Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(53)

“Can I offer you something to drink?” Jefferson asked.

I shook my head.

“No,” was Cage’s only reply. I felt like he was my silent bodyguard. It helped knowing he was here.

“My Lowlow,” Larissa squealed in obvious delight when Tawny walked into the room carrying Larissa on her hip. Her hair was damp from a bath and she was in a pair of pajamas I’d never seen before. They looked soft, frilly and expensive. Seeing Larissa in something so nice just added to the mass of emotions swirling around inside me. I wanted the best for Larissa. I wanted her to have a daddy who loved her and was there for her. But what about the other little girl this man had. The teenage one who was falling apart from his betrayal. I wanted to scream in frustration.

Tawny put Larissa down and she ran to me her arms up in the air. I bent down and picked her up and nuzzled her sweet neck. She smelled so good. Like a baby should smell. A healthy, loved baby.

“Hey my favorite princess,” I whispered in her ear.

“Lowlow,” she smiled up at me.

“I missed you,” I told her and she clapped happily and then planted a wet kiss on my cheek.

“CAY!” she squealed when her eyes found Cage and she wiggled in my arms to get to him.

“Hey gorgeous,” he replied taking her from my arms.

I turned to look back at my sister and Jefferson.

“I didn’t know until today who you were, exactly.” I said, staring straight at Jefferson.

“It wasn’t your business Low,” Tawny snapped coming to stand beside him wrapping her arm around his.

“That’s where you’re wrong. It unfortunately is my business”

“Larissa is mine and Jefferson’s. Just because we---”

“Tawny shut up. You have no idea what I came here to say. So just let me talk. For once.” I watched as my sister’s eyes glowed with anger. Jefferson patted her hand soothingly.

“Let’s hear her out sweetheart.”

I closed my eyes wishing with everything I had that I could reverse this. I could stop this. That Larissa could belong to another man. An unmarried man who would love her and take care of her. Not this one.

“Cage, can you and Larissa go exploring please?” I asked not looking back at him.

“Yep.”

I saw Jefferson’s displeasure.

“He’s taken care of your daughter more times than you have, I can assure you. She’s in very good hands.” I hadn’t won a fan with that comment but it was a fact.

“Today when I got that check, I saw Jefferson’s last name for the first time. You had never mentioned it to me before. And you always refused to tell me where you worked. I figured it was because the affair you were having was with someone at work.”

“I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t your business,” Tawny snarled.

“Again, that’s where you’re wrong. You see something has happened that makes this a very real issue for me. I hated knowing you were tearing a family apart. I hated knowing you were destroying another marriage.”

“My marriage has been over a long time Willow,” Jefferson began and I glared up at him.

“Really? Because when you didn’t show up to the family dinner your wife had so lovingly prepared and your daughter and son had shown up expecting to see their father it destroyed them. I watched it. I witnessed your wife put on a smile that didn’t match the heartbreak in her eyes. I watched your son’s hatred for you grow even stronger and I watched your daughter, the other one who still needs her daddy especially right now, while her world is falling apart, do everything she could to make her mother and brother smile. I had a front row seat, Mr. Hardy.”

“What in the hell are you ranting about Low?” Tawny yelled over me.

“I met a guy. For the first time in my life I fell in love. I let down my walls. I found someone who makes me laugh. Who gives me hope. I love him with everything I have in me. But he’s dealing with a mother who’s completely shattered. A little sister who is scared and he’s doing all he can to fix it for them. While his father is off playing house with you.”

“Marcus,” Jefferson said with a heavy sigh. He understood. He got it.

“Yes, Marcus,” I replied still glaring at my sister.

“So you see the predicament I’m in. I love Marcus Hardy so much that I’d give up anything for him. Anything. Anything but Larissa. I can’t see a way out of this. He won’t have anything to do with me when he finds this out. My sister is the reason his family is destroyed. The reason he got a call today from his frantic sister because something was wrong with his mother.”

I let out a hard laugh and then screamed throwing my hands up in the air.

“You’re in love with Jeff’s son?”

I swung around and shot daggers at Tawny.

“Yes.”

“Just leave Low. Your dramatic performance has ruined my evening. I’m sorry you’re so worked up about this but it isn’t our problem.”

“Tawny, don’t be so callous,” Jefferson said looking down at her.

“Callous? Jeff this is utterly ridiculous. She thinks she loves your son and she thinks coming over her and ranting about us is going to make a difference she’s sadly mistaken.”

A chime went through the house and I paused.