Izzy nodded, and he hefted her from Bex’s lap and carried her out of the room. Warily, Bex watched Lita over the table. Whatever her mother needed to say, it was clear they’d discussed it previously.
Lita smiled. “Stop scowling, Rebecca. Don’t worry so. Your father and I agreed we needed to speak to you about how you plan to take care of Izzy as she gets older.” Bex started to talk, but her mother cut her off. “No, darling, hear me out. Soon she’ll have sports or other commitments to get to. You work three jobs, and we…” She straightened her spine. “We’re hoping to travel in our retirement. We might not always be around, and you can’t do everything by yourself. Maybe it’s time for you to be more open to sharing the load with people like Wesley and Michael.”
Anxiety ate away at her. Lita was right. Once Izzy started picking up hobbies, it would become more difficult for Bex to balance her workload. And yes, she may have the world’s most supportive friends, but it wasn’t right to continually ask them for help. Unfortunately, she also couldn’t forget the panic she’d felt when she realized Izzy was gone and she didn’t know where, or the agony of walking into a room and seeing her with the two people who’d never wanted her to exist.
“Maybe I do,” she admitted. “But it will be hard.”
Lita smiled. “All the best things are. You just have to give them a chance to prove they’re worthy of your trust.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
After Bex’s dramatic exit,Michael had some idea of what to expect when he entered his house, but that still didn’t prepare him for the emotional gut-punch of seeing his parents for the first time in months. His mother had aged, allowing her hair to go gray after fighting it for years, and his father’s paunch had grown.
“What did you to say to her?” he demanded.
“Nothing, really,” his mother replied. “She left before we had the chance.”
He looked to Wesley for confirmation, and his brother nodded.
“I can’t believe you’d turn up here without any warning.”
His father stood, and raised an eyebrow in a way that would have intimidated him once upon a time. “Wesley is threatening his career by disappearing at such a crucial time. We came to remind him of his duties.”
Wesley rolled his eyes. “I have public relations work scheduled for next week. Wasn’t the whole plan that I could appeal to a wider audience and lift my numbers by going somewhere new?”
“Yes, for a couple of days.” Nigel threw his hands in the air. “Not weeks,and not in such risky circumstances.” He lowered his voice. “What if someone were to find out?”
“It wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen,” Wesley said.
Michael rubbed his temples. He didn’t have the energy to deal with this now. “Are you planning to stay?”
“Of course not.” Imogen seemed appalled by the very idea. “We’re here to get Wesley and leave.”
Thank God for small mercies.
“I’m not coming,” Wesley told them. “I refuse to leave Haven Bay until I’m ready.” He grabbed Michael’s upper arm and drew him out of the room. “What happened with Bex?”
“She tore into me and left. Turns out I forgot to send the message.” Sighing, he poured a glass of water. “I had it typed out in my phone and everything.”
Wesley winced. “Sorry, I would’ve called her, but I assumed you already had. We’re screwing this up, aren’t we?”
“Royally.” Michael downed his water in one gulp. “I told her how I felt about her back when you guys were together.”
“How’d she take it?”
“Not bad, all things considered. But I’m not sure where we stand.”
“It’ll work out.” Wesley offered him a hand. “I’ve heard the way she talks about you. She cares for you a lot. She’ll come around.”
“I hope so.” Michael clasped his hand. “Now, what do we do about our parents?”
Bex lay in bed,staring into the dark, when a noise in the hall caught her attention. Her bedroom door inched open, and a little face appeared in the doorway. Footfalls pattered over the carpet and Izzy climbed into bed with her.
Bex tucked her daughter into the curve of her body and kissed her forehead. “What’s wrong, baby girl? Is it your tummy?”
Izzy wriggled free and rolled over so Bex could see her eyes glittering in the dimness. “My tummy is mostly okay now.” In a soft voice, she asked, “Why were you so mad at Daddy and Michael?”
Bex arched a brow. So now he was “Daddy”? At the beginning of last weekend, Izzy hadn’t wanted anything to do with Wesley, and now she wanted to claim him as her father?