Page 86 of Almost Paradise

“His dad did this, and he had no idea about Carter.”

“You know I’m a human lie detector. What finally convinced you?”

“He never lied to me before, and he loves Carter so much. You should see how he looks at him and how he takes care of him. I can see how pained he is about missing out on three years. I’ve been so angry for all this time that I wouldn’t let myself remember how caring and sweet he can be. His story has never changed, and I just know it.” He remains quiet. My brother knows me. He knows there’s more I want to say. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I want Carter to have a family and a father who loves him.”

“I’ll come back to him and Carter later, but I want to ask you something. You said he asked for a weekend?” I nod my head. “What in the world did you think was going to happen after the weekend was over? That he would be content to go back to you either ignoring him or being angry at him?”

That’s the question I refused to ask myself when Drake first asked for the weekend. I knew things would change after that, but I only allowed myself to live in the moment.

“I didn’t let myself think about that,” I admit. “Like I said, I want Carter to have his father in his life. I’ve always wanted that.”

“Yes, that’s important, but what aboutyou? You deserve someone who loves you too, and who you love in return.” He gets a distant look in his eyes. He lost his wife so suddenly when Kyle was just an infant. He had to battle grief with being a single father to two young kids. He’s barely dated in the past six years. “I’d give anything to have my wife back,” he sighs. “I know the circumstances are different, but you can have Paradise back. Don’t squander it.”

“Yeah, but there’s so much water under the bridge.”

“So? If you believe him, you know none of it was his doing, just like none of it was yours, what does it matter? If you want a second chance, it’s right there for you to take. I know he won’t be happy with a weekend, and his ratchet-ass daddy is dead. Let that hateful asshole roll over in his grave.”

“He said he wants a lifetime. He said he loved me then, and he loves me now. He wants us to be a family.”

“What doyouwant?” he asks again. “And don’t even think of lying to me,” he warns.

I know better than that. Ray can always read me.

“I want that too, but I’m scared, Ray. What about the blackmail and the custody suit? He did a lot of dirty stuff, and even if I forgive him, which I think I can, Dad never will. I don’t want our family to—”

Ray holds his hand up, and I stop talking. “First, our family is team Nia, especially our dad. Mom will see that he falls in line if this is what you want. Audrey will threaten to kill everyone, but she’s all talk.” Mom and Ray have the same temperament. Mom is forgiving and thoughtful, whereas I’m more like our dad. I react, and it takes me longer to let old slights go. My brother is right again. Dad will listen to Mom even if he complains the entire time. “Don’t worry about anyone else. What does Nia want? You’ve been through a lot. You’ve been living for Carter for the last three years, and you deserve happiness too. If you can have that with his father, everyone wins.”

I let out a deep breath, reach across the table and hug my brother. He hugs me back before he pulls away.

“You deserve that too,” I remind him. The one time he dated, Mason did not react well because Ray’s former in-laws told Mason the woman was going to steal Ray away.

“We’re not talking about me right now. We’ll come back to me another time. What else? I know there’s more,” he says. I look at him and he says, “Human lie detector.”

“Okay, so let’s say in a perfect world, we manage to make our relationship work. He’s still grieving, and things are complicated now with his father’s deception.”

“Okay,” Ray says. “Where are you going with this?”

I look around the room to make sure it’s clear of kids before I continue. “What exactly are my obligations when it comes to his father? I hate him. Drake might be angry, but he loved and admired his dad. What am I supposed to do when he’s hit by a bout of grief?” I shrug at my brother. In a perfect world, I’d never hear the name Donald Paradise again, but that will be impossible when I’m married to a Paradise Heir.

“Are you asking me how you should treat your husband as he mourns the loss of his father, Nia? I think you of all people know what it’s like to have a father you love.”

“Well, when you put it that way.” I roll my eyes at him. “But our dad would never do anything as awful as this.”

“You don’t have to wax poetic about the man. You don’t have to say anything about him at all. Just be there for Drake. You don’t even have to say a word. Hold his hand or rub his back. Hug him. Tell him everything will be okay. That’s all.”

Chapter 47

Drake

I manage to get home a little before seven o’clock. Nia hasn’t been here long according to her driver. All the lights are on downstairs, but she and Carter are nowhere to be found. The dinner table is set, though.

I take the stairs two at a time and barge into the master bedroom. Carter is on the floor coloring in his Spiderman coloring book. He jumps to his feet and hugs my legs when he sees me. I lift him up and hug him tight. He giggles and kicks his legs, so I put him down.

“Where’s Mommy?” I ask him.

“In here,” Nia says from the walk-in closet. She pokes her head out and says, “Come on. We need to talk.” She gestures for me to come, and my heart drops. We need to talk is never a good sign.

I’ve been thinking about this since I left the house this morning. I’ve put it all out there. The next step is up to her. The only thing I know for sure is that I’m not letting her go. Even having her here angry at me is better than not having her at all.

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