Page 12 of Secret Baby
He sat straighter. "You did whatever your father asked of you."
"Never that.” Again, he leaned forward, and his open unblinking stare made her believe that he didn't believe a word. She swallowed. "Why did he call this meeting?"
His cheeks reddened. "Alice believes every word you fed her, and she begged me." Then he scooted away again. She lowered her gaze. He said, "You walked away from our daughter. You said you were dead, and then you return to Miami as some long-lost princess. So don't give me this act, expecting me to believe a word you say."
"It's not an act." Tears rolled down her cheek. Her own father had staged her funeral and let people believe she had died rather than explain she had run away from him. When she had found out, she had saw no reason to correct anyone. She’d been sad. She blinked. Now she didn't need to fight with Colt, but if this was all he could say, then she'd have to hire a team of lawyers. "I thought she was dead."
He massaged his chin again, and his lips curled. "Why didn't you pick up the phone and tell me you were pregnant?"
Her entire body heated. "You were sleeping with another woman."
"That's the second time you've said that nonsense." His Adam's apple bobbed. "You had years to tell me. My family isn't poor, and neither is yours. You weren't knocked up by a no one, Vicki."
Her head cleared. "I'm thankful she had you."
He gazed at her forehead. "Clara's my daughter, my responsibility. You shouldn't get to walk back into her life, throw happy smiles, and pretend you're glad to see her. Not when we both know in six months or in a day, you'll grow bored of her and leave."
"I'm not like that." She raised her head and remembered how she'd made her point with him years ago, even as he lost. She stuck her bottom lip out and stared at his lips. "Colt, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I'd rather be on your side, but I will sue you. My brother Peter will fund me. Can you let this go or not?"
He wrinkled his nose and stared into her eyes. "You would throw money at me like it matters."
"I don't want to fight with you." She ran her hands through her hair, as her spirits soared. She didn't dare let him see that she wasn't upset. She kept her entire body still, and lowered her gaze. Then she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please, Colt. I want to know my daughter. Think what you want of me, but I'd never hurt her. I was a stupid teenage girl, but that's not who I am anymore."
She peeked through her eyelashes and he stayed quiet. He hadn't stormed off, but his gaze appeared cold and dead. "I must be stupid."
Her heart leapt out of his chest. She swallowed and refused to get ahead of herself. "Colt, I should have run to you when I found out I was pregnant. You always gave off this protective feeling in my heart. Not following that is how I let my father win."
He crossed his arms, and his succulent brown eyes beckoned her. She sucked in her bottom lip as he told her, "I can't ever let anyone hurt Clara."
She nodded. "I'd never hurt her."
He rubbed his forehead and nodded back at her. "If you're telling me the truth, then it's wrong if I fight you. But I don't know if I trust you either."
Her lips parted, though she didn't say anything at first. "Please, Colt. I want my daughter."
"She's never had or needed her mother. She has her family, her roots. And I'm getting married in a few weeks."
Colt's marriage sounded like a bad dream. Vicki shifted in her seat. "You can't expect me to walk away, not if I know she's alive."
"Even if it's for the best? You couldn't let your daughter live the only life she's ever known."
"If our situations were reversed, would you walk away if you found out you had a daughter after being told she died?"
His scratched his chin. "No."
"Good." She pushed her hair behind her ears. "Then don't expect that of me."
He dropped his arms to his side. "Yet my job is to protect our daughter."
"Oursis the right word." She sipped her drink to try to seem normal. "I'm not out to hurt her. Not having a mother is worse. I never knew mine, and the wondering still haunts me."
"I don't know about that." He rubbed his neck, and his gaze grew softer. "I'll need you to prove your claim."
Her stomach went hard as rocks. "How?"
He sipped his coffee and opened his hand on the table, palm up. "Let's try this out. We'll pretend you're the babysitter for a while. I needed to hire one, and Clara knows I'm picking someone out until school starts."
Vicki's feet rocked under the table. "I'm her mother. I'll change my schedule at work and be there."
