Chapter 27 Lovesick Fools
LOVESICK FOOLS
“Grandma,” Becca yelled and ran into his mother’s house Christmas Day. “I got everything I wanted.”
His mother bent down to catch her granddaughter charging her. “You did? And I bet you’ve been playing with it all this morning.”
“Not everything,” Becca said. “Daddy said we can’t open it all at once, so just a few things. He said I’ve got all week to play.”
Becca wiggled to get down and made a mad dash toward the living room where there were more gifts scattered under the tree. It was a good thing he had a house to store them, but his daughter’s toy room was going to take some cleaning out to make room.
“I can take her a day. You might need the break.”
“I’m good with her home,” he said. It’d been the plan all along so his daughter could enjoy the toys she got. It was only two more days at this point. “I can get work done while she’s busy and napping,” he said. “I don’t have a ton going on.”
“But spend some time with that new friend of yours.”
He closed one eye at those whispered words sent his way. “I would like that. I believe I’m having dinner with her family on Saturday night. Becca too.”
He was a tad worried about that. He felt sure Becca wouldn’t be confused, since he had simplified things. Alana was his friend, but a different kind of friend. It was working.
“And when do I get to meet her?”
“Do you have plans on New Year’s Eve?” he asked. It was a lot to ask, he knew that.
“To babysit or have dinner?”
His head went back and forth. “I was thinking more like a late lunch when Becca got up from her nap.”
“And for me to keep her overnight for you?”
“Well, if you don’t have plans, that’d be great, but if you do, it’s not a big deal.”
“Grandmaaaaaaaaaaa. There are gifts!” Becca pointed to the pile, having finished lining up the presents in the order she planned to open them.
“Yes,” his mother said. The two of them moved into the family room for his daughter to tackle the array of presents.
He sat down and took his phone out so he could capture as many shots as possible.
Becca was growing so fast and he wanted to hold on to the memories.
He’d even sent several to Alana this morning and she’d loved them and asked for more.
It was after three and not one word from Rene. He long since gave up assuming Rene would care enough.
Maybe she was working, but the least she could have done was send a text for him to share with Becca, if not call.
He had to stop worrying about those things.
That he’d get leveled with blame when Becca was older for not doing enough to help build that mother-daughter relationship.
Did he still have deep-rooted emotions about not having a man in his life growing up?
He most certainly did and had to get over it.
The woman sitting in this room with him gave him everything he needed and then more.
But the bond you get with a father isn’t something a mother can give you.
Just like he knew what he gave his daughter would never measure up.
He hoped that he’d have a woman in his life who accepted Becca as her child.
In just a few short weeks, his mind was depositing Alana in that role.
Not smart on his part, but he was unsuccessful at kicking those images to the curb.
“Daddy,” Becca said as she pranced around the room with the new instrument package she’d unwrapped.
What the fuck? Was everyone trying to torture him?
He cleared his throat. “That’s staying here for you to play with, right?”
“It is,” his mother said. “I thought it was funny when you said she got the little electronic drums.”
“From Alana,” Becca said. “It’s so much fun. I made Daddy dance to the beat.”
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. His daughter wasn’t so good at keeping secrets even when he told her not to share that information.
“You’re such a good father,” his mother said.
“I’m trying.”
“I know you didn’t have any role models. You’re a natural.”
“I learned everything I know from you.”
His mother smiled, her eyes watering some.
He could have all the internal struggles he wanted, but he’d never share it outside of his own brain.
He wouldn’t hurt his mother that way.
His eyes landed on his daughter violently attacking the red and green paper as if it was a shield against her future happiness.
Her giggles and animated antics were worth the carnage of the gift wrapping.
“I’ll get a trash bag for this mess,” he said, standing.
Becca’s roars of giddiness chased him into the kitchen. His phone vibrated in his back pocket, so he pulled it out to see the text from Alana that she was thrilled to be home and that the grilling she took left a few smoke rings on her.
He pursed his lips, wondering what was going on.
He replied with a question mark and returned to the living room.
Becca was done with gifts and he bent to pick up the destruction.
His phone buzzed again, but he ignored it until he was done. He wouldn’t be one of those lovesick fools that put his phone before anything else.
Once the living room appeared somewhat clean and his daughter was playing with a new doll, he took out his phone to check Alana’s response and laughed.
“What’s so funny?” his mother asked.
He nodded his head toward the kitchen, the two of them going there. His mother opened the oven and checked her roast, then turned on the water for the potatoes she had cut up.
“Alana’s family was asking a bunch of questions about us. It embarrassed her.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. She was joking. Guess her mother told everyone about me.”
“Interesting. You have said little about her dating history to me. You mentioned she’s only been on the island for a year, was in Boston prior, and is in her early thirties. Does she have any experience with long-term relationships?”
He wasn’t sure how much to share, then realized there was no reason to have it be a secret either.
“She was with someone for seven years. They were engaged for a year, but they never set a wedding date. He cheated on her and when she found out, ended things immediately.”
“Good for her not giving him a second chance. Even after all that time.”
“She’s like me. It’s unforgivable and inexcusable. They worked for the same holding company but not the same business. She wanted to get away after that. She’s part of the Bond family.”
He realized now he’d never told his mother that much.
“Oh. Interesting. So she’s related to your bosses?”
“Yes. Same branch but not first cousins. She spent the day with her first cousins and aunt and uncle. Her cousins own Atlantic Rise.”
“So there are a lot of eyes on her on the island?”
“I don’t think so. She said her immediate family doesn’t own any businesses. Her father is the Vice President of Finance for Bond Enterprises, owned by Mitchell Bond. She worked for one of his companies prior. Her ex did for another business and they met on some retreat.”
“Is the ex still employed after cheating on her if her family owns so much?”
It was the humor in his mother’s eyes. “Yes. Only because she stopped them from doing anything about it.”
“Hmmm, does she still have feelings for him?”
“Absolutely not. She said it had more to do with not wanting people to talk about her getting vengeance. She’s not that way.”
At least he hoped that was the case. He had no reason not to believe her.
“What way is she then? Someone to run if the going gets tough?”
He frowned. “I’ve never known you to be this cynical before. Why all the questions in that direction?”
“I just want to make sure that who you end up with can deal with what you’ve got going on in your life. It’s not a normal situation.”
“It’s not unheard of either,” he argued. “Lots of men have primary custody of their child.”
“They do.” His mother was moving around the kitchen and pulling out the makings for a salad now. “And Rene is hands off mostly, other than dropping in unexpectedly.”
“Alana is aware of all of that.”
His mother turned and put her hands on the counter behind her back. “You’ve never brought another woman around Becca before. This is early and you’re defensive already.”
He snorted. “Are you concerned about my judgment?”
“No. Don’t think that. I’m pointing out things you might not have noticed.”
“It’s hard not to notice something I’m living,” he said. “What’s this really about?”
“I don’t want you to get all these ideas in your head to rush something because Alana gets along with Becca and vice versa.
You’ve got the whole American Dream ideal in your mind that you didn’t get as a child and I’m sorry for that.
But it clouds your rationale. I knew things with Rene wouldn’t work, but you put so much of your heart and soul into it. ”
His fingers curled into his palms. “You never said it wouldn’t work. You’re the one who kept telling me to give her time. That her body was changing with hormones.”
His mother sighed. “Brennan. If I’d told you I didn’t like her or that I didn’t trust her, that she wasn’t mother material and was going to go back to her life as if she hadn’t had a child, you wouldn’t have believed me.
We would have fought and the last thing you needed was more strife to deal with. ”
He processed that information. “True.”
“But I will not be quiet this time. I refuse to watch you get hurt again because too much is at stake.”
The fresh round of giggles and chattering in the other room penetrated his brain.
“Alana would never hurt Becca. I’m almost more worried she’d rather spend time with my daughter than me.”
His mother laughed. “And that’s another burden you’re carrying as well. Just make sure your eyes are always open.”