Loving Her (Mitchell Family #9)(15)
Author: Jennifer Foor

For money, he’d kidnapped a pregnant Van and tortured her, causing her to fight for her life and lose a child she spent years trying to have. She’d killed him in self-defense, and it wasn’t exactly easy to cope with. She lost her mind after that, and almost lost Colt.

Tucker’s mom was just as evil. After running into her years ago, Ty and I made the decision to do whatever it took to make sure they had nothing to do with Bella’s life.

My husband risked everything for our daughter, even the possibility of losing me. We thought that when we added Ty’s name to the birth certificate, that nobody else could ever hurt us. I had no idea that someone would come into our lives and stir everything up again.

Bella wasn’t just our daughter, she was Ty’s world. We’d gone through hell when she fell ill, and now this was happening, possibly damaging everything the two of them shared together.

I couldn’t let something so awful happen. I couldn’t let her ever find out that Tucker had anything to do with her life. He was nothing but a sperm donor. He’d never wanted her and made it very clear to everyone he spoke to. I couldn’t believe he was getting to me from the grave.

I felt sick hearing his name and was willing to lie right to my daughter’s face if it would ensure her happiness and my family’s stability.

With his emotions running deep, it was best to let him be alone until I figured out if Bella was suspicious, or if she’d forget all about it, like it never happened.

The first thing I needed to do was be around her and see if she asked me anything. I didn’t have to wait long, considering as soon as she saw me she came running over. Her question was sudden and my heart dropped hearing his name coming out of her mouth. “Mom, who is Tucker?”

“Tucker? Tucker who?” I tried to play it off like I’d never heard the name before.

“We went to get the puppy and some lady said that a man named Tucker was my dad.”

“Bella, you know who your father is. She must have been confused, that’s all. Why would you even question it? There’s no two people more bonded than you are with your dad. That’s crazy.”

“She said she knew you.”

“It’s been a long time. She must have gotten me mixed up with another one of our friends.”

“So did you have a friend named Tucker?” Her questions continued.

“Not that I can remember.” She could keep asking, but my answers would remain the same. Tucker was an evil person. He didn’t deserve to be acknowledged as anyone that I knew. He’d put our family through hell, and none of us wanted to have that part of our past brought up.

“Are you mad at me for askin’?”

I ran my hand through her blonde hair. “Of course not. I just don’t want your dad gettin’ his feelin’s hurt over somethin’ so silly. I think you need to find him and give him a hug.”

She ran off before replying and I felt like everything was going to be okay.

The kids had all come outside, including Colt and Van. They were paying close attention to the little bundle of fur that Ty had gotten for them.

Van had the pup in her arms and was cuddling with it, while Colt stood there with his arms folded across his chest. I walked over to him and looked over at the puppy. “Is this okay with you? I know it’s really soon.”

Van let down the puppy and the children crowded around it. It sucked up their attention, and I could tell they were instantly in love.

Colt motioned toward his kids, especially focusing on Noah. “If it puts a smile on their faces, I guess it’s a good idea. We still need to bury Sam, but maybe it won’t be so hard. Ever since Ty walked over with that puppy I haven’t seen a single tear. It’s a big change from how things started for us this mornin’.”

I wrapped my arm inside of my cousin’s. “Sam was a great dog, Colt. Ty wasn’t tryin’ to replace her. He just wanted to make the kids happy. He wanted to make you happy. You know how he is. He’s a sucker for being a hero.”

He patted my hand with his. “I know. He could have waited, but I get it. He’s a good uncle; a pain in the ass sometimes, but definitely a good man.”

“Thanks for sayin’ that.” Ty would appreciate Colt’s words, considering how much he looked up to his older cousin. Colt was always the better man when it came to measuring up. Everyone that knew him would agree.

I walked over to find Ty standing by himself. From the look on his face, I could tell that he wasn’t settled down. “Hey, babe. You alright?”

“My daughter asked you if I was her father. How the hell do you think I feel?”

“Jesus, don’t take it out on me. I talked to her. It’s fine now. I told her the woman didn’t know what she was talkin’ about. She thinks the lady got mixed up.” I wrapped my arms around my husband’s body. “Please calm down. It sucked that you had to go through that, but she doesn’t suspect nothin’, Ty. She was just a curious little girl who got confused. Bella knows you are her dad. You’d be a fool to not know that already.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I’m freaking out over here. Thinking about losing her kills me. I was trying to do something nice for my nieces and nephews and I ended up getting my heart ripped out. It f**king sucked.”

“You’re worryin’ about nothin’.” He needed reassurance. More than anyone, I could understand his fears. Isabella was Ty’s weakness. The fear of losing her, in any way, made him shut down. I feared the day she became a teenager and started dating, because I knew it would break his heart when she fell in love with another man. I guess it was a father’s biggest fear, giving up that bond that he and his daughter shared.

“I hope you’re right. If the truth ever came out, it would kill me. We’ve worked so hard to bury that secret.”

Van caught us off guard. “What secret are you two burying?”

Ty looked over at our cousin and his closest confidant. “Tucker Chase.”

Van’s eyes lit up. “That’s a name I never wanted to hear again. Why would you bring that up? I never want to think about that son of a bitch again.”

I felt for Van, who had lost a baby because of my scum of an ex. “Van, it’s not what you think. Bella and Ty got the puppy from someone that knew me and Tucker. She asked her if she was mine and Tucker’s daughter in front of Ty. It just happened and we’re tryin’ to make sure Bella thinks the woman was mistaken. She can’t know Tucker ever existed.”