Page 91 of I Loved You First

Fuck. And now everything about this situation just got worse. “Just give me one second.”

“Okay.”

Temper filled Ally’s eyes as the door closed again. “Fiona? She’s back?”

He steamed out a breath, well aware that Ally had always seen Fiona as her competition. “She’s been in town for the last few weeks. Stella was in a car accident.”

Now Ally crossed her arms as she stood hipshot. “So Brady knows who Fiona is, but he has no idea who I am?”

He nodded. “Pretty much.”

She huffed out a bitter laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”

“It was easy to introduce Fiona as a friend. Things are more complicated where you’re concerned.”

Ally raised her brow.

“What should I have told him, Ally? Was I supposed to have shown him your picture over the years and said this is your biological mother. She wants absolutely nothing to do with you?”

Ally flinched. “Well, that’s harsh.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Then he shook his head because getting pissed and nasty wouldn’t do Brady any good. “Look, why don’t you come inside for a couple of minutes and visit with Brady. But I expect you to play by my rules. The only thing that matters is what’s best for him.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He walked with Ally to the front door, letting her into his and Brady’s space. He felt none of the joy he remembered when he’d welcomed Fiona for the first time. “Come on in.”

“Thanks.” Slipping off her sandals, she followed him down the hall, stopping to let her gaze wander around the great room. “This place is so pretty. And your view…”

He nodded, noting Fi’s touches scattered here and there: the cheery summer flowers in a vase on the kitchen island and the new cozy throw folded over the couch. “Thanks.”

Ally moved to the table where Brady was still working on his drawing.

Brady looked up. “Do you want to see my picture?” he asked her.

She smiled and said, “Sure.” Pulling out the chair next to his, she sat down. “That’s really nice.”

“Thanks. Dad, you can see it now, too.”

Cam stepped closer behind his son’s seat, staring at three smiling figures holding hands. Water had been drawn as waves off to the right, and something that had to be the Space Needle had been drawn toward the top left. Brady had written his name and several Ds and plus signs all over the page. “That’s great, buddy.”

Brady nodded, all confidence and pride in his picture. “This is me and you.” He pointed to the two figures with short hair and green eyes. “And this is Fiona in the middle.”

Brady looked at Ally now. “Fiona has brown hair that’s really dark, but yours is light.”

Ally nodded. “That’s true.”

“This is the lake where we swim. And this is the Space Needle ’cause Fiona lives in Seattle. She makes parties when people call her business card,” Brady continued to explain to Ally.

Ally sent him another small smile. “That’s nice.”

Brady nodded. “She’s making a wedding for the governor’s daughter in Washington. When Fiona does conference calls, I get to talk to Leo when the First Lady goes away on the computer.”

“Fancy,” Ally said this time.

Brady’s brow furrowed a little at the unmistakable edge of her tone before he nodded again. “I wrote words. This is my name.” He pointed to his name that he’d spelled out. “But I don’t know how to spell mom.”

Cam gripped the back of Brady’s chair, entirely unsure of what to do as the already-awkward conversation continued to nosedive. “That’s a great picture,” he repeated, hoping to change the subject.