Page 79 of Paths
I tip my head, not sure if he’s referring to me or us, so I decide to set him straight. “Yes. We leave for the airport in about an hour.”
“I see.” He nods and turns fully to me. He’s in suit pants, a dress shirt, and tie, looking very much the part of a Fortune 500 business man. He leans against the counter and assesses me before continuing. “My wife left early this morning, you won’t need to worry about another run-in. I’d apologize, but…”
He lets his words trail off. I’m guessing a lifetime with Vanessa Augustine would leave one tired of apologizing.
“So, you and my daughter,” he continues. “The engagement was a surprise. I can’t say I’m upset, though. My Maya, she’s nothing like her mother. I never could figure out what she was doing with Weston. When she found out he cheated on her, I told her to dump his ass. I had no idea she was threatened in any way—it was worse than I thought. I wish I had known, I could’ve done something.”
I say nothing but nod, happy to see her dad cares about her, even if Maya says he was never around much.
He keeps going. “She seems comfortable with you in a way I’ve never seen her before. Regardless of her mother’s behavior, we’d like to see more of her.”
“I can make that happen if she wants it,” I concede. “But I don’t like her stressed. I will tell you she’s happy in Virginia. She’s got people there who care about her and she’s starting to open up to them.”
He takes another drink before setting the mug down and crosses his arms. Leveling his eyes on me, he’s no-nonsense when he lowers his voice and lays it out. “Grady, regardless what Maya might have told you about me, even though I’m a busy man, I care about my family. You think I’d let my daughter disappear off the face of the earth without doing everything I could to find her? I have the means to hire the best and I did. I’ve known where she’s been the whole time. She did what she thought she needed to do, and so did I. Once I found out she was safe, I gave her the space she needed. Had I known she was running because she felt threatened, I never would have allowed her that space.”
I tip my head, surprised. “You’ve known where she was all this time? I thought Weston’s been looking for her.”
“He was, but he and his dad are morons, and Vanessa didn’t need to know. I told her our daughter needed time away and we should give it to her. Maya did what she needed to do and found you in the process. You, on the other hand, I’d like to know more about.”
I shrug and keep my face neutral. “Told you I work in security. What else do you want to know?”
He shakes his head and looks toward his daughter. “I only want her to be happy and provided for.”
“I can do both,” I answer immediately.
He nods slowly. “I hope so. She deserves it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to say goodbye to my daughter and get to the office. As long as Maya’s happy, you’re welcome here anytime.”
I’m pleased to know I have her dad’s support. “I’ll bring her back whenever she wants.”
He pushes away from the counter and moves past me to his kids. I watch him wrap up his daughter in a hug and talk to her quietly.
With the side of her face pressed into her dad’s chest, she looks across the room at me and smiles.
Yeah, I’ll do whatever I can to make her happy.
*****
Maya –
I feel him take my hand and I look from my window to him.
“You okay?” Grady looks concerned. He’s done so much for me. I hate to see that look on his face.
I give him a smile and hope it looks genuine. “I’m good. Thank you for coming with me. I can’t imagine dealing with all that happened last night on my own.”
He gives my hand a squeeze as he watches the road and smirks. “Not that I would’ve let you come alone, but after seeing you handle your mom and ex, I’ll think twice before going head-to-head with you.” He looks over to me quickly. “You’re no damsel in distress, that’s for sure.”
I narrow my eyes and pull my left hand out of his to wiggle my fingers. “I’m not so sure about that. You sure swept in at the end, didn’t you?”
We’re close to the airport and Grady makes the last turn. When he pulls into the lot and parks, he turns fully to me. “The way I see it, I just sped up the inevitable. This was going to happen Maya—sooner rather than later.”
I lean in and smirk, lowering my voice. “You seem very sure of yourself.”
He smiles smugly. “I am, and seeing as though our need outweighed our brains last night and we might’ve made a baby, it’s a good thing you’re wearing my ring. At least we’ll get to tell him we had a plan.”
That’s something I can’t get out of my head—Grady’s sperm.
I’ve been trying to calculate where I am in my cycle all morning. If his swimmers are as strong and resilient as the rest of him, the chances we made a baby last night are not low. I don’t know if they’re high, but the possibility is definitely there.
