Page 50 of When Love And Destiny Collide

“Well, the name isn't technically fake,” Noah clarifies. “I combined my father’s and son’s name, David, with my sister-in-law’s nickname to create my pen name.”

“Sharon, you mean.” Dad says. “Your pen name is David Sharon?”

“No,” Noah laughs, gently squeezing my hand. “Sharon’s nickname is Shay. My pen name is Shay David.”

“You're Shay David?” Dad asks, his expression unreadable.

“Yeah,” Noah confirms. “I know. Lily told me she’s collected my books over the years.”

Dad nods, catching me off guard. I never imagined him knowing about the books I read, let alone the authors I’ve admired over the years. I make a mental note to ask him how he knows about Shay David.

"When did you say you were in Mérida?" Dad asks.

Noah pauses, thinking back. "Almost six years ago," he replies. "It's been a while. We were there for a week attending a writer's conference."

Dad nods, taking a sip of his lemonade. "You brought your family with you."

"Back then, it was just me and my now ex-wife," Noah says, his eyes flickering to me briefly. I meet his gaze with a reassuring smile, hoping to convey that I'm okay with the mention of his ex.

They spend a few minutes discussing Noah’s books, a topic I’m well-versed in, so I eagerly share with Dad all about my love for Noah’s writing. Dad smiles, nodding along and contributing to the conversation, but I’m certain he had no idea I was a fan of Shay David before now. Despite his apparent liking for Noah, there’s a flicker in his eyes that hints at something weighing on him. I can’t help but wonder what it could be.

Chapter 13

Noah

Mateo and I are enjoying a cup of coffee when I notice Davey starting to fade. Lily immediately offers to take him upstairs and help him get ready for bed. As they leave, I'm left alone in the kitchen with her father. I brace myself for the tough questions I expect, but instead, he surprises me by showing genuine interest in my author persona—a subject I never tire of discussing.

"You must get a lot of inspiration from your boy," Mateo says, glancing fondly at the spot where Davey had been sitting. "He's quite a kid."

"He is," I agree proudly. "My wife and I didn't think we'd ever have children, so when we found out we were expecting Davey, we were both surprised and elated."

"He looks a lot like you," Mateo observes. "Except for the blue eyes. Does he get them from your wife?"

"My ex has hazel eyes," I explain, "but blue eyes run in her family. Her sister and dad have them too."

"Where is she now?" Mateo asks, likely trying to gauge how my ex might impact Lily.

"Don’t worry, Marian lives in London."

"Marian." Mateo repeats.

"Yes," I say, "Marian is my ex-wife."

Mateo nods and takes a sip of his coffee, but I can see his concern lingering.

"Don’t worry, Mateo," I begin. "Marian isn't going to be a problem for Lily. I don’t foresee more than one or two visits a year to see Davey."

I watch as Mateo rubs the five o'clock shadow forming on his cheeks and chin, his expression reflecting genuine concern. I need to reassure him.

"She's visiting next week," I say, "but she won't be here for more than a month."

The color drains from Mateo's face in an instant. "Marian will be here next week?"

"I can assure you, Mateo, there's no need to be concerned about her being here. She’s Davey’s mother, but our relationship is over. We’ve been divorced for a year."

"That's good," Mateo finally says, his voice softening. "That's good."

Prolonging the inevitable won't help, so I decide to just say it. "Mateo, I'm going to ask Lily to marry me."

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