one who
caused her to jump off that building. If she hadn't met me, she wouldn't have
gotten pregnant with my baby." Dillon met Penny startled stare. "Yeah,
you heard me correctly. Penny was pregnant with my baby."
"How do you
know?"
"Ah, well, it
seems my brothers have always known. But they decided to keep that information
from me. Apparently there was a DNA test during autopsy," Dillon looked
sick to his stomach. "And the DNA match came back to me.” He looked to
her. "I could've been a daddy. Scary thought, huh?"
"I think when
you get your head on straight you’ll be an amazing father." Maybe she
shouldn't have admitted that but it was true. The fact that she would willingly
have his children was something that she would keep to herself however.
"Why didn't they tell you?" she asked.
"I don't know
but I can guess. Vince was in love with Isabel and he wanted to lash out at me.
He didn't feel I deserved to know. Nolan, probably didn't want the publicity. I
don't know, all I know is that this is damn near unforgivable."
"No it's
not," Penny disagreed surprising him. "You've been fighting with your
brothers for so long it's time to let it go. Isabel died. How long are you
going to let her ghost chase you around? I hate to be blunt but this is the way
that it is, Isabel is gone she is part of the past and so is your baby. You
have your whole future ahead of you, if you would just grab it. If you chose
you could have gobs of children and be an amazing father to each and every one
of them but instead you're choosing to drown yourself in alcohol over something
that happened in the past. You can’t change what happened. Don’t use it as an
excuse to fight with your brothers over misplaced guilt. Get over it, Dillon.
Stop living in the past."
"Easy to say
when you're not living it."
"No, actually
it's not easy to say. But I think it's something that needs to be said. I've
only known the Buchanans for a relatively short time but in that time I've
learned a few things. You are all selfish jerks. You used people for your own
advantage and you let money draw your moral boundaries. Basically, what you've
all learned is that money doesn't buy happiness. It's a trite statement but it
is so true. When I was growing up my Papa didn't have a lot. But I always had
lots of love. Can you say the same? From what I've heard about your father he
wasn't very affectionate. Kids need love not an endless bank account. You have
an opportunity to be different and change and so do the twins. Take a chance
and be different ."
"I don't know
how to be different."
"Sure you do.
You were different with me." With that soft admission she leaned forward
and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. "I saw the real you for a brief
moment and I liked that man. I liked him a lot. But I don't like the man he
pretended to be because you're so consumed with bitterness and anger so when
you're ready to let the true you come through I'll be here, waiting."
"You're an impossible
romantic," Dillon said his gaze softening. "How does someone like you
navigate the world without being crushed by people like my family?"
“I'm tougher than
I look,” she retorted dryly. "Now, would you like me to call you a
cab?"
He looked wounded.
"You would toss me out on my ear in my state? What if I trip and crack my head open?
All manner of nasty things can happen to a poor drunk man suffering from an
overindulgence of scotch and a heavy conscience."
She laughed.
"Fine. You can take the couch."
"I have a
better idea," he suggested, catching her hand and pulling her closer.
"I say I stay right here, in this bed with you. I promise to keep my hands
to myself.”
"I don’t
believe you,” she said.
He shrugged. “Now
how is that my fault?” he asked, tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it
to the floor. He began to unbutton his jeans and Penny gasped and covered her
eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked, amused by her reaction. “There’s nothing
here you