Chapter 30 Third Degree
THIRD DEGREE
“Mom, Dad, Kirk, this is Brennan and Becca Austin. Brennan, my mother, Cindy, and father, Darin. My brother, Kirk, obviously.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, moving forward, his hand out to shake. Becca was in his arms and wiggling to get down.
Alana reached for his daughter instead, and he could drop her bag of toys on the floor. He’d need to keep her entertained or she’d get bored easily.
“We’re glad to meet you,” Darin said. “Alana has told us a little about you.”
Like why he was a single father. She’d already warned him that her parents knew little more than what he’d first told Alana.
Rene’s job didn’t make her a great fit to have custody. Nothing more.
At least he didn’t think it was more and he’d have to trust that she didn’t share with her parents what a fool he’d been to his whoring ex’s ways.
“The same here,” he said.
“Daddy, I want to see Alana’s house.”
Alana put his daughter down and took her jacket off, then reached for his, and hung them.
“I’ll show you around,” she said. “There might be a surprise for you in the back.”
“Surprise?” he asked.
“You’ll see,” she said.
“Why don’t you and I have a talk,” Kirk said.
Alana stopped and turned around. “No, Kirk.”
“Yes,” Brennan said. “Might as well get it over with.”
“I like you already,” Kirk said, slapping him on the back. “We can go into Alana’s office.”
He turned and went in, Kirk following. Before the door shut, Darin came in.
He was going to get double-teamed for this.
It hadn’t happened to him once in his life. Considering he’d do this to any boy or man that came near his daughter, he wouldn’t gripe.
“Before you start,” he said. “I don’t take it lightly bringing any woman into my daughter’s life. Alana is the first.”
“Because she met her before you dated,” Darin said. “We know how it happened. She babysat your daughter while you went on a date with another woman.”
When phrased like that, it sounded shitty on his part.
“One date I didn’t want to go on,” he said. “It was the perfect excuse to cancel.”
“Then why didn’t you?” Kirk asked.
He’d be honest with them. If it got back to Alana, then he’d deal with it later. “Because it gave me a chance to be around Alana and learn more about her.”
“What?” Kirk asked.
Darin held his hand up. “You wanted to see how Alana was with your daughter or you wanted to have time to get to know her better outside of work and with no eyes on you both and it was the perfect play that fell into your lap?”
“The second one but mixed with the first,” he said.
Darin nodded his head. “No one is aware other than Kelsey that you’re dating?”
“Not right now,” he said. “I’m not sure how much longer it can be a secret, nor do I care if it isn’t. Alana and I will have that discussion soon.”
“You know what her ex did to her,” Kirk said. “She told us she told you.”
“I do. I also know she stopped you both from dealing with it your way. I’m not sure Becca could hold me back if someone did that to her.”
“Do you think we can’t take care of her?” Darin’s frown didn’t inspire confidence in this meeting.
It wasn’t going the way he wanted. “No. I think you care a great deal how Alana feels and knew that her degree of comfort or embarrassment over the situation took precedence over your need for vengeance.”
Kirk looked annoyed, Darin sighed.
“That’s it exactly,” Darin said. “Much to my son’s frustration.”
“I got my licks in and I’ll keep doing it when I cross paths with him,” Kirk said. “I don’t like that he’s even around still.”
“All in due time,” Darin said.
“Meaning?”
“Nothing,” Darin said.
He didn’t believe that and wondered what might be going on and if Alana knew.
Saying something to her might cause friction with her family and he didn’t want to get in the middle of that either.
The door opened and he turned. Alana was standing there with her arms crossed. “You’ve had enough time to give him the third degree,” she said. “Let’s go.”
He remained rooted to the spot, unwilling to give the impression that she controlled him to her family.
He’d experienced that enough times.
“We are not done yet,” Darin said.
“Yes, you are,” Cindy said. “Out, everyone. We let you have your way and now it’s over. Alana can handle her life just fine.”
He stayed where he was when Darin and Kirk left, Alana moving into the office.
“Where is Becca?”
“I filled a basket full of coloring books, puzzles, and games. She’s lining them up in order of what she’s going to do first and we ran down here to save you.”
“You don’t need to save me,” he said. “Your father and brother weren’t saying anything to me I won’t do to any man that is in my daughter’s life.”
She smiled and moved into his arms. “That is why I told my mother to let them have a few minutes. I knew you’d understand, but if they had enough time, who knows what buttons they might have pushed?”
“I’ve got patience,” he said. “Or I will for you. I know it’s out of concern and after what you went through, I don’t think I blame them.”
“I can blame them,” she said, giving him a kiss. “But I also know I only have so much control over their actions. Giving them this little bit might have been enough to get it out of their system.”
He wasn’t so sure based on the comment regarding Jonathan, but he wasn’t going to share that. He could be reading more into it.
“I guess we’ll find out,” he said. “My mother might do the same to you. I suppose I should warn you.”
Her jaw dropped. “Really?”
“You’re not the only one who was hurt before. There is more on the line than my feelings.”
He hoped she understood he had to put Becca first.
It’s not something he wanted to verbalize often and make her feel badly about though.
Other women in his past normally threw a fit when he said it, halting any shot he had.
Alana knew, they’d had the talk, but bringing it up repeatedly wasn’t healthy for either of them.
“I know,” she said. “I’m never going to make you choose. Please, don’t think that. I just hope there is room for me in there.”
“Lots of room that you’re filling,” he said. “More for you to take up too. I mean that. This is hard on me and I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“I’m tough,” she said. “And I’m positive I’ll be able to handle your mother.”
He tugged on a lock of her hair. “You will. And like your father and brother, she means well and will draw the line.”
Because he wouldn’t let his mother cross it.
He’d listen to her advice, but he didn’t have to follow it if it wasn’t what he wanted or felt deep down.
Life was meant for living and he came to Amore Island to start over.
That meant every aspect of his life.