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“This is a mistake,” she mutters, and hope begins to bubble to the surface.
“I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Like that’s even possible,” she mumbles under her breath. “You couldn’t even stay on the couch and wait for me.”
“I heard Lennon’s voice and wanted to watch,” I respond with a careless shrug. Really, I wanted to be in there with them, taking part. I wanted to learn how my son handled bedtime. I wanted to watch him. I just…
I just needed to be near him.
“If you make me regret this, Jake Ryan, it’s over. You will only see Lennon at your mother’s.”
“Katie, damn it, cut me some slack here. I get you’re mad I showed up at your wedding—”
“The word you’re looking for is ruined. Youruinedmy wedding.”
“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. It’s past time that we all dealt with this. It’s time to put the secrets and the lies behind us. We have to do that for Lennon because I plan on being a part of his life.”
“There was a time I would have given anything to hear those words out of your lips, Jake. Now, all I can think is that you don’t deserve that chance.”
“You have the same choices before you that I had, Katie. You can hold onto your anger, or push it aside. That way we can focus on giving Lennon the chance to be part of a family he deserves.”
“He has that now. Lennon has always had a wonderful family. That may be hard for you to hear, but it’s true.”
“Now you’re lying to yourself. That little boy in there wants a father, and by God, I want to be that. I don’t know how to do it or even if I can, but I need to try. It’s my job.Mine. Not my brother’s.”
She sighs. “It shouldn’t be a job at all, Jake.”
“Damn it, Katie–”
“I’m planning on leaving around noon,” she huffs. “You will need to be here by then.”
“How about we leave at ten? I’ll buy you both breakfast in town,” I suggest.
She gives me a sad smile, and somehow, I think I failed some type of silent test.
“Lennon likes to eat breakfast with his grandmother. Besides, I can’t leave until I get her settled and make sure Mrs. Keskey next door is able to come and check on her regularly. That's usually around eleven.”
Shit.I completely forgot about Hazel—Katie’s grandmother.
“Okay, I’ll swing by the diner in town and get us all pancake platters so you don’t have to cook and can sleep in. I’ll bring breakfast around ten.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don't have to. I want to, Katie. I’m trying here. Can you let this anger between us settle enough to at least see that?”
“I see it. I’m just not sure I trust it.”
I bite my tongue. There’s a lot I want to say, but I can’t. I meant what I said. I’m putting Lennon first, and my relationship with him is more important than trying to defend myself against people who never gave me a chance to be Lennon’s father to begin with.
“I’ll be here at ten,” I tell her, turning to walk back toward the front door. I hear her fall in step behind me. Bitterness churns inside of me. She’s so anxious to get rid of me that she’s practically racing to get me out of here.
I open the door, then, at the last minute, turn to look at Katie. I clear my throat. “I’ll see you and Lennon tomorrow.”
She lets out a breath. “Tomorrow.”
I nod my head in quick agreement and walk out.
Katie thinks she’s going to have trouble being around me tomorrow. If she knew the trouble I was having holding back from tearing her into shreds for keeping Lennon a secret from me, she’d probably skip the country…
