Page 24 of Tiny Precious Secrets (The Brothers of Calloway Creek The Montanas #4)

I run out the front door, cursing myself for setting up the app on her phone.

I’m a single father. I did it for emergency purposes.

I never wanted her to be in a situation where she felt trapped if I couldn’t get to her.

Yet here I am being the one to trap her.

I just tossed her whole world upside down. I’m the worst damn excuse for a father.

I look all over, but can’t find her. I call her. I text her. She doesn’t answer or reply. When I track her phone, I see she’s moving. She’s already in a car. A stranger’s fucking car.

I race to my car and start driving. When her location doesn’t go in the direction of our house, it dawns on me that she’s probably going back to Mel’s.

I drive way too fast and nearly catch up, arriving at Mel’s house just as she’s exiting the Uber.

Storming out of my car, I snap, “Get in the car, Bug.”

Her hands fly to her hips. “No.”

I step forward. “Darla, get in the car. Now.”

Her hands ball into fists and she stomps a foot as she reluctantly obeys. But not before she says, “Don’t talk to me.”

The ride home is unbearable. There is so much I need to say. It breaks my heart to see her this upset. But it saddens me that she hates Allie so much that she’s not even the least bit excited about becoming a big sister.

Before the car is even in park, she’s out the door, running into the house, and probably locking herself in her room.

I get our things out of the trunk, counting to ten in the process. In the house, I go to my bar, unlock the cabinet, and take a shot of whiskey to settle my nerves. I give her thirty whole minutes to calm down and come out of her room. But all I hear is loud music blaring.

My phone vibrates with a text.

Allie: How’s it going?

That’s code for ‘have you told her yet?’

I want to lie and say it’s fine, because I’m hoping eventually it will be. And while Allie doesn’t know Bug all that well, she seems to be in tune to her even more than I am. She expected her not to take the news very well given how Bug feels about her. But I know we both hoped she’d be wrong.

Me: Well, she’s locked herself in her room if that tells you anything.

Allie: I’m sorry.

Me: It’s a lot to process. I think she’ll come around.

Allie: If it’s too much for her, maybe we should pause.

Me: We’re not pausing. You’re having my babies, Al. She’s thirteen. She’d have had a hissy fit if I told her we’re out of her favorite breakfast cereal.

Allie: I suppose. Being a teenager isn’t easy. Especially for girls. Cut her some slack. Don’t be mad at her because she’s having negative feelings about this. You’ve been her entire world for how many years? And now you’re throwing a girlfriend and two babies into the mix.

I go back to my room, open my dresser drawer, and pull out a box.

Inside it is my mother’s engagement ring.

She died when I was sixteen and Marti was one.

When my dad died eleven years later, I knew he wanted to be buried with their wedding rings, but years earlier, he gave Mom’s engagement ring to me to give to my future wife.

Why I never gave it to Stella, I’ll never understand.

Because I love this fucking ring. It represents family and love and commitment.

And though it’s not big and flashy and super expensive, I know it’s the perfect ring for Allie.

Me: We need to upgrade that title. You won’t be my girlfriend for long.

Allie: One thing at a time.

Me: I’m going to marry you come hell or high water.

Allie: That’s the issue. Marrying me shouldn’t be hell for anyone, Asher.

This woman. She’s carrying my babies. She loves me. But she won’t marry me without the approval of my temperamental, judgmental, pissed-off kid.

Me: It won’t be. We just need to give it time. Think I should use my key to go into her room?

Allie: Absolutely not. That’s her safe space. You’re going to have to wait it out.

Me: I’m not sure I can. I’m just sitting here thinking of how upset she is and how upsetting that is for me. How in the hell do I pass the time?

She sends me a few links in the next text. I smile for the first time in hours. They’re links to houses for sale in Calloway Creek.

Me: You’ve been looking at houses? Damn, I love you.

Allie: Call me later? After you talk with her?

Call her. Yes. I’m done with this texting crap. We’ve texted for nearly a year and a half. But now that we’re together, I want to hear her voice. Feel the emotions in her words. I want to tell her I love her, not type into a text box.

Me: Will do.

Allie: Good luck.

Me: Thanks. I think I’ll need it.

I peruse the listings she gave me, shaking my head at the modest four-bedroom houses. One of the things we’ve never really talked about is my finances. She asked about my house once, so she knows it’s not anywhere near the twelve-thousand-square-foot mansion her parents own.

While I’ll never be as well-off as her family, I can certainly afford an upgrade.

I get out my laptop and do some searching of my own.

Five- and six-bedroom houses with large yards for kids.

I send the ones I like back to her, hoping she doesn’t take it wrong and assume I’m counting on her money to make up the difference.

Bug’s voice in my ear causes me to jump. “Looking at houses already? So this is a done deal, whether I like it or not?”

I close the lid and sit back. “Kiddo, Allie is pregnant—whether you like it or not. And just like I did with you, I’m going to step up and raise them. Weren’t we just talking about how being a parent means doing what’s in your kids’ best interest? That means me being there for all of my kids.”

She’s trying to come up with an argument, but she kind of backed herself into a corner with this one.

“It’s totally not the same.”

“It’s exactly the same, Bug. Remember how excited you were when you found out Stella and I were trying to have a baby? You begged for a little brother or sister.”

“You’re too old. Can’t she find some younger guy who’s more suitable?”

“I’m not that old, kid. What if I’d made that decision about you? Abandoned you? Given you to someone else?”

“I don’t know, then maybe I wouldn’t be moving to New York and away from everything I’ve ever known.”

I ignore her insinuation that maybe she’d be better off without me. She’s upset.

“You’re the one who said you wanted to move.”

“To Oregon, or to somewhere else in Florida. Not some hole-in-the-wall town.”

“I love her, Bug. I’m in love with her. And she’s in love with me.”

“Of course you have to say that now .”

“This isn’t anything new. I’ve loved her for a long time.

I just wasn’t sure if she felt the same.

And then there’s you. You know I’d do anything for you.

But whether we planned it or not, it’s not just the two of us anymore.

Maybe that doesn’t seem fair to you now, but I promise I won’t love you any less just because there are more people to love. ”

She finally stops pacing and plops onto the large chair in the corner.

It’s the chair we used to cuddle in when she was little.

A thousand books were read to her there.

I haven’t seen her sit in that particular chair for years.

Is she already mourning what she thinks is the end of our father-daughter relationship?

I get up, go over, and sit down beside her. We’re far too big to be sitting side-by-side in the chair, and we’re squeezed in tightly, but I need her to hear me.

“Darla, I love you so much, my heart bursts every morning when I see you. And you don’t know this, but sometimes I still watch you sleep like when you were little.

I just stare at you and think how lucky I am to be your dad.

” I take her hand, and this time she doesn’t pull away.

“Nothing is going to change that. Not the babies. Not Allie. Nothing.”

Her head whips to the side and she widens her eyes. “Babies? As in you’re already planning on having more?”

It’s now when I realize I haven’t given her all the relevant details.

“Babies as in you’re going to have a brother and a sister. Bug, Allie is having twins.”

For a fraction of a second, I could swear I see a smile flash across her face. As if the thought of having twin siblings is exciting for her. But I may have been mistaken, because she rips her hand away and wiggles herself out of the chair.

“Just great. Like you’re going to have any time left for anything else.”

I stand and follow her to the kitchen. “Will things change? Yes, they will. It will be hectic and chaotic and I honestly have no idea how we’re going to do it.

But I can promise you, we’re still going to be us.

And I hope you’ll help me with decisions like what house we’ll get, and what kind of car.

And just think about it, Bug. You’ll get to go to a brand-new school like you wanted. Everyone in Calloway Creek seems nice.”

“It’s a small town, Dad. People there have been born and raised there. They already have friends. They don’t want outsiders.”

“Allie has a huge family. Lots of friends. I’m sure over the summer we can introduce you to other kids your age.”

She huffs with displeasure.

“I’ll make you a deal.”

“You’re going to bribe me like Mel’s parents?”

“No. I’m not going to bribe you. I said I’ll make you a deal. If you go through the summer up there and still decide you want to be homeschooled, I’ll let you do it.”

“Oh, right, and have Allie homeschool me?”

“I’ll do it myself.”

“You have a job.”

“So does Allie. Parents can have jobs and still homeschool their kids, you know. Especially high schoolers. Come on. What do you say?”

“Are you going to marry her?”

“Eventually. Yes.”

“Why not now?”

I’m not about to tell her Allie is requiring her approval. She may never give it.

“We have a lot to do. Moving across the country is a big deal.”

“She’s going to live with us, isn’t she?”

“Yes. That’s the plan.”

“And you don’t think that’s going to corrupt me?”

I laugh. “Bug, you’re old enough to know how babies are made. You understand the situation. And like I said, Allie and I are in love. People who are in love want to be together.”

“When would we move?”

“After the school year is over. When is Mel moving?”

“June thirtieth.”

“Then that’s what we’ll shoot for. That gives us a month to sell this house.”

“I want my own room. A bigger one. Preferably with an attached bathroom. And a theater room. Mel’s parents bought a house with a theater room. And…” She thinks on it. “A pool.”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“You said I could help pick the house.”

I snort laughter. “I did indeed.” I go to the living room and get my laptop. “Come on, let me show you what I’ve found.” I turn to her. “But Darla, you ever pull that shit again, taking an Uber like you did today, and you’ll be grounded for six months. Got it?”

She nods. But she also grins just a little. Just for a second. Like she’s amused I’m not going to just roll over and capitulate in order to make her happy. I’m still her dad. I’m still going to protect her. Punish her. But mostly, I’m going to love her.