AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jeff:That works. Just tell me where and when and I’’l be there.
Kia:2:00pm at my place? I’’l text you the address
Jeff:Sounds good. Looking forward to it.
He watched the screen as dots displayed, showing an incoming text. Then they disappeared. Several minutes later, the dots started again. The incoming text from Kia simply had an address. Great. Did that mean she wasn’’ looking forward to it? She was? Or maybe she was as wigged out by all this as he was.
Jeff:Thanks, see you Sunday.
He flopped back on the mattress and groaned. He needed to become a whole lot more chill before Sunday.
Pushing himself off the bed, he grabbed his phone and wallet and headed downstairs. Thank god for the boys. A run, followed by some beers, would hopefully get his head in a better place, so he didn’t make a complete ass of himself come Sunday.
Chapter Six
Sundayafternoon,Jeffsatin his car and stared at the small house in front of him. He looked at the address again. Nothing about this house said Saskia to him. This place was well maintained but nondescript. There was no personality to the house. No porch furniture, no toys in the yard. Nothing that said anything about the people who lived inside.
He glanced down the road at the neighboring homes. It wasn’t the best area of town, but the houses on this particular street looked well cared for. He hoped that meant it was relatively safe. He hated the idea of Saskia and Max living in a dangerous area.
He shook out his hands to relieve the nerves. He was meeting his son. Kia had said she’d prepare Max, but what did that mean exactly? Would he be happy that Jeff was his dad? Would he be disappointed? His heart pounded in his chest. What the hell was he supposed to say to the kid? He was a mess.
The front door of the house opened, and Kia walked out onto the front step. Guess he was done hiding out in his car. Opening the car door, he eased out of the vehicle. “Hey.” He raised his arm in a wave.
“I was wondering how long you were going to sit out here.” Kia flipped her long brown hair off her shoulder as she walked down the steps and onto the walkway that led from her door to the street.
“Sorry. I’m nervous.” He pushed open the gate. “How’s Max doing with all this?”
“Same as you, I think. Nervous. Excited.” She stopped in front of him. “He’s scared you won’t like him.”
“What? Why wouldn’t I like him?”
“I don’t know. You’re a pretty big deal to him.” She raised her shoulder and dropped it. “He said he’s not the best on the team, and what if you wished Darnell was your kid instead?”
“Darnell?” He waved his hand. “Nah, he’s a try-hard. Max is by far the coolest kid on the team.”
Saskia smiled. “I agree. You ready?”
He grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. “Saskia. Is he disappointed I’m his dad? I mean, I don’t know what you’ve told him before about me and…”
“Call me Kia.”
“Right, sorry, I know that. I’m just nervous and—”
“Relax, Jeff. This is new for both of you. It’ll take some time for you both to feel your way around each other.” She patted his hand on her arm. “I hadn’t really talked much about his dad. I told him we’d lost touch before he was born, and I didn’t know where to find you. Now I’ve found you, and of course, you want to be in his life now that you know he exists.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath.
“Jeff, don’t make me regret introducing you two, please. It will break his heart if he meets his dad, and you don’t honestly want to be in his life.”
“Kia, I want to be here. I don’t know how this is all going to play out, but I want to make it work.”
A big truck pulled up to the curb behind his vehicle.
“Seriously?” Kia muttered, then stormed toward the vehicle.
A muscle-bound guy got out of the truck and tried to wrap his arm around Kia’s waist. She pushed against the man’s chest. Judging from the body language, she was not too happy the guy was here.
Jeff didn’t even bother trying to cover the fact that he was checking out the other guy. Seriously? That’s the kind of guy Kia went for now? With the souped-up truck, track pants and backwards hat. Jesus, was his ball cap pulled down over his ears?Come on, Kia, really?
