Johnson Family 1: Unforgettable by Delaney Diamond

spent a few moments with. He didn’t know her and she didn’t know him. He could leave and she wouldn’t know the difference because she already thought another man was her father. He’d just be some random guy that she’d met and would soon forget.
    Instead of the excitement he would have expected, the thought knocked the wind from him. He sank onto the edge of the desk and stared at his shoes. His lungs didn’t seem capable of providing enough oxygen. He gulped air into his nostrils, finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden.
    “What do you want to do?” Ivy asked again.
    His head snapped up. “Can’t wait to get rid of me?” he asked in a biting voice.
    “Like I told you before, I have lunch plans.”
    “Well I wouldn’t want to disrupt your goddamn lunch plans. You must be fucking starving.”
    She flinched at his tone.
    There was nothing more to say. “You want me to leave, Ivy, I’ll leave.” A huge knot settled in his stomach. Why didn’t he feel better about this decision?
    “I never said I wanted you to leave, but you can.” She held her body rigid. “And I’d understand.”
    Their gazes locked on each other.
    Still he didn’t move. He could walk out and be a free man, or stay. This should be an easy decision, but it was turning out to be much harder than expected. He thought again about Katie. She had uncles, grandparents, and billions of dollars. Anything she wanted she could have, including a gold-plated cell phone when she turned nine years old. She didn’t need him. He had nothing to offer. He didn’t come from money, and he didn’t know who he was or where he came from.
    He bolted from the desk. He had to get away before he suffocated. He swung the door open and without looking at Ivy again, walked out the door.
    Ivy watched him leave, and when she was certain he was gone for good, she collapsed onto one of the chairs. Not telling him had been the right decision years ago, but knowing didn’t make her feel any better. In fact, his departure hurt—a deep, unexpected pain that cut through to the marrow of her bones. He’d rejected Katie, just as she’d known he would. She’d hoped, for one moment, that he would prove her wrong. Not for her, but for their daughter.
    She inhaled a tremulous breath and shook off her despondency. After struggling to her feet, she walked briskly down the hallway.
    He wouldn’t know the wonderful human being Katie was or the intelligent, lovely young woman Ivy was certain she’d become. His loss.
    She entered her office and caught her daughter spinning around in a circle in her executive chair. Ivy had told her not to do that on countless occasions.
    Busted, Katie stopped and a guilty smile crossed her face. “Sorry, Mommy.”
    Ivy didn’t have the energy or desire to scold her. Looking at her sweet face saddened her and made her heart ache.
    Katie’s brow wrinkled. “Mommy, is something wrong?”
    Ivy shook her head, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. “Time for our lunch date. Let’s go.” She held out her hand and Katie ran over.
    “Good. I’m hungry!” her daughter said with dramatic flair.
    Ivy grinned down at her. She’d brought so much joy into her life. Not only hers, the entire family. Katie had been their savior. Losing Lucas and then her beloved father soon after had plunged Ivy into depression. The only joy in her life had been the pending birth of her daughter. After Katie was born, there had been times when she didn’t want to get out of bed, but she did. Taking care of her daughter eased the pain and patched—if not repaired—her broken heart.  
    Even her mother, who’d been confined to bed after losing her life partner, had slowly begun to live again when Ivy had brought her newborn grandchild to her room. Katie had, miraculously, saved her fractured family. Lucas had no idea what he was missing.
    “You’re always hungry,” Ivy teased. “Where does it all go?”
    “In my tummy!” Katie rubbed her stomach