“Chase and I are Eliza’s parents. There’s nothing beyond that.” She thought it would make him happy to hear that she and Chase weren’t together.
Instead, Mr. Wilde narrowed his gaze. “Well, it’s interesting that you think that, because I know my son, and there’s a hell of a lot more between you than you think.”
Her heart raced with... hope. But she squashed it, because wishing for impossible things never worked out. “What does that mean?”
“He told me the best night he ever spent with a woman was with you. You know what I did when that happened to me?”
She stared in shock at him, completely confused by his words.
“I married her. So I guess I’ll be seeing you again soon.” Mr. Wilde left her dumbfounded, standing in the parking lot as he drove away, a knowing grin on his face.
He couldn’t be right. Chase didn’t feel anything for her except maybe friendship because they shared Eliza.
Right?
Her heart felt like it might beat out of her chest. She took a breath and got in her car, but she didn’t start it. She held the steering wheel and tried to ignore the feelings of hope that sprang up in her mind.
Mr. Wilde didn’t know what he was talking about. He didn’t know she and Chase only had a one-night stand. They hadn’t touched each other since. There’d been no hint Chase wanted a repeat of that night. As far as she knew, he only spent time with her because of Eliza.
Right?
Right. She wouldn’t let her imagination, or her emotions, run wild.
Someone knocked on the driver’s side window. She jolted out of her never-going-to-happen thoughts only to be confronted by the very man who made those dreams unrealistic and impossible.
“Shelby. Are you okay?”
She didn’t acknowledge him. She turned the key in the ignition, threw the car into Reverse and got lucky there were no cars behind her, blindly pulled out of the parking spot, and hauled ass out of there.
Maybe you can’t run from your past, but you can drive away from it.
Chapter Eight
Kyle watched Shelby tear out of the parking lot, frustrated but convinced she just needed more time. He needed to be patient. He’d waited twenty-eight years for this. He could give her a little more time. Shelby would come around and give him a chance. She’d been told the worst about him, that’s all. Her grandparents, the press, everyone had poisoned her against him. But they didn’t know him. They didn’t know what really happened between him and Rebecca. Her parents, the police, everyone wanted a villain, and they turned him into one.
They called him a monster.
He wasn’t. He loved his little girl.
She reminded him so much of his beloved Rebecca.
And he was a grandfather now.
That meant everything to him.
He had a chance to be a part of Eliza’s life and watch her grow up. He’d missed so much with Shelby. This was his chance to make things right and show Shelby that he could be a good father and grandpa.
They needed time to get to know each other.
The only way to do that was to spend time together. So far, she’d refused. He’d let her.
But soon, he’d get what he wanted.
He always got what he wanted.
We’re family.
And family should be together.