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For the next little while, their attention was focused on ordering their meals. But once the waitress had left to put their order in at the kitchen, silence filled the space between them.
“So, uh, Amelia’s doing okay at school?” Blake asked. “I assume that you’d let me know if that wasn’t the case.”
“Yes. I definitely would,” Charli assured him. “She’s doing just fine. I appreciate the time you’ve taken to read with her each night. It really shows in how quickly she’s progressing.”
Blake smiled. “It hasn’t been a problem to spend time each day reading, as she never fights me when I say it’s time to do it. She likes to read.”
“That’s not the case with all my students, and I know it can be a strain on the parents to have to force their child to read.”
“Does Layla enjoy reading like you do?”
With another question from Blake about Layla, Charli realized that she was going to have no choice but to share bits of information about her daughter with the man who didn’t know he was her father.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Blake could hardly believe that they’d actually made it to their dinner date. From the conversations they’d had leading up to the evening, Charli had definitely not been as excited about it as he was, though he’d tried to rein in his enthusiasm whenever they talked. Janessa was still in the doghouse with her sister, but she didn’t seem bothered by that.
The previous night, when he’d been at their place for another pizza dinner before going to a game at the high school, Blake had expected her to come up with a reason to put off their dinner. However, there had been no discussion of their plans because the kids had been present, and Charli had insisted that the girls not know what was going on.
She’d made it clear that if anyone let slip that she and Blake were going for dinner together, everything was off. Blake had kept his fingers crossed that no one would slip up because he had really hoped to have this time with her. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if she’d actually been happy about the evening.
Unfortunately, he didn’t think that was going to be the case. Though Janessa had continued to refer to their time together as a date, Charli had only ever referred to it as them having dinner.
It was his hope that even if she was going under duress, the evening would help to lessen the tension between them. He could see Serenity as a long-term home for him and Amelia, and since she’d already forged a friendship with Layla, it would be best for everyone if there was no awkwardness between him and Charli.
Even though their time together might ease the tension, Blake was aware it could also make things worse. But since that definitely wasn’t his goal, he would do what he could to avoid that outcome.
“How was Amelia doing in school where you were before?” Charli asked after she’d shared that Layla did, in fact, love to read.
“To be honest, I wasn’t involved in her day-to-day life until recently, so I really can’t tell you.”
Blake hated to reveal that, since it didn’t reflect well on him. When Charli frowned, he wished he’d just given a surface answer. But since he’d shared that much, he might as well give her more information about their life in Texas.
“Since Lauren had primary custody, she took care of all that. And when she passed away, her sister took over Amelia’s care until I could get back from my deployment and out of the army.”
“Did Lauren’s sister mind that you moved so far away with Amelia?” Charli asked.
Blake sat back as the waitress approached their table with their food. She set their plates in front of them, then left them alone.
After spending so much time with the Halversons, Blake knew that Charli would pray for her meal, so he wasn’t surprised when she bent her head. Blake also bowed his head, silently thanking God for his food, but also asking God to bless their conversation and that the evening would be a pathway to peace between them.
Once they’d finished praying, Blake picked up his knife and fork and cut off a piece of his steak. It cut so smoothly that Blake knew he was in for a real treat.
From that single bite, Blake figured it was probably the best steak he’d ever eaten. But then, considering the price of the meal, it should be.
“So… about Lauren’s sister?” Charli prompted.
Right. Even a good meal wasn’t going to distract her, though Blake would rather not talk about that part of his past. He’d give her the answers she asked for, however, because he felt he owed her that much.
“After Lauren died, her sister told me that she’d be willing to continue to care for Amelia if I financially supported her. So I sent her the payments I’d been giving Lauren. It felt like the best thing to do, since Amelia had already spent a lot of time with Callie. I finished out my deployment and when I got home, she told me that I needed to pay her more or make other arrangements.” He didn’t mention how she’d also said that if he married her, that would work, too. “That was when I decided not to re-enlist.”
Charli frowned, pausing in the cutting of her steak. “She was doing it for the money?”
“It certainly felt that way at the time.” Blake recalled the sick feeling he’d had when he’d come to that realization. “And it made me wonder if Amelia had been mistreated.”
“Oh, no,” Charli said softly. “That’s horrible. Did you ask Amelia about it?”
“I did, and from what she told me, it seemed like perhaps more than mistreatment, she’d been neglected. Which, of course, is also mistreatment.”
