Isabella (The Mitchell/Healy Family #2)(43)
Author: Jennifer Foor

He stuck his hand out and did some kind of special handshake. I tried to go along with it, failing terribly. “I guess you’re not a douche after all then.”

“Thanks, I think.”

He started to leave and stepped back inside. “Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you that if you hurt her, I’ll do the same to you. It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.”

“If I had a sister I’d do the same.” I waved when he walked away and closed the door when he disappeared into the darkness.

It was odd to me that he’d stopped by while the party was going on, and I couldn’t help but wonder what his sister was doing. Another thing that wouldn’t leave my mind was the fact that she’d contacted her ex. It made sense why she’d tried to push me away.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had to convince her to be with me, because if I didn’t I’d surely lose her forever. She’d move right back to her old life, without a second thought. I had to figure out a way to convince her to stay. She needed a reason to want to be with me. I had to prove to her that I’d be a good father to her child, no matter what I had to do.

Chapter 26

Isabella

I can’t explain why it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of me. Even though my family only knew half of the truth, it was still enough to keep me from worrying so much.

While everyone around me talked about the upcoming nuptials, I sat at a table with my mother, quietly wishing that Rusty was around. Then I thought about Tate, and what he must have been thinking when he attempted to end his life. If he’d known I was pregnant would that have saved him? Was it worth me telling him at all? Could someone like him even be saved?

Suddenly realizing that my mind was in a clusterfuck of emotional turmoil, I decided to ask the advice of the one woman that had been through it all before. “Mom, if you had the chance to do it all over again, would you have told the sperm donor that I was his child?”

She was most definitely caught off guard. “Why on earth are you askin’ me that? Do you regret tellin’ Rusty that he’s the father of your child? Is there somethin’ you want to tell me about him?”

I immediately shook my head to reassure her she was way off base. “Of course not. He’s a good man. I’m sure he’ll be a great dad. This pregnancy just has me thinkin’ about things. I just want to know if you regret tellin’ him. I mean, you would have ended up with Dad anyway. It’s a simple question.”

“Honey, I don’t know how to answer that. Your dad and I got together because of the shit that man put me through. Things could have ended up differently, and I’d never wish that. Our life is wonderful, and in some ways I’m glad that man didn’t want anything to do with us. So no, I don’t regret it. Although, I do sometimes regret the choice to sleep with him in the first place, but then I think about you and remember that even at the worst times somethin’ beautiful can happen.”

“I guess I understand. It’s just hard knowing that he didn’t want us. I don’t want that for my baby.”

“Of course you don’t. Honey, all of those crazy thoughts you’re havin’ is normal. Your hormones are going crazy inside of your body. They’re goin’ to affect your decision makin’.”

My mom and I both looked up when we saw Noah sitting down across from us. He folded his hands like he was waiting for his turn. My mom touched my arm. “We’ll finish this later.”

I leaned my chin on my fist and prepared to be reamed out, knowing he’d probably built up enough anger to fuel a locomotive. “Go ahead. Let me have it.”

I could tell he was uneasy. “Bells, I just want you to be happy.”

Though I’d always considered him predictable, this was definitely a new side of my cousin. “Come again?”

“You heard me. I mean, yeah, I’m pissed you snuck behind my back, but you didn’t give me much choice. It’s not like I can make the guy leave now. He’s got responsibilities. I’m just worried that he’s keepin’ somethin’ from all of us. I’m around him every day and never once has he talked about his past. Don’t you think that’s important?”

“I know him better than you, Noah. I can assure you that it’s not what you think. He’s a good man.” My defending Rusty was only making it difficult to stand by my idea of telling Tate. No matter what I did, I was pulled toward the idea of staying in Kentucky and letting Rusty raise my child as his own. I’d never met a more sincere man, who given up so much. He was so honorable, and I wanted to think that him stepping up was his way of saying that he wanted to commit. The only thing holding me back was the idea of never knowing if he was going to compare me to someone else. I knew it seemed petty, but I needed to be loved for who I was, because I knew if I wasn’t then my happiness wasn’t real. In a sense it would be fake. I couldn’t make a commitment with that on my conscience.

“If he’s such good man than why ain’t he here?”

I didn’t have a good answer for that. Clearly he’d gotten upset earlier at breakfast. He’d stayed away from me all day. It didn’t help that I’d pretty much told him we were nothing to each other right before that. “I’m sure he’s tryin’ to keep the peace for your benefit.”

“My beef with Rusty wouldn’t have ruined this party. I’m gettin’ hitched to the most beautiful woman, my family is here, and my cousin is havin’ a kid. We’ve got plenty of reasons to put our differences aside, don’t you think?”

While Noah waited for my response, I thought about how hurt he must have been finding out that I’d lived in the same house with him and not been able to confide my secret. We were supposed to be best friends, yet I’d hid something so important. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“I get it. It hurts, but I get it. Hell, I threatened your boyfriend so many times that I’m surprised you two didn’t run off together. It’s obvious he cares about you, or else he would have given up a long time ago. I’m just glad this baby isn’t Tate’s. I f**kin’ hate that bastard. I wouldn’t be sittin’ here with you right now if he’d knocked you up. When you first made the announcement yesterday it’s all I could think about. I was doin’ the math in my head, trying to figure out when you were in North Carolina. Then Rusty stood up and put my mind at ease. Anyone is better than your ex.”