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“I think. I mean he’s going to have to get used to it. I’m assuming he isn’t going to be watched by you?”
“Not daily, no. I’m in the PreK room more. But I do move around and help out.”
Ren took Max’s jacket off and she couldn’t help but grin at the red shirt and jeans that matched what Ren had on. She didn’t think it was on purpose, but it was adorable.
“I’m only in town for three months,” he said. “Maybe longer. But three months for now. I’m helping my mother get the marina ready to sell.”
“I’m sorry about your father.”
“Don’t be,” he said shortly.
There was no reason to say more. If anyone knew the love hate relationship Ren had with his father, it was her. She was there to talk to him about it all for years while they dated.
The one to try to cheer him up when his father knocked him down.
She couldn’t understand how any man could be so hard on their child.
She knew Ren and his resentment over the marina.
If the truth was told, she had plenty of resentment for it herself. Maybe even for the man that pushed her first love away from her.
She pulled all her papers out that Ren was going to need to sign and explained how they did things here. Max had been sitting on his father’s lap looking around during it all, kicking his legs.
“Are you the only one that will be dropping Max off and picking him up?” she asked.
“My mother might from time to time, but most likely me.”
“Okay,” she said.
“And you want to know about Max’s mother?” he asked.
“I do but am not going to ask. It has nothing to do with our business together,” she said. “For legal purposes I need to know who is allowed to enter and exit the building with Max.”
Ren looked at his son. “Max, do you want to see Zara? Do you want to go to her?” Ren held his son closer to Zara but did it slowly to see what Max would do. “He’s not scrunching up his face to cry yet at least.”
She picked a toy up off her desk. Just a plastic phone. Kids loved to push buttons and hear noises. “Do you want to see this?”
Max reached for it, his arm extended enough that he was leaning out of Ren’s arms. “That’s good.”
She moved closer and fought the urge to inhale the clean scent of the man she’d lost her virginity to. She’d beat herself up over this later.
There were so many things she wanted to say. So much anger too, but there was no way she’d show it here.
Not in front of the children. Not in her business. And most definitely not in front of a shy nervous child.
Heck, she barely showed it to herself at times.
They made the transfer of Max into her arms, but she stayed close to Ren so that Max felt like he could reach back to his father. He didn’t. He wanted the toy phone and started to press buttons.
“That was easier than I thought it’d be,” she said. “Some kids don’t make it in my arms right away or if they do it’s with a lot of tears.”
“Maybe you’ve got the magical touch,” he said.
She held back the snort. “Could be.”
He’d said those words to her before when they were younger. That she was always so good with people. Everyone liked her. She hardly ever got mad or showed it if she was.
She sure would like to show it now though!
