“There is no way I will let my granddaughter be raised by my own nephew.”
“Jesus Mom, we aren’t even related. Besides, you don’t have a choice in the matter.”
She put her hand on her face and started to cry. “How could you both do this?”
“Can you please think about my happiness for one second? Don’t you want your only daughter to be happy? Why can’t you just try to be happy for me? I love him Mom and he loves us. He has taken complete responsibility for Bella and loves her like she is his own flesh and blood. I couldn’t ask for a better father for her.”
“He is not her father. What are you going to do when her real father comes into the picture?”
I walked over and put my arm around my mother. “He isn’t going to. He has no claim to her anyway. I never added his name to the birth certificate like everyone thought. There is no father listed. That’s why it was so easy for Ty and I to petition to have her name changed.” Oops. I probably shouldn’t have said that.
“You didn’t? This isn’t happening.”
Ty got down on his knees and looked at my mom. “I’ve done everything right. I have a good job and we have a our own house. My dad and I are putting an addition on it right now to give Bella her own bedroom and playroom. Miranda and Bella are on my health insurance plan and I make plenty to support us. I would do anything for them. They are my whole world. I swear to you that I am telling you the truth.”
My mother just stopped arguing. I don’t know why and I didn’t care. “Looks like you have covered all of your bases. You have to understand if I need time to be able to accept this. I didn’t send my daughter away for her safety thinking she would run off and get married. It’s a bit too much, that’s all.”
“Am I safe enough to put my pants on now?” Ty asked with a smile.
My mother nodded.
We watched Ty carry his clothes and go into the bathroom. Of course Bella followed behind him and he turned around and picked her up. My mother just watched them. She said nothing for at least five minutes. We could hear Ty talking to Bella in the bathroom. He was teaching her how to brush her teeth and they were singing some dumb song they heard on one of her shows she loved.
“He is all she talked about last night. I honestly thought it was just a phase she was going through. She really seems to love him doesn’t she?”
I let out a little cackle. “Sometimes I think she loves him more than she loves me. She really is his world Mom. It was impossible to not fall in love with him. Just spend an hour with them and you will see what I see.”
“It’s just so sudden.”
“We have been getting to know each other for almost two years and even before that we knew each other as family. If you think of it that way it isn’t really too fast. I’ve known Ty my whole life practically. Isn’t it better that he isn’t some stranger?”
“Are you saying that you were involved before you moved?” She looked concerned about that.
“No. Ty and I never even kissed until I moved. He has never done anything but be a gentleman around me. He makes me feel safe. He always has.”
She put her hand on my leg just as Ty and Bella walked out of the bathroom. Bella came running over toward us. “Mommy, Daddy bwush.”
She was trying to tell us that she brushed her teeth, not that daddy was a bush.
When my mother finally stood up and held her arms out for both of us, neither me or Ty hesitated. She had both of our faces close to hers, let out a sigh and smiled. “If I didn’t love you both I would ring your necks right now. Tyler Mitchell, you know better than to wed my daughter without asking. Her daddy would have hunted you down for that.”
“I know. Sorry, I just couldn’t take the chance of losing them,” he admitted.
While I ran into the bathroom to change, I heard my mother continue to talk to Ty.
“I can’t promise you that everyone is going to be as calm as I am Ty.”
“I know.”
“My son is not going to be happy for the two of you. He talked about coming to get Miranda the moment she pulled out of the driveway. When he finds out that he was right about the two of you, I won’t be able to control him.”
“Aunt Karen it’s fine. I can handle it. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”
“You have to stop calling me Aunt Karen. It is very inappropriate.”
“Okay Mom.”
“I can feel the gray hairs filling my scalp.”
After brushing my teeth I ran back out to my room. My mother was right, my brother was not going to be thrilled. Colt needed to get his ass to this house pronto.
“Is Colt here yet?” I gave Ty a warm smile, reminding him that I loved him.
“Everyone is downstairs but the two of you. Of course I had no idea that you were in here together.”
“Maybe Ty should just wait to come down. If they don’t know we were together then they don’t have to find out yet. I don’t want anyone to have black eyes for the wedding photos. Van would kill us.”
Ty laughed and shook his head. “Go ahead down. I will wait ten minutes and join you.”
In front of my mother, he smacked my ass as I was walking out of the door. I turned around and gave him a laugh before following behind her.
She was right. Everyone was in the kitchen. Lucy had made a huge breakfast and food was all over the island. Everyone said hello and then got back to their previous conversations, not even paying a bit of attention to me. I shrugged and happily made myself a plate. Bella was walking around with a piece of sausage in her hand. She liked to run around the kitchen island because it never ended. So, with her sausage held up high, she was running around screaming at the top of her lungs. Everyone stopped talking because they couldn’t hear each other through her screaming. That is when Ty decided to walk in the room. Bella’s screams stopped but only for her to go running toward Ty. “Daddy! Daddy!”
He picked up Bella and turned beet red. My brother dropped his fork and stood up straight. Ty held Bella with one arm and held his hand up for Conner to stop coming at him. Of course on his hand was his damn wedding band. To make things ten times worse, I jumped in between them waving my hands in the air at my brother. He reached over and grabbed my arm, staring at what was on my own finger. The room got silent. There were a few gasps, most likely from my aunt and Lucy, but everyone mainly just stared at me, Ty and Bella.
“No fucking way!” Conner said under his breath.
“Just calm down Conner,” I begged.
“Don’t tell me to calm down. I am going to fucking kill him,” he threatened.
Finally Colt stood up and came to stand next to Ty, while Van threw herself in front of Conner. “I don’t care what you all do after the wedding, but until then, nobody is fighting. I will not pay someone to Photoshop black eyes off of my groomsmen.”
My mother stood in the corner shaking her head. I felt so bad for her. She was really astonished that we had done something like this.
Conner finally backed away, knowing that if he took a step forward Colt was liable to kick his ass. He took his plate and threw it in the sink. “This is bullshit!”
Bella heard the word shit again, so on top of the animosity in the room, she started yelling ‘shit’ over and over.
The rest of my family just stood there, waiting for us to come up with a good explanation as to why Ty and I were married in the first place.
Chapter 28
Ty
Even if I tried to picture the worst scenario of how it could have all played out in my head, it still didn’t compare to what Miranda and I had woke up to this morning. It was important to me that everyone knew how serious we were about each other. This wasn’t some stunt.
Once Conner left the room and walked out back, everyone just stood there waiting for me or Miranda to say something. Obviously Colt hadn’t told Van about the marriage part. She looked like she was about to throw up. Her eyes were full of tears and she kept looking at Miranda’s ha
nd.
It didn’t take her long to break through the crowd of people in the room and grab Miranda’s hand. She studied it then finally looked up at me, not Miranda. She dropped Miranda’s hand and went running out of the room. I really felt bad for Colt. He must of really been taken back by the way she was acting. I didn’t know what her problem was, but she was acting like she was jealous.
He went running after her anyway.
Miranda’s mother finally broke the silence in the room. “Everyone who isn’t related to me needs to leave this room right now.”
Brina and Courtney, who had been standing around enjoying the entertainment, walked out annoyed. Even Lucy left the room.
My aunt was waiting for my new mother in law to tell her what was going on. I reached over and grabbed Izzy another piece of sausage. She hopped down and started running around the kitchen island. With one motion of her hand my aunt pointed to the small kitchen table. Miranda and I sat down at the round table. “I think I have pretty much figured it out, but we need to decide what is going to happen next. My son is to be married in one week and clearly this is a problem.”
Colt’s mother resembled Miranda’s but was older by a few years. She had a little more gray hair, but after losing her husband almost two years ago, she had a more aged look. Ever since I was a little kid I had called her Aunt J. She was the sweetest lady I had ever met. I could tell she wasn’t happy with me.
Miranda had her hands folded on the table. I reached over and ran my fingers across them, sliding my hand into one of hers. I gave her a short squeeze before I cleared my throat to start explaining.
“There is nothing to discuss. Miranda and I are married. This should have nothing to do with Colt and Savanna. It’s none of their business.”
“Tyler Mitchell don’t you dare say that. If it is causing problems between he and Savanna then it is a quandary.”
Miranda, who had been super quiet, must have gotten frustrated. “I’m sorry but it isn’t our fault if Van is acting this way. Ty and I are happy. Can’t anyone be happy for us? Has anyone realized how much they are hurting me? Don’t you think I would like to be congratulated. Don’t we deserve our families support at all? I mean, I know we did this behind your backs, but look at how everyone is acting. None of you would have supported our decision. That’s what this was too, it was our decision. Ty and I are adults and we want to spend our lives together, raising our daughter, then we will.”
Her grip on my hand was deadly, but I didn’t dare pull away.
“How can you expect anyone to act happy Miranda. You married someone who has been your family your whole life. You lied to all of us for months. Did you just call her your daughter?” Aunt J announced.
My poor aunt Karen, I mean Mom, sat with her hand in her face, shaking her head.
“Would either of you have supported us? It’s obvious that I already know the answer. I’m sorry we hurt your feelings, but this wasn’t your decision to make. As far as us being family, well we all know that Miranda and I are not related. We share the same cousin. It doesn’t even matter. We can sit here until we are blue in the face, but it isn’t going to change my mind. Miranda and I are married. We are a family. If this is going to continue to be such a problem for everyone, then I will pack up the car and take my wife and daughter and go home.”
Conner was standing at the breakfast room door. He was outside, but the windows were open. He had heard my every word, yet he just stood there with his head down.
My aunt reached her hand over to her sister. “I am very confused about the daughter part. Is there something I need to know?”
She almost snorted. “No. Ty adopted Bella. They had her name changed to Mitchell.”
“I’m the only father she has or will ever have. Is that going to be a problem too?”
The room was silent and I could hear footsteps approaching us. I knew it wasn’t Conner coming to kick my ass, because he was still standing at the door fuming.
“There isn’t goin’ to be a problem.” Colt’s voice filled the room and when we turned around I saw him holding Van’s hand. That was a good sign, at least I hoped it was.
“Is everything okay between the two of you?” My aunt asked her son.
Colt and Savanna pulled up two chairs and we scooted over to make room for them. Izzy was getting bored and came running over toward me. “Daddy up.”
I picked her up and just out of pure habit I filled her face with kisses. Everyone at the table stared at us.
While still watching me and Izzy, Colt answered his mom. “Everything is fine. Van just got upset for a minute. I think it would be better if she explained it though.”
Van gave a half smile but still looked sad. She played with the napkin on the table and wouldn’t look up. “You two being together was a shock at first. I just never expected the two of you to fall in love. I’m so close to both of you and never had any idea about it. When I came to visit and saw you together, it was hard at first, but I got used to it. This might sound terrible, but I never expected Ty to ever change. At first I was scared for Miranda, afraid he would just hurt her like he hurt me. When I saw him with Bella I was shocked. The way he loves her is just beautiful.”
I gave Van a smile. I couldn’t believe I got a compliment out of her.
She smiled back and continued talking. “It hurt me that he was so happy, not because I wanted to be with him, but because it made me feel like I was the reason he was always unfaithful. I saw him and Miranda and the fact that they were just as in love as Colt and I and it hurt me. Then I saw the ring. For years I thought that ring would be mine and to see that he had not only given it to her, but had it changed just for her….I don’t know. I just snapped.”
I felt bad for Van. She was right, but it wasn’t to spite her. “I didn’t do any of this to upset you Van. I changed the ring because she deserved to have something new that came from my heart, not something that an old girlfriend wore for a day. Her wearing that old ring seemed wrong to me and it wouldn’t be fair to you either. I would have got her a whole new ring if it weren’t my grandmother’s.”
“No, you did the right thing.” She reached over and grabbed Miranda’s hand. “You know I love you. I am so sorry that I doubted your relationship. I was being ridiculous. I can tell it’s real between you. Ty looks at you like Colt looks at me. I didn’t want to admit it before, but it’s the truth.”
Colt looked across the table and put his arm around Van. “Ty, we don’t want you to leave. Our wedding won’t be the same without you both in it. You are our family, my blood, nothing is going to change that.”
“Thanks Colt, but I think we need everyone to be okay with it.” I explained.
Conner came rushing through the door, pointed his finger toward me. “There is no way in hell I will ever be okay with the two of them.”
I gently handed Izzy over to her mother before standing up to face Conner.
“Boys you need to calm down and talk this out.” I wasn’t sure if my aunt said it or Miranda’s mom.
I held my hands up in the air, letting him know I had no interest in fighting him.
“What is your real problem with me Conner? Ever since Izzy has been born you have been nothing but a dick to me. What did I ever do to you?”
She must have heard me saying her name and climbed down from the table. Izzy was at my ankles, grabbing my legs. “Daddy up.”
Conner watched me pick her up and shook his head. “That is my problem. You think I didn’t notice how you were with that kid. Everyone else might have been busy with other things, but I noticed. Every time you came to visit, you spent more time with her than anyone else.”
“I watched her being born Conner. You are pissed at me for loving a child?”
“It wasn’t normal.”
“So your beef with me is because I love Izzy?”
“Bella.” I heard everyone saying at the same time.
“She is my Izzy.” I shook my head.
“N
o, you just aren’t gettin’ it. I knew all along that if you loved Bella than my sister would want you. Even I know nothin’ is more attractive to a mother than to see a man carin’ for her child. You came around lovin’ all over her, lettin’ her sleep on your chest. It got even worse after you saved her from Tucker at that bar. She never would admit it, but I knew there was somethin’ goin’ on between you.”
“There wasn’t Conner. I swear,” Miranda said from behind me.
Conner put his hand up. “Save it. You might not have acted on it, but it has always been there. The way you were always lookin’ at each other. Are you really goin’ to deny it now?”
I didn’t have to look back at my wife. I put my head against Izzy’s and at the same time as Miranda we said ‘no’.
I heard her mother gasp. “This explains why you didn’t fight me about going to North Carolina.”
“Mom, I didn’t know and neither did Ty. We never talked about our feelin’s. We were just friends.”
“But you had hopes?”
I was afraid to turn around to look at Miranda on account of Conner standing in front of me.
“Yes.” I could hear that she was getting choked up.
Conner shook his head, letting out some air as he let out a cackle. “How long did it take once she got there? How long did it take the two of you before you just couldn’t take it anymore?”
“That is none of your business.” I reacted too fast and if my child wasn’t in my arms, I was sure he was going to pounce on me. I swung her around just in case.
“Actually, I want to know. I sent my daughter to Ty. I think we should all hear the story.”
Oh mother fucking hell! I am dead!
“So Ty, how long did it take you to get into my sister’s pants?”
I considered telling them a total lie. It would have been easier.
I looked from Conner to Izzy. “Uncle Conner wants some hugs.” Conner gave me a dirty look but reached his arms out for Izzy. She gave him a quick hug.
“This is goin’ to be good if he had to hand me the kid.”
Folding Hearts Page 20