1022 Evergreen Place - Debbie Macomber [126]
“She told us she was uneasy about us getting married, remember?”
“I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen,” his daughter accused him, righteous indignation in every word.
“We’d already made the decision,” Bruce countered. “Okay, so we rushed the wedding a bit, but I wanted you with me and you said you felt the same way.”
“I did at the time.”
He frowned at the implications of her remark. “Are you saying you regret it now?”
To his dismay Rachel nodded.
Jolene thrust a triumphant finger at her stepmother. “See? See, she doesn’t want to be here.”
Rachel ignored her. “Jolene has never accepted me as her stepmother.”
Bruce didn’t like the way this conversation—like so many of their conversations—revolved around his daughter’s likes and dislikes. He and Rachel were the adults in the room; he wasn’t about to let a thirteen-year-old girl dictate his life or his marriage. He realized now that stepping aside and leaving his daughter and his wife to work out their differences had contributed to the problem. “Jolene,” he said pointedly, “will learn to accept you.” And if it took a counseling session with some stranger to make that happen, so be it.
“Daddy!” the girl screeched.
“Maybe she will.” Rachel shook her head. “And maybe she won’t.”
“All she needs is time,” Bruce muttered.
Jolene marched up to Bruce. “Stop talking about me like I’m not even here.” Whirling around, she confronted Rachel. “I hate you. I never wanted you to marry my dad. Look what you’ve done! You ruined my life.”
“Jolene!” Bruce had taken all he could from his daughter. Rising to his feet, he clasped the girl’s shoulders and turned her to face him. “You will apologize to Rachel. I won’t have you speaking to her that way.”
Jolene glared back at him, her eyes flashing with defiance. His own anger simmered just below the surface. He’d been stupid and blind. Jolene and her malicious jealousy had driven a wedge between Rachel and him.
“What Jolene said is true.” Rachel surprised him by siding with the girl. “I am pregnant and now there’s another person to consider in this equation. Jolene doesn’t want this baby any more than she wants me in her life.”
“Now just a minute.” Bruce needed to make it clear that despite his daughter’s attitude he wanted this baby.
“It’s fine. I understand—”
“You understand what?” he asked.
“To paraphrase you, when Jolene said you don’t need me, you basically told her you’re stuck with me because I’m pregnant.”
How she’d arrived at that conclusion, Bruce would never know. “I didn’t say anything like that!”
“I heard you, and frankly, neither one of you made any effort to hide your conversation from me.”
“Does that mean you’re going to leave?” Jolene asked, eyes wide with feigned innocence.
Bruce was quick to answer. “Definitely not. Rachel’s staying here, where she belongs.”
Jolene’s shoulders slumped forward. “Daddy, let her go. We don’t need her.”
“Jolene’s right,” Rachel confirmed. “And as she’s said more times than I can count, I’ve come between the two of you and ruined everything.”
Jolene’s eyes blazed with triumph. “See! Even Rachel admits it.”
“I need you,” Bruce argued, ignoring his daughter’s outburst. “Our baby needs you.”
“I agree,” Rachel said far too easily. “Our baby does need me. He or she needs me to live in a stress-free environment. This child also has to know he or she is loved and wanted by this family.”
“I love our baby,” Bruce insisted.
“I think it would be best if I left,” Rachel said firmly, as if anything he said, any opinions he held, shouldn’t be taken into account.
“No.” Again, Bruce’s response was quick and automatic. This wasn’t what he wanted. Rachel was actually suggesting she move out. None of this seemed real…or right.
“I think it would be best if you left, too,” Jolene chimed in, sounding gleeful at the prospect of getting rid of her stepmother.
“That’s not going to happen,” Bruce said heatedly.
Rachel just smiled. “Do you plan to hold me captive?”
“No.” Bruce couldn’t believe it had come to this. “You don’t mean it. Rachel, tell