An Officer, His Forbidden Love, And The Crimes That Bind Them

Christian's Pov...Ice Cream Date With Stella...Ice Cream Shack...

I sat across from my daughter and watched her enjoy her sundae without a care in the world.

I just wish her mother would have stayed, so she could see her. She would have been so proud of what a smart and curious daughter we made.

Kendra had said that she wanted me to stay away, but I wanted to know my child and it turned out to be a good thing that I did.

Because as soon as they told us, we could take Stel home...Ken booked it.

I didn't find out until after that that was her plan all along.

She never wanted to keep the baby to begin with...she just wanted money.

She was going to use the baby to get money from me...without actually raising the baby, but when she saw how determined I was to see my daughter...she flaked.

"Daddy...are you thinking about Mommy?" Stella asked sweetly.

I know that she wasn't talking about Kendra, but I still didn't know how to answer that question.

"No...I was thinking about how you need a bath after that sundae." I said with a nervous laugh. "Were you thinking about Mommy?"

"She didn't seem too happy today." She responded sadly.

"She just has a lot on her mind Stel, but I promise that it has nothing to do with you." I tried to reassure her, but I knew that there was something else that was bothering her.

"Do you love her?" She asked catching me off guard.

"What brought that up?"

"Because Aunt Natalie said that I would never have a mommy, because you don't know what love is."

"Well you know that isn't true, because I love you."

"That's different." She laughed. "You're supposed to love me."

"My feelings for Katerina are complicated and you don't have to worry about that, because we both love you very much." I said even though I wasn't sure that it was true.

I knew that Kat cared about Stella by the way she treated her, but I wasn't sure if she loved her.

"Why does she call me Bunny?" My daughter asked with a curious look in her eyes.

I couldn't tell her the truth, because for one I didn't know myself and for second it would break the illusion of Kat being her mother and I didn't want to hurt her.

So I made something up on the spot.

"When she first saw you, she said that you had a bunny nose, so that's why." I lied. "Now are you finished with your ice cream yet?"

"Almost." She answered with a chocolatey grin.

"Alright, do you want to go for a walk after I get you cleaned up?" I asked, but she was too busy watching the people pass by the large glass window beside us.

"Mommy!" She exclaimed as she happily as we saw Kat coming from B's. "Daddy...look it's Mommy!"

"I can see that baby girl, but I don't think she can see us." I said before she tapped loudly in the window. "Don't do that, you'll get chocolate sauce all over the...all well looks like I am going to have to clean that up too."

"She's coming...it worked." She said very proud of herself.

She's definitely my daughter.

"Hey Bunny, did your daddy invite you on a ice cream date?" Kat asked as she knelt down beside our table.

"Yeah, do you want some." She asked as she offered her a sticky spoon.

"No...sorry honey, but I just ate and I don't want to upset my stomach anymore." She answered with a sweet grin. "But you enjoy."