Читать книгу First Came Baby - Kris Fletcher - Страница 13
ОглавлениеBOONE WOKE THE next morning to the smell of coffee and the sound of music.
He fumbled for his phone, squinted at the time and fell back against the pillow. It was barely five thirty. How the hell could Kate be doing the Julie Andrews thing at this hour?
But even as he lay there, he admitted that even though it was early, it wasn’t all bad. He’d almost fallen asleep over dinner last night. Thirty-six hours of travel with no more than a nap did tend to take a toll.
It wasn’t until just now, waking up a lot more refreshed and a lot less cramped, that he realized Kate had probably pulled off a similar marathon of wakefulness more than once since Jamie’s birth.
God, Boone, could you be any more clueless?
As soon as the words crossed his mind he stopped himself from piling on any more guilt. Not because it wasn’t true. He was clueless sometimes. But the words in his head had been a straight echo of his mother’s voice. He’d learned a long time ago that anything that sounded like her wasn’t something that should be indulged.
“Go downstairs,” he ordered himself. “Ask how you can help. And for the love of God, don’t freak if Jamie doesn’t want anything to do with you. You read the books. It’s just gonna take time.”
Time, and a whole lot of guts he wasn’t sure he had. Which Kate had probably figured out the moment he froze at the mention of holding Jamie.
He’d thought he was ready. After all the time he’d spent giving himself pep talks, he’d thought he’d convinced himself the mistakes he’d made as a kid were simply that, and not a guarantee history would be repeated. But when Kate had pushed Jamie toward him, all he could see was the unrelenting surfaces of porcelain and tile. All he could feel was little limbs slipping from his grasp. All he could hear was cries of pain.
He wanted to be a good father. He might not be an always-around one, but he still could be a dad who tickled his kid and changed diapers with ease and even tossed him in the air. But it was obviously going to take a lot more determination than he’d expected.
Remembering that one second when Jamie had first settled in his arms and looked up at him told him that it would be worth it.
Remembering the confusion on Kate’s face told him that he needed to let her know why this was gonna take work.
With his marching orders clear, he pulled on sweatpants and followed his nose to the kitchen.
Kate sat at the kitchen table with Jamie on her lap. He squealed and bobbed and dove like a prize fighter. The spoon in her hand hovered just out of Jamie’s grasp, like she was waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in and shove food in his mouth. Or maybe she was waiting for the right moment in the song she was singing—something about wheels and a bus and beep, beep, beep. Boone was torn between fear that Jamie would slide right off the slippery little robe Kate wore, and admiration at how easy she made it look.
She glanced his way with a faint smile. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
He could say the same. Except for her, even with her hair askew and glasses instead of contacts, it would be true.
“Hope we didn’t wake you,” she continued. “Somebody decided that five was the new eight.”
“I guarantee you, he didn’t inherit that from me.”
She waved toward the counter. “Coffee’s ready. Help yourself.”
A couple of minutes later, coffee appropriately doctored and that first life-altering sip working its way down his throat, he pulled out a chair on the other side of Jamie. “Safe to sit here?”
“Should be. We haven’t started finger food yet, so he doesn’t have anything to throw.”
Boone peered into the bowl that sat on the table just out of Jamie’s reach, assessing the contents while wondering how to start the conversation he knew was needed. “Do I want to know what that is?”
“Rice cereal. This is his first solid food, so we’re still figuring it out.” As she spoke, she slipped the minuscule spoon between Jamie’s lips.
“It looks like there’s more coming out of him than staying in.”
“That’s okay. He’s getting the hang of it, aren’t you, Jamiekins?” She buried a yawn in her upraised arm. “Sorry. Rough night.”
The guilt devil shoved a pitchfork in Boone’s conscience. “Did you get any sleep?”
“Some. I’ve had worse.”
Jab, jab.
She spooned up more slop and took aim, but stopped before the spoon made it to Jamie’s mouth. She sat a little straighter, took a deep breath, then turned to Boone with the spoon extended.
“Here you go, Daddy. Your turn.”
It was so obvious she was forcing herself to do this that his gut twisted.
Mierda.
He took the spoon and set it gently on the table, then leaned forward in his chair, arms braced along his thighs, hands clasped. “Kate, I need to explain something.”
She tipped her head but stayed silent.
“Last night, when I was so...weird...about holding Jamie, it wasn’t anything to do with him, okay? It’s because...” Damn. This was harder than he’d expected. “When I was twelve, I was in a foster home with a bunch of other kids. There was a baby. Tristan. He was...maybe a year old? I can’t remember exactly, though I know he was older than Jamie.”
Actually, what he remembered the most was the weight of Tristan in his arms, more solid and bulky than Jamie. Though since Boone had still been just a preadolescent himself at the time, it was hard to compare.
“Anyway, one night Tristan was sick. I don’t know what was wrong exactly. I just remember I was the only other kid home, and the mom was out of medicine and Tristan was asleep, so she asked me to keep an eye on him while she ran to the store. Ten minutes, tops.”
Which had been true. What had turned out to be false was the assurance that Tristan would sleep through her entire absence.
“As soon as she was out of the driveway and around the corner, he woke up. And I could tell something was wrong. He was shaking. Hard. His arms and legs were jerking and he kept tossing his head back and forth while he made this weird sound.”
Kate lowered her free hand, which she had cupped over her mouth as soon as he launched into the description. “A febrile seizure?” she whispered.
He wasn’t at all surprised that she knew what had happened even without seeing it. “Yeah. That’s what it was. The thing is, I had no idea what the hell was happening. For a minute there I thought...well... You can imagine all the things I figured might be happening.”
“Boone, you were twelve. Nobody would expect you to—”
“I know. The thing was, I also didn’t know what to do about it. And so instead of leaving him in his crib and calling for help, I picked him up and tried to hold him.”
Kate’s quick inhalation told him that she’d figured out what had happened faster even than it had played out in real life.
“It was so fast. One minute I was putting him up on my shoulder, and then he twisted and threw himself backward.” Boone glanced up at the ceiling to steady himself. Even now, twenty years later, he could still feel his hands trying to grip Tristan as he arched and flew back. “He, um, hit the floor. Hard.”
Kate probably had no idea that she was clutching Jamie tight to her chest. “Oh, God. Boone. You... He... What...”
“Broken leg. Concussion. Hairline fracture of the collarbone.”
Kate’s death grip on Jamie eased slightly. “Oh, that poor sweet bunny. But at least... I mean, those are all things that can be fixed.”
“Yeah.” Not that that had been much consolation at the time. Boone would never forget the cold rush of panic that had raced through him when Tristan’s moans had become high-pitched howls of pain.
“I guess that explains why you were a little freaked at the thought of holding Jamie.”
Kate’s soft words pulled Boone back from the past trap. He focused on Jamie’s wary eyes, the hideous cupboards, the hum of the refrigerator. Here. Now. This was what mattered. History was just that. He couldn’t change it but he could learn from it.
And he could damned well make sure it didn’t ruin the moment.
“So. I guess we kept Jamie waiting long enough.” He made himself smile as he reached for the spoon. “Shall I?”
It was ridiculous to be so warmed by the pride in Kate’s eyes, but there it was.
“Absolutely.” She pushed the bowl in his direction. “Just put a little on there, and slip it in gently.”
He could do this. He would do this.
Jamie’s eyes followed his movements as Boone scooped up a hummingbird-sized portion of slop and aimed for the target. But his son was no dummy. At the last second, he turned his face so the food ended up smeared across his cheek.
“Crap.” Boone caught Kate’s eye. “Wait. Am I allowed to say that in front of him?”
She tapped her finger against the end of her nose. “Well,” she said after a moment, “the other day, I dropped a hammer on my foot and let loose with some words that I’m pretty sure were never spoken in Nana’s house before. So trust me. He’s heard far worse.”
That was a relief.
“And by the way,” she added softly, “the first time I gave him cereal, I made it too thick and gave him too much and he choked on it. For a few seconds I thought I was going to have to do the baby Heimlich on him.”
Boone was pretty sure she’d told him about that for his benefit far more than from any need to confess.
Did that make him any less appreciative? Oh, hell, no.
“Go on,” she urged softly. “Try again.”
Boone loaded his spoon once more and leveled his gaze on Jamie, now rocking back and forth on Kate’s lap. His little arms windmilled at his sides.
“Is he trying to take off?”
“Hope not,” she said. “He doesn’t have a passport yet.”
Babies needed passports?
“That’s something I thought maybe we could take care of while you’re here,” she said. “Not that I’m planning any major adventures for the next while. I’m probably going to stick close to home for the near future.”
The satisfaction in her voice told him she didn’t have any problem with that.
“But my great-aunt Donna is in the States, in Vermont, and I know Mom would like us to visit before I go back to work in November.”
“Oh. Sure, whatever you need.” Boone squinted at Jamie. “Okay, kid. We’re going to do this. My job is to get the spoon to your mouth. Your job is to open up. Got it?”
Jamie stopped baby break-dancing and stared at Boone. It was almost possible to see him making the mental leap. Big guy...not Mom...doesn’t know how to hold me...
His mouth opened. Probably to cry, but one thing Boone knew was how to take advantage of an opportunity. Praying he wouldn’t hit something, he popped the spoon into the opening and deposited the food.
“There you go!” Kate all but applauded. It was ridiculous. Though not as ridiculous as how pleased he felt about it himself.
Jamie, of course, chose that moment to let loose with the wail that had been brewing. Kate picked him up and put him on her shoulder.
“Don’t be so fussy,” she said. “This is your daddy. And you are very, very lucky to have him.”
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, Kate zipped Jamie into his front pack, grabbed a clipboard, and headed outside to survey the property with Boone.
He was already out on the porch, walking slowly from one end to the other, carefully putting his weight on each board as he stepped.
“How’s it look?” She handed him the clipboard.
“Other than those spots you already know about, the floor is solid. A half a dozen new boards, a fresh coat of stain or paint, and it should be good. We’ll need to replace some of the railings, too.” He scribbled something on the paper. “You said you got estimates on these repairs already?”
“Right. I thought the best strategy would be to figure out what needs to be done, then balance what you and I can do ourselves against the cost of everything, and go from there.”
“Prioritize. Right.” He nodded, started to write something, then stopped and looked down at Jamie. “Sorry, buddy. I forgot to get your input.”
Jamie shoved his hand in his mouth and gnawed, but he didn’t start crying.
It was a good sign, but Kate opted against saying anything. She didn’t want Boone to feel that she was watching his every move, or judging his interactions with Jamie, especially after the mealtime revelation.
She shivered. Dear Lord, what else was Boone keeping bottled up inside him?
No, it was definitely best to let things unfold naturally. All Boone and Jamie needed was some time and togetherness.
She refused to dwell on the thought that time and togetherness were the most limited factors in this relationship.
Instead, she laughed. “You want proof that you can take a guy out of Canada but you can’t take the Canadian out of the guy? You just apologized to a baby. For something he can’t even understand yet.”
Boone’s grin was slow to appear, but when it did—in full surprised delight—it was well worth the wait. “I guess some things are too ingrained to forget.”
Kate was inclined to agree. Especially when Boone gave his jacket a tug and a pat, and she remembered the way he always did that when he got dressed. A final tug. A final pat. And then, usually, a final kiss before he headed out the door.
How many times had that last kiss turned into something more?
And how many times would she be fool enough to torture herself with memories such as that before she—
Boone looked past her to the road. “Looks like you have company.”
Kate turned. One glance at the little white hatchback turning into her driveway and her heart sank.
“Oh, God,” she said bleakly. “It’s my mother.”
Boone flinched. “She still pissed at me?”
“Yes.” There was no point in sugarcoating the truth, especially when Boone was well aware that he was high on Maggie Hebert’s hit list. “I meant to warn you, but I thought she’d give us at least a full day.”
“And lose the element of surprise?”
At least he didn’t sound too worried.
“There’s one thing in your favor. Allie’s former fiancé moved into the Number One Scum spot when the Mounties showed up. You, at least, tried to do the right thing.” Kate waved at her mother, now walking toward them. “If we can get her talking about that, it’ll remind her that you’re a prince in comparison.”
“I’m not holding my breath,” he said, then waved as cheerfully as if Kate hadn’t just given him the equivalent of a battle plan. “Hello, Maggie!”
Kate winced. “It’s Mrs. Hebert to you,” she reminded him, but it was too late. Maggie was already scowling as she climbed the steps.
“Good morning, Katie. Good morning, sweet little Jamie.” She looked past them. “Boone.”
Kate closed her eyes against the whirlwind generated by being dragged abruptly back into adolescent embarrassment over her mother.
“Mom. Be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
Right. According to Maggie, the fact that Boone still had testicles was proof of her magnanimity.
“What can we do for you, Mom?”
Maggie sent a cold look in Boone’s direction before turning to focus on Jamie. “Well,” she said in a much milder tone as she grabbed the tiny foot, “I came by to invite you to dinner on Sunday.” She sighed and glanced up at Boone. “All of you.”
Oh, joy.
“You could have called,” Kate said.
“I’m well aware of that, Katherine. But I was out running errands already, and I saw you outside, and this way I got to have a minute with the sweetest little guy in the whole wide world. Right, Jamiekins?”
Kate was never quite sure how her mother managed to adore everything about Jamie while claiming to be plotting revenge against the man who had fathered him. But then, there were many things about Maggie Hebert that had never made sense.
“I don’t know,” she began, only to be interrupted.
“Allie and Cash are coming, too, and there’s no one booked for the bed and breakfast that night. I thought we could have a real family meal.”
Dear Lord. If the sarcasm were any thicker, they could spread it on toast in place of peanut butter.
Something warm landed on Kate’s shoulder. Boone’s hand. He squeezed, gentle but heartening, and she got the message. They were going to have to do this eventually, and if Allie and Cash were present, there might be a buffer zone.
“Okay. We’ll be there.”
Maggie grabbed Jamie’s hands and pulled them together in an imitation of applause. “Yay! Can you say yay, sweetie? You’ll be talking soon, you smart boy.”
“Mom. He’s not going to say anything like that for a while.”
“She is such an unbeliever, isn’t she?” Maggie made a sourpuss face, drawing a giggle from Jamie. “That’s right. You know it’s the truth, don’t you, sweetheart?”
“Very kind of you to invite us,” Boone said, and Kate marveled at the evenness of his voice. “What time should we get there?”
“Oh, the usual. Kate knows.”
Yes, Kate knew. She knew many things. Like how her mother had the ability to convey about twelve different messages with two tiny words.
They were going to have to talk. Soon.
“So, not to be rude, Mom, but we have a lot to get through today, and since we’re going to see you soon anyway...”
Maggie straightened and gave the house a brisk once-over. “You told him about the roof, right?”
Kate opened her mouth to answer but Boone beat her to it. “I’m going up there after we look around from the ground, but my suspicion is that it will need to be completely reshingled.”
“It will. The porch needs to be fixed first, though, before Katie goes through it.”
“Hello?” Kate waved her hand in front of Maggie’s face. “Standing right here in front of you?”
“It’s on the list.” Boone gave her shoulder another squeeze. Purely to help her stay calm, Kate knew, but at the same time, oh, it felt so good. All that heat and strength. All that promise.
All that heartache, Kate.
“Make sure you check out the basement. Katie says it’s good, but I think there’s some water seeping in at the back wall. The upstairs bathroom needs to be completely gutted. The kitchen could use an overhaul, too, but—”
“Mom.” Kate had to put an end to this. “We’ve got this, okay?”
Maggie looked between them, searching, though for what, Kate wasn’t sure. The only certainty was that when she spied Boone’s hand, she snapped to rigid uprightness so fast that it was like someone had replaced her spine with a titanium rod.
Boone left his palm exactly where it was. Which was a good thing. It kept Kate from turning and walking away in disgust.
“That’s right,” Maggie said. “You’ve got this.” And she tickled Jamie’s stomach.
God, Kate thought, please help me remember this when someone breaks Jamie’s heart someday.
“Well, it’s good to know that the place will get the makeover it needs.” Maggie shielded her eyes as she looked over the house again, this time with her face softening. “It’s a good, sturdy home. It’s a shame to think that it will finally get the attention it deserves only to be let go, but—” she shot daggers at Boone “—I guess these things happen.”
“Mom. We’ve talked about this. I love this place, too, but it’s too big and too expensive. The heating bills alone would put me in the poorhouse. Add in the village taxes and the furnace on its last legs and—”
“I know. You’re right, of course. I just hate to see how easily people let go of things these days. Like they don’t matter. Home, family. Whish. Thrown to the wind.”
Okay, that did it. “I think Jamie needs a diaper change. We’d better take care of that. Don’t want him to get a rash, right, Mom?” She leaned forward and dropped a fast, totally unauthentic kiss on Maggie’s cheek. “See you Sunday. Come on, Boone.”
She turned quickly, and then, just to piss off her mother, reached back and grabbed Boone’s hand. Probably a mistake, given the rush of memories that flooded her at the small bit of contact—not to mention the sea of hormones that threatened to swamp her—but hey. Maggie needed to know she and Boone were a team. An unconventional one, to be sure, but a team nonetheless.
Of course, that was assuming her mother hadn’t terrified Boone to the point of bumping up his return flight by, oh, five weeks and change.
* * *
BOONE KNEW THAT Kate had taken his hand only to annoy her mother, and maybe to ensure that he followed her into the house. Not that he had needed any assistance on that score. Kate’s mom took the whole mother bear image to new heights.
But no matter the reason, he was grateful. He and Kate had been all about the physical in their months together. Being with her without that set him off-center, left him uncertain how to act and what to say.
Not that they had been in it only for the sex. He had liked hanging out with her. He still did. They had been able to laugh and understand each other in a way that had surprised him, given how little they had in common. There had been a lot more between them than just fun in the sack, and if circumstances had been different and he didn’t have the history he did, he could have easily seen them building something long-term.
But he was who he was, and life was what it was. And if he had to be an idiot over something, well, there were far worse things than the feel of Kate’s hand in his.
Like the almost-visible clouds of steam coming off her head.
“I can’t believe that she...argh!” Kate shook her hand loose, much to his dismay, and jerked at the zippers on the front of Jamie’s pack. “There are times when I could cheerfully toss my mother in the river.”
“I don’t have a lot of experience, but I think your mom was just doing what good mothers are supposed to do. You know.” He grinned at her and thought of every TV mom he’d ever seen. “Defend her kid.”
“I know. I get that. And honestly, truthfully, I know it’s because she loves me and wants the best for me and Allie and Jamie, and that she wants me to have an easier life than she had. But still.” She tugged at the second zipper. “She refuses to believe that there’s a world of difference between her situation and mine, and... Damn, why isn’t this thing unfastening?”
Boone squinted at the offending zipper, then bent for a closer look. “I think there’s a piece of cloth caught in it. Let me...” He reached forward gingerly. Jamie was such a squirmer that Boone wasn’t sure he could fix this without making it worse.
Which was kind of the story of his life, but right now he needed focus, not a trip down memory lane.
He held his breath and pulled at the fabric. “Yeah, that’s the problem. The pant leg got caught. Give me a second...” He worked the zipper while pulling gently on the gray corduroy. “Here we go...almost got it...”
The zipper gave way. The hand holding the fabric jerked up. And for one moment, his fingers slid off the pack and onto a part of Kate’s anatomy where they had no business going anymore.
He wasn’t sure which one of them stepped back first. Maybe they did it together. All he knew was that her cheeks were red and her eyes were wide and his hand was a lot happier than it had been in almost a year.
“Well. Thank you.” She sounded more than a little flustered, which made two of them. “So. Right. I’m sorry about Mom.” She lifted Jamie out of the pack and headed through the kitchen into the office.
Kate continued speaking as she set Jamie on the changing table. “I would tell you that you don’t have to join us, but she would probably drive over here and drag you there by the ear.”
“So you’re saying I should just resign myself to a night of misery?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“What did you mean when you said that your situation is different from hers?”
“Oh. Well.” Kate reached for a fresh diaper and flipped open the box of wipes, all while keeping one hand on a squirming tummy. Once again, Boone marveled at the way she handled everything so easily. So...gracefully. “I told you that my biological father was never in the picture, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, I didn’t tell you the whole story. All Mom ever said when I was growing up was that my bio father was a summer guy, and that she didn’t know how to get hold of him when she found out she was pregnant. It was one of those things you just accept, right? Because why wouldn’t your mother tell you the truth about something as basic as your father?”
Having grown up knowing that anything his mother said was more likely a lie than the truth, Boone stayed silent.
“But after Neil—my stepfather—after he died, I started to think more about it. I was almost thirteen then, and I knew things weren’t adding up. So I started bugging her.” She shot him a quick grin that had him remembering a whole lot of mischief. “Let me tell you, Mom had cause to regret all those lectures about standing my ground and never letting up when I wanted something.”
Oh, to have been a fly on that wall.
“She finally caved and told me a little bit about him. Not much. Just his name, and that his parents had absolutely not approved of her. It was the classic story—rich boy getting ready to go to university, not-rich girl who spent her summers cleaning rooms at her parents’ motel, a hot and heavy summer romance. She didn’t find out she was pregnant until he was gone.” Kate’s voice faltered. “And then, she said, she spent a couple of months in denial, hoping that...that something would happen so she wouldn’t have to make any decisions.”
Boone spared a moment of sympathy for the scared kid Maggie must have been.
“Anyway, the whole romance had been such a secret that Nana and Poppy didn’t know about it. Well, she said they had suspicions, but nothing definite. And by the time she knew she had to tell them, Mom had made up her mind that she wasn’t going to let anyone know the truth. My father’s family lived near Windsor. He was going to school in London.”
“Which London?”
“The Ontario one.” Kate dropped wipes into the trash. “Mom said she knew that if she named him, she could get child support, but she would also have to share me. And, her being the stubborn type—”
Boone coughed.
“Quiet. She said she didn’t want me spending extended periods of time with any of them. She thought he was the only decent one in the whole family.” She lifted Jamie and nuzzled his stomach, then nodded toward the rocking chair in front of the fireplace. “Sit. You’re going to hold him again.”
He noticed she didn’t bother asking.
He also noticed that she had chosen a well-padded place for him to try again. Definitely a woman who knew how to adapt to her audience.
He lowered himself into the chair and waited. Kate came close and burst out laughing.
“You look like you’re waiting for me to draw blood or something!”
“That good, eh?” Maybe if he distracted himself, kept her talking, it would get him through this. Not so distracted that he wouldn’t be able to keep his focus on what he was doing. Just enough to take the edge off his nerves.
He breathed in, held out his hands and waited. “So, what happened?”
“What happened when?” She lowered Jamie onto his lap. Boone held his breath and slowly closed his hands around his son’s warmth. For a second he couldn’t think of anything but the placement of his hands and the distance to the floor and the odds of Kate staying precisely where she was, crouching in front of him.
Purely because he wanted her there to catch Jamie if anything happened, of course.
Talk, Boone. You can do this.
“What, uh, happened with your father?” Boone risked a fast glance toward Kate. Her face could have been carved from stone. Because of him holding Jamie? Or because...
“Nothing.”
The part of Boone that wasn’t actively trying to slow his heart rate and relax into the feel of Jamie on his lap was pretty sure Kate was hiding something.
“What do you mean, nothing?”
“That’s it.” She shrugged. “Mom gave me his name. I tracked him down.”
“And?” Jamie’s eyes were getting big. Boone was pretty sure that wasn’t a good sign.
“And, he had his lawyer send my mother a check.”
Boone’s hands tightened around Jamie. “That was it?”
“Not quite.” She took a small step back, straightened, clasped her hands in front of her. “There were also instructions. If Mom and I refrained from any further contact with him, there would be another check on my eighteenth birthday, for double the child support he should have been paying all these years. If we didn’t stay quiet, the lawyers would make sure Mom would have to jump through a boatload of legal hoops to get more. They promised it would end up costing far more than she could ever get out of him.”
“They thought she was just—”
“After his money. Right.” Her mouth twisted. “It seemed he was getting ready to run for office and he didn’t want an illegitimate child upending all his plans.”
Boone stared down at the whorls of Jamie’s hair. It was so fine. So perfect. Had Kate’s been like that?
“So he wanted nothing to do with you.”
“Not a thing.” Again she shrugged, not that he believed her casual air. “Apparently he’d grown up to be just as awful as his parents after all.”
Home, family. Whish. Thrown to the wind.
Much as he hated to admit it, Boone was starting to understand Maggie’s antipathy toward him.
Jamie whimpered. Boone looked to Kate.
“I think he needs you again.”
“He’s okay,” she replied, but there was no denying the relief that rushed through Boone when she took Jamie back. Relief, but also an undeniable feeling of loss.
According to Boone’s mother, his father had no idea he existed. That was bad enough. But for Kate’s father to have made it clear she wasn’t worth anything more than a check?
“No wonder your mother thinks I’m the scum of the earth.”
“She doesn’t think that.” Kate bit her lip. “At least, not precisely.”
“I’ll have to knock myself out to prove that I’m one of the good guys.”
“Oh, please. Change my mother’s mind? We’re talking Jedi master level accomplishment.”
He laughed along with her, because she was right. But he had to try. Not that he cared what Maggie thought of him, but he could see it bothered Kate. She shouldn’t have to spend her days defending him to her mother.
He needed to find a way to prove to Maggie that he was nothing like Kate’s father. That even though he might not be a traditional kind of dad, he did love his son. And Kate had not made the worst mistake of her life when she hooked up with him.
As he remembered Maggie’s comments about wanting to keep the house in the family...and the longing in Kate’s voice when she said it wasn’t practical...he got a pretty good idea about how he could pull it off.
