“I want to keep my shop’s success. Build upon it.” He sidled closer. “And I want you and Emily beside me. I want the chance to earn your love back, Sarah. You know that I’ve never stopped loving you.”
A declaration of love. He’d given it as a teenager and her heart had swelled like a flooded river. But hearing it now, even though her heart took off at lightening speed, she couldn’t quite accept it at face value. How much of this declaration was from the fact that he wanted to be in Emily’s life? Why hadn’t he said it before he’d known about his daughter? Why now?
“I’m bored.” The door slammed just after Emily came inside and uttered one of the most popular tween phrases.
Sarah couldn’t have been more grateful for the diversion.
“Go read a book.”
“Hmm. No thanks. Can we walk down to town and go out on that dock again?” Emily asked, her gaze darting between Ian and Sarah. Obviously she was oblivious to any tension. “Please, I really want to look for starfish.”
Sarah shook her head. “Honey, I can’t right now. I need to make the saffron rice and heat up the Naan.”
“I don’t mind taking you,” Ian offered. “If you’d like to that is, and it’s all right with your mother?”
She would have to get used to this, Sarah realized. He was her father. Even if her stomach knotted at the idea of sending Emily off alone with him. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, she just feared the bonding time between the two.
What if he won her over so completely Emily didn’t want to leave the island? To leave him?
You don’t even want to leave Ian again. Would you blame her?
“That’s fine,” she finally answered with a nod. “Behave yourself and listen to Ian, okay?”
Emily made a woot of joy and grabbed Ian’s hand. “Come on…Dad. Oh my gosh that is so cool to say!”
Sarah watched them leave the house, her heart a bit heavier. There was the crunch of tires in the driveway, and then she heard more chatter.
A moment later Kenzie appeared in the doorway.
“Knock, knock. Can I come in?”
“Hey, you. Please do.” Sarah waved her inside.
“I just swung by to drop off Emily’s sweatshirt. She left it the games while watching me dance.”
“Oh, thank you.” She took the green Tinkerbell sweatshirt from her friend. “This is one of her favorites and she would’ve been bummed out. Hey, do you want to stay for dinner? Chicken Tikka Masala.”
“No, but oh wow, girl. Save me some leftovers.”
Sarah laughed. “You can just stay.”
Actually, it would make her feel a bit more at ease having Kenzie here to break up the tension. Her earlier plan of just the three of them sounded a little more intense now.
“Nope. I’m going to let your happy little family eat together and bond.” Kenzie’s face split into a grin. “I saw the father and daughter walking to the wharf together. Emily was holding his hand and chatting a mile a minute. It was so fantastically adorable.”
And to think she’d been worried at one point that Emily might be upset by the discovery Ian was her dad.
Kenzie tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “And yet, you don’t seem too thrilled. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. It’s just…it’s a lot to get used to.”
“Really? Just this morning you both were half in love. He kissed you in front of everyone and I figured you guys were on your way to child number two.”
Oh that was a possibility with the forgotten condom yesterday, but Sarah wasn’t even about to get into that.
“I like Ian—” or love “—but sometimes I wonder if he’s the best influence on Emily’s life.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve just now decided this?”
“No, I’ve always known it. I got a little caught up in the physical side of things with Ian. I forgot what held me back all these years. It wasn’t just his cheating that night, it was his criminal record.” She sighed. “I discovered his felony just as I was about to tell him about Emily, who was one at the time.”
“And that’s why you didn’t tell him?” Disbelief flashed across her friend’s face, but underneath it unease.
Sarah shrugged, feeling the heat of a blush steal up her cheeks. “Not just that. It’s Ian overall. He was always getting into trouble. And it seems still does. I have to really think about Emily and if it’s detrimental to have someone like that in her life on a long-term basis.”
The sudden flash of anger in Kenzie’s eyes had Sarah taken aback.