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“Yes, thank you. Seems like we have a lot of situations occur in the kitchen.”
A gorgeous smile lit up his face. “We do.”
The feeling of his body next to mine felt oh so right. More right than I cared to admit. I missed him being near me even though we’d only touched a couple of times.
Our breaths were labored as we got lost in each other’s gaze. “London.”
“Jaxson.”
His eyes darted to the side and he let me go, taking in an audible breath. “Thanks for bringing the book. It saved me a lot of time hunting it down.”
Feeling rejected, I took a few steps back. “Anytime. I’ll see you at the barn tomorrow.”
As I left the kitchen, I heard a muttered curse. I wanted to say something but knew it wouldn’t do any good. It was for the best. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.
Now, we were amicably friendly. Maybe sterile was a better word. Jaxson was pleasant, helpful, and a gentlemen. Ugh, I wanted him out of my thoughts.
Through the days, I learned more about the rehabilitation side of the business. The staff was fantastic, especially Dwayne. He had an easy charm about him that made it comfortable.
Ty sat beside me. “What are you thinking about, London?”
He still had traces of spaghetti sauce around his mouth and I smiled. “Nothing much. Just tired. Are you about to head home?”
Ty nodded. “Do you have a mommy? You only talk about your dad, like me.”
I gave him a sweet smile. “I do have a mommy, but she’s sick. She doesn’t know who I am anymore.”
His hand grabbed mine. “My mommy left me too. Does it make you sad, London?”
This was a hard question to answer, especially since I knew some about his past. “I miss my mom. But, I know how much my family loves me and I think about that instead.”
Taking a deep breath, he looked up at me with sad eyes. “Do you love me?”
“Yes, sweetie. You’ve stolen my heart. I love you across the whole wide world.” It was true. Unexpectedly, this bundle of energy had crept inside my heart.
We lapsed back into silence as his brain thought. “Do you think my mom loves me?”
“I think every mom loves their child. Sometimes a mommy is sick and can’t be there for her kids.”
“Do you think my mom is sick?”
Ty had a loving family, but there was no substitute for a mother’s love. I wasn’t sure how to answer, but a deep voice my body was highly attuned to saved me from fumbling through an answer. “Your mom was sick, Ty.”
As I attempted to stand, Ty’s grip tightened on mine. “Don’t leave, London. I like you here.”
Glancing up, Jaxson nodded as he took a seat next to Ty. He put his arm around his son and my heart burst for the millionth time around this man. “I love you more than anything, Ty.”
Ty leapt into his dad’s arms. “I love you too, Dad. I don’t think I want to marry, London. I want her to be my mom.”
My eyes became as big as saucers as I blushed. This only added to the awkwardness of the last week. Jaxson glanced my way, and for a minute I saw the hunger I had the first day, but it quickly disappeared. “That’s not how it works, buddy.”
I touched Ty’s back. “How about we be the bestest friends ever, like my friend Millie? You’ve heard me talk about her. That’s even better sometimes.”
“Yes! I’m telling Grama and Grampa.” He scampered off.
Standing, I said, “Night, Jaxson.”
Tomorrow was Saturday. It was going to be nice having a day off from all this confusion. I planned on avoiding Jaxson if possible to decompress and get my act together.
