Page 73 of Like You Love Me

London rose. “I’ll be waiting in the living room.” He stopped long enough to plant a kiss on Sierra’s forehead, but barely met Bianca’s eyes before he turned and left the room.

Bianca sighed in despair. She had a lot of repairing to do.

London walked into the kitchen, and his sisters ceased talking when they saw him. He moved over to the refrigerator and removed a bottle of water. His mouth was dry from the uncertainty. Damn. Fatherhood was rough. He had no idea how Jabarie and Brenna did it. He unscrewed the cap and took several swallows. Out the corner of his eyes, he saw the women watching and waiting. He finished the bottle and tossed it in the trash before crossing his arms against his chest and saying, “I don’t care what anyone says. Sierra is my daughter.”

“There is no doubt you love that girl. We love her too,” Denise said, and they all nodded.

London’s eyes traveled to look at each one of them. “Before you even ask, the answer is yes, I’ve always known.”

He saw the look of relief on Camille’s face. “I knew there was an explanation.”

“So, you did the honorable thing?” Denise asked with a dreamy stare.

“That’s so romantic!” Carmen exclaimed.

Grinning sheepishly, London replied, “I married Bianca after she found out she was pregnant. It was then I realized I had always loved her.”

“And the father?” Camille inquired, and London could see the question on all their faces.

“Bianca ended their engagement after she discovered she was pregnant. He didn’t marry her, and I did,” he responded possessively.

“How could he abandon a pregnant woman?” Carmen said.

“Men do it all the time,” her twin voiced with attitude.

London opened his mouth to tell them Collin already had a wife but decided that story wasn’t his to tell.

“Anyway, he now wants to be a part of Honeybee’s life, and I am not going to deny Sierra a chance to get to know him if that’s what she wants.” He swallowed, trying to tap down the jealousy that swelled his chest. In almost every way, she was his daughter, and he treated her as so.

Denise beamed. “I’m proud of you, London.”

He didn’t need their approval, but he was glad to have their unconditional love and support. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Oh please,” Camille began. “Sierra is a Brown. Let someone say otherwise.”

His smile broadened. They were all laughing when Bianca and Sierra stepped into the room.

“There she is. You’re leaving your auntie already?” Denise said as she walked around the table and hugged Sierra.

Sierra stared up at her and softly said, “I promise to come back.”

“You better,” Denise murmured, then kissed her cheek.

While London helped Sierra with her things, his sisters rallied around Bianca and exchanged hugs.

When he could get Denise alone, London asked curiously, “How’s Mona Lisa?”

“She’s having a good day. You know how Aunt Marie is. She’s over there spoiling them both. I think having her and Uncle Bernie here is just what they needed to get them through this.” Her smile faltered, and she looked like she was almost too afraid to ask. “Have you heard anything else from the police?”

He scowled and shook his head. “No, nothing.”

Denise draped an arm around his waist. “Well, no news is good news.”

“Amen to that,” he murmured and squeezed her tightly.

The family said their goodbyes. Within minutes, the car pulled away from the house and rolled towards home. On the ride, Sierra asked about their visit to Baytown, which saved them from discussing Collin, and he was grateful. Every time he thought about her paternity, he wanted to beat his chest like King Kong and take his family deep in the woods, far away from everyone.

Once they arrived home, they fussed over their daughter, ensuring she was okay and knew the discussion about Collin was far from over.

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