Page 47 of Face Off

“Really? You’re so good with kids. I assumed you must be around them a lot.”

I cracked a smile. “Not at all. Milo and Finn are about the only kids I’ve ever been around regularly. The younger ones are too scary for me, so I stay away.”

“The younger ones? Like babies?” she asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded toward Chloe who was holding Callan. “He terrifies me. I never know what’s wrong when he cries, and he seems so fragile. Once they can run around and talk, I’m more comfortable.”

“You’re a natural with Sadie,” she said before looking down at her plate, a frown on her perfect lips.

“What’s wrong?”

I almost didn’t expect her to tell me. I’d opened up to her, but she hadn’t reciprocated.

She sighed. “I’m not sure how to say it without freaking you out.”

I laughed. “It takes a lot to do that. Go ahead and try me.”

She smiled for a flash but it disappeared. “Seeing you with her makes me sad.”

I hadn’t seen that coming. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”

She reached out and grabbed my hand, which was resting on the table next to my water bottle. “No, that’s not what I meant.” She pulled her hand back. “It makes me sad to think about what her father is missing out on. What she’s missed out on by him not being around.”

Ah. The ex. The question I’d had since we met. What was her past? Who was her past?

“He’s not in the picture?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Do you want the short version or the whole, sordid tale?”

I glanced around, hoping we wouldn’t be interrupted. “I’d love the whole thing.”

Her shoulders rose as she inhaled. “Well, I was married.”

I waited for the twist in my gut, but nothing came. This was her past. History. Done.

“We got married when I was really young. I didn’t even finish school, and he was starting to establish his career. He told me from the beginning that he didn’t want kids, and I agreed. We had grand plans of traveling the world together, and that was enough for me. A few years later, I got pregnant. He was furious. He accused me of tricking him or lying about being on the pill. He said he wanted nothing to do with the baby and left.”

My blood was boiling. Who was this man? Did he not realize that he was responsible for his actions? That he was lucky to be able to have a baby with his wife? I clenched the edge of the bench to keep my anger in check.

“I had Sadie, and for a while, his family was involved. Then it was just his mom. She would take Sadie out for girls’ days. Then I had enough money and resources to file for divorce, and she disappeared from our lives too. My ex, Peter, said from the beginning that he didn’t want custody—he didn’t even want his name on the birth certificate—but his mom finally convinced him to.” She sighed. “I never asked him to pay child support. I never asked him for anything, but I wanted to leave the option open to him to have a relationship with his daughter.”

She swallowed, and I wanted to go around the table and pull her into my arms. Her shoulders were slumped, and she looked so small, so worn down. How could any man do this to a woman? Especially her.

“Has he ever seen her?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No, and now he’s filing to terminate his parental rights.”

I clenched my grip, then released, needing a second to let that sink in. “What an idiot.”

Her eyes flashed to mine.

“How could he willingly give up the chance to know her?”

She tried to smile, but it wavered until she dropped her head. “I don’t know. I never want Sadie to think she wasn’t wanted. That she’s not loved, but someday, she’s going to ask about him. What could I say to make her understand that it had nothing to do with her? That her father was a selfish, greedy man who only cared about furthering his career?”

No. “It’s not her fault. Or yours.”

She met my gaze with so much doubt in her eyes. I hated him. I hated that man for hurting her this way. I was going to make her believe me. Somehow.