Chapter Twenty

Skeet

 

I swear my head was about to burst with everything that had been thrown my way in a matter of hours. Suddenly, I just wanted to get as far away from the farm and the Archer Family as I could. They hadn’t done anything wrong. They had done a wonderful thing for Veeta...my little girl. But they had kept her from me for five long years. Years I would never get back. Things I had missed out on.

What did I do with the new information? I couldn’t just announce my fatherhood and claim my child. I couldn’t blurt out the truth about me to the dark-haired beauty with blue eyes that had captured my attention at the ballpark... The little girl who had called me Mister both times that I saw her and thought that I was just some boy in pictures at the farm.

I couldn’t do a damn thing at that point and I wasn’t about to make a scene or have a fight with Celeste about things that seemed so unreal and real at the same time. I also wanted her to know that I still loved her and I think I pretty much said words close to ones I had said before I left town. Back then I wanted her to beg me to stay, to forgive me and maybe I was saying them for some of the same reasons, but I really needed to think and calm my nerves.

So, I drove off the farm property and didn’t look back until I parked my pop’s bike in his storage bin at the back of his automotive shop. I didn’t bother to grab my car in favor of walking to Dean’s bar. I planned to drink plenty... Drown my sorrows parked on a barstool at the bar. Keep them coming is what I wanted and I figured that I’d hire a car to get home or I’d stumble down the road to my pop’s house.

I probably should’ve just gone straight to his house instead of sucking down far too many suds that gave me a massive hangover the following morning. I might’ve avoided losing so much money playing lousy games of pool. Thankfully I didn’t punch Dale when he gloated over his victory, two times out of three.

At least I had the girl. Celeste was mine... and Veeta.

“What the hell are you doing on my couch?” My pop poked me, handing me a cup of coffee as the sun smacked me in the face. It was a good thing he still hid a key in the same spot or I would’ve been sleeping in the front yard.

“Thanks.” I took the cup from his hand as I sat up still wearing my clothes from the day before. “I drank more than I should’ve and didn’t think I could make it from a car up to my apartment without someone calling the cops.”

“Good to know you listened to me and don’t drink and drive.”

“Never, but I meant from a hired car. I don’t think they have getting-drunks-up-to-their-door service.” I laughed imagining the sight and winced.

“So what’s going on with you and Celeste?”

Smart man, my pop.

“She finally had no choice but to open up to me.” I took a sip from the coffee mug. “It wasn’t like or what I ever expected... Do you know she has a daughter?” I looked at my pop and saw the absence of surprise. Dumb of me. Of course he knew.

“You weren’t ready to step up and be a dad to her daughter—”

“Do you know that she’s my daughter? Your grandchild?” My voice was filled with a hint of anger. I didn’t like him telling me that I wasn’t able to handle responsibilities. It was probably true and that was why I had left in the first place—to grow up—but I would’ve never walked away from her... What was I thinking? She wasn’t really Celeste’s. I don’t know what I would’ve done...

“I didn’t know that part, but—”

“You know she’s not Celeste’s?” He nodded and sat down on a chair across from me and I, suddenly, felt so ashamed of myself as I told him about what had happened with Martina.

“That’s a really bad family she comes from...” His voice trailed off as he scrubbed his face with his hands and then he looked at me. “As far as I know, they’re all gone or incarcerated.”

“Don’t worry.” I could see the lines in my pop’s forehead deepen. “I sat in on a meeting with attorneys and a private investigator...your friend Mercer. It seems that the coast is clear and the little girl is no longer in harm’s way...” I sighed. “There were documents that named Celeste and me as her parents. That was the only part that involved me and then the rest was about the demise of the two families.”

“That is good news...” I watched his body relax a bit. “I remember some of Martina’s relatives coming around the industrial area and forcing business owners to pay for ‘protection.’ Those that didn’t pay up at first usually gave in after extensive damage was done to their business...”

“You paid?”

My pop sat up a little taller in his chair. “Hell no! But I did do some inexpensive work to their vehicles.”

“Is that why the bar had so many new owners?” That would make sense.

“Yep.” Pop answered as he stood up and walked toward the kitchen. “Want another cup?” I nodded and headed for a seat at the kitchen table as he continued, “They were bad news. I know they approached you.” I frowned remembering how close I was to saying yes. “Can’t say I’m sorry to hear they’re gone. Sorry to hear about their innocent children caught in the crossfire... Damn, I’m glad you left.” He shook his head with a pained look on his face again.

“Me too for that reason alone... But I missed out on years with Veeta.”

“So you make it up to her... What’s your plan?”

I told him I had no idea. Part of me was still angry at Celeste for not going to my pop and having him find me. But, mostly, I was angry with myself for getting caught up in the situation at the party in the first place. I, too, felt bad about what had happened to Martina because of me and because of her connected-family.

“At least Veeta was left in good hands...great hands.” I had to agree.

“I wanted her to be ours... Celeste is an amazing woman... I don’t know many people who would do what she did knowing that her best friend and I...” I shook my head and buried my head in my hands, letting the tears fall again. I hadn’t cried so much in years…since Celeste told me we were over.

“Celeste has to be commended for sure and you need to get it into your head that she is Veeta’s mother whether she created her with you or not or whether she gave birth to her or not. When you become a parent you sacrifice everything for them and you do everything to keep them safe, happy and healthy... Now, it’s your turn to step up.”

My pop was right and he knew firsthand about raising a child alone since my mother pretty much left me to be cared for by him. She came and went for years and then finally up and left for good. I wanted to be more like my pop than her—I would never walk away from Veeta and I would never take her away from Celeste.

I needed both of them to be my family and I needed them both to know soon.