Loving Her(20)

I let her hug me as I climbed out of the vehicle, but I didn’t feel reassured. I couldn’t as long as Iz was questioning it. A lie like that could ruin my life and the bond we shared. If I lost that, I didn’t know what I’d do.

“I hope you’re right, Miranda. Right now, I feel like my heart is going to be ripped out of my chest.”

“I promise.”

Somehow, doing something good for my family could have cost me my happiness, and they didn’t even know it yet.





Chapter 10

Miranda



When I saw the look on Tyler’s face, I knew something was very wrong. Then he told me what had happened. It felt like the life was being ripped out of me. I wasn’t sure who he’d bought the puppy from, or if they were ever considered a friend to me, but whatever they’d said to him may have ruined the secret we’d spent years trying to cover up.

People may have said we were bad parents for living with a lie that was so serious. As a mother, all I ever wanted to do was protect my children. I needed to protect them from the evil that was out there in the world.

Tucker Chase was the devil. He’d beat me, cheated on me, lied to me, and that wasn’t even the worst of his actions.

For money, he’d kidnapped a pregnant Van and tortured her, causing her to fight for her life and lose a child she spent years trying to have. She’d killed him in self-defense, and it wasn’t exactly easy to cope with. She lost her mind after that, and almost lost Colt.

Tucker’s mom was just as evil. After running into her years ago, Ty and I made the decision to do whatever it took to make sure they had nothing to do with Bella’s life.

My husband risked everything for our daughter, even the possibility of losing me. We thought that when we added Ty’s name to the birth certificate, that nobody else could ever hurt us. I had no idea that someone would come into our lives and stir everything up again.

Bella wasn’t just our daughter, she was Ty’s world. We’d gone through hell when she fell ill, and now this was happening, possibly damaging everything the two of them shared together.

I couldn’t let something so awful happen. I couldn’t let her ever find out that Tucker had anything to do with her life. He was nothing but a sperm donor. He’d never wanted her and made it very clear to everyone he spoke to. I couldn’t believe he was getting to me from the grave.

I felt sick hearing his name and was willing to lie right to my daughter’s face if it would ensure her happiness and my family’s stability.

With his emotions running deep, it was best to let him be alone until I figured out if Bella was suspicious, or if she’d forget all about it, like it never happened.

The first thing I needed to do was be around her and see if she asked me anything. I didn’t have to wait long, considering as soon as she saw me she came running over. Her question was sudden and my heart dropped hearing his name coming out of her mouth. “Mom, who is Tucker?”

“Tucker? Tucker who?” I tried to play it off like I’d never heard the name before.

“We went to get the puppy and some lady said that a man named Tucker was my dad.”

“Bella, you know who your father is. She must have been confused, that’s all. Why would you even question it? There’s no two people more bonded than you are with your dad. That’s crazy.”

“She said she knew you.”

“It’s been a long time. She must have gotten me mixed up with another one of our friends.”

“So did you have a friend named Tucker?” Her questions continued.

“Not that I can remember.” She could keep asking, but my answers would remain the same. Tucker was an evil person. He didn’t deserve to be acknowledged as anyone that I knew. He’d put our family through hell, and none of us wanted to have that part of our past brought up.

“Are you mad at me for askin’?”

I ran my hand through her blonde hair. “Of course not. I just don’t want your dad gettin’ his feelin’s hurt over somethin’ so silly. I think you need to find him and give him a hug.”

She ran off before replying and I felt like everything was going to be okay.

The kids had all come outside, including Colt and Van. They were paying close attention to the little bundle of fur that Ty had gotten for them.

Van had the pup in her arms and was cuddling with it, while Colt stood there with his arms folded across his chest. I walked over to him and looked over at the puppy. “Is this okay with you? I know it’s really soon.”

Van let down the puppy and the children crowded around it. It sucked up their attention, and I could tell they were instantly in love.