Page 22 of A Secret Baby for Christmas
Then when Mr. Porter left, I realized how fragile our relationship is, if you can even call it that. Allie asked him to leave, and he left. Will he always choose his daughter’s wishes over mine? But then isn’t that how it should be? Wouldn’t I always want him to put Hugo over me?
It’s a parent’s instinct to protect their children, but the fact he left, that he didn’t stick up for me has me questioning his motives. The words echo in my head.
“I don’t run away from my responsibilities Allie. I’ll do what’s right by Chloe.”
I’m just a responsibility to him. But he’s everything to me. Of course a man like Mr. Porter wouldn’t cast a teenage mom out. He’ll try to make this work out of a sense of duty. But at what cost? Do I want to be the woman who breaks up his family? Who causes a rift between Allie and her dad?
I can’t be that woman. It was a mistake to come back. I don’t know what I was thinking. That it would all be all sunshine and roses, and Allie would be okay with it, and we’d be one happy family? That’s not how this works. It might be different if Mr. Porter loved me, but he’s never told me that. I’m just someone he feels responsible for, and I don’t want to be that.
It’s not yet six a.m., and the cabin is still and quiet. After the emotions of last night, I expect Allie will sleep for a few more hours yet.
Quietly I pack my bag, stuffing baby toys and diapers in as quickly as I can.
I scribble a note to Allie and a separate one to Mr. Porter, then head out into the snow with Hugo.
It’s still snowing, and a heavy layer sits over my car. Luckily I put chains on my tires coming up here, and they’ll give me more traction as I head down the mountain.
I’ll find the first hotel I can and then book a flight back to France. Papa was right. There’s nothing for me back here.
10
DAVID
My head aches when I wake up. I’m too old to drink bourbon the way I was drinking it last night. But speaking with Axel has my mind clear.
The sooner I can make it official with Chloe the better, with or without my daughter’s blessing. I just hope once Allie’s cooled off she’ll be reasonable. I have to trust that I raised my daughter right, because I don’t want to lose her.
I splash cool water on my face and head out of the Lodge. There’s a different woman at reception, and she’s wearing dangling earrings with presents on them and a Christmas sweater over her uniform.
“Merry Christmas,” she says brightly.
“Merry Christmas,” I mutter.
“Lucky we’re all in for Christmas. They’ve just closed the roads.”
“Again,” I murmur as I hurry past the reception desk. She seems to want to chat, but all I want to do is get to the cabin and claim my woman.
She nods sagely. “It’s the worst season we’ve had for storms.”
I pull my coat up and head into the snow. It’s utterly cold as it hits my cheeks, and I trudge to the cabin as quickly as I can in the snow drift. My head’s down, looking at the path, so I don’t notice which cars are parked outside.
Axel gave me a spare keycard for the cabin, and when I open the door, it’s all quiet inside.
I shrug off my coat and boots and move through to the living area. Allie’s in the kitchen with her mouth open in a wide yawn as she stretches her arms above her head. I glance around but can’t see Chloe, which is good. I need to speak with Allie first.
She sees me and stops mid-stretch, her yawn turning into a scowl.
“Are you ready to talk?”
Her eyes narrow. “Talk about how you knocked up my best friend?”
I wince at her harsh words, but she’s allowed to be angry, for now. “I know it’s not easy to hear and not who you would have chosen for either of us. But I love her.”
Allie leans on the kitchen bench and I stay on the other side, letting her have the distance.
“But Dad, she’s young enough to be your daughter.”
I nod slowly. “I know. But the thing with love, Allie, is that it strikes when it strikes. The age difference doesn’t matter between me and Chloe.”
