Page 59 of Savage SEAL's Virgin
Her grandfather cleared his throat. “This should be said. Her grandmother and I are no spring chickens. I know Troy is on her birth certificate now, but Tatum has no legal connection to you, Blyss. Would you like to adopt her?”
“I’d love nothing more?” I smiled and kissed her cheek. Then I remembered that my last name wasn’t Masterson. Our marriage was fake.
It was a thing that Troy’s parents knew, too, and the looks they gave me told me it was time to be truthful about everything. “Blyss, I think it’s time,” his father said.
“Mr. and Mrs. Sandoval, I love Troy with all my heart. But he and I lied. We lied to you so you’d bring Tatum here. The stipulation of him being married made Troy feel he had no choice. He and I were seeing each other. We had been for a few months. But we weren’t married. The marriage isn’t real. My last name is Danner. But I would still like to adopt Tatum, with your blessing.”
I could hardly stand to look at the people I’d lied to. And the way Tatum let my hand go hurt like hell. Had I lost all their support? Did Tatum no longer consider me her mother?
“So what?” Tatum said as she stood up on her chair. “I don’t care ‘bout that.” She crossed her arms as she watched her grandparents shake their heads. “I love her. She’s my mommy. I don’t care what her name is.”
With a weak smile, I took her hand and helped her sit back down. “It’s okay, sweetie. They have a right to be mad at me.”
They did. Who was I to think they’d accept what we’d done? Of course they disapproved of lying to them to get what we wanted. What we did was wrong.
“Well, I can’t speak for my husband,” Mrs. Sandoval said. “But I understand. That was a stipulation that should’ve never been made.”
Mr. Sandoval growled, “But it was made.”
“Yes, sir, it was,” I agreed. “It doesn’t change the fact that we both fell hopelessly in love with Tatum. And he and I were going to get married, for real, when he got back. We told his parents about that. You can ask them.”
“They are going to get married when our son gets back,” his father said, then gave me a wink. “When, honey, not if.”
I nodded, then said, “We will get married as soon as he’s able to do that.”
“Let’s give him some time to get back to us,” Mr. Sandoval said. “If he’s not back in a year, then you can adopt Tatum if you both want that. If he comes back and you do get married, you can adopt her as soon as you’d like to.”
Tatum clapped and giggled. “Yes! We won, Mommy! We won!”
“Yes, we did. You’re going to stay mine, no matter what. And let me just say, I love the weight of that lie off my shoulders. It’s good to have the truth set free.”
“I do have one more thing to ask you, Blyss,” Mr. Sandoval said.
“Anything.” I wanted to be an open book with them now that the lie was over.
“How are you going to take care of these children if Troy never returns? How are you going to make money?”
“I have my own money. And I get a recurring payment from a settlement. Plus, I’ll have income from my career as a psychologist, once I graduate. There’s no need to worry about finances, sir.”
Troy’s father added, “Plus, Tatum and the baby will be heirs to the winery and their father’s part of it. Money is no concern at all.”
Tatum’s grandfather looked relieved. His granddaughter would end up a rich woman and never know the pain of poverty. His smile made me happy. The way they cared for their granddaughter was inspiring. To think that one day I’d have grandkids of my own was a thought that had never crossed my mind.
I’d have worries over other people for the rest of my life. It was crazy how awesome that felt. It should’ve felt like a burden. Instead, it felt like a blessing. I was sitting at a table full of people I had never known before. I would’ve never known even one of them without knowing Troy. That man had shoved me right in the middle of an entire family.
If I’d been able to see it all coming, I wonder what I would’ve done. Run away, I bet. Back before I knew how great love was. Before Troy forced me to accept it.
Wherever the man was, he was and always would be my angel.
Troy
Before the men could get in to get me, I made myself puke all over the floor. Somehow, I managed to choke up more than I knew was inside of me. They were grossed out and stopped trying to get me. They had no intention of taking a sick man to trade for anyone. I’d figured out a way to get them to leave me alone. But I still had to wait for them to get one of my SEAL mates. And I couldn’t let them take him with them either.
One member of our team had already died. I wasn’t about to leave without the other four members. I knew two men guarded the outside. They’d drop our food and water in the cells, then walk back out. I was the closest cell to the entrance; I knew that too. Three men were inside. They all had guns and knives. I had to take them out, maybe with the help of one more SEAL. If I waited until they got another one out, I’d have another team member to help me.
Sliding through the hole I’d made, I took my shirt with me and put it on as I headed through the corridor. It was twisty as I made my way down it. I stopped as I heard the sounds of the men yelling at the man they were planning on taking.
“You sons of bitches won’t get me out of here alive!” It was Sanders’ voice I heard.
