Moments later, Devin sat with Carly at the patio table on the deck. Her arms were crossed over her chest. The stubborn look on her face as she stared out at the pool reminded him of Lauren.

  “I’m sorry you found out about Bea and the baby this way,” he said quietly. “We’d planned on telling you, your mom, and everyone else. We just wanted to wait a few more weeks.”

  Carly looked at him. Hurt shadowed the accusation in her eyes. “So you’re getting married?”

  He and Lauren had agreed it was important to tell the truth about his relationship with Bea. But they’d decided to still wait a while longer to tell Carly about Lauren’s new job and working out a new custody agreement.

  Devin rested his arms on the table. “Bea and I haven’t discussed that. But we are committed to raising the baby.” He leaned forward. “But none of that changes how I feel about you. I love you, Carly, and you are and will always be my daughter.”

  “But she’ll be, like, my stepmother, won’t she?” Carly hadn’t put wicked in front of stepmother, but her tone more than implied it.

  Of course, he hoped that Bea and Carly would grow closer. Having someone like Bea to turn to as well as him and Lauren could be a bonus for the teen. But he couldn’t speak for Bea.

  “The type of relationship you and Bea will have is something that will develop over time. My only hope is that when you meet Bea, you’ll give her a chance.”

  * * *

  “Are you sure inviting me to dinner was a good idea?” Bea straightened the placemats on the square table in Devin’s kitchen for the second time. “Maybe we should have waited a few more weeks.”

  He removed silverware from a drawer then walked over to her. “I’m sure. You being here tonight is a good idea. Trust me.”

  Still, Bea couldn’t shake off a feeling of doubt as he laid out the forks, knives and spoons.

  Carly had just left to walk Francis a few minutes before she had arrived. If she left now, Devin could claim an emergency had happened at the restaurant and she’d had to leave.

  Bea sunk her teeth into her lower lip, holding back on suggesting that to Devin. No. She’d agreed to join him and Carly for dinner, and she was going to see it through.

  Schedule wise it worked out. It was Tuesday night, and things were slow at the café. Maybe that was a sign that she should be there. But realistically, they couldn’t forget Carly had just found out about them that past Saturday. And that she had not only been upset about the news, but also how she’d heard about the situation.

  Yesterday, Emma’s mother had contacted her, apologizing for her daughter’s behavior. She’d also said that if the teen or her younger sister Michaela repeated the news, by the time they got their phones back, the technology would be so obsolete they wouldn’t remember how to use them.

  Ouch. Bea almost felt sorry for the girls when their mom had mentioned that level of a restriction.

  Devin turned Bea by the waist to face him. “I know you’re anxious. And I have to admit, I’m a little nervous, too. But there’s no point in holding this off. But when I asked Carly about you joining us for dinner, she was okay with it.”

  Bea glimpsed a hint of reservation in his eyes. “Is that really what she said?”

  “No, she said, ‘Whatever,’ but in teen speak, that’s as good as a yes. And honestly, I think that’s the best answer we’re going to get from her for now.” He gave Bea a light squeeze. “She’s not going to accept us overnight, but this is a start. And she has an event coming up that I told her you might be able to give her some advice on.”

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing big. For extra credit in one of her classes, as a group, they had to organize a fundraiser. They’re having a bake sale on Saturday. The proceeds will go to nonprofits in the area like the pet shelter and the Chatelaine Fish and Wildlife Conservation Society. She’s not sure what to make. Talking about it with her could help break the ice.”

  “I hope so.” Bea laid her hands on his chest. “The last thing I want is to come between you and your daughter. Or for our relationship to impact the custody agreement you’re trying to work out with Lauren. You never told me how the meeting with the mediator went the other day.”

  He gave her a lopsided smile. “Well, Lauren and I definitely aired our grievances. But the mediator made valid points. Despite our differences, we both love our daughter and that has to be the guiding factor. He suggested we each draw up a day-to-day schedule as the primary co-parent. It would allow us to understand what the other wants and expects for Carly’s care.”

  “So how do you see it working?”

  “Well, when it comes to school, I don’t see much changing, except for I’ll be the one dropping her off. After school, she normally takes the bus home. When extracurricular activities happen, we usually carpool with other parents. Day-to-day expectations and responsibilities won’t change either.”

  Curious, Bea asked, “When will she see her mom?”

  He released a breath. “From my point of view, I’m thinking two weekends a month and designated holidays. Which ones, I would like to leave that choice to Lauren and Carly.”

  And what about her and the baby? Concern rose in Bea that he hadn’t mentioned them in the plan. But surely, he was including them.

  The front door opened.

  “Dad!” Carly called out. “The food is here.”

  “Coming.” Devin pressed a kiss near Bea’s ear and whispered, “It’s going to work. We’ve got this.” He snagged the tip from the counter for the delivery person and went to meet them.

  Jitters swirled in Bea stomach. We’ve got this. That meant he was thinking of them as a team, right? Maybe she was reading too much into what he hadn’t said. It didn’t mean he wasn’t factoring her and the baby into the ultimate plan.

  A moment later, Devin came back into the kitchen with the food. He set the bag on the counter. “Carly’s washing her hands. She’ll be here in a minute. I forgot to ask what you liked, so I got a variety. Fried rice, lo mein, egg rolls, and three different entrées. Hope you’re hungry.”

  “I am.” She’d had a full day and only eaten a muffin for breakfast and a salad for lunch. But she wasn’t confessing that to Devin.

  As he started putting containers on the counter, Bea caught a whiff of garlic. Usually, the pungent aroma raised anticipation for flavorful food, but the smell was like an assault on her senses. Had something gone bad?

  Devin opened one of the boxes, and the smell grew stronger. “Mmm. Chicken in garlic sauce. Just the smell of this is making me extra hungry.”

  She surreptitiously covered her nose with her fingers and stepped back.

  Carly walked into the kitchen.

  Smiling, Devin placed his hand lightly on Bea’s arm. “This is my daughter, Carly.”

  Bea could see Carly’s resemblance to Devin. She had his eyes and maybe his smile if she would have given a genuine one instead of what came with her slightly tart expression.

  “Hello.” Carly went to the refrigerator.

  Devin spoke to Carly, “While you’re in there, grab the iced tea.” He gave Bea a reassuring glance as he gave her hand a brief squeeze.

  They worked together bringing the food, drinks, and plates to the table, then sat down.

  Devin nudged the container of chicken in garlic sauce toward Bea. “Carly and I have been known to fight over this, but as our guest, we’ll give you first dibs.”

  “Oh, no—that’s okay...”

  Bea held her breath and quickly passed the container to Carly seated next to her. But the smell seemed to linger and her appetite started to wane. She put a little fried rice on her plate along with an egg roll.

  Carly put some chicken and garlic sauce on her plate, then set the container between them. “You don’t like the food?”

  “No, it’s great.” Bea moved the container toward the middle of the table.

  As Devin glanced at the small portion of food on her plate, she saw questions in his eyes. Earlier she’d told him she was hungry.

  “So how are things at the café?” he asked.

  Thankful for the change of topic, she told him briefly about the anniversary party they were catering.

  “I’m sure the kids will enjoy the ice cream sundae bar,” he said. “Too bad you can’t do something like that at the fundraiser this weekend, Carly.”

  “It’s a bake sale.” Carly picked up the container of chicken and garlic. She added some to her plate, then plopped the container right next to Bea.

  It tipped over, and some of the contents spilled out.

  Bea’s stomach roiled. If she didn’t leave right now, she’d hurl. She stood. “Excuse me.”

  As she hurried from the kitchen and into the dining room, the sliding glass door with the view of the wide-open backyard caught her attention. Bea opened it, walked out on the deck, and sucked in fresh air.

  Feeling a little shaky, she sat down on the porch swing. She’d never had that reaction to food before. How embarrassing.

  Devin walked out onto the porch carrying a mug. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes—I was just feeling a bit closed in.” As he offered her the mug, she looked up at him. “What is it?”

  “Ginger-and-lemon tea. I didn’t put any sweetener in it. I have sugar or honey.”

  Bea inhaled the steam, then took a sip. The warmth of the beverage soothed her stomach. “This is perfect.”

  He sat beside her, and the swing rocked a little. “Why didn’t you tell me the food didn’t agree with you?”

  “It wasn’t all the food. Just the smell of the garlic in the sauce. You mentioned it was your and Carly’s favorite. I didn’t want to deprive you of it.”

  “You’re pregnant, Bea. If certain tastes or smells get to you, you’re allowed to speak up, especially to me.” He laid his arm behind her on the swing.

  “If this is the precursor to morning sickness, I think I’m in trouble.” Following his lead, she rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Hopefully the tea will help.”

  “Is there one that will help me give birth and learn how to be a parent? When the baby’s here, I won’t be able to cop out when I don’t feel well.” Reality broke through, and anxiety started to replace Bea’s lightheartedness. “I’ll be responsible for a small person who will depend on me for everything, but they won’t be able to tell me what they need, and I’ll probably get it wrong. And then they’ll grow into a bigger person who will be able to tell me what they want, but I’ll probably still get it wrong.”

  “You’re getting way ahead of yourself.” Devin kissed her temple. “Yes, parenting can be scary, and sure, sometimes kids are hard to figure out, but there will be good moments, too. And whatever comes our way, we’ll go through the experience together. Okay?”

  Bea looked at his face. Seeing the confidence in his dark brown eyes made it easy to believe him.

  “Okay.” She settled her head back onto his shoulder.

  His solid strength, the tea, the sway of the swing. The bright hues of yellow and orange surrounding the setting sun. As Bea soaked it all in, she started to feel better...and her eyelids grew heavy.

  Devin slipped the cup from her hand. “Do you want to stay the night? You can sleep in my bed, and I can spend the night in my office.”

  It would be so much better if he were in bed with her. Before the shocking moment of their birth-control fail, there had been that wonderful moment of waking up in his arms. They were taking it slow, but it would be nice to experience that again. But they couldn’t tonight.

  She eased into a sitting position. “No. I don’t think that would go over well with Carly.”

  Sighing, he intertwined their fingers on his thigh. “I’m sorry she was so unfriendly.”

  A thought crept into Bea’s mind. Had Carly kept putting the container of food between them on purpose? She almost asked the question. But if Devin didn’t see it that way, it would sound like she was making an accusation against his daughter. And she and Carly had already gotten off to a rocky start.

  Bea mirrored back the confidence Devin had shown earlier. “Like you said, she’s not going to accept us overnight. We just have to give it time.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Devin stood in the driveway watching Bea drive away. He’d offered to take her home, but she hadn’t wanted to leave her car there.

  She didn’t live that far away, but he’d worry about her until he got the call or text that she’d made it safely to her condo.

  Someday, hopefully soon, she’d feel comfortable enough to bring an overnight bag along when she visited and would just stay with him. But first, his daughter’s attitude needed to change. If Carly would be living with him full-time, she’d have to get used to Bea and, later on, Bea and the baby being under the same roof as them.

  Devin went into the house.

  Carly sat curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, happily watching television.

  Once Bea had explained it was just the smell of the chicken in garlic sauce that had bothered her, more than a few things had fallen into place about why she’d had to leave the table at dinner.

  Devin picked up the remote, turned off the television, then sat on the coffee table in front of his daughter.

  “How’s Bea?” Carly asked with an all-too-innocent look on her face.

  “Better. So do you want to explain your behavior during dinner?”

  “What do you mean?” she mumbled between bites of popcorn.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You noticed Bea had an issue with the chicken and garlic sauce, and instead of being sympathetic, you kept thrusting the container in her face. Why?”

  “No, I—” Carly’s expression was easy to read. Clearly she’d realized he wasn’t in the mood for her shenanigans, so she wisely remained silent.

  “I’m disappointed in your actions, and your mom will be, too. What you did goes against how we raised you. How would you feel if someone treated you the way you just treated Bea?”

  A hint of guilt sparked behind the defiance in Carly’s eyes. “You can’t make me like her just because she’s having a baby.”

  “Bea’s not just having a baby. She’s having my baby, who will also be your brother or sister.” Devin tamped down parental frustration. Just like he was asking Carly to see things from Bea’s point of view, he needed to view the situation from his daughter’s.

  “I love you, Carly. You’re my daughter, and that will never change. But I also care about Bea and the baby, and nothing will change that, either. The only thing that can change is your attitude.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, then took a slow, deep breath. “And there’s something you should know. Bea was willing to assist you with your fundraising project before you treated her badly.”

  “She was?”

  “Yes. And before she left, she still said she was willing to help. You can think about that while you do the dishes. And after that, you can go to your room. No screen time. You have to get up early so I can take you to school in the morning.”

  As he rose to his feet, Devin saw tears escape from Carly’s eyes. He hated seeing her upset but wouldn’t coddle her. And no, he couldn’t make her accept Bea or that she would have a sibling. But she knew right from wrong.

  Working at the desk in his home office, he kept glancing at his phone. Shouldn’t Bea have made it home by now? Was she in trouble? He stopped his mind from wandering down the road of the worst possible scenarios.

  Finally, she called, and he snatched up the phone to answer it. “Hello.”

  “Hi. I’m home.” She sounded even more tired than when she’d left. And she hadn’t really eaten anything, either. Just when he was about to mention that, she added, “Sorry for not calling you as soon as I got here. I heated up a bowl of soup first.”

  Hearing her voice was such a relief, but the reason for her not calling him right away was a good one. “What kind?”

  “Homemade chicken noodle. I made it the other night. I think I have some bread left over, too.”

  Good. At least she was eating something fairly substantial. “Sounds perfect.” He wasn’t ready to end the call yet, but she was wiped out from a long day. “Make sure you get some rest, too.”

  “I will.”

  “Good night, Bea.”

  “Good night.”

  After hanging up, Devin sat back in the chair. If he were there, he would have heated the soup for her while she took a shower or a bath. Then he would have brought it to her while she relaxed in bed. And afterward, he would have held her as she’d fallen asleep.

  A longing for her tugged at his heart.

  Francis whining and nudging his leg brought Devin out of his thoughts. The dog sat at his feet as if sensing his melancholy mood.

  “I’m fine.” Devin rubbed Francis’s head and scratched behind the pup’s ears.

  But a small seed of self-doubt started to sprout. He’d thought he was ready for anything when it came to Bea, the baby and Carly. But could he balance being a dad of two? Was tonight’s episode an indication that he couldn’t?

  That night, he restlessly dreamed of Bea reaching out for him. Just as he got to her, she slipped out of his arms and backed away.

  When he woke up, he wished she was with him, and for more sleep. But he needed to walk Francis, and he wanted to make sure Carly had breakfast before he took her to school.

  After returning from a longer-than-anticipated stroll with Francis, Devin woke up his daughter, then rushed through trimming his beard and a shower.

  Oatmeal for breakfast would have been a nice healthy option. That was what Lauren would have made, but he also had to pack a bag for Francis, as he was taking the dog with him to the office. Cold cereal would have to do.

  Devin set up everything on the table, then called out down the hallway, “Carly—breakfast.”

 

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