“I just did. I don’t know how those kids survived this because I feel like death.” There’s a short pause. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“You’ll get to see things when you bring her,” I repeat.
“Ian,” she sighs. “You like having my firsts, right? I’ve had all of her firsts. I’ve been there for everything. I’m not there today and I swear, if I thought I could get into the car without throwing up the entire time, I’d be down there in a heartbeat. So, tell me what’s going on. Please?”
That nearly breaks my heart. “Hold on a second, gorgeous. I’m going to hang up, but just trust me.” I hang up before she can say anything and call her back, but this time, it’s through FaceTime. I fix the screen so she can see for herself what Savannah is doing.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “She’s so cute!”
They both are. Sydney’s eyes are glued to the phone and mine alternate between watching her and Savannah. Halfway through, Sydney has to put the phone down to throw up. Aside from that, she’s able to watch all of Savannah’s first lesson. We hang up once she’s done and Savannah runs over to me.
“Daddy, that was fun!” she squeals. “Do it again.”
I laugh. “You will. Let’s get these skates off and go home to check on Mommy.”
At that, Savannah sobers. “Mommy still sick?”
“Yeah, but she’ll feel better soon, just like you did. Are you going to take care of her while Daddy is gone tomorrow?”
Savannah nods her head. “Where you go, Daddy?” she asks.
“On a trip to New Jersey, but it’s a short one.” Now that her shoes are on, I take her hand for us to leave.
“Why you go, Daddy?”
“For work.”
“Why?”
“Because sometimes I have to go on trips for work.”
“Why?” she repeats as I put her in her car seat.
“Hey, little Miss, I already answered that question.”
“Nuh-uh.”
I level my gaze at her. “Why does Daddy go on trips?” She has the nerve to shrug. “I just told you. Now, you tell me.”
She stares at me for a moment, her legs swinging side to side and bumping into me. “For work,” she finally answers.
“See? You’re a good listener. Daddy likes good listeners.” I kiss her forehead and she grins. I close the door and get into the driver’s seat, so we can finally head home.
She tells Sydney all about her lesson and Sydney listens as if she doesn’t already know everything. Savannah also tells her that she’s a good listener. Sydney glances at me when she says this, but I just shrug with a smile. I manage to wrangle Savannah away from Sydney to give her a bath and then we sit in the recliner together to watch TV until it’s time for bed.
That’s when my phone rings with a dreaded call from my mother. I guess I’ve avoided her for long enough.
“Hello?”
“How can you tell me news like that and then ignore me, Ian? Tell me everything right now.”
“I’m good, Mom. Thanks for asking. How are you?” I sarcastically ask. When she doesn’t say anything, I sigh. “Did you call Dad?”
“Yes, and he told me that he kept the truth from you and then that she did the same thing. Are you sure this kid is yours?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have a test done?”
“Mom, I don’t need one!”
That starts her on a thirty-minute rant about how I need to get a DNA test performed to make sure that Savannah is mine. At one point, I set the phone down and motion for Sydney to come sit with me. I’ve been keeping my distance, not wanting to get sick, but I’m going to need to hold on to her to keep my anger at bay.
“What’s going on?” she whispers.
“Mom wants a paternity test.” Her eyes widen, but I pick the phone back up. “Are you done?” I ask when there’s a pause.
“No. What are you doing for this girl and her daughter? What’s going on now? Your father said that you’ve been dating her on and off since you were in high school basically.”
“Yeah, that’s the condensed version. Now, we’re living together, she’s going to school, and I take care of them. Things are good.”
“Wait. Wait. Wait. You’re taking care of them? She’s not working? Are you crazy, Ian? What if she’s just using you for your money?” Sydney tenses in my arms, obviously able to hear her. “You don’t need to hand over your money like that, especially if you don’t know for sure that the kid is yours.”
“Are you kidding me?” I interrupt. “You’re a fucking hypocrite. I can’t use my money to take care of my family but you can leave yours to marry some fucker for his money? I didn’t tell you for any other reason other than to let you know that you have a granddaughter. If you want to know about her, then I’ll be more than happy to tell you. Otherwise, keep your fucking opinions to yourself. Do you understand me?”
She stutters and then, “I’m just looking out for you!”
“Bullshit. If you want to talk about your granddaughter, you can call me. Don’t call me for anything else. I’m done with this stupid shit.” I hang up before she can say anything else.
“Ian,” Sydney starts softly.
“Babe, don’t.” I don’t know what she was going to say, but I don’t want to hear anything right now. I’m too damn pissed and the last thing I want is for that anger to transfer over to Sydney.
She rests her head on my shoulder and I rest my hand on her thigh since she’s sitting sideways in the seat. I can’t believe my mom is going to bitch at me for doing exactly what her husband does for her and he shouldn’t, if only because she takes advantage of it! She left us for his money. She might love him, but her greed is ultimately what led her away. And now, she’s going to say that I shouldn’t provide for my own family in whatever way I see fit?
“Do you want a test?” she whispers. “I mean, I did lie to you, so—”
“Stop it. That’s not the first time I’ve been asked. The teammate who recommended the lawyer? He asked me if I was sure and I interrupted him. Told him I trusted you more than anyone else in my life. I don’t need a test to prove you’re telling the truth when you’ve told me she’s mine.” I do trust Sydney. Not to mention, she’s said that I’m the only person she’s ever been with. That leaves only me to be Savannah’s father. That little girl is mine.
“Sorry. I guess I never expected anyone to ever question me about it.”
“Don’t worry about it, okay? That’s not an issue.”
She nods. “Your mom is kind of a bitch.”
I laugh. “Yeah. Don’t let what she said bother you. I’m happy with our arrangements, and what she says doesn’t matter. The only people that matter are you, me, and Savannah.”
“I love you,” she says with a smile.
“Love you too, babe.”
Sydney rests her head on my shoulder again. “I hate that you don’t have a good relationship with your parents. Can you at least think about talking to your dad soon? Let him fix things.”
“Why?”
“Because he and I both made mistakes. You forgave me. Why can’t you forgive him, Ian?” She’s looking at me now with those pleading brown eyes. Why is this so important for her? It’s not her dad. Why does it matter? It’s not bothering me as long as I don’t think about it.
“He wasn’t going to tell me, Sydney. Ever. That’s why.”
“But what if he was, but he wasn’t sure how?”
“Babe,” I start to shut this shit down, but she interrupts me.
“Talk to him, Ian. For Savannah. Your dad is a good man, over all, right? Don’t you want her to meet her grandfather? To meet at least one person in your family? Don’t you miss him?”
I stare at her for so long, I wonder when it’ll turn awkward. I hear what she’s saying. I don’t like it, but I hear her. “Fine,” I mutter. “For you and for Savannah, I’ll call him by the end of the week. No promises.”
“That doesn’
t sound like you’ll have an open mind.”
“Don’t push it, gorgeous.”
She smiles and kisses my cheek. “Thanks. I’m going to bed; I’m exhausted.” She stands and walks slowly down the hallway, one hand on the wall as if she needs help. When I hear her retching, I turn off the TV, lock up, and follow after her. I need to do what I can to take care of her before I leave tomorrow.
For some reason, we’re called to the practice facility in the morning. Our flight leaves soon, but we’re being told to come in first. When I get to the conference room we were told to meet in, there’s only EJ in the room. On the table is a sleeping baby in a car seat.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
EJ turns, looking rough as hell. “Hey.”
“Are you okay?”
“Not really.” The baby startles, waking herself up, and she starts crying. EJ seems frozen for a few seconds before he carefully picks her up.
Marc, Noah, Scott, and a few other guys enter the room, stopping short when they see EJ and the baby.
“What’s going on?” I ask again.
“Um, so apparently, this might be my kid. I woke up yesterday and she was on my doorstep. Vicky, the girl I was seeing? She stopped talking to me, remember? She was pregnant, had the baby. She dropped her off at my house with a birth certificate, a note that said she was mine, she was sorry, and to take good care of her. Then, when I go to her house to figure out what the fuck is happening, I…” EJ chokes up and shakes his head. “Paramedics were there. One of her friends found her dead. They think she overdosed. She was a drug addict. Didn’t even know.”
Marc stands next to him and places a hand on his shoulder. “Shit, man. That’s fucked up.”
“Yeah.” EJ clears his throat. “Anyway, I asked for you guys because I don’t want to miss this game, but my mom’s flight doesn’t land until this afternoon. Do you think any of your women would be willing to watch her until my mom gets here to help me sort this mess?”
“Meredith might want to,” Noah says. “Let me call her.” He steps out of the room.
“If she can’t, I know Sylvia can,” Scott tells him.
“Sydney can’t. She’s sick.”
He nods and glances down at the baby as she makes a fuss. She’s a tiny little thing. “She’s only a week old,” he whispers. “What the fuck am I going to do with a baby?”
“Don’t worry about that just yet,” Noah says as he comes back in. “Mere’s on her way. Let her take care of her until your mom gets here and then you can focus on hockey.”
“You’re going to want to get a paternity test, though. Just to be sure,” Marc adds. “If she was a drug addict, she may have left her with you because she knows you’ll take care of her and you have the means to do so. Your mom will help you figure things out and we’re here for you, too.”
EJ nods. “Thanks.”
“Don’t feel guilty about letting your mom take over for right now either. Hockey will help clear your head from what’s happened,” Scotty tells him. “You can figure some things out after this trip and before the next one.”
“At least she’s cute,” Nathan pipes up.
EJ looks down at her as she starts crying again. He’s already in love with her. I can tell. He’s spent one day with her, is freaked the fuck out, but he’s already enamored with her. “Yeah, she’s beautiful.”
“What’s her name?” Marc asks.
“Bree.” EJ bounces her in her arms and she stops crying. He already knows how to soothe her.
“You’ve told Coach and everyone, right?” Brayden asks. I didn’t even realize he was here. Why would EJ call him? He doesn’t have a woman that I know of who could keep little Bree for EJ.
“Yeah. I did that before you guys showed up.”
“Can I hold her?” I blurt out.
EJ seems surprised, but he nods. Once she’s in my arms, I start to feel a little enamored with her myself. Her eyes are wide open as she stares at me. Her arms move about and she ends up grabbing hold of my beard. Her nose scrunches. Maybe she doesn’t like it because she lets go. I wonder if Savannah was this tiny or if she was a little bigger.
“I’m here,” Meredith says as she bursts into the room. “Oh, she’s so cute!” She peers at her and I can tell she’s itching to hold her.
“Want to hold her?”
“Please!” She melts the moment the baby is in her arms. “Oh, EJ, she’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” he replies awkwardly. “Could you watch her at my house? I had to buy some supplies yesterday and most of it is there. Then, when my mom gets here, she can go straight there.”
“Yeah, of course. Whatever you want. When does her flight land?”
“At one. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all!” They exchange numbers and EJ gives her his address while they put the baby back in the car seat before we all head outside. Meredith moves over to Noah and takes his hand. I’m walking right behind them, so I hear her whisper, “I want one. I think I have baby fever; just that quick.”
He laughs. “Don’t speed up my plan, yeah?”
“Whatever. Just think of all the sex we’d have and how cute our baby would be.” Okay. I’m hearing way too much. Meredith’s voice lowers, but I can still hear her. “If we’re lucky enough, that is.”
Noah wraps an arm around her. “It’s part of the plan, Mere. It’ll happen. For now, enjoy Bree and your baby fever.”
Hell, I think I have a bit of baby fever. I almost envy EJ, if only because he’s going to experience parts of Bree’s life that I missed with Savannah. I want to experience that some day. For now, I need to focus on keeping my life together and figuring out how I’m going to work things out with my father.
Things have been going well lately. I finally got over that virus. Ian called his father, though the conversations are still tense. So far, I think they’ve been avoiding the actual issue and Ian just talks to him about Savannah. It’s a start. They’ll eventually have to confront the tension between them.
Right now, Savannah and I are sitting in a restaurant, waiting on Ian. We were going to wait outside, but it’s freezing. I’m glad we didn’t because it’s been twenty minutes and he still hasn’t shown up.
“Mommy, I hungry,” Savannah says from across the booth.
“I know, buttercup. We’re waiting on Daddy.”
“Where Daddy?” she asks for the billionth time. She slaps her hand on the table as if she’s full of impatience. That’s what I wish I could do. The waitress has been by our table a number of times already and she keeps giving me a sad look when all she can do is top off our drinks. I think she believes we’re being stood up.
I grab my phone to call Ian. He doesn’t answer, but immediately calls me back.
“Hey, babe.” There’s lots of noise in the background and I hear some guys laughing.
“Where are you?”
“At dinner with the guys. What’s up? Did her lesson go well?”
Did I just hear him correctly? “You’re at dinner with the guys?”
There’s a pause. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” I hang up. He forgot he was supposed to have dinner with us. Ian tries calling back, but I turn my phone on silent and drop it in my purse.
“Where Daddy?” Savannah asks.
“It’s going to be just us. Do you want pizza, hot dog, or chicken nuggets?”
“Nuggets!”
I wave the waitress over and order, hating that he’s not showing up after she’s already been giving us pity looks. God, I’m so pissed. What possible excuse is he going to give me when he realizes he was supposed to meet us and chose his friends instead? How could he forget us?
“Color, Mommy!” When I raise an eyebrow at her, she adds, “Please!”
“Yes, ma’am.” I reach over, pick up a crayon, and color her menu with her. Coloring with her temporarily diffuses my anger, which is good because I don’t want to be pissed around her. Ian, however, will be a different
story entirely.
The perfect speech is already forming in my head. It’s tempting to go to Logan and Carey’s for the night, but that might be taking my silent treatment too far. It would definitely be a bad idea since Savannah would be with me. I don’t want to get into a habit of taking her away from him when I’m trying to get away from him because I’m angry. I also don’t want him to think it’s a show of how I could take her away from him, even though I never would. The idea of avoiding him is appealing, but the consequences would be terrible. Not worth it.
“Brr!” Savannah says as we walk outside to my car. “Carry me, Mommy! I’m cold!”
“Mommy’s cold, too,” I tell her, but I pick her up anyway.
“Look! Daddy! He came!” She’s pointing over my shoulder, so I turn around.
Running toward us is Ian. “Babe! I’m so sorry!” He comes to a stop in front of us. Savannah is reaching for him, so he takes her. “Hey, little Miss. Sorry I missed dinner.”
“It okay.”
Ha. She may think so, but I don’t. I turn around and continue to my car.
“EJ’s had it rough lately, so we wanted to give him a break. It was last minute.” Right. His teammate, EJ, has an infant daughter to take care of after her mom died. He didn’t know anything about the pregnancy and suddenly has a baby. It’s nice Ian wants to do something for EJ with his teammates, but not at the expense of Savannah and me.
I unlock the car and open the door, taking Savannah from him. Once she’s settled in the car, I close the door. “You forgot us, Ian. We waited for twenty minutes before I even called you with Savannah asking me every two minutes where you were. I don’t want to hear about you doing something nice for someone else. Go back to wherever you were. I have to get her home.”
“I’ll meet you there then.”
I shrug, not caring either way. He grabs my wrist and pulls me against him before I can open my door.
“I’m sorry, Sydney.”
I step away from him without saying a word. After a tense moment of silence, he lets me go and starts walking away.
“Where Daddy going?”
It's Our Time (Carolina Rebels Book 4) Page 14