Once Upon A Half-Time 2(80)

“Your mother forgave more.”

“But even after Marcus Washington, you’re still chasing her.”

Dad stiffened. He frowned at me. “Marcus?”

I arched an eyebrow. “She’s…been having an affair with him.”

“She what?”

Oh shit.

I leapt off the couch. “I thought you knew! You said you had forgiven her!”

“Forgiven her? I didn’t even know they…she’s having an affair with Marcus?”

“Yes! Remember? I walked in on them at the country club!”

“The country club—”

Dad froze. His eyes immediately averted from me, and he swallowed, hard. “Oh. You think…” He cleared his throat. “Okay, kiddo. That wasn’t Marcus Washington with your mom.”

God, that was a relief. “Then who?”

“That…was me.”

And the need for therapy returned. Great. Mom wasn’t having an affair. She was just fucking the brains out of her estranged husband.

Ew.

“Oh, thank God.” I covered my eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you from…that angle.”

“I’m all right with that.”

“What are you doing back with Mom?”

Dad looked even more ashamed, but he sheepishly shrugged. “It just happened. I’m sure you can relate. We got caught up in the moment.”

I nodded. “I can’t get out of my moments with Nate.”

“You sure it’s just a moment now?”

“I don’t want it to be.”

“Then you better tell that boy and tell him quick. It’s easy to fall in love, but it’s hard to make a relationship work.”

“Do you think he’d even…”

“Want you?” Dad pulled me into a hug. “That boy has loved you since you were kids.”

“He…has?”

“A father always knows. You tell him you want him, and he’ll be tripping over himself to buy the cutest damn onesie he can find for that baby.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have two babies of my own, given to me by the woman I love. No man in his right mind is going to walk away from that blessing.” He didn’t let me cry. His smile helped to rebuild what had been shattered. “Now you have a wedding to get ready for.”

I shrugged. “Lindsey doesn’t want me there.”

“The wedding wouldn’t have happened without you. Your sister is like your mother. They won’t ask for help, and they get…defensive when they’re scared. Right now, your sister is scared. She needs you.”

“What if she gets upset that I crash the wedding?”

Dad picked up the bridesmaid dress from my bed and handed it to me. “Good thing you know best how to calm your sister down. Get changed. I’ll take you to the church.”

I twisted the dress in my fingers. I wished I hadn’t teared up when I said it, but at least Dad was a little misty too.

“You know I love you, Mandy-Pandy.”

I smirked. “When the baby comes, I hope I’m half as good a parent as you are, Dad.”

“And I hope you have a child just as perfect as you.”





22





Nate





The tux wasn’t mine.

Just my fucking luck.

The jacket was too tight over my arms and chest. It must have been Josh’s. I figured Bryce mixed them up when he left my tux in a pile of formal wear bundled on my bar. My bartender said he was pissed when I didn’t show for the rehearsal dinner.

Except I had been there.

And I witnessed everything I needed to see.

I ripped the jacket off, but the rest of the tux fit like shit too. I’d have to fix it at the church.

If I went.

I spent all night trying to figure out what the hell to do, and every twisted thought in my head led to the same resolution.

I had to get Mandy back.

I was an idiot for leaving after she told me about the baby, and an even bigger idiot for trying to sort through this shit without her. Christ, it had only been two days since she revealed the truth to me. How the hell had she dealt with that monster of a secret for three months? Alone.

It still pissed me off that she hadn’t told me, but it didn’t matter now that the truth was out.

Mandy was mine, and I’d be damned if I sat by and let another man take her from me.

The church was packed. The wedding party had crashed inside one of the Sunday school rooms. I hauled Josh out of the clouds of hairspray and shrieking, tipsy bridesmaids attempting to fix Carmen’s melted hair extensions. He wasn’t happy about swimming in a tux two sizes too big for his scrawny ass frame.

I patted his shoulder and pointed him towards the bathroom so we could switch.