"Maybe a little. I’m also just pissed that he never bothered to mention this to me. We were supposed to be getting married in a few weeks, Caleb. Now, he’s going down to Texas tomorrow morning to pick up his daughter. Where does that leave me?"
"You?" he questions loudly and it echoes through the night.
"Yes. Me," I confirm.
"Sarah, I’m going to be really honest here. I think you sound like a bitch who has her head stuck up her ass."
I swing my head to face him, shocked that he would be such a dick. Well, that is until I remember who I’m talking to.
"Excuse me." I jump to my feet, dusting the dirt off my jeans. "You have no right to talk to me like that. You don’t know the whole story."
"I don’t need to. You told me the only thing that matters. Leo has a kid who just lost her mother. Honestly, it infuriates me that you two aren’t on a plane tonight. If something happened to Collin, I’d hitchhike across America to get to him if I had to."
"Caleb, it’s not that easy. He never told me about her."
"Well, given the fact that he’s never seen the child, I’m going to assume something else was going on. There’s not a cop in town who doesn’t know Leo spent years in the Witness Protection Program, so I’m going to put two and two together and guess his difficulty in opening up has something to do with that."
I look at the ground and wish I had just gone to Emma. She at least would have sugarcoated the lecture.
"So, tell me this. Did Leo lie to you or did he just decide not to deal with his own shit?" He quirks an eyebrow as my chin begins to quiver.
"He was paying child support," I answer as some sort of proof, but it only supports Caleb’s theory.
"Well, good. That makes me respect him at least."
"He could have told me. How am I supposed to marry a man who just leaves out details this big?"
"As I recall, it took you months to tell him your bullshit. If he didn’t know all about it, you think you would have just dumped it all on him over coffee one day?"
"No, but I sure as shit wouldn’t have proposed to him without telling him everything," I bite out.
Caleb releases a loud sigh. "What’s your gut say? You think he’s some big asshole who purposely duped you or do you think he fucked up big time but really fucking needs you right about now?"
I drop my chin to my chest and fight back the waterworks. "What if there’s more? I feel like I’m in the dark. I hate surprises, and Leo James had been nothing but." I sniffle.
"That’s life, Sarah," he announces. "You’re going to have to learn to roll with the punches or that bitch will beat you down in no time."
"Well aren’t you poetic," I say sarcastically.
"You remember that day Collin was born. You gave me this whole speech about our lives coming full circle. Could this be the point that closes your own circle? You found a man who accepts you for exactly who you are. Now you just have to be willing to do the same."
"Jesus Christ, where the fuck did you come from? Does Emma know you get all deep like this?"
"Nope. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention it." He smirks.
"I don’t know if I can do this."
"Just listen to yourself. You’re more concerned that Leo was dealing with his own issues instead of telling you all about it. I’m not saying he’s right, but I am saying your spat can be dealt with after he gets that little girl somewhere safe. If you are going to commit to being part of Leo’s life, she’s going to need you too."
"Oh my God." I panic when that little realization hits me. "I can’t be someone’s stepmom."
"Good, because now that her real mom is gone, she’s probably going to need more than that."
"Stop!" I shout as my heart begins to race. Surely, Manda of all people would understand if I puked on her grave.
"Okay, okay. How about you just start with supporting Leo and worry about your relationship with the kid later."
I take a few deep breaths. "Yeah, that makes more sense."
"So, should I start cleaning out the guest room for you to move in?" He tosses me his signature smirk.
ONE PHONE call, two plane tickets, and three hours later, I’m halfway to having a daughter. Although I guess in reality I’ve had a daughter for a while now. From what the Department of Child Services in Texas told me, when I arrive tomorrow, it should be an easy process. As her legal father, there isn’t a ton of paperwork to be done or a long, drawn-out custody battle to be won. Basically, I show up and they give me a pink bundle of joy. Or, in my case, knowing her mother, a sassy-mouthed five-year-old.