Page 85 of Broken Daddy

But did I really make a mistake?Setting my jaw, I’m not so sure. I still think I had the right to be upset about that dinner being sprung on me. It’s not how I wanted Eva to meet her half uncle. I haven’t even come to terms with Jenson’s place in my life, not fully.

Yes, he helped me immensely with digging Ironside out of that giant hole. Nash is serving time and has been ordered to pay back the thousands of dollars he stole, which I’m assuming we’ll never see again. I lost only two investors, and as Trudy put it, good riddance to them. If anything, Nash probably saved me a headache down the road.

That being said, I’ve thanked Jenson, but I haven’t had time to figure out how and if I want him to show up in my life—and the life of my daughter.

Mostly because I was completely blindsided by the dinner.

With my eyes closed, my mind goes back to that night. Shortly after our discussion in the kitchen, Gen smiled politely and excused herself, claiming she had to get back to the house to meal prep for the week.

Chris, across the table, had leveled his gaze right at me. Jenson and Mel stood to hug Gen and thank her. Eva pouted a little bit but got over it quickly as she started asking Mel more questions about their new baby.

When Gen breezed by she didn’t say one word to me.

Which was all Chris needed as evidence to confront me later, when everyone left and Eva was knocked out on the couch, tuckered out from the evening.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

“Okay. Then what did you say?”

Turning to Chris, I’d told him the truth—it was the theme of the night. “I told her that she overstepped. As did you. You should have asked first, Chris. We talked about this.”

“It wasn’t her idea,” he ground out. “It was mine. She went along with it.”

“That’s not an excuse. She still overstepped.”

“Well, that can’t be all that was said. I’ve never seen her shut down like that before, Nate.”

“What are you talking about? You barely know her!”

“I’d like to get to know her better, but if you keep doing whatever you’re doing, you’re going to push her away.”

If you keep doing whatever you’re doing, you’re going to push her away.

That, coupled with Gen’s news that she was seriously considering leaving the city, has had my body in panic mode for the last few days. Getting home from work today, I shut myself in my office to try and decompress.

It didn’t work.

Because deep down, I know I have to apologize.

I just don’t know how.

A sound breaks the silence. With a quick glance at the clock, I wonder who it could be at 11:30 p.m.

Walking quietly to the bedroom door, I open it and peer out into the hall. Gen’s silhouette is tiptoeing toward the stairs, the guest room door propped open. Her baggy pajama pants billow as she turns the corner.

I follow, padding down the hall and staying just far enough behind so as not to alert her that I’m there.

What the heck is she up to? Finally making a run for it? I wouldn’t blame her, based on the things I said to her that night.

The light over the kitchen stove bleeds amber into the hallway as I walk toward it. Gen is trying to be quiet, but the sound of her bustling around in there makes me smile. I used to like peace and quiet, now I don’t mind this so much.

Leaning against the doorframe, I can’t help smiling when she curses quietly after dropping a dish towel. Gen stands, tossing back her hair, and our eyes meet.

Chapter35

Genevieve

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