Page 33 of Coyote
“Yeah, I should have just talked to him about the situation in a little more detail. But then again, I’m thinking that maybe he should have warned me that he had prospects looking out for me. That way I wouldn’t have been blindsided when one popped up out of nowhere.”
Setting his empty glass back down on the counter, Reggie gave me an indulgent smile. “You should bring it up with Coyote then next time you see him.”
“I guess that will be this weekend at his grand opening. I’ll probably wait until after the event and kind of play it by ear. I don’t want to ruin his day by complaining about personal issues, nor would I want to come at him about it if he’s stressed or exhausted afterward.”
Reggie gazed at me. “You always overthink things, honey. Just remember to keep the lines of communication open with this man. Hopefully, at some time in the future you’ll feel comfortable telling him that Nessa is very likely his daughter.”
My head jerked up to look at him, because I was not expecting him to bring that up. He must have seen the shocked look on my face because he chided me gently. “You know he has a right to know about his child. It’s not fair for you to keep that possibility from him. Especially not if you want to have any kind of relationship with him moving forward.”
My shaking hand came up to discard my own cup on the counter beside his. I sighed and told him, “I’ve got a full-time job and a small child to keep up with. I really don’t have time to focus on a serious relationship right now.”
He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. “Listen up, sweetheart. People make time for what’s important to them. Millions of single mothers who work full-time jobs find time to have a personal life, and you should too. Don’t deprive yourself of love, and your daughter of a father because you’re scared.”
“What,” I said, shaking his hand off my shoulder. “I’m not afraid. Where did that even come from?”
A stern expression settled on his face. “If you’re not afraid then tell him and get a paternity test.”
I opened my mouth and unceremoniously closed it again. Reggie wasn’t wrong. Not usually, and most especially not this time. Being wary of his reaction did have me paralyzed. “If she turns out to be his, he’s gonna hate me for not coming clean earlier.”
“Probably, but if he loves you, the two of you will find a way through it.”
“But what if he’s not the father?” That was my real worry, because if Coyote wasn’t Nessa’s father, then that only left Cyclops and there was no way I wanted him back in my life.
“But what if he is, and you let your worries rob you and your daughter of the chance to be happy? You deserve all the good things life has to offer, and so does Nessa.”
I don’t even argue that point because I know deep down inside, he’s right. “He wants to meet Nessa again. I told him I would bring her to the grand opening. I’ll try to work up the nerve to talk to him about this once everything calms down.”
His shoulders relaxed and his expression brightened.
“Anyway, enough about my news. You’ve been tight-lipped since you returned from Vegas. Got any news for me?” I teased.
A slow smile spread across his face.
“He asked you to marry him?” I shrieked.
“I’m officially off the shelf!” Reggie said as his face split into a huge grin.
I was so happy for my friend, “Congratulations! So have you set a date yet?”
“We still haven’t decided, obviously it’s gonna have to be off season because I don’t want to be planning my own wedding while trying to sort out our clients’ events. Where’s the fun in that?”
“Well, just let me know when you decide. I’d love to help you plan it,” I offered.
“You’re a good woman, Bethany. And a good mama too. Now, let me get outta here and trim my hedges.”
I walked him to the door. “Don’t work too hard.” Glancing to the side at the thirty-foot-long hedge running along the edge of his property, I commented playfully, “To be honest, tackling that hedge row looks like a herculean task.”
“I’ve been doing it every three months for twenty damn years. Trust me, I’ve got this.”
I watched him walk towards his tool shed and start unlocking it before I turned around and went back inside my house. Suddenly feeling exhausted, I dropped down on my sofa. Sitting there watching Nessa quietly playing in the corner, I thought about coming clean with Coyote about her. Before, I was worried about angering and disappointing him. Now, I was worried about him not wanted anything to do with the lying, coward he used to love and respect. I had little doubt he’d step up for Nessa if she was his, but deep down inside I knew he’d never forgive me for keeping her from him for all these years.
Chapter Thirteen
Coyote
Today was the big day. My grand opening was scheduled to get underway at ten. My sister and Breaker were already here to help me set up the event. Callie brought my favorite homemade breakfast biscuits, but I was too anxious to eat. Instead, I just kept downing cup after endless cup of strong coffee. I was already jittery as hell, so I didn’t think the extra caffeine would matter.
I had taken full advantage of planning the event to spend as much time with Bethany as possible. It had been pretty fucking amazing, but nothing came close to the night we spent together last week. Although we’d not had the opportunity to do it again, my brain had been thinking of nothing else for days. While the sex had been off the charts, the part I craved was having her in my home, and us just hanging out. The moments when we were cuddled up on the sofa together showed me what had been missing from my life.