Rugged Daddy

“I know, I get that. But this is important. Very important. It’s about—”

Did I tell her? Just blurt it out over the phone? I had to keep Heather safe. I had to keep our child safe. I had to keep the family I’d created safe until I could figure out what the fuck was going on, which meant I had to come clean with her. I had to tell her who I was, what was going on, and why my life had spiraled the way it had.

I was risking everything by doing it. I risked the child I’d created with her, and I risked her presence in my life. But I couldn’t keep this from her any longer. I couldn’t continue on like nothing was happening. I’d been irresponsible enough with my motives, convincing myself that Audrey and I were safe and that I could somehow live a normal fucking life despite my past.

She could be angry at me if she wanted, but I would protect her and our child. Once I knew they were safe, she could fight all she wanted.

It wasn’t a conversation to have over the phone, though. Heather would understand that. I knew she would. I raked my hand over my face as my eyes adjusted to the dark, and I was painfully aware of everything. Every sound. Every breath of wind that wafted against the windows of the cabin. Every creak of the wood in the walls of my home. Every twig that broke as animals crossed my driveway.

“Andrew?”

“It’s about our future, Heather. I want to sit down and have an honest conversation about it.”

“You do?” she asked.

“Yes. I do. Please come over before you open up. I need to see you. I need to have this conversation face to face.”

“Okay, okay. Yes. I’ll-I’ll get up and get ready, but I don’t know if taxis are running this early.”

I really needed to get that woman a car.

“I’ll come into town and get you. We can come back to my place, have some breakfast, and talk.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to wake Rebecca up.”

“I promise she’ll be ecstatic to see you, no matter what time of the day it is,” I said. “We’ll talk, and then we can spend the day together if you want.”

“I have to work today, Andrew, but I can postpone the opening of the bakery until ten if it gives us more time. How does that sound?”

She wouldn't be able to go open her bakery, but she didn’t know that yet. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from blurting everything out over the phone. It all danced on the tip of my tongue, ready to slip out at a moment’s notice.

“Sounds great,” I said. “I’ll get Rebecca up, and we’ll come and get you.”

“I’ll hop in the shower,” Heather said.

The optimism in her voice punched me in my gut. We weren’t going to be having the same conversation, that much I knew. Whatever she thought was about to be discussed, she had no idea what was lying in her path. It made me sick to my stomach. The bomb I was about to drop on her life would have devastating consequences no matter how well she took it.

“Daddy?”

I whipped around and saw Audrey standing in my doorway. She rubbed her eyes and walked toward me, and I scooped her into my embrace. I held her close and bur

ied my face into her hair, reveling in her pulse as it beat against my cheek.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing’s wrong, princess,” I said. “But we need to get ready.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because we’re going to go pick up Miss Heather, so she can have breakfast with us.”

“Really?”

My daughter’s eyes lit up, and it made the brick of guilt in my gut settle deeper. The risk of losing Heather with this was great, and the idea that my daughter had become attached to someone who might not be around much longer made my heart ache. I smoothed her tangled hair out of her face as her eyes came alive. Then, she wiggled down from my arms and ran off to her room.

“Get dressed, Daddy!”

I looked out the window as the sun began to rise above the trees. Birds began chirping, and the earth around us seemed to wake up from its slumber. I heard my daughter tossing clothes around her room in an attempt to get ready, but all I needed to do was throw on a shirt. I pulled one out of my drawer and pulled it over my head, trying to figure out the best way to approach this conversation with Heather.