Page 7 of One Night Diamond

“Don’t do anything rash. Think things through. Let your emotions settle down so your brain can catch up with your heart. There may be more to the story than you know.”

“Thanks for listening, doc. That’s good advice.”

“You bet.” He nods. “I’ll write up your discharge and get you out of here. Good luck to you both.”

“Tell me what you want me to do, brother, and it’s done.” Jake snarls as he takes out his cell.

“Who are you calling?” Queasiness rolls through my stomach. Holy shit. I’m a father. I have a child. I have a daughter.

“I’m texting Emily to let her know you’re alive and that she will have to ask Darla to get on the next flight home. I don’t care about eating the cost of the hotel. She hurt you. She lied to you. She’s dead to me. Even though she’s Emily’s best friend, you’re my family, Gage. I stand with you.”

“I appreciate that. I really do.” My pulse races. “But please don’t send her away.”

“Why? She nearly killed you!”

“I passed out from shock. That’s not her fault.”

“She’s kept your child from you.”

“I know.” I get up, take off the hospital gown, and toss it onto the stretcher. “But if you tell Darla to leave, I might never see my daughter again.”

“We’ll get you a damn good lawyer.” Jake huffs. “Fathers have rights, you know.”

“I know.” I zip up my khakis. “

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get to know my daughter.” I button my shirt. “I have a lot of lost time to make up.”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Just like that.” I clap Jake’s shoulder. “We’re going back to finish your wedding dinner in style. And I’m going to get to spend time with Lilah.”

“Alright.” Jake smiles. “I owe my bride a dance. And you can have your first dance with your daughter.”

That hit me dead center in the heart. “I’m going to dance with my daughter,” I whisper.

Jake put his arm around my shoulders. “I told you that you would fall in love in Hawaii. I didn’t know the love of your life would be nine.”

“Neither did I.” I almost laugh. “Neither did I.”

Chapter Five - Darla

“I am a horrible human being.” I drop my face in my hands. “The worst.”

“Honey, you are the sweetest person I know. If roles were reversed and I was in your shoes and you were in mine, would you tell me I was horrible?”

“Probably not.” I sniffle.

“No, it’s not a probably, hon. It’s a definite no. I’m sorry you’ve been carrying this around all these years.”

“I didn’t know what else to do. If I had told him I was pregnant, Gage never would have signed his contract with the Bangor Braves. He would have stayed with me in the middle of nowhere, worked a boring, dead-end job, and ended up resenting me and resenting Lilah for missing out on his dream. I couldn’t live like that. I had always planned on telling him the truth after he’d established himself in his career, but days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. And before I knew it, Lilah was nine. If I had known who Jake was, I never would have come to Hawaii, Em. I hope you know that.”

“I know that, honey. That’s on me. Jake and I got sucked into the vortex of love and wanted to keep it all a secret. So, how would you have known?” Emily rubs my back. “You must give yourself grace.”

“I’ve ruined your wedding. Destroyed Gage’s life. And I don’t know if Lilah will ever forgive me.” I see my sweet girl grinning from ear to ear while doing the hula without a care in the world with many other happy kids. She has a tiny grass skirt tied around her dress and a lei of colorful flowers around her neck. She’s having the time of her life. And in less than an hour, the bubble of happiness she’s in is going to burst when I tell her that Gage is her father.

“My wedding was perfect. I married the man of my dreams. Nothing could ruin that.” Emily grins. “You just happened to make our day a little more memorable.”

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