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Authors: Colleen Coble
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color was a little pale. "Have you come up with a solution?"
She laid her turkey sandwich on the table and unzipped the plastic bag. He was asking her? She took out her bottle of hot sauce and poured it on her sandwich. The only solution that would be good for the girls terrified her, but she had to remember her twins were the important ones in this problem. Not her and not Jack.
"I'll be honest, Shannon. I'm scared spitless." He leaned forward and stared at her. "Faith is the best thing in my life. She's all I've got, just like Kylie is all you've got. She's my family. I can't lose her." His voice broke.
If he was trying to play to her emotions, he was doing a good job. A lump formed in her throat. Faith probably adored her daddy. A little girl should have a daddy. Kylie should have one too. She asked about her father off and on, and Shannon never knew what to tell her. Tucker had never so much as called to see if the girls had been born or if Shannon was all right.
Except he was here now. And she couldn't tell Jack.
SHANNON UNCAPPED HER BOTTLE OF WATER AND TOOK A SIP, THEN STARED at Jack. He couldn't read her expression. "I have a suggestion," he said. "Look, don't take this wrong, okay? I've got plenty of money. I know things are rough for you, trying to raise your daughter by yourself. I'll pay off your school loans, give you a fresh start. Just sign over Faith to me."
She choked on her water. "Sell you my daughter? What kind of monster do you think I am? This has nothing to do with money. I've cared for Kylie and myself from the beginning. I'm not some helpless damsel waiting to be rescued from a life of poverty."
He'd worried she'd take it wrong. He held up his hand. "I didn't mean it like that. I wanted to help you and Kylie. A court battle will hurt us all."
She glared at him. "I want to know my daughter," she said. "She's my flesh and blood. I've never washed her hair, bought her a shirt, or kissed her cheek." Her voice broke and she blinked damp eyes. "I've never heard her say `Mommy' or listened to her sing. I've never read a bedtime story to her or tucked her into bed at night after listening to her prayers. That's what's been stolen from me, Jack."
He pressed his lips together. "That's not my fault, Shannon." Not hers either, but he didn't say it.
Shannon's mouth trembled, and she looked down at her hands. Some emotion he couldn't read passed over her face. Could it be fear?
"Has Faith ever said strange things about having a sister?" she asked. "She has, hasn't she? Kylie has talked about it almost from the time she could first put sentences together. The second she saw Faith, she knew. How can we deprive them of the closeness twins can share?"
He clasped his hands together. "How can we give them that and keep their worlds from coming apart? Especially Faith's? If you take her away from me, she'll hate you. And a court battle might not even get you custody. I don't doubt you could give it a good shot, but the judge looks at what's in the best interest of the child. It's possible all you'll accomplish is alienating Faith when she finds out what you're trying to do. She loves me, you know."
"I'm sure she does." She pressed her fingers to her eyes as though her head hurt.
"You've got an idea. I can see the wheels turning," he said. He flattened his palms against the top of the table and leaned forward. "What is it?"
"Do you have a girlfriend, Jack?" she asked, her tone careful.
He frowned. He didn't want to tell her he'd only begun to think about dating again. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Just answer me. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything" She didn't meet his gaze.
"No. I haven't seen anyone since Blair died. Raising Faith is the most important thing in my life. Are you ready to marry or something? You think having two parents is the most important thing in a kid's life? I'd normally agree, but not if you rip a daughter from her father's arms."
Shannon finally stared up into his eyes. He
She laid her turkey sandwich on the table and unzipped the plastic bag. He was asking her? She took out her bottle of hot sauce and poured it on her sandwich. The only solution that would be good for the girls terrified her, but she had to remember her twins were the important ones in this problem. Not her and not Jack.
"I'll be honest, Shannon. I'm scared spitless." He leaned forward and stared at her. "Faith is the best thing in my life. She's all I've got, just like Kylie is all you've got. She's my family. I can't lose her." His voice broke.
If he was trying to play to her emotions, he was doing a good job. A lump formed in her throat. Faith probably adored her daddy. A little girl should have a daddy. Kylie should have one too. She asked about her father off and on, and Shannon never knew what to tell her. Tucker had never so much as called to see if the girls had been born or if Shannon was all right.
Except he was here now. And she couldn't tell Jack.
SHANNON UNCAPPED HER BOTTLE OF WATER AND TOOK A SIP, THEN STARED at Jack. He couldn't read her expression. "I have a suggestion," he said. "Look, don't take this wrong, okay? I've got plenty of money. I know things are rough for you, trying to raise your daughter by yourself. I'll pay off your school loans, give you a fresh start. Just sign over Faith to me."
She choked on her water. "Sell you my daughter? What kind of monster do you think I am? This has nothing to do with money. I've cared for Kylie and myself from the beginning. I'm not some helpless damsel waiting to be rescued from a life of poverty."
He'd worried she'd take it wrong. He held up his hand. "I didn't mean it like that. I wanted to help you and Kylie. A court battle will hurt us all."
She glared at him. "I want to know my daughter," she said. "She's my flesh and blood. I've never washed her hair, bought her a shirt, or kissed her cheek." Her voice broke and she blinked damp eyes. "I've never heard her say `Mommy' or listened to her sing. I've never read a bedtime story to her or tucked her into bed at night after listening to her prayers. That's what's been stolen from me, Jack."
He pressed his lips together. "That's not my fault, Shannon." Not hers either, but he didn't say it.
Shannon's mouth trembled, and she looked down at her hands. Some emotion he couldn't read passed over her face. Could it be fear?
"Has Faith ever said strange things about having a sister?" she asked. "She has, hasn't she? Kylie has talked about it almost from the time she could first put sentences together. The second she saw Faith, she knew. How can we deprive them of the closeness twins can share?"
He clasped his hands together. "How can we give them that and keep their worlds from coming apart? Especially Faith's? If you take her away from me, she'll hate you. And a court battle might not even get you custody. I don't doubt you could give it a good shot, but the judge looks at what's in the best interest of the child. It's possible all you'll accomplish is alienating Faith when she finds out what you're trying to do. She loves me, you know."
"I'm sure she does." She pressed her fingers to her eyes as though her head hurt.
"You've got an idea. I can see the wheels turning," he said. He flattened his palms against the top of the table and leaned forward. "What is it?"
"Do you have a girlfriend, Jack?" she asked, her tone careful.
He frowned. He didn't want to tell her he'd only begun to think about dating again. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Just answer me. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything" She didn't meet his gaze.
"No. I haven't seen anyone since Blair died. Raising Faith is the most important thing in my life. Are you ready to marry or something? You think having two parents is the most important thing in a kid's life? I'd normally agree, but not if you rip a daughter from her father's arms."
Shannon finally stared up into his eyes. He
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