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She rubbed her lips together. “I was a sinner, in league with the devil.” She rolled her eyes. Even saying it out loud sounded stupid, but there it was. “My parents gave me an ultimatum. I could either let them help take care of Max or they’d report me to Child Protective Services.”
“For what?” he snarled.
“Who knows? They could have made anything up, but…” She paused. Memories swarmed in. “It was a very real fear. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t done anything wrong. That I was a damned good parent. It would have been my word against theirs, and I couldn’t afford to fight a custody battle against my own parents. So, I tried to keep the peace.”
“Holy fuck, Kia.”
“I know, right?” She scoffed. “So for about six months, I let them help a bit with Max. Thankfully, my hours were such that I didn’t need to call them very often. They stopped by a couple times a week, berated me, and went on their way. Thankfully, this opportunity came up here, so I jumped at it.”
“And your parents were cool with you leaving?”
“God, no, but what could they do? I’m an adult. Plus, Vika lives here, and they trust her not to let me run amok.” She smiled to herself as she thought about her ferocious sister. She’d practically had to jump in front of Vika’s car to stop her from killing their parents. “Moving here was the best thing I could have done for Max and I.”
“Do you still talk to your parents?”
“Not really, no. They don’t like to travel, and conversation isn’t really our thing.”
“Does Max talk to them?”
“Nah, he doesn’t want to and according to my mom, one of my glaring faults is that I let him make his own decisions on things like hugs and spending time with people.”
“How is that a fault?”
Her chest warmed at the support from Jeff. “You know children should be seen and not heard and all that stuff.” She clicked her tongue. “They hate I don’t make Max hug them when he sees them if he doesn’t want to. And he usually doesn’t want to. My mom and I got into quite a few fights about it. At first Max wanted to hug them just to keep them happy, then he didn’t, so he doesn’t have to.”
“Good,” Jeff declared. “Is it shitty to say I’m glad your parents don’t live here?”
She laughed. “Nope, cuz I am too.”
He nudged her with his knee. “I’m just going to lay it out here that your parents were wrong, Kia, really fucking wrong in how they treated you.”
She nudged his knee back. “Thanks.”
“I mean it. I’ve never met a better mother than you, and I had a pretty great one. If I could pick anyone to be my kid’s mom, it would be you.”
Her chest tightened and her eyes welled again, but this time it wasn’t shame battling to get out through the tears. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I appreciate you telling me about your family. Your reaction to meeting mine makes a lot more sense now.” He grabbed her hand. “You have nothing to worry about with my family. They would have loved you regardless because you gave them Max, but once they meet you, they’ll love you because how could they not?”
“Damn it,” she muttered as a tear escaped down her cheek.
“Come here.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder, absorbing the strength of his body. “You don’t have a single thing to worry about with me regarding Max. I’m so fucking grateful to you for everything.” He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, and she stilled.
Had he just kissed her? Suddenly, it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room and she held her breath. Everything in her wanted to turn her head and look up at him. Instead, she forced herself to pull away. She shifted away and stiffly sat upright. “Thanks, I really appreciate you understanding.”
Jeff cleared his throat. “Yeah, sure, no problem.” He clapped his hands together. “So how about I help you cut up those veggies for dinner?”
“Can you be trusted to cut them evenly?” she teased. And just like that, the awkwardness that had been floating around them evaporated.
He bumped her with his hip. “Woman, I’m known for my precision.”
“Oh, okay, hotshot. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Chapter Nine
Maxbouncedonhisfeet beside her in the kitchen.
“I’m staying all night at Dad’s, and you aren’t going to come get me early, right?”
