you. You are the only man I will ever love. I would love more than anything to marry you.”
John hugged Sandy and kissed her passionately. When he pulled back from their kiss, he pulled Kelly into the hug with them.
“I hope you won't mind spending time in Hawaii,” he said.
Sandy laughed.
“The twins are going to love it,” he told Kelly. “There's plenty of room for all of us.”
“What about Kyle?” Kelly asked.
“Kyle will be right there with us,” John said. “I wouldn't treat him any different than you. We're a family. All of us.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Sandy had moved into John's house as soon as they got back from court. Kyle stayed in Sandy's apartment. They all sat down to talk about what had happened. Kyle was beyond shocked at what his father had done. His relationship with Kelly remained the same. She was his sister and he loved her. He began to build a relationship with John. True to his word, John treated Kyle like his own son. He did everything he could to help him with what he needed. They turned Sandy's old bedroom into his own nerd room. John had Ethan help him get what Kyle needed to work on his own stuff at home. There were no rules or any expectations from John. He told Kyle to do what he wanted and be the best he could. It was the first time Kyle received something without the feeling of having to live up to what someone else wanted.
John had given Sandy the option of a huge wedding. She hadn't had it the first time, and he wanted her to have what she really wanted. Sandy didn't want to spend the money or wait long enough to bring it all together. All she wanted was to marry the man she had always loved. Everyone met at the courthouse so they could tie the knot. Ethan and Gavin arrived in suits. They brought Kyle with them. Julie and Becky met them there. Josh, Lisa, and baby Jack were there. Kelly and her family came with John and Sandy. Heath showed up at the last second in worn jeans, a t-shirt, and work boots. He was fresh off the job. They stood before the people closest to them and professed their love to one another.
Rescue of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #4) Page 16