Page 47 of Savage SEAL's Virgin
My father wasn’t a fan of the fake marriage Blyss and I were hoping to pull off. I found myself explaining to him, “Dad, it’s temporary. Once everyone sees that I’m not an unstable man who will be bad for Tatum, we can come clean. And I do plan on marrying Blyss someday anyway.”
“But down the road,” Blyss added. “Way down the road, like years from now.”
I turned to scowl at her. “We got it, Blyss. It’ll be a while. Damn! You don’t have to rub it in.”
“Sorry.” She moved on to mess with the computer. She was trying to find a California marriage license to forge our names on and a date from nine months ago. Just in case the Sandoval’s wanted proof of our marriage.
I had already bought us a nice set of wedding bands that we were wearing. But there was the little thing about people in town knowing we were married.
That’s where Dad wasn’t on board with us. I had the bright idea of making up a little article to tell the citizens of our town that I’d married while in San Diego and we were just now announcing the marriage. Just in case the Sandoval’s went around asking questions.
I was trying to cover all the bases, but Dad thought that was going too far. “Troy, it’s bad enough that we’re lying for you. Don’t bring the townspeople into this scam you’ve cooked up.”
“He’s right, Troy,” Mom chimed in. “Let’s leave it within the family. If they ask, then you’ll just tell them that you lived in Stanford and married there but never put the announcement in the papers.”
“Or you could just stop this nonsense altogether.” Dad wagged his finger at me as he frowned. “I don’t like lying. I never have.”
My cell dinged and I saw Mr. Sandoval had sent me what I had requested—the first picture I’d ever see of my daughter. Unlike my mother, I had accepted that she was mine. And when I opened up the text, I found her staring right at me. “Oh, my God. Mom, look at her!”
My mother, Blyss, and Dad all moved in behind me to look at the little five-year-old who had blue-green hazel eyes under a crop of thick, dark lashes. Blyss put her hand on my shoulder. “She looks like you, baby.”
“Oh, my!” Mom’s hand went to her heart. “Oh, my goodness. She’s my granddaughter!”
Dad patted me on the shoulder. “She’s a little doll, son. I think she’s already stolen my heart.”
With that one picture, all the lawyer bullshit went out the window. She was mine and we all knew it. Then Blyss walked out of the room. Confused, as I saw her head hanging low, I got up to follow her. “Blyss?”
Mom grabbed my arm. “She wanted to have your children, Troy. I can tell. Be easy with her, son.”
With a nod, I headed out of the room and found Blyss had only made it to the nearest bathroom, where she was bawling like a baby. I knocked on the door. “Baby, let me in.”
She sniffled, “I’m okay. I just had to pee.”
“You’re crying. I hear you. Let me in.”
The door unlocked and I went inside to see her red-rimmed eyes. “I’m sorry. I am. I’m glad you have a kid. I am. I just …” She bit her lip as she tried not to burst into a sob.
I ran my arms around her. “You just wanted my first child to be with you. I know.”
Her arms wrapped around me as we rocked back and forth. “I wanted all of your children to be with me. Only me, Troy. Is that selfish of me? Is that too much to ask for?”
“It’s neither thing. Of course you wanted that. You wouldn’t be normal not to want that. But she’s here, she’s mine, and I want you to love her just as much as I do. Her mother is dead, Blyss. She’ll need you too.”
Her body was shaking as she tried to get her emotions under control. “She will need a mother. But I have no idea how to be one. No idea at all!” She lost her battle with the tears and fell apart.
With everything that had been on my mind, I hadn’t thought about how Blyss would take the whole thing. I was foolish to think that it wouldn’t affect her negatively. She had a jealous streak a mile wide, after all.
“I’m sorry. I am.” I hugged her tighter. “If this was turned around, and it was you who had a long-lost kid, I don’t know how I’d take it. But I think I’d learn to love anyone who was part of you.”
“The plans I had for us are just all screwed up now. If we ever have a baby, it won’t be as special as I wanted it to be. And I know that sounds selfish, but I wanted to be the one to give you a baby.” She wailed some more and I hugged her still.
“Our baby will be special. Hell, Blyss, every baby will be special. Don’t let this get to you. I want this to be a happy thing for both of us. You and I get to practice being parents on a kid who’s already past all the nasty baby stuff. No diapers to change, no midnight feedings, none of that bad stuff.”
She sniffed and looked up at me. “That is a good point. She’ll be easier to take care of. But will she like me? Or will she want you all to herself? And would I be a terrible person not to want her to have you all to herself?”
“She’s not going to get between us, Blyss. Don’t worry. Now, let’s wash your face. You’ve got it all red and blotchy from crying.” I turned on the faucet and pulled a washcloth out from the linen closet.
Picking her up, I sat her down on the vanity and washed away her tears. She took me by the wrist and smiled. “You’ll be a wonderful dad. And I’ll do my best to be worthy of your daughter.”
