Page 64 of Hard Rain Coming

“Vivian can what?”

They both turned as Vivian walked into the kitchen. Her eyes were still a bit red and puffy, but she’d managed to cover most of it up with makeup. Didn’t matter, though. She was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Miss Callie left the kitchen, and Dallas got to his feet.

“What do you need me to do?”

Eyes lowered, she licked her bottom lip and pulled on the edge of her sweater. She was nervous, and it showed. “Summer wants to meet at the park. Says she’ll be by the big pavilion in thirty minutes.”

Dallas walked over to her, aware she was nervous. “Just tell me what you want me to do.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and finally met his gaze. “If you could drive me there? That would mean a lot. I can’t think right now. I mean, not beyond what am I going to say to her? How do I make her understand? How do I?—”

“You’ll be fine. You’re a Bridgestone, and those genes were made for the tough stuff.”

“But I—” Her bottom lip trembled, and damn if it didn’t pull out the beast in him. He had to work hard not to crush her against his chest. And he would have, but he didn’t want to chance cracking her already fragile exterior.

“You did what you did because you loved her.” Pain lanced its way across his chest. He inhaled roughly and ran his hands through his hair. “You had no support. You knew if you kept her, life would be tough, not only for you, but for the baby. And you dealt with all of it alone. What you did was brave. Never forget that.”

“I don’t know if I was brave. I just kept moving.” She nodded and whispered, “Always moving.”

“Are you sure you want to do this alone?” His throat was tight. He wanted to meet his daughter. To see her. Hear her voice.

“I need to do this on my own. Initially, that is. I don’t know why.” She gave a small shrug. “I can’t explain.”

“I want to meet my daughter.” His voice was low.

“You’ll meet her. I promise I just…I listed her father as unknown on her birth certificate, and I need to explain that to her. I need to make her understand I wasn’t trying to be this awful person. That I was so damn young, I didn’t know what I was doing.”

She’d barely finished her sentence before he had her wrapped up in his arms. He held her for as long as she let him and then dropped a kiss onto her mouth. A light, gentle reminder that she had him in her corner. That he was there, and the hounds of hell wouldn’t be able to drag him away.

“Whatever you need.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

She waited a heartbeat, and when she finally put her hand in his, Dallas knew his world had just changed again. It was subtle but powerful. And even though there were things still uncertain, things that had to be worked through and addressed, he had hope. That hope was wrapped up in a five-foot, seven-inch woman who’d been tattooed across his heart since he was a wet-behind-the-ears seventeen-year-old idiot.

“Are you ready?” he asked gently.

“No.” A small, sad smile touched her face. “But let’s go.”

Chapter Twenty-One

She smelled like sunshine. Like her mother, Alicia.

Vivian’s breath caught, and she struggled to breathe because the young woman in front of her was so perfect, it hurt. Her daughter stood a few inches away, wide eyes so blue and familiar that it took everything she had not to burst into tears and scare the teenager away.

She was tall and slender, dressed in a pair of baggy jeans, white running shoes, and a black T-shirt. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail that swished when she walked. The girl gave a small wave and tilted her head to the left, offering a hesitant smile as she did so.

“Hey,” she said quietly, with a soft Southern roll. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Vivian exhaled. Okay. This was going to be okay. Her daughter had no hate or anger that she could see. Vivian motioned toward the picnic table, then followed Summer over and sat across from her, throat tight as her mind searched for the right words.

“You’re so pretty,” Summer said shyly, looking up from underneath thick lashes.

“I…” At a loss, Vivian could do nothing but stare at her daughter. “Thank you,” she eventually replied. “You’re beautiful.”

The teenager blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, the motion so like herself it brought tears to Vivian’s eyes. Quickly, she forced them away and tried her best to be strong. To be normal.

Like meeting the child you gave up for adoption fifteen years ago is a normal, everyday thing.