Read Online On My Own: Book Three in the Who's Your Daddy series by Rhonda Marks - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rhonda Marks
Ads: Link
managed to whisk them all out, but the damage had been done. Thank God Coach excused him from today’s workout so he could mend some fences with Caroline. And by the look on her face, he had a hell of a lot of work to do.
“Haven’t you done enough already to hurt my family, Benedict?” Ty spat out as he took a step in Dirk’s direction. “Why don’t you leave and let them live in peace.”
“Old man, this has nothing to do with you,” Dirk countered as he further closed the gap. He’d had enough of the man and his meddling in his personal business. “If you hadn’t stuck your nose in our relationship years ago, this wouldn’t be happening in the first place.”
“Stop it, you two!” Caroline shouted, her voice trembling. “I’m tired of this bickering.”
“But, Caroline,” her father started. “I’m just looking out for your best interests.”
“And that’s been part of the problem, Dad.” She softened her voice and took a deep breath. “I appreciate everything you and Mom have done. Everything. There’s no way I could have survived those first years after JJ was born without you. I definitely would not have been able to go to school and get my degree without your help.
“But this is something Dirk and I will have to figure out on our own, okay?” She walked over to both of them, gave them a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Do me a favor and go home. And please take JJ with you. I’ll stop over and pick him up in a little while.”
“Go get you jacket, little man,” Mrs. Jackson ordered.
“But I wanna stay with Mom and Dad,” JJ whined.
“Did your grandmother ask you to do something?” Dirk inquired, giving his son a look he hoped brooked no argument.
JJ visibly gulped and pulled a jacket out of the hall closet. “Come get me soon, Mom.”
Caroline gave his a kiss and a pat on the head. “I will.”
JJ eyed him for a second before walking over to him, his eyes shining. “I’m sorry, Dad for all this trouble. Mom did tell me not to try to see you, but I couldn’t help myself.”
Dirk pulled him into a hug and planted a kiss on top of his head. “It’s not your fault, sport. We’ll make this all better, okay.” With that assurance, JJ headed for the front door with his grandparents. Ty gave Dirk one last scowl before opening the door and wading into the media frenzy outside.
He turned back to Caroline and found her sinking into a wing chair in the corner. She looked tired, even scared and damn if he knew what to do to remedy the situation. He walked over to the sofa and took a seat, waiting for what, he didn’t know. What he did know was that they needed to resolve this matter while they were face to face. The last thing he wanted now was to have a bunch of lawyers involved.
“What happened at the school on Thursday?” Her question roused him from his thoughts and made him sit up straighter.
“I, um, spoke to the kids about what’s it like to be—”
“No, I mean, how did you come into contact with JJ? I thought we agreed you were not going to have any contact with him until I said so.”
“Yes, that was the agreement, and I truly intended to keep my word.”
“Then why did you lie?”
Dirk scrubbed his hand down his face and struggled to maintain his usual iron-clad control over his emotions. “I didn’t lie, Caroline. After I finished talking and was about to leave the building, JJ caught up to me and asked to talk with me.”
“Why didn’t you say no?”
“I did, but he was very insistent. I wonder where he got that from?” He smiled but he could see that she was not amused. Giving out a loud sigh, he continued. “When I saw him, I immediately looked around and no one was in the vicinity. No one, Caroline.
“I asked him to go back to class, but he insisted on talking with me. We found an empty classroom and went in. I’d say we only spoke for about five-ten minutes before I sent him on his way.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because
“Haven’t you done enough already to hurt my family, Benedict?” Ty spat out as he took a step in Dirk’s direction. “Why don’t you leave and let them live in peace.”
“Old man, this has nothing to do with you,” Dirk countered as he further closed the gap. He’d had enough of the man and his meddling in his personal business. “If you hadn’t stuck your nose in our relationship years ago, this wouldn’t be happening in the first place.”
“Stop it, you two!” Caroline shouted, her voice trembling. “I’m tired of this bickering.”
“But, Caroline,” her father started. “I’m just looking out for your best interests.”
“And that’s been part of the problem, Dad.” She softened her voice and took a deep breath. “I appreciate everything you and Mom have done. Everything. There’s no way I could have survived those first years after JJ was born without you. I definitely would not have been able to go to school and get my degree without your help.
“But this is something Dirk and I will have to figure out on our own, okay?” She walked over to both of them, gave them a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Do me a favor and go home. And please take JJ with you. I’ll stop over and pick him up in a little while.”
“Go get you jacket, little man,” Mrs. Jackson ordered.
“But I wanna stay with Mom and Dad,” JJ whined.
“Did your grandmother ask you to do something?” Dirk inquired, giving his son a look he hoped brooked no argument.
JJ visibly gulped and pulled a jacket out of the hall closet. “Come get me soon, Mom.”
Caroline gave his a kiss and a pat on the head. “I will.”
JJ eyed him for a second before walking over to him, his eyes shining. “I’m sorry, Dad for all this trouble. Mom did tell me not to try to see you, but I couldn’t help myself.”
Dirk pulled him into a hug and planted a kiss on top of his head. “It’s not your fault, sport. We’ll make this all better, okay.” With that assurance, JJ headed for the front door with his grandparents. Ty gave Dirk one last scowl before opening the door and wading into the media frenzy outside.
He turned back to Caroline and found her sinking into a wing chair in the corner. She looked tired, even scared and damn if he knew what to do to remedy the situation. He walked over to the sofa and took a seat, waiting for what, he didn’t know. What he did know was that they needed to resolve this matter while they were face to face. The last thing he wanted now was to have a bunch of lawyers involved.
“What happened at the school on Thursday?” Her question roused him from his thoughts and made him sit up straighter.
“I, um, spoke to the kids about what’s it like to be—”
“No, I mean, how did you come into contact with JJ? I thought we agreed you were not going to have any contact with him until I said so.”
“Yes, that was the agreement, and I truly intended to keep my word.”
“Then why did you lie?”
Dirk scrubbed his hand down his face and struggled to maintain his usual iron-clad control over his emotions. “I didn’t lie, Caroline. After I finished talking and was about to leave the building, JJ caught up to me and asked to talk with me.”
“Why didn’t you say no?”
“I did, but he was very insistent. I wonder where he got that from?” He smiled but he could see that she was not amused. Giving out a loud sigh, he continued. “When I saw him, I immediately looked around and no one was in the vicinity. No one, Caroline.
“I asked him to go back to class, but he insisted on talking with me. We found an empty classroom and went in. I’d say we only spoke for about five-ten minutes before I sent him on his way.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because
Similar Books
