Tiana (Starkis Family #3) (27 page)

“Not half as much as I miss her.”

I inclined my head toward the house. “She misses her little brother too. You really think it’s fair to keep them apart?”

“You think this is what I want?” he asked, slamming his closed fist into his chest. “I didn’t want any of this!” He lowered his voice when an elderly couple walked by and offered us tight smiles. “When Andra came home from Greece that summer and told me she was pregnant with your baby, it damn near killed me. I’d loved that girl forever. Even though we were broken up at the time, I was so sure we were gonna get back together.”

“And you did... because you loved each other. You were meant to be together. Nothing that happened between Andra and I changed that.”

“It changed everything.” He slammed the hood down before bracing his hands on it. “When she told me you didn’t want the kid, I couldn’t understand. I wanted her and that baby more than anything. I couldn’t wrap my head around how you could just toss them away like they meant nothing.” We shared a long, hard look before he said, “But that wasn’t the case, was it? I let myself fall in love with Dalia because I believed you’d never come back for her. Andra let me believe you didn’t want her.”

“Andra loved you,” I said, trying to put myself in her position. “She was afraid of losing you for good.”

“How can I forgive her? I love that little girl like she’s my own, but I’m not stupid enough to think I can fight you and all your high-priced lawyers. Hell, you’re her biological father. I never even had the money to formally adopt her, and Andra never pushed it. I guess now I know why, huh? She knew you’d never waive your parental rights.”

“No, I wouldn’t have. Had I known about Dalia from the day she was born, I like to think I would have been there for her, but the truth is, I don’t know for sure what I would have done. I was pretty young, living the life. Maybe Andra was right to protect Dalia from me. Maybe in her position, I would have done the same thing.”

“How can you not hate her, man?” Nic asked, sounding incredulous. “She kept your kid from you.”

“Do you hate her?” This was one of the most important questions I’d come to ask him. It would determine the future for all of us.

“I could never hate that girl.” He leaned his backside against the car. “I love her too damn much.”

“I get that.” At Nic’s quizzical look, I explained, “There’s someone like that in my life too.”

“The lingerie model?”

“Yeah.” If he made one derogatory remark about Eleni, the gloves would have to come off, and my tone made that clear.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did about her,” Nic said, crossing one foot over the other. “I don’t know her. Hell, I don’t even know you, except for what I’ve read.”

“I feel like I know you,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t question my sincerity. “Everything I’ve heard from Dalia and Andra, you sound like a stand-up guy, Nic.”

Instead of responding, he eyed me warily.

“And I owe you a huge debt of gratitude. You looked after my little girl when I couldn’t.”

“You don’t owe me anything for that,” he said, pushing off the car. “I did that because I wanted to. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

I smiled. “I know you would. That’s why I’m here. Anyone can see you guys belong together. You’re a family, and I sure as hell don’t want to be the one to break that up.”

“It wasn’t just about you. It was a lot of stuff. That was just the final straw.”

“It can’t be easy, being out of work.” I didn’t want to poke a sore spot, but I had to know whether I was wasting my time.

“What would you know about it?” He smirked. “You’ve never had to work a day in your life.”

“You’re right about that.” I’d often wondered how my life would have been different had I not been born Demi Starkis’s son. I probably would have avoided a lot of the problems that had eventually led to my identity crisis, but I also would have missed out on a lot of opportunities. I couldn’t complain about the hand I’d been dealt. I knew I was lucky beyond measure. “I’m not going to pretend to know what you’re going through ‘cause we both know I don’t.”

His sidelong glance told me he appreciated my honesty. “I don’t want to believe you’re a bad guy, you know. I know your Dalia’s father, and that means you’re going to be a part of her life, assuming that’s what you want?”

“I want that more than anything.” I braced one hand on the hood of the car, crossing one foot over the other. “But that doesn’t mean I want to replace you. I think there’s room in her life for both of us, don’t you?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “That’s really what you want, for me to continue being a part of Dalia’s life?”

“She loves you. Anyone can see that.”

“I love her too.” His voice broke when he said, “I’ve missed her so much these past few days. I hate being apart from her.”

“And Andra? Do you hate being apart from her too?”

“I never thought about ending my marriage until all this went down. Andra was my best friend.”

“She still is.” I didn’t need him to tell me that. I could tell by his expression when he talked about her. Even though they were estranged, he had no doubt Andra was his soulmate. “That’s why you two belong together. Listen, man, you and Andra have been raising my daughter for a long time. Now that I know about her, I want to help and make up for all the years I should have been paying child support.”

“I refused to cash those checks you’ve been sending because I thought you were an asshole for abandoning her like that. As much as we needed the money, I refused to let you buy your way to a clean conscience.”

“Now that you know the truth, do you feel differently?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know how I feel yet.”

“Fair enough.” I slipped my sunglasses up on my head so he could see my eyes. It was important for me to make a connection with him, to let him see how sincere I was about the offer I was about to make. “My lawyer and I have crunched some numbers and figured out how much I would have been paying in child support had I known about Dalia from the day she was born.”

“And…?”

“More than enough to buy that house Dalia loves and some seed money for you to start your own business.” I knew I had his attention. “You’re a mechanic, right? You can’t get anyone to hire you, but that doesn’t mean there’s no market for what you do. We both know there is.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know anything about running a business.”

I could help him figure things out, but forging an amicable relationship with him would be hard enough without including a business partnership. “So hire a business consultant or buy a franchise. They’ll walk you through everything. The point is if you want to create a new life for yourself and your family, you’ll find a way.” Before he could argue, I said, “This isn’t a loan, and it isn’t charity. This is money you should have had all these years. I want you to take it now. Please.”

“I don’t know what to say,” he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his worn, greasy jeans.

“Just say yes. I want us to get along, to co-parent Dalia and give her the kind of life she deserves. You’re a big part of that.”

“And what role do you see yourself playing?” he asked, pulling his baseball cap lower to shield his eyes from the glaring sun.

“Obviously I want to spend time with her, to get to know her better. I was hoping she could spend time with me during school vacations, and maybe I could fly in for the weekend once or twice a month to spend the day with her. Would you be okay with that?”

“Of course.” He shook his head slowly. “She’s your daughter. I can’t prevent you from spending time with her if you want to.”

The last thing I wanted was for Andra or Nic to feel as though I was strong-arming them or using my money to gain the upper hand. “Obviously we’d all have to sit down and figure out an arrangement we can live with, assuming you want to reunite with your family?”

“Of course I want that,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Being apart from them is killing me. I love them.”

“Good.” I extended my hand, which he took without hesitation. “Why don’t you go see Andra and Dalia? They’re staying at The Boxer, room 203. Maybe tonight we can all have dinner together? I was hoping we could tell Dalia that…”

“You’re her father?”

I nodded. It must have still been hard for him to share the child he’d raised. “I’ve been dying to tell her, but I realized you need to be a part of that conversation too. She needs to know that just because I’m in her life now, that doesn’t have to change her relationship with you. You’re still going to be the man of the house, the disciplinarian who guides her decisions and helps teach her right from wrong.”

I wanted to believe I’d play a pivotal role in Dalia’s life moving forward, but I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that role would rival Nic’s, who would be with her every day, sharing moments I would never be a part of. Thinking about all the things I would miss out on saddened me, but it was comforting to know I’d get to see her grow up and find her way in the world.

“I appreciate that,” he said, his voice gruff. “That you’re not challenging my place in Dalia’s life.”

“More than anything, I want us all to work together, for Dalia’s sake.”

“I think we can do that.”

“The house I made an offer on is vacant. You guys should all go see it together.” I smiled. “But I have to warn you Dalia will probably tear through it like a tornado. She’s really excited.”

Nic smiled. “Dal only has two speeds: zero and a hundred.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out.” Before I let him go be with his family, I needed to settle one more issue. “My family doesn’t know about Dalia yet. I was waiting for us to sort things out before I told them.”

“But you’re obviously going to tell them now?”

“Yeah.” My cell phone rang, and I pocketed it when I saw my brother’s number. We had a lot to talk about, but that would have to wait. “In fact, I’d like to take Dalia back to New York City with me for a few days to spend some time with her grandparents and aunt and uncle. Would you be okay with that?”

He frowned before rubbing his forehead. “Uh, I don’t know if she’d be comfortable going with you, you know, alone. She’s just getting to know you.”

“I know.” It hurt to admit my own daughter might be afraid to spend time alone with me, but I had to acknowledge that he was right. “I thought maybe Andra could come back with us, if you’re okay with that. If they accept the offer on the house, which I trust they will, you could have the keys by this time tomorrow. All of your stuff is in storage nearby, and I’m sure it would be a nice surprise for Andra and Dalia to come home to all of their things.”

“That fast?” He looked stunned.

“Yeah, like I said, the house is empty. The family moved to another state after a job transfer, and they’re looking to unload the house as quickly as possible. So if you’re okay with Andra and Dalia coming home with me for a few days, maybe you could get settled into the new house so it’ll be all ready for them when they come home. It’s all furnished. The previous owners didn’t want to pay the moving fees to take everything with them so…”

“A fully furnished house, mortgage free?” He shook his head. “Man, I don’t believe this.”

I knew Nic was a proud man, and I didn’t want this to feel like a handout. “I believe in paying my debts. That’s all this is. So what do you think? Do we have a deal?”

“Yeah.” The smile spread across his face slowly, almost hesitantly, as though he was testing it. “I’d say we have a deal. And, Damon, thanks.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you,” I said, shaking his hand again. “For everything you’ve done for my daughter.”

Damon

I could tell Dalia was nervous about meeting my family, and I didn’t blame her. They were intimidating to say the least, but I knew they would adore her, just as I did. She’d already been through so much in the last few days, and I wanted this to be as easy on her as possible. That was why I’d asked my family to gather at my parents’ house so I could share the news with them just before I introduced them to the newest member of our family.

As our limo pulled into the drive, Dalia looked at the house, her jaw dropping as her eyes widened. “Is this a castle?”

I chuckled. “No, this is the house where I grew up.”

“You grew up here?” she asked, staring at me. “Does that mean I’m a princess now?”

I pinched my lips together to keep from laughing. “No, honey, we’re not royalty, just regular people.” Of course, I knew there was nothing
regular
about my family. Even a child could see that.

“But you must be gazillionaires!”

“Dalia,” Andra admonished, touching our daughter’s arm, “that’s not polite. We don’t talk about how much money someone has.”

“It’s okay,” I said, smiling at Andra. I wanted Dalia to feel she could say anything to me, ask me anything, without fear of a scolding. The day would come when I would have to be the bad guy and discipline her, but for now, I wanted to focus on getting her to love me. “Um, I’m going to go in and have a quick chat with them first. Will you guys be okay out here for a few minutes?”

“As long as we have this.” Andra smiled as she raised the iPad stocked with Dalia’s favorite games.

“Can I have a snack?” Dalia asked, pointing at the fully stocked mini-bar.

I’d told my parents I was bringing guests to meet them, so I knew my mother probably had a full buffet waiting for us. “I’m pretty sure you’ll want to save room for my mother’s spread,” I said, hooking a thumb toward the house as the driver opened the door for me. “She’s always got good grub. But if you’re really hungry, I think there’re some apples in there. Help yourself.”

“Thanks,” she said, peering into the compartment.

I couldn’t deny the tension I felt as I walked up the steps. I’d made this trek before, rehearsing in my mind how I would tell my father I’d smashed up my new car or failed a test I hadn’t bothered to take, but I’d never imagined I would be telling him he had a grandchild he knew nothing about. I knew they would love Dalia, but the news wouldn’t come without recrimination. How could I have been so stupid, so careless? Was there a chance I had other illegitimate children I knew nothing about?