Page 65 of Fierce-Jax

What you saw was what you got.

Besides, the Fierces would have never picked him out for her if they didn’t think he was an upstanding citizen.

She’d take that any day over what she’d learned about with Alec.

“I think it’s wonderful that Alec became a doctor despite everything he went through in his life. If his parents even knew that about him. You said they didn’t come to the funeral. Do they even know about Gianna? You’ve never said.”

“I’ve had no way to reach them and don’t even know their names,” she admitted.

“Dillion Marie!” her mother snapped. “You never said that to me. Ever. What if he lied about his parents and they do not know that he died? That they are hoping for a reunion. Or that they’ve got a grandchild they know nothing about?”

It’d weighed on her mind for years.

“Gianna is mine,” she said. “I believe the things Alec told me about his father. If he wanted them to know he had a child, he could have done it at any point when I was pregnant and didn’t.Alec might have been deceptive about a lot of things, but he had a troubled childhood. I know it. Trust me.”

“But you didn’t trust Alec,” her mother said. “So how can you trust what he said?”

“Because I refuse to believe everything we had was a complete lie,” she argued. “Did we have a solid relationship? No. Do I think we would have lasted if he hadn’t died? Absolutely not. I would have never condoned what he’d done and didn’t want any part of it. Very few know and it’s better that way. But I lived with him. I saw him when he talked about his childhood. It wasn’t good.”

She didn’t need to explain anymore and she wouldn’t.

She was tired of defending the father of her daughter. They’d meant a great deal to each other early on. She wouldn’t forget those times even if she didn’t think she could forgive him for what he’d done.

“Mom,” Gianna said, running into the room. Perfect timing. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“I just got here a few minutes ago,” she said, picking her daughter up for a hug. She’d never grow tired of this. “I was having coffee with Grandma. How was your night?”

“It was so much fun,” Gianna said. “And since I could only bring some of my stuffed animals, I’ve got to bring the others next weekend. Grandma told me I could and we have next Saturday all planned out.”

“You’re welcome,” her mother said, lifting an eyebrow.

21

TOO SOON

Carolyn squared her shoulders and knocked on the locked glass door of Patrick Dermatology.

The office wouldn’t open for another thirty minutes, but she knew someone was there and, since there was no one at the front desk, she was banking on that person being Dillion.

When there was no answer, she knocked a second time and was just getting ready to call, though she was positive she’d get a machine, when Dillion rounded the corner.

She plastered a smile on her face and waved excitedly.

Dillion returned the smile and strode forward to unlock the door. “Good morning, Carolyn. What brings you by?”

“I’m so sorry that I hit you with wanting to set you and Jax up and then never got the information to pass on. That was wrong of me, but shortly after I came down with a little bug and didn’t want to expose anyone. I’m one hundred percent myself now. I thought if I snuck over here early, I could get your number to pass on and not worry about witnesses.”

Dillion was grinning at her. “I can give you my number,” she said.

“Perfect,” she said. “I’ll run up and see if Jax is there this early or not. If not, I can call and talk to him easier to pass it on. I’m positive you two will get along wonderfully.”

“That’s great to hear,” Dillion said.

Carolyn put Dillion’s number into her phone. “I won’t bug you anymore,” she said. “Have a great day.”

She ran out the door as fast as she could and hoped that Jax was in his office too.

She wanted to get this done before the two of them changed their minds.