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Instead, I’d tried to steer him clear of any mention of the past while my mind raced with possibilities. Not only did I have to consider walking away from a job I needed, but I also had to make sure Bernard didn’t contact me again.
He could never find out about Ron.
Or he was going to take him away for good.
Considering he hadn’t been a part of his son’s life for the past five years, I expected nothing else. Even though I’d tried and failed to find him again after our night together, none of that was going to matter to Bernard. All he was going to care about was the fact that he’d missed out on the past five years.
And with the kind of money he had, Bernard could afford to fight for him.
What was I going to do?
“Are you okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
Both eyes flew open and fixed on Taylor, who stood a few feet away, both hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans and her dark hair piled on top of her head. I pushed myself off the door and ran a hand over my face.
“I met my employer today,” I told her in a low voice. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I’m sure he’s not that bad, right? You said the job pays well and has good hours. Also, don’t you get an hour and a half in the middle for lunch? Since he’s at work most of the day, you’ll hardly ever have to see him.”
“That’s not the problem. The problem is that I know him.”
Taylor’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean you know him?”
“Mommy, is that you?” Ron’s voice drifted out from the room. “Where are you?”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes, sweetheart,” I called out, ignoring the thrumming in the center of my chest. “It’s the financier, Taylor. The guy I met that night at the restaurant.”
Taylor’s eyes widened into saucers. “Ron’s dad?”
I swallowed and nodded. “He’s my new boss.”
Taylor took a step towards me and shook her head. “What are you going to do? You can’t quit. This is a really good job, and you need it. Maybe he didn’t recognize you.”
“He recognized me. And he kept asking why I didn’t get in touch with him.”
As if I was the one who’d snuck away in the middle of the night.
Bernard had a lot of nerve asking that question when we both knew the truth.
He was the one who left me without a backward glance.
Taylor folded her arms over her chest. “He’s probably just trying to save face, so he doesn’t feel bad for leaving. What did you say?”
“I kept pretending I didn’t know him. I guess I’ll just keep doing that until he drops it.” I brushed past Taylor and hurried into the guest room, where Ron was splashing in the tub and making noises with his toys. His face lit up when he saw me, and he launched into one story after the next, gesturing excitedly the entire time. By the time he was done, I had toweled him off and tucked him into bed.
My heart twisted inside my chest at the look on his face.
The same look Bernard had given me earlier.
Keeping him out of Ron’s life had been the only choice I had when Bernard was nowhere to be found. Now that he was back and within reach, I needed to consider the alternative. Having raised Ron by myself, with a lot of help from the Boltons, the last thing I wanted was to keep a father away from his son.
Especially when I didn’t have a good reason.
Bernard was, after all, Ron’s father, and he deserved a chance to prove himself.
“Finish the story, mommy,” Ron whispered before pulling the covers up to his chin. “What happened in the end?”
“They all went back home and had dinner,” I told him with a smile. “It’s time for you to sleep.”
