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“Everything okay?” I finally ask, since he isn’t speaking and his silence is grating on my nerves.
He nods, forcing my gaze back to him when I’m trying to look anywhere else. “Ready for another movie night tomorrow?” he asks conversationally.
“Oh, yes. I’m eager to finally watch thisGoodfellasmovie you’ve been hyping up.”
He cracks a smile. “I think you’ll like it.”
“More or less than Landon likedFrozen?” I joke.
His smile widens. “I’d say a little more.”
“Setting the bar high,” I joke. “I like it.”
“It’s actually Landon I was hoping to talk to you about,” he says, apparently seeing an opening.
My heart drops. “Oh. Okay. Sure. What about him?”
He regards me from the other side of his desk, his posture strong and sure of himself while I feel like crawling beneath the chair.
Finally, he speaks. “I can’t help but notice Landon has been… behaving rather well lately.”
My stomach rocks and I look down at my lap.
“And I know my son, so I know how unlikely it is that his good behavior is a gift he’s giving us. It’s being paid for, and I knowI’mnot footing the bill.”
Nausea roils in my stomach, making bile rise in my throat.
I know I should speak, but I can’t seem to open my mouth. If I do, I’m worried about what will spill out.
Maybe it’s my prolonged silence that makes Hayden sigh. Maybe it’s the reality of our situation.
“I have to tell you, Parker, I am not a hero. Make no mistake, I love your mother immensely and I intend to spend the rest of my days making her happy and treating her fairly. But I wasn’t always able to override my worst impulses. Landon is my son, after all. When I was younger, my ruthlessness was not so carefully controlled. Fortunately, I fell in love with a woman who demanded it of me. Sally couldn’t love a man who couldn’t be a good man for her. She knew what she deserved, what Landon deserved, and she wouldn’t have stayed with me if I couldn’t straighten up and become that man. So, I did.”
Now I’m even more uneasy.
I know Landon said not much slipped past him, but exactlyhow muchdoes Hayden know?
“Sally has been gone for a long time, though, and meeting your mother… it’s the first time in all those years I’ve found a woman I’m afraid of losing. I would do just about anything to keep your mother, and Landon is the single biggest threat to our relationship. I am tempted to look the other way. I’ve been battling that temptation since you moved in here. I hope you don’t take offense, I’m just being honest with you.”
I shake my head. “I’m not offended.”
Hayden nods, then tells me with no pleasure whatsoever, “My basest instinct here tells me not to look the gift horse in the mouth. If someone else wants to pick up the check for my happiness, let them. My commitment to your mother isn’t the only one I’ve made, though. When I committed to her, I also made a commitment to you, to be as much of a father to you as possible, and I can’t make the conscious decision not to protect you and convince myself I’m doing that.”
I swallow. “I appreciate that, but I really have everything under control.”
“You keep saying that, so why do I doubt it?”
I crack a smile. “Because you know your son?”
His mouth tugs up as well. “Yes, I suppose that’s why.” He pauses, his gaze drifting as he thinks. When his gaze hits mine again, I see that gleam of intelligence that has always appealed to me. “Well, if that ever changes, please don’t hesitate to come to me.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t wait until you’re pushed into a corner. The sooner you speak up, the more options we have. Once you’re cornered, the options tend to be much fewer and much more drastic.”
I nod my understanding.
He watches me, still not appearing content. “Landon has never been with a girl he’s afraid to lose, Parker. He may not know how to approach it.”
