Page 50 of Family Bonds: Alana & Brennan
“You don’t have to,” she said. “Brennan, you’re a great guy and a wonderful father. I like both sides of you. Where this goes, it does. Don’t worry about saying something you have to explain more.”
He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to jump the gun on what the future would hold either.
There were so many other things they should address with them working together too.
“This is where dating is awkward. We touched on some deep things early on. You’re the first to know about Rene in terms of someone I work with.”
“I know,” she said. “I asked Kelsey if she knew anything. Not to gossip or be nosy. Or not in a mean way. I was curious if maybe your ex had passed or moved. Something like that.”
“I understand. I don’t think you’ve got it in you to be devious.”
Her lips curled, her nose scrunched up, her eyes had a hint of annoyance in them. “I’m not always a Pollyanna.”
“I wouldn’t say you are that.”
Though she definitely had some characteristics of it.
She was always positive and cheerful, helping and finding the good in things. Even not wanting her asshole ex taken care of by her family.
She might think she was naïve because she didn’t see the signs of her ex cheating, but he wouldn’t put that on her.
Not when his ex was cheating with multiple people on him the entire time they were together.
Talk about naïve.
He should have seen it looking back at how they’d met. How easily she handed her number to him and that they’d ended up in bed on their second date.
He thought she was into him. She was. Along with several other men.
The only good thing was he’d always worn a condom and assumed it’d leaked or broke. Once he found out she was pregnant, he stopped.
He couldn’t get to the doctor fast enough when he discovered she’d cheated on him.
He’d never felt so physically dirty in his life and demanded her testing. The last thing he wanted to worry about was some sexual disease passed on to his child.
“I’m glad someone doesn’t think it. Jonathan always gave me crap for volunteering. I’ll admit I do much more of it here because I’ve got the time, but I did it in Boston a few times a year too. Different things. I think it’s important to give back.”
“It is,” he said. “I’ll admit I do little of it and should do more. It’s a good lesson for Becca to learn early on. She enjoyed shopping for the toys for the drive. I always throw cash in any bin or boot or for whoever is collecting it. Small things.”
“The same,” she said.
They were making their way through the food and only had fifteen minutes left of painting.
“Do you want some more wine?”
Both of their glasses were empty.
“How about we finish it after we are done?”
“I’d like that,” he said, her response telling him that the date wasn’t too big of a flop if she didn’t want to be dropped off and him to leave right away.
“I’m glad we talked about our exes tonight. Few would, but I didn’t want it to be this nasty dark cloud looming overhead. You knew about Jonathan before, but I’ve moved on. Not seriously dating for a year was a mixture of location and timing. I wanted to focus on me first.”
“As you should,” he said. “I think anyone jumping in too soon again only sets themselves up for failure. I didn’t date for a good year after Becca was born. There was no time. Between work and her care. My mother was still working and helping but not as much as now.”
“Your mother didn’t want to watch Becca full time once she retired?”
“I didn’t ask,” he said. “She deserved to enjoy her retirement. I had a nanny at that point and things were great until Gina changed careers. I was trying to find another one and it wasn’t easy. The costs were higher and I was panicking. My mother had moved and I knew the flexibility I got with Gina I might not have with someone else. Her suggestion to move here wasn’t one I was considering, but I’m glad it worked out. In more ways than one.”
