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CASPER APPROACHED MARIE in the bustling casino hotel, the sound of slot machines and distant laughter creating an almost surreal backdrop to their tense meeting. She sat at a small table, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of a glass, and her daughter, Kayla, was nowhere in sight. “Thank you for meeting me,” he said, “without Kayla.”
Marie shrugged, her expression indifferent, as if to say his presence was of little consequence. “It’s no skin off my hide,” she replied, a hint of cool detachment in her tone.
Internally, Casper sighed, the words forming a knot of frustration in his throat. He leaned forward slightly, the weight of his questions heavy on him. “Tell me the truth. Is Kayla my daughter?”
Marie met his gaze squarely, her eyes sharp as a blade. “Yes, she is.” The finality of her response hung in the air, thick and suffocating.
“Why didn’t you tell me before now?” His heart ached at the realization of time lost—years of potential memories slipping through his fingers. “Why did you marry someone else and not me since I was her father?”
A pained expression flickered across Marie’s face before she shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her posture closing off. “You didn’t make enough to support us,” she said quietly, her eyes drifting away as though the truth was too heavy to bear directly. “So I found someone who did.”
The grief settled in Casper’s gut like a stone, weighing him down as the reality of his loss began to sink in.
The thought of calling her a “money-grubbing bitch” flitted through Casper’s mind, but he swiftly pushed it aside, knowing that succumbing to negativity wouldn’t resolve anything. He sighed, his brows furrowed in confusion. “What exactly do you expect of me now?”
Marie’s lips pursed for a moment, and then she offered a beaming smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I want you to take her off my hands.”
Casper blinked, momentarily taken aback by her unexpected request. He imagined how Nettie would react to the idea of him suddenly becoming a father figure to a teenage girl, especially just as their relationship was beginning to blossom. Yet, he understood that his budding romance could not overshadow his responsibilities as a father. The only problem was that he didn’t know what it meant to be a father, aside from the occasional disciplinary action, like confiscating a phone. “Okay,” he managed to say.
Marie seemed momentarily shocked by his agreement and shot to her feet with newfound energy. “Great! I’m packed and ready to catch the next flight to California.”
“California?” he asked, curiosity mingling with concern.
“Of course! That’s where all the wealthy live. I’m so tired of struggling and living like a pauper,” she replied. “I deserve better after everything I’ve dealt with in life.”
Casper felt the weight of frustration pressing down on him. He longed to argue and demand answers from the woman before him, but he quickly dismissed the thought. It was crucial that Kayla remained shielded from the harsher truths surrounding her mother’s abandonment, and he couldn’t bear the idea of adding to her pain. “Where is she?” he asked impatiently.
“She’ll be down in a moment,” Marie replied, her tone matter-of-fact as she adjusted the bag slung over her shoulder. “She can’t enter the casino, so you’ll have to meet her in the hotel lobby.” Without glancing back, she strode toward the door, leaving Casper sitting there, filled with anticipation and dread.
He muttered to himself as he stood up, “Now what?” His heart raced as he made his way to the hotel lobby, where Kayla was likely waiting to receive the most devastating news of her young life.
As he rounded the corner, the bustling atmosphere of the lobby enveloped him. He spotted Kayla a few feet away, her face lit up with excitement as she spoke animatedly into her phone camera, capturing every moment for her followers. The sight of her drew a sharp sigh from his lips. What on earth was he going to do about this? He couldn’t shake off the unsettling thought that his daughter—his daughter—was a budding influencer, pouring her energy into online fame. At her age, such aspirations felt both foreign and misguided to him. Yet, he resolved to tackle those concerns later after they dealt with the monumental issues at hand.
As Kayla spotted him striding toward her, she quickly told her followers that she would return shortly. Her brow furrowed as she slipped her phone into the back pocket of her worn jeans. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s gone to California,” he replied, the words tumbling out before he could soften their impact. “She left you in my care.”
Kayla narrowed her eyes, suspicion flickering like a candle flame caught in a draft. “For how long?” she pressed.
He met her gaze, honesty in his eyes. “She didn’t say.”
An unsettling silence enveloped them as they both processed the gravity of the situation. Finally, Kayla broke the stillness. “So, you’re my real father?”
Casper swallowed hard, nodding slowly. “I am.”
A hint of defiance emerged as she crossed her arms. “Do I have to call you Dad?” she asked, rolling her eyes dramatically as if the mere thought was absurd.
“No,” Casper replied, although a small part of him yearned for the day she might feel comfortable bestowing that title upon him.
Kayla grabbed her bag with a slight shrug, the movement casual yet tinged with an unspoken resilience. “Okay, let’s go,” she stated, her tone indifferent, but Casper could sense the turmoil beneath the surface.
He was taken aback by how effortlessly she seemed to accept the news, which pierced his heart with an ache for whatever struggles she had faced in her young life. How could someone so resilient carry the weight of being abandoned by her mother without flinching? It dawned on him that this might not be the first time she had experienced such heartache.
For a fleeting moment, anger flared within him, and he felt an impulse to confront Marie and demand an explanation for how she had treated their daughter. But he quelled the emotion, reminding himself that his priority now lay in creating a secure and loving environment for them.
“Where do you live?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Is it on the beach?” A hopeful tone danced in her voice at the thought of life by the ocean.
“I’m afraid to burst your bubble,” he replied gently, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his mouth, “but I actually live in Maryland.”
Kayla paused, her expression shifting to surprise. “But it’s cold up there,” she remarked, a frown creasing her forehead as she imagined the chilly winters.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “I’m moving here soon. I accepted a position with Coastal Investigation and am excited to find us a home in this area.” Initially, he had thought about moving in with Nettie, but having Kayla in his life had changed everything. His focus now was on providing her with a loving, stable environment. He realized he would need guidance in this new chapter, and he knew JD, who had navigated the challenges of unexpected fatherhood after temporarily losing his son years ago, could lend valuable advice.
“Can I help pick out the place?” she asked eagerly, her youthful enthusiasm shining through. Then, a sudden thought struck her. “Wait, do you have a wife? Someone who will want me to call them ‘Mom?’”
Casper shook his head slowly, his expression thoughtful. “No, I don’t have a wife, but I have someone very special. I hope one day to ask her to be my wife.”
“Will I like her?”
“I think you will, but I want you to get to know her and decide for yourself,” he replied, feeling optimistic about their future together.
“When do I get to meet her?” Kayla inquired, her curiosity evident in how her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Casper smiled softly, though a gnawing worry crept into his mind. Had he overstepped by inviting her to come home with him? He hadn’t anticipated this sudden shift in their relationship. “She’s waiting in the Jeep,” he replied, hoping his tone conveyed reassurance.
“You have a Jeep?” Kayla’s face lit up, excitement bubbling in her voice. “I love them!”
With a chuckle, Casper guided her through the sleek, automatic hotel doors. Crisp air greeted them as they stepped outside, and he led her to his Jeep parked in the bustling drop-off and pickup zone. Just as they approached, Nettie emerged from the vehicle, her warm smile in stark contrast to the hint of tension he noticed in her posture when he saw Kayla alone.
“Hi, I’m Nettie,” she said, extending her hand toward Kayla with a genuine smile. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
Kayla took Nettie’s hand but fell silent, the lively teenager Casper had engaged with moments before fading into someone more reserved. He sensed the ebbs and flows of emotions ahead, fully aware that navigating this new chapter would come with its own challenges.
As Kayla settled herself into the back seat of the Jeep, the soft leather creaked under her weight. Nettie leaned in closer to Casper, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “I saw Marie leave alone,” she remarked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Casper nodded thoughtfully, a furrow of concern etching his brow. “I’ll fill you in on everything later. Right now, I need to find a safe place for Kayla and me to stay,” he replied, determination lacing his tone.
Nettie’s bright smile spread across her face, and her excitement was palpable. “I can’t believe we both accepted positions with CI! It’s going to be amazing working with you,” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.
Leaning down, Casper gently kissed the tip of her nose, an affectionate gesture that made Nettie giggle. “You too,” he murmured, his eyes warm with appreciation.
A groan came from the back seat, pulling Casper’s attention away. He chuckled softly, amusement dancing in his gaze, and moved to the driver’s side. Once inside, he started the engine, the comforting roar filling the vehicle as he shifted into gear. Glancing back at Nettie and the groaning Kayla, he asked with a playful tone, “Is anyone hungry?”
“I am,” Nettie asserted.
“I only eat a vegan diet,” Kayla declared, her tone tinged with a conviction that left no room for debate.
Casper let out a resigned sigh, feeling the weight of the conversation settle in. This was the beginning of many such discussions to come. “Of course you do.”