The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [286]
Jordan forced a smile for Ruth’s benefit. “She’s also happily remarried. Through it all, we’ve stayed a very close family.”
“I like you, Jordan.”
She said that as if he’d passed a test. “I like you, too.”
“And you like my daughter?”
When he hesitated, not quite sure how she meant it and afraid of committing himself to her, she laughed. “That’s all right. I didn’t mean to pressure you. But I will tell you that it’s not going to be easy.”
“I already figured that out.”
She laughed again. “The end of this long tale is that shortly after Georgia got pregnant with Adam—an accident, and a blessing from God—Dennis’s parents convinced him that he was overburdened, that Georgia had gotten pregnant on purpose just to chain him down.” Under her breath she muttered, “As if a broken condom was her fault.”
That was definitely not an image Jordan wanted haunting his brain. He frowned.
“Dennis had always been pampered, and as their bills started to pile up and things got tougher and tougher, he got more and more distant, more willing to run home to his parents. And unfortunately, more willing to run up additional bills. Their combined incomes just weren’t enough, and one day he went home to his folks and never came back.”
Jordan nodded in satisfaction. “So she divorced him?”
“Yes. Georgia was really hurt. She loved him and yet he just walked away. She agreed to a peaceful divorce, and allowed the courts to divide the bills down the middle even though many of them had been his recent purchases. She wanted to make the transition as easy on the children as she could. But the really sad part is that Dennis agreed to it all, wished Georgia well, then stole several thousand dollars from his parents and took off. Not only did he not pay his half of the bills, he’s never paid a dime of child support.”
“He doesn’t see the kids?”
“No. No one’s heard from him since he left. His parents blamed Georgia, and added to her burden—until I told them I’d have the police after their precious son for skipping out on his responsibilities.”
She looked downright feral again, and Jordan nodded. “Good for you.”
“No, it was an error in judgment. His parents apologized and promised to pay Dennis’s share of things. Georgia argued with them. They were Dennis’s bills, not his parents. But they insisted, and she believed them. She…trusted them. In the end, they were only biding their time until they could petition the court for custody of Adam and Lisa. They even tried to accuse Georgia of being an unfit mother.”
Rage churned forth in Jordan, taking him by surprise. In a voice of icy rage, he said, “They obviously failed in their efforts.”
“Yes. But not without a lot of cost and heartache to my daughter. And they didn’t give up. They dogged her steps everywhere she went, making her lose jobs, constantly posing a threat to her peace of mind. Not once have they ever shown genuine concern or caring for the children. The few times they visited them, they tried to fill their heads with poison, bad-mouthing Georgia while making Dennis sound like a saint that she’d run off. Can you imagine? Their own blood kin, yet all they’re interested in is using the kids to try to hurt Georgia.”
“They’re beautiful children,” Jordan said with sincerity. He’d been surprised at how much he’d enjoyed making pancakes with them that morning. Lisa and Adam were lively and bright and polite. “She’s done a good job with them.”
“Yes, she has. And she’d die before letting anyone hurt those kids. So finally we thought it was best to simply move away. It makes me so mad, I want to spit.”
Jordan could easily see where Georgia got her backbone. He patted Ruth’s hand and tried to calm her. “Don’t get yourself all riled up. You’ll get winded again and the doctors will throw me out.” He smiled. “Besides, Georgia is here now, away from them, and the kids seem very happy. I wish she hadn’t gone through so much, but all in all, I admit