Page 60 of Accidental Baby Daddy

“Just missed him, I guess,” I muttered. “I’ve been working so much lately.”

My mother looked at me curiously, and I knew she could tell something was wrong.

“Ollie,” she said firmly. “Let’s talk and have some tea.”

I knew that I wasn’t getting out of this easily, so I sighed and followed her as she put on the tea kettle. We stood in the kitchen, staring at each other for a few minutes.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” she demanded, and I huffed out a breath.

“No.” She blinked at me in surprise. “Not until you tell me why you left Dad.”

I guess I wanted to change the subject so badly that I brought up something I knew she wouldn’t want to talk about. Or maybe I truly wanted to know the answer. I thought at first that my parents’ separation wouldn’t bother me, after all, I’m a grown man. Yet here I was asking my mother for an explanation.

After seeing Dad the other night, I really wanted to know.

She took in a deep breath. “That’s none of your business, Oliver.”

“Isn't it?” I asked, stepping forward to pour our tea into cups. “It seems like something I should know, Mom.”

“It just wasn’t working,” she said flatly, heading to the table with her tea. She sat down heavily into a chair. I followed and sat across from her. “Your father... he can be a very critical man, you know.”

“I do know,” I said softly. My father had pushed me to be the man I was today, going out on the rigs and working hard. Now that he was retired, he nitpicked me relentlessly. I guess I never knew that he did it to Mom, too.

“It just got to be too much. There was always something wrong with my cooking or the way I cleaned the house, or the plans I made. I grew tired, Ollie. You shouldn’t be constantly tired when you are in love.”

I drew in a sharp breath. Tired was precisely how I feltright now. Tired of fighting my feelings. Tired of pretending Iwasn’tin love with Lexie. If my mother was right, and you weren’t supposed to feel tired in love, what was the alternative?

“I messed up, Mom,” I said softly, and she reached across the table and took my hand in hers.

“Tell me,” she said softly.

Tears burned at the backs of my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall.

“I’m in love with Lexie Tripp,” I said finally, and she gasped subtly.

“Oh, honey, I knew that already.” When I gaped at her, she just smiled. “You’ve always been in love with her, haven’t you?”

“I guess so,” I admitted, almost wanting to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. How could I think I could be with her again and not fall in love with her?

“It was your father who didn't like her, you know,” she said. “I thought she was a lovely girl.”

“He had reasons not to like her,” I muttered.

“Did he?”

My mother’s words struck me oddly and I looked at her intently. “Mom, do you know something I don’t?”

She shrugged. “Just that your father didn’t want to see you with her. I’m not sure what it was though I think it had something to do with her father, and his poor business practices, and her own slightly unfocused nature”

“But what Lexie did with Tristan?—”

“I don’t know anything about that. All I know is how you looked at her, Ollie. Like she made the world stop turning.” She smiled sadly. “Your father once looked at me like that. A long time ago.”

“I think you should talk to him, Mom. Tell him how you feel. I think it would make a big difference.”

She hummed. “Maybe it will. Or maybe it won’t make any difference at all.”

I felt the same way about Lexie. Even if I did tell her how I felt, would it matter? She’s made it clear she wants to leave Wagontown. When that happens, I’ll be heartbroken all over again.

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