Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts)
Page 57
Daisy decided against further discussion on the matter. She needed to give attention to something else. In her hand was the bag. The promise of another baby. Just maybe he’d believe in their family being solid with his own child. Or maybe she was still a fool trying to tame a beast that she couldn’t control.
****
Aiden watched her go. He was angry. Not with her. With himself. He feared nothing in life. Except one thing. What awaited him in the safe.
6 months earlier—
Aiden accepted the envelope from the courier. He closed his door. He had been on edge for this delivery all day. He walked through his office to his en-suite and sat on the large leather sofa. Eyes glued to the brown envelope, the smile on his face faded. His fingers gripped it too tight. Slowly, a new fear formed. What if? What if he opened it and she wasn’t his? What then? No hope of really being the father to a little girl he felt was his down in his soul. What then? He tossed the envelope on the table. One of his biggest fears was that he would lose her all over again. At least he had hope now. Sure, he was a gambling man. Built his fortune on the grind. This, the love of his little girl, he couldn’t risk. The odds were 50/50 and the split wasn’t worth risking.
“Aiden!”
He heard Daisy. Grabbing the envelope, he eased it into his pocket just as she ran in. She was in tears. The sight of her crying paralyzed him. “What is it?”
“Mama! She won’t come to Paris. She won’t come to the wedding! She’s doing it out of spite, Aiden! She—”
“Daisy,” he took her into his arms. “Look at me. I’ll talk to her.”
“No. No.” She wept. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tight. “I don’t care. We’re getting married. I’m ready. We’re going to be a family. I won’t let her do this.”
He smiled, though his stomach soured. The future was theirs but the answers were in his pocket. He couldn’t face them both. He chose right then to go for the wedding and save the truth for another night.
That was six months ago. And everywhere he went, so did the brown courier envelope. He rose from his desk. He had tried to not care, to put Amy first, and to convince himself that he was being selfless. But he was no fucking martyr. He was being a coward. Pete once said he had no power over nature. The runt was right. Amy was either his or not. The mystery of it all was as much torture as believing the worst. He couldn’t, wouldn’t prolong it anymore.
Aiden lowered the picture, worked the combination, and eased out the envelope from the safe.
He stepped to the center of the room and started to open it.
****
Daisy stood in the bathroom with her eyes tightly closed. “Please God… please.”
Was she? Could she be? She sucked in deep breaths and exhaled slowly.
“A baby this Christmas… please.”
He would be so happy. Oh how she wanted this baby. Slowly her eyes lowered to the evidence and the truth seized her heart.
****
"Daisy?" Aiden eased the bathroom door open. He was looking everywhere for her. She stood in the bathroom with her shoulders shaking. She was crying.
"Daisy? What is it?"
"Aiden, oh Aiden," she sniffed.
"Tell me, what's wrong?" he asked, walking toward her. She turned directly into his arms. Her arms around his neck were so painfully tight he couldn't breathe. "Baby, what is it? You're scaring me."
Daisy let him go. She looked up at him, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Look."
Aiden didn't understand. He glanced at the wand and the pink '+' symbol for meaning. "What is that?"
"A pregnancy stick. Plus means positive, minus means negative. Aiden, you're going to be a father. Merry Christmas, I'm pregnant."
Aiden’s eyes stretched. He stared at it in disbelief.
Say something, sweetie.
"Wow… I can't believe it," he stammered.
"You're happy?"
The shock snapped and he swept her up in his arms. Daisy squealed as he turned around in the bathroom holding her to him. "We're going to have a baby?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Aiden thought he was cursed. He tried to make a new life with her, and failed. Nothing was going his way. Now, today, everything changed. "I love you!" he said kissing her face.
Daisy squealed. He lowered her to her face. "See, Aiden. See what faith and patience brought us. I know you were disappointed that Amy wasn't yours. That we didn't have a child. I know you wanted a son or daughter. Now we'll build a family with Amy. You aren't cursed Aiden and neither is our family. We deserve each other. We just have to believe in each other."
She hugged him once more. Aiden smiled.
"Thank you for trusting me, for accepting the things we couldn't change, Aiden. I'm so happy."
He held her in the bathroom with a confession lodged in his throat. He opened the envelope and read the test results. Amy is his daughter. Daisy was right when she said she held their child and knew it. And he wanted the world to know it. But how could tell Daisy that he went behind her back to uncover the truth? Was there enough forgiveness between them to understand? Aiden closed his eyes and inhaled her. He'll deal with that later. Now, he just held tight to his second chance.
About the Author
Sienna Mynx is your naughty writer of Paranormal, Contemporary, and Historical Interracial Romance for readers that love the bad boy's but desire to be the women that tame them. A current resident of south of Georgia, Sienna Mynx has just emerged into the e-publishing arena. Her novellas reflect her thirst for romance told from a fresh perspective with the diversity she craves in erotic Romance. Look for more to come. Visit Sienna Mynx at http://siennamynx.com