Page 83 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

“Please don’t say you should have known better,” I say ardently. “Please don’t say you regret it.”

He removes the bag of peas from his eye. The bruise is already forming deep purple around his eye socket.

“Because I…” I look to Dad and then to Dana who is just over my shoulder.Deep breath.“I don’t.”

Grant smiles, blue eyes twinkling with hope.

“I never wanted to hurt you, Daddy. But this is my life and the choices I make are mine. Grant and I…I can’t explain it, but we have a connection. I haven’t believed in the idea of love for a long time. Not since Mom left.

Dad’s anger slips away, expression sorrowful and bereft.

“You weren’t the only one blindsided,” I say. “You know, I’m the reason you found out about Mom and Malcolm.”

Dad frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“I was out in the treehouse that night during the Christmas party. I saw them go into the shed. And that’s when I went in and told you I heard something funny outside, but…” I look down. “You went to go check it out and then everything fell apart.I’mthe reason everything fell apart.”

The room is silent. I’ve never even told my sisters this. It was always a sort of sad joke that I heard what sounded like a dying animal and it turned out to be the end of our parents’ relationship.

But I knew what was going on. I just didn’t have the heart to be the one to catch Mom in the act. “I couldn’t let any of us live a lie anymore.”

“I’m…well, I’m glad you did that. You’ve always been a brave girl,” Dad says, trying to smile. “I’m just sorry you had to see that.”

I shake my head. “It’s not your fault. Nor is it your fault that since then I’ve never believed that love is real. I’ve tried to get around it my own way, but it’s never stuck.” I glance at Grant, feel my chest puff up with confidence. “Until now.”

Grant doesn’t break my gaze. Somehow, I know he’s trying to tell me I’m not alone in this.

“Trust me, Daddy, I’ve seen you hurt before. I would never want to do that to you. But staying away from Grant is hurtingme.”

Dad looks away and sighs. “Is this how you feel too, Grant?”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about Harley since the moment she answered the door at the Fourth of July party,” Grant replies. But he looks right at me.

I smile.

“You didn’t know about the baby, did you?” my dad asks him.

“Not until Dana mentioned it earlier,” Grant chuckles nervously. “Still processing that one.”

I chew on my lower lip. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s…this is all complicated,” Grants says in a voice made for me alone. If only I could go right over to him and take him up in my arms. I want to care for him so bad, talk about everything that’s happened, figure out what’s between us.

“God, I feel…” Dad starts to speak. “I feel so…”

Dana basically reads my mind. “Daddy, why don’t the three of us go for a walk and leave the two of them alone for a bit to sort things out?”

He finally looks up, glancing at me and then at Grant. For a split second, I’m afraid he’s going to grab me by the wrist at march me home. Instead, he nods slowly. “Alright.”

Victoria walks Dad over to Dana. I try to look into my Dad’s eyes, but he won’t even look at me. “Daddy…”

“I just need some time, Harley,” he says. “It’s all coming at me so fast.”

I give them a wide berth as they leave the living room and watch as they exit the house, the front door shutting behind them.

I feel Grant’s hand on my shoulder. All the tension in my body fades away. I turn into his touch and throw my arms around him, burying myself in his chest. No more distance. Just closeness.Realcloseness. Not the hidden kind.

Grant holds me close. “We have a lot to talk about.”

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