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My small paper? While that part is true, it hurts a bit to hear those words come from someone else’s mouth.
“Are you writing a story about my son? You know what happens here stays between our families. We don’t need our lives broadcasted for everyone to read about.”
“Dad!” Tyler screams so loud Noah jumps, clinging to his father’s side. “Kennedy is my girlfriend. What she does for a living is irrelevant. Now can you get off her ass so we can go inside to see Blake? We have a few hours to spend with him, and we’re not wasting it having one of your famous interrogations.”
Tyler grinds his teeth, his face turning bright red, looking like a volcano ready to explode. He has had a strained relationship with his parents ever since they convinced him to give Blake up for adoption to pursue his hockey career. You can cut the tension between them with a knife.
Carl narrows his eyes at his son for a second, shooting off a warning glance, and plasters a fake smile on his face. “Kennedy, we’re glad you could join us today.”
He hooks his arm around Tania’s back and hugs her against his chest. Tyler has none of Carl’s physical attributes though I have a feeling they butt heads so much because they are a lot alike regarding personality.
His parents turn around and toward the house, still joined at the hip, allowing Payton enough room to slip into the conversation. She moves with such poise and grace, a gentle sway to her hips that draws my attention to her knee length boho skirt. Carl and Tania greet her with smiles and hugs, treating her as though she is part of their family. On the other hand, I get the grand inquisition from Carl, King of the Death Stare, about my small paper.
This visit has not started on a positive note, further solidifying my reservations about meeting Tyler’s family so soon.
“Hi,” Payton says to me, too excited to put into words. “Tania has been telling me about you all week. We’re so glad you can join us.”
If I were meeting the new girlfriend of my ex boyfriend, I would not be glowing like a ray of sunshine. Unfazed by the awkwardness of this exchange, she does the opposite of Carl and Tania and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. The level of weirdness now is about a fifteen on a scale from one to ten. I never expected Payton to be so…sweet.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I say, choking on my words but still trying to recover. “Thanks for having me.”
“Of course.” Her smile reaches up to her wide, blue eyes. “I am so glad that Tyler finally found someone that he likes enough to bring with him. You’ll love Blake and the Hudsons.”
“Payton,” Tyler interjects, and I am thankful because that leaves less for me to say. “Can we take this inside, please?”
Standing here with Tyler’s ex girlfriend and her family is strange, to say the least. But with him barking out orders at everyone as if he’s shielding me from the people who love him, his unease takes the tension up a notch.
“As always, good to see you, Tyler,” Payton says in a sardonic tone, her pleasant facial expression shifting to full-blown irritation.
Noah holds up his little hand and waves, saying hello several times in a row in a playful voice.
Her husband says, “How’s it going?” his voice rough yet smooth. “I’m Tim. Nice to meet you.”
We shake hands and exchange pleasantries and then follow behind Carl and Tania up the long driveway and to the front door. Carl knocks twice before the door swings open, a thirty-something couple appearing in the entryway with a little blond boy running between their legs to get outside.
“Mom Mom and Pop Pop are here!” He screams with excitement. When he notices Tyler behind them, his smile widens. “Uncle Tyler, I got a new toy I want to show you.”
“Hey, buddy,” Tyler says, bending down to hug Blake, causing my chest to tighten when I get a good look at the pained expression on his face.
I am confused as all hell. Why does he call Tyler’s parents Mom Mom and Pop Pop when he calls him Uncle Tyler?
My heart fills with so many emotions for Tyler, all of them flooding through me at once. I’m happy he still has the ability to see his son, sad because his son has no idea he’s his biological father, and worried about the emotional toll this day will take on him by the time we leave. But I am glad he chose to share this part of his life with me.
After I meet Britt and Steve, Blake introduces himself by hugging my leg, reminding me of how loving Tyler can sometimes be. Blake could be Tyler’s twin, with the same short blond hair, big blue eyes, and a smile that could light up an entire room.
We step inside the house and into the living room. Britt offers us coffee, and I am about to accept—because who turns down coffee—when Blake yanks on Tyler’s shirt, attempting to drag him toward the basement.
“Uncle Tyler, you need to see my new gun. It’s so cool. I have one for you to play with, too.”
Tyler turns his head to me as Blake does his best to get him to follow. “Wanna come with us?”
“Yeah, I’d love to,” I say, relieved that I won’t have to sit and have an adult conversation with his parents and extended family.
In all honesty, his dad scares the crap out of me with the way he continues to check me out as if he’s wondering if I am here to get dirt on his son. He’s suspicious of me. I had a feeling this would not be easy. After all, I am a newbie, intruding on their secret lives.
I can understand his father’s reservations about me, especially given my profession and the fact our relationship began as an experiment that led to what was supposed to be an interview that had turned into hot sex. But I have his best interests at heart. I care for Tyler more than I had every expected when we first met. It was supposed to be sex, smoking hot sex, but we have become so much more to each other over the past two months.
As soon as we reach the bottom landing, Blake runs around the basement, full of energy. He’s a cute kid and what I would imagine Tyler was like as a child. To see them together cuts a hole in my chest. I haven’t seen Tyler this happy since we met. But despite his excitement to be with his son, I can tell how much he is hurting on the inside and concealing his feelings. We haven’t been together long, but I can read him, detect when there’s something off about him.
