Folding Hearts (Mitchell Family #2)(52)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Screw you! Why don’t you go f**k your little slut beauty queen and stay the hell out of my life.”

“Miranda, wait!”

I kept walking. There was nothing else I wanted to say to him. I loved my brother, but I hated him just as much.

When I got into the house, I straightened up my clothes and ran up to my old room. I grabbed my phone and sure enough I already had a message.

Close call baby. –Ty

Sorry. – M

Make sure the kitchen door is unlocked. I will come over when everyone goes to bed.- Ty

Okay. –M

We are doing a horrible job staying away from each other. – Ty

It makes me want you more. I can’t help it. – M

Love you c u soon – Ty

After changing into a t-shirt and shorts, I ran downstairs and unlocked the door for Ty to be able to get inside the house. My aunt and Lucy were already in bed and with people coming and going, nobody would make a big deal out of Ty being in the house. He was family.

I felt like it took forever, but as I started falling asleep, my mattress moved and his strong arms wrapped around me. “Is Izzy at your mom’s?”

“Yeah.”

He kissed my neck. “I checked her room and she wasn’t in there.”

“Sorry.”

I turned around to face Ty.. I ran my fingers over his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

He shrugged and looked sad. “This is the first night since you guys moved in that I didn’t get to tell her goodnight. Even when she stays at my parents I get to see her.”

“You saw her earlier babe. She knows you love her.”

“I know.” He pressed soft kisses over my lips. “ I love it when you call me babe and when you wear my rings.” He slipped my wedding rings back on my finger.

I wrapped my arms around him and cuddled my body into his. “You’re such a good husband and daddy.”

“Goodnight baby.”

Since I hadn’t been living at the house in a long time, I didn’t have any alarms set. Ty and I both woke up to voices in the house, and they were getting closer. The sun was shining through my bedroom window. It was obvious that we had overslept. “Is the door locked?” I was panicking.

“Of course it is. Can you calm down and tell me good morning before you start freaking out.”

I leaned in to kiss Ty and heard someone at my bedroom door.

“Tell Mommy to wake up.” My mother voice sent my heart racing.

“Mommy.” Bella was beating on the door.

Ty and I looked at each other. He jumped up and ran into my closet. I wanted to laugh, but I was too upset about it all. “Mommy is coming.”

I opened the door and saw Bella and my mother. “Hey baby.”

I had immediately started to worry when I realized that my closet had sliding doors and there was no way Ty could close them without making a sliding noise. I had to keep my mother from walking all the way into my room.

My daughter grabbed my legs and tried to climb up them. “Mommy.” Bella then went walking in my bedroom. She was looking around. I knew exactly who she was looking for.

Before I could turn around and stop her, or say something to distract her. I heard her little voice get all excited. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

Shit shit shit!

From the shocked look on my face, my mother knew that I was hiding something, or someone. She pushed right past me and found Ty standing there in my closet, holding Bella, in his boxers.

“Hey Aunt Karen.”

“Oh Jesus Mary and Joseph.” She covered her mouth with her hands and collapsed on the bed, looking from me to Ty.

“Mom, we can explain.” I stood in front of her trying to block her direct view of Ty.

“You better start.”

Bella climbed down and walked over to my mother. As if things couldn’t get any harder, she turned and pointed to Ty. “My Daddy.”

Of course Ty burst into laughter. The fact that he couldn’t hide his excitement of Bella’s love for him didn’t make it easier for my mother to take. “All night she kept asking for her daddy. Can one of you please explain why she thinks that Tyler is her father.”

“Mom, it’s kind of complicated.”

“You better start uncomplicating it; RIGHT NOW!”

I sat down next to my mom and looked over at Bella holding her arms out for her daddy again. She showered him with kisses like we weren’t even in the room. “Ty and I are together.”

“What is that supposed to mean? You are practically family. I changed his diapers.” I have no idea why my mother threw that last bit in, and I chose to just ignore it.

“Aunt Karen, we have been living together since she came to stay with my parents. We are in love.”

She shook her head and wiped away her tears. “This is not happening.”

“Mom, please don’t be mad at me. I wanted to tell you, but Conner threatened Ty before about me. I knew if you found out you would make me come home.”

“You’re damn right I would. This charade is over right now. You are moving home as soon as this wedding is over. This is not going to continue!” She threatened.

I saw Ty clenching his jaw. He was only going to take so much more. “We aren’t moving back Mom.”

She stood up and put her hands on her hips, as if it made her more powerful. “There is no discussing this. You are coming home.”

“I’m so sorry, but you can’t make me do that.”

“There is no way I am going to let someone like Ty influence my daughter and grandchild.”

I walked over to Ty to almost shield him of my mother. “Ty loves us. He wants to be Bella’s daddy. You can’t tell me you haven’t ever noticed how close they are.”

“You two shacked up together is no environment for a little baby. Don’t make me file for custody of that child Miranda.”

I started crying immediately, even though I knew it would resort to this. “Don’t you dare threaten her with that shit!” I felt the vibration of Ty’s voice against my back.

“Get out of my daughter’s room. I will do what’s best for her.”

“What is best for Miranda is for her to be with her husband.” And there it was. The time bomb had exploded.

We should have kept our rings hidden in the car, but after our emotional reunion last night, we wore our rings to bed. My mother looked down at my hand and gasped in horror.

“You didn’t?”

“It’s one hundred percent legal too. We have the judge’s signature and everything,” Ty said sarcastically. I elbowed him in the stomach for that one.