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“Stay in here,” I told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll grab you some—”
“Legg
ings,” she finished off for me. “Thank you.”
I nodded and left her in the kitchen, still talking to Ford, and walked into the living room and to the small hallway where Cade was standing, his face red.
“Mom said she needs to talk to you.”
“Okay.” I looked down at his feet where he had bags surrounding him. I didn’t need to ask what they were from the way he was looking at me and narrowing his eyes at the half-closed front door. “Take your stuff upstairs,” I told him. “And don’t go in the kitchen, Lola is…doing something.” He picked up a couple of the bags and took the stairs two at a time, turning left at the top of them to head to his bedroom.
I hadn’t spoken to Moira since she’d turned up at the diner with her so-called friends. Pulling in a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped outside. It wasn’t until the cool wind whipped at my skin that I realized all I had on were a pair of shorts.
Moira stood on the path to the driveway, her face and hair done to perfection and a skirt and blouse covering her body. I didn’t feel anything, not even a pang of regret as I stared at her.
“I wanted to inform you that I signed the divorce papers,” she said, her voice high, “and that your restraining order is no longer needed because I’m moving to France for six months. Cade will be living with you during that time.”
There were so many things I wanted to say to her. I wanted to tell her she was being selfish leaving Cade right now and that he shouldn’t be punished for my mistakes, but it wouldn’t do any good. She’d become someone I didn’t recognize, and I had a feeling part of her felt that way too.
“Okay.” There was nothing else for me to say. She wasn’t any of my business anymore, and if she wanted to go to a different country, I wouldn’t stop her. I’d take care of what was mine, and that only included Cade, not her.
“I hope you’ll be happy with your new life and your new baby.” Her lips pulled up into a sneer, and I was sure she meant it to sound bitchy, but it came out in a genuine tone.
“I hope you are too,” I answered, not really knowing what to say to that.
She didn’t move her gaze off my face as she stared for another moment, and then she spun around, heading toward a car parked at the curb. It wasn’t until she got in the passenger side that I realized there was a guy driving. I watched them drive away, not caring about what she was doing one bit. All that mattered was how Cade felt about it all.
I stepped inside the house, took the stairs two at a time, and headed toward his room. “Cade?” I called as I rapped my knuckles on his bedroom door.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he replied. “I’ve got work in an hour. Can you take me?”
I huffed out a breath and shook my head. I wasn’t going to give him what he wanted, because that was what I would have done before. Things were different now. I was here, and he was going to have to get used to it. I pushed open his door, my gaze finding him where he sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. “Tell me,” I demanded.
His head shot up, his eyes narrowing. “I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Tough shit.” I leaned against the doorframe. “We’re gonna talk. Now, tell me how you feel about your mom moving to France.”
“Why?” He stood, his hands clenched at his sides. “Why should I tell you? It won’t make a difference.”
“Maybe it won’t.” I tilted my head. “But you’ll feel better for letting it out.”
His nostrils flared, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. He was becoming a man before my very eyes. “It’s bullshit, but whatever. She wants to leave so…” He shrugged and moved across his room. “Let her do what she needs to do.”
“She hasn’t had the easiest of lives—”
Cade laughed so loud and brash it had my eyes widening. “Dad, seriously?” He shook his head at me like I was a kid and he was the adult. “She’s had it the easiest of all of them.” He grabbed his backpack. “There’s no point in talking about it. I’m going for a walk before work.”
I opened my mouth, but he was moving past me and jogging down the stairs before I even had a chance to say anything to him. He was angry, I knew that, but more than anything, I could sense how hurt he was. I promised myself there and then I would be the best goddamn dad to him that I could.
I stepped away from his room and spun around. Lola was waiting outside our bedroom door. “He just needs to process it,” she said. “He’ll come to you when he’s ready.”
I scraped my palm over my face and let out a tired breath. “I know.”
Her lips quirked at the corner. “What do you say we get back in bed for thirty minutes before we have to be adults for the day?” she asked.
I stalked toward her, my lips lifting on one side the closer I got. “You have something in mind, kid?”
She bit down on her bottom lip, her chest lifting on an inhale, her erect nipples showing through the thin cotton of her T-shirt. “I dunno, old man. Think you can give me what I need?”
