Ours (Book 3 of "The Story of Us" Series) [Completed]

Chapter 7 - Fearless

[Harley]

My mother never hid the fact that my father cheated on her. I grew up knowing that when he wasn't deployed, that when he would come home late, he was with someone else. He would always come in and tell me goodnight, whether I was asleep or not, but I could smell the alcohol on his breath and the smell of another lady's perfume on him.

Maybe that's why I grew up to become a country singer?

We were never close until after my Mom died and we never really talked about his indiscretions unless it was brought up in passing. We never fully discussed it until I found Nadine at the guest house. And I admit that it was hard to see a woman in front of me that my father had cheated on my mother with. It was hard to put a face to all of those thoughts that I had from the time I was old enough to know what it meant when my mother said my father was out with another woman.

But I'm not sure I can hate Nadine as much as I really want to. She could have easily torn my family apart when she got pregnant by my father. If my parents had divorced, my mother probably wouldn't have had the time to help me get my career started. My life could be totally different. I may have never met Nick or married him or experience all of the things that I have since I first signed my record deal.

Nadine helped keep my family together by not telling my father and I can't hate on her. She had this secret for nearly 20 years and she could have used it to her advantage and never did.

Daisy called me two nights ago telling me that Nadine had told my father the truth and that he was furious with her, leaving her home. She said they had a huge argument and the next thing she knew, she heard his truck pulling out of the driveway. Apparently my father hasn't talked to Nadine since and I know that I need to give him a good swift kick in the ass. Or Nick does. I can hardly see my feet anymore thanks to baby Sadie, so Nick might have to do the kicking.

He has a daughter, another daughter, who for the first almost 20 years of her life he was barely around. Kind of the same way he was with me. Whether he decides to forgive Nadine is up to him, but I know my father well enough to know that his children mean a lot to him. Daisy is apparently one of his children and he needs to treat her the same way.

[/Harley]

[May 15, 2011]

"When we get out of the car, can I kiss the ground?" Harley asked as Nick smiled, pulling into the gated community they lived in.

After a long flight and a long layover in New York, they were finally back in Nashville, although Nick had to leave two days later to head to Los Angeles for rehearsals with the two groups. While in Germany, he rehearsed for the tour on his computer, dancing to the videos. Harley did a little dancing with him, just for the exercise but that never lasted long. He needed to dance with both groups before heading to Chicago for the first show.

"I don't want you to kiss the ground and then get dirt in my mouth," Nick said, pulling into the driveway. Harley smiled, seeing her father standing outside, already waiting for them. "Damn, Jon Harper must be feeling hella guilty if he's already out here waiting."

"Hush," Harley hissed, causing Nick to laugh as Jon opened the car door for Harley. "Hey Daddy!" she exclaimed as he helped her out of the car, pulling her into a hug. "Don't squish the baby!"

"I just missed you, that's all," he said, backing away to look down at her stomach. "You're right. You did get bigger while you were over there. How was Germany? I didn't get to talk to you much with the time difference."

"It was good," Harley said as Jon walked over, hugging Nick quickly before helping him get the luggage out of the car. "The food got annoying and the television sucks, but it was good. I took a ton of pictures because we did a lot of site seeing and I was able to actually spend some time with fans and not just as a singer. I kind of know what Leighanne feels like now."

"It's not that glamorous," Nick laughed, following Jon as they began carrying the luggage into the house. "It was fun, though. I was busy a lot of the time, but Harley kept herself occupied."

"Here I'll help you take these upstairs," Jon said as Nick shook his head.

"I got them, you guys talk," Nick said, looking over at Harley. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about," he said before practically grabbing all of the luggage himself, dragging it up the staircase.

"What's he mean?" Jon asked as he followed Harley into the kitchen. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Harley asked, opening the fridge to pull out a Jello snack cup. "God, I've missed Jello."

"What makes you think..."

"I know, Daddy," she said, grabbing a spoon out of the drawer and looked at Jon as she walked over to the small kitchen table. Jon sighed, walking over to sit down across from her. "I don't know how you could never see it."

"How do you know?" Jon asked, staring at Harley. "Is that why Nadine asked for your phone number for Daisy?" Harley nodded. "Dammit, I wanted to tell you."

"Daddy, I knew the night they came for dinner," Harley said, licking her spoon. She looked at her father and smiled. "She looks a lot like Grandma, like I do. I got a minute alone with Nadine and asked her. She denied it at first and then she finally told me that you didn't know and that Daisy didn't know. I'm the reason she told you guys."

"I asked her once," Jon said, pointing at Harley. "Daisy must have been about three or four and it was the first real time I had seen her in person and she reminded me of you at that age. I asked Nadine and she said no, that she had gotten pregnant after I left for Iraq. She lied to me and she knows I'm upset about that."

"She told me why she never told you," Harley said as Jon looked down at the table, running his shaky hands over it. "She didn't want you and Mama to split up because she got pregnant and I'm happy she didn't."

"Harley..."

"No, Daddy," she said, glaring at him. "If you had divorced Mama, my life might not have turned out like this. I may have never gotten that record deal or met Nick. I might not be having this little girl. Sure, it sucks that Daisy grew up without a father but you know, you weren't always around for me and Mark either and we turned out just fine. Daisy seems like she's turned out just fine, too."

"She lied..."

"She lied to you so that she wouldn't ruin your family, my family."

"So first you're upset because I'm seeing a woman that I cheated on Patsy with and now you're taking up for her?" Jon asked as Harley shrugged. "Harley, you know why I wasn't always there for you..."

"Sure, you were deployed a lot, especially with me, but those times you came home late when I wanted you to tuck me in, you could have been home," she whispered, looking down at the empty Jello cup. "You obviously knew the risk of having sex. You knew someone could get knocked up."

"You're right," Jon said, looking away.

"It's funny because you yelled at me and Nick for not using protection when I got pregnant with Ella, but you obviously weren't using any when you were with Nadine," Harley whispered as Nick walked into the kitchen. Jon looked over at Nick as he walked to the fridge to get a bottle of water and looked back at Harley. "Daddy, Nadine did the right thing. She said she tried to tell you after Mama died but you left and came to live with me."

"She should have tried harder," Jon muttered.

"Dammit, Daddy," Harley hissed, glaring at her father. "You kept talking about this new lease on life and how you want to be happy, well you just found out you have another child, who you don't really know. Practice what you preach. I just, I don't understand how when you saw her again, you couldn't tell."

"Coincidence?" Jon asked as Harley snorted, rolling her eyes. "People tell me my mustache makes me look like Tom Selleck."

"That's very true," Nick said as Harley glared at him. "Besides this new child talk, did Harley tell you that your granddaughter has a name?"

"A name?" Jon asked, staring at Harley. "What name?" He looked back at Nick. "What is it?"

"Well, I showed Nick the pictures that I carry for Grandma, your Mom and we were talking about the resemblance to me and Daisy and we started talking about family names."

"Sadie Elizabeth!" Nick blurted out, causing Harley and Jon to stare at him. "Sorry, I just like the name."

"Sadie, for Sadler. Mom's maiden name and for her parents and Elizabeth, with a 'z' for your Mom and Nick's Mom. Jane's middle name is Elizabeth. I guess me too, even though mine is spelled wrong," Harley said as Jon smiled. "Do you like it?"

"Jealous I'm left out, but yes, I love it," he smiled, reaching over to hold Harley's hand. "Patsy would love it. Sadie Elizabeth Carter, it has a nice ring to it. And the initials are SEC."

"College football, baby," Nick grinned as Harley rolled her eyes. "I swear, I didn't plan that on purpose," he said as Harley stood up from the table. Jon followed her move and walked over, hugging her tightly. She stood there, confused for a minute until she finally hugged him back.

"I'm sorry I wasn't always there when you were little," Jon whispered as Harley closed her eyes. "I'm here now. You can't get rid of me."

"I know, Daddy," Harley smiled, hugging him back tightly. "Just don't be too mad at Nadine. She had her reasons and I understand them."

"Didn't think you would act this way considering how you acted when you found her at the guest house," Jon said as Harley backed away from the hug. "Just imagine if you had a kid that you were never told about and you were lied to once when you asked."

"I know, but she had her reasons," Harley said as Jon nodded. "Sure, I might not like the fact that you cheated on Mama with her and that's how Daisy came to exist but Daisy can't help that, Daddy. You shouldn't take that out on her. She didn't know. She never even knew you were my father until before they came here for dinner last month."

"I know," Jon chuckled. "She didn't believe me until I showed her a picture of you out by the pool with your belly showing that I had on my phone."

"I certainly hope you don't show that to everybody," Harley hissed as Nick cracked up laughing.

"Get a blood test, though," Nick said as Jon nodded. "Just to be sure and to be positive, but Harley's right. I know you love your kids and so now you can be all jealous and crazy over-protective over Daisy like you used to be over Harley," he said as Jon and Harley looked at him. "You get to pull your gun out and aim it at another guy's crotch to scare him like you used to do me."

"Yeah, I don't scare you much anymore, do I?" Jon asked as Nick shook his head. "Those were the good ole days."

"Well, now you can be a father to Daisy and scare the guys that come chasing after her," Harley smiled. "She's never had a father, Daddy. She told me how she always wondered about who her father was and if she had any brothers or sisters and I think she's happy that she knows now. She was really scared when she called me because she thought I would be mad at her and she wanted to apologize, but I told her she had nothing to apologize for."

"You're right," Jon said as he walked away from the table where he was standing and towards the back of the house. "I should probably go talk to them, at least to Daisy, I guess. I just left there and never said anything to her and I know she was upstairs at the time."

"Good, or I'll pull the gun out on you," Nick said as Jon glared at him. "No, I won't. I lie." Jon laughed, walking out of the back door, heading to the guest house and Nick looked over at Harley and smiled. "So, happy now?"

"I think I would be much happier after we take a nap," she said, walking up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled, her stomach pressing against his. Nick felt the baby kick against his stomach and started to laugh. "Apparently, Miss Sadie isn't having any of that."

"I really like that name," Nick whispered.

"Me too," Harley smiled. "We just have to tell your Dad now that we're naming the baby after his ex-wife and I'm sure that's gonna get Bob on a rampage."

"Eh, fuck him. She's got Carter as a last name so he can deal," Nick laughed. He moved her arms from around his neck and started leading her from the kitchen. "Let's go take a nap, then we can go take a dip in the pool later. I got a feeling your Dad isn't gonna be back anytime soon."

"Pool sex?"

"You know it."