“Ah, sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Banana wrapped her warm and cuddly arms around me.
“I don’t want to love that hard again.”
Banana chuckled. “You already do. And don’t you think Easton deserves to have the joy of owning a pet?”
“Not if it’s gonna die on her.”
“But you had Boonior for sixteen long years.”
“It wasn’t long enough.”
“It never is, but he had the best life with you. And dogs aren’t supposed to live forever.”
The more she spoke the harder I wept. Emotion clutched my heart and clogged all my senses. Misery enfolded me in its cruel arms and threatened to crush me in its prison. What the hell was wrong with me?
“English? Come here.” Banana tugged me to the couch and stuffed tissues into my hand. “This isn’t about a dog at all, is it?”
Digging into my head for an answer, I sniffled. “Things are so messed up.”
“Tell me.” Banana was easy to talk to. She never judged.
“Mom and Dad want to sell me off to the highest bidder. He’s already got Easton on his side with Bucker, and Stuart and his dad are freaking me out.”
Geepa was seated across from us and asked, “What’s this about your parents selling you off?”
My normal inner self sparked back to life. I sniffed, wiped my leaky nose and answered, “Can you believe it? They’re treating me like a breed horse. A mare.”
“Who are they selling you to?” Geepa asked.
“Tristian.”
“Uh-huh. I see. And how much is this Tristian paying?”
“Well, I don’t know that part yet. We didn’t get that far before I walked out and came here.”
“Hmm. If I were you, I’d get back over there and discuss the price. Up the ante and throw in a huge diamond too.”
“Geepa! I can’t believe you!”
He chuckled. “Honey, do you honestly believe they’d sell you off?”
“Oh, my God! You don’t believe me, do you?”
Banana’s arm circled my shoulders. “Now, sweetheart, your parents adore you. I can’t imagine them selling you off like that.”
I was standing before either of them could blink. “You two have always had my back and what? Are you abandoning me now in my time of greatest need?”
“Of course not. We only think your parents love you too much to sell you off to some man.”
“You should’ve heard them. If you don’t believe me, just go there and ask them.” I didn’t wait for an answer. I hoofed it back to my parents’ house. The world was against me tonight so I was going to put up a fight… and not with one but with two fists.
I stormed into the front door, ready to take them on, but no one was there. Dammit, wouldn’t you know it. They weren’t in the kitchen either. I finally found everyone outside. Tristian had implanted himself smack dab into the middle of my family. He was playing soccer with Rey and Easton while Mom and Dad watched. He gave the girls pointers as he defended the goal. I was silent as I observed the scene before me. Rey was fairly skilled with the ball, but she was no match for him. It was nice seeing him allow Easton to pop balls past him, but he didn’t let Rey get away with that. He taught her a few tricks and she picked them up easily. I relaxed as I watched. That was until Dad noticed I was there.
“Nice to see you join us.”
My hackles rose at his comment. I sneered at him. “Never thought my dad would sell me off to some man like that.”
“Jesus, English, is that how you see it?”
“Damn right I do.”
“Then you are dead wrong. I see it as spending time with someone who cares for you and your daughter, not to mention having his protection as well.”
“Thank you for that, but I prefer my own conclusions.”
“Since when have you become so negative?”
“Since people started making decisions for me without consulting me. Easton is my daughter and it’s my life you’re making decisions for. How would you feel if I did the same for you?”
“Yeah, about that. You pretty much did.”
He got a sarcastic laugh for that. “Me? How was that even possible?”
“Because when you were six, your birth mother decided she wanted custody. She did everything she could to get it, including taking me to court. I married your mom to prevent that from happening. It was supposed to be a temporary thing, a fake marriage, one of convenience. You can decide what to call it. However, we fell deeply in love and have been ever since. So I get what you’re dealing with.”
My mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. I vaguely remembered going to my birth mom’s, but we never really discussed it much. All I knew about her was she hadn’t gotten custody and that was fine with me, but I’d never known the details of my mom and dad’s dating history. Now that I did, no wonder my parents weren’t opposed to this marriage between Tristian and me.
“Heads up,” Tristian yelled, as the ball came our way and bounced off my head. I fell to the ground and Easton, Rey, and Tristian came running.
“Mommy, are you hurt? Do you want me to kiss your head?”
“I think I’m okay. Surprised more than anything.”
Easton was on her knees and kissed my head, then turned to Tristian. “I think you should kiss it too. When you and Mommy are married you can kissy-face all the time.”
Perfect, just perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tristian
How could I refuse the demand of an adorable six-year-old? The kissy face part made me laugh, but the expression on English’s face sort of scared me. Nevertheless, I knelt down and kissed her forehead. There was a red spot where the ball had smacked her. Rey had a pretty good cannon on her when she let loose. Too bad her aim was so off.
“Rey, you tell Mommy you’re sorry and kiss her head too.”
“Sorry, English, about the ball, but it’s a hard no on the head kiss,” Rey said. “I’ll let Tristian handle that for me.” She winked at me, the little devil.
“It’s fine. I’m fine,” English said as she stood. “How can you soccer people stand to head the ball? That hurt.”
“We’re more prepared for it than you were,” I explained.
“I guess.”
“Mommy, you want some ice?” Easton asked.
“Thank you, honey, but I’m good.”
Beck eyed us all with a satisfied grin. I wasn’t sure what that was about, but at least English didn’t act as though she wanted to murder me anymore.
“Hey, everyone, I’m going to put the steaks on in a minute. Kids, go wash up,” Beck said.
“Rey, will you make sure Easton scrubs her hands?” English asked.
Rey nodded and off they went. Easton babbled all the way until we couldn’t hear them any longer.
Instead of waiting, I figured I’d get it over with and jumped right in. “Are you still super angry with me?”
She let out a long breath. “I’m not exactly sure what I am at the moment. I’m somewhere between confused, conflicted, and angry.”