SEAL’s Surprise Daughter by Katie Knight & Leslie North

Author:Katie Knight & Leslie North [Knight, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-18T16:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

We’d been home for a few hours, relaxing after the stressful hearing, when my doorbell rang. I left Savannah and Gabe playing on the floor in the living room and went to answer the door. It was my mom, holding a bakery box in her hands.

“Congratulations!” she said, hugging me awkwardly around the large box. “I just wanted to stop by and see the new parents.” She held out the box with a wink. “And I worked for hours making this for you guys.”

“Thanks,” I said, returning her smile. Even if the box hadn’t had a sticker from Delicious Delights on it, I’d know damned well the cake came from the bakery in Charles Town. My mom never baked anything in her life. After opening the box to show off the cake inside—fluffy white icing with “Happy Custody Day” written on top in pink frosting—I took it into the kitchen and served up slices for each of us. Back in the living room, I took a seat on the sofa, while Gabe stayed on the floor with Savannah and my mom sat in one of the armchairs.

Gabe downed half his slice of cake in two bites, grinning at my mom. “This is fantastic, Mrs. Rhodes.”

“Thanks.” My mom beamed at him.

We chatted as we ate our cake, and then I carried the plates to the kitchen. “Gabe, are you okay with the baby? I need to go get ready for work.”

“Oh, uh.” He gave me a wounded-puppy look before quickly covering it behind his usual stoic façade. “Yeah. Sure. I’m good.”

“I can watch the baby, if you want,” my mom offered. “And Charlotte, why don’t you call in sick tonight? You two deserve to celebrate a little on your own.”

To say I was surprised was an understatement. My mom loved Savannah, but was usually sick of watching her after doing it every weekday. My thoughts must’ve shown on my face, because next thing I knew, my mom had gotten up and joined me in the kitchen.

“Seriously, honey. I don’t mind. Savannah might be the closest thing to a granddaughter that I’ll get.”

Ouch. I did not want to go there, so I turned away, staring down at the plates as I rinsed them off before shoving them in the dishwasher. “It’s fine, Mom,” I said, probably a little more harshly than I should have, but dammit, I was hurt and a little pissed that she’d come at me like that. “I really need to go in tonight to check on things and take care of some paperwork. Gabe’s got it handled here.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you, honey,” Mom said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “It’s just that…” She sighed. “I want more for you. You know that. More than running a tavern in a small town. You have a college degree. You’re smart. You could do so much more than this.” She waved a hand toward the living room. “And now with Gabe here, and the baby, I thought you might…”

“Might what?” I gave her a look.

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