Page 33 of Tempt
“That was me,” I confirmed.
“It was probably me on the street too. I was downtown last night with my sisters.”
I nodded. “I had a feeling. But I told myself I was seeing things. What are the odds?”
“Speaking of numbers.” She looked at me curiously. “How is the math even possible? Not that it’s my business, but—”
“I was only eighteen. And I never knew about him,” I said, feeling like I owed her an explanation. The last thing I wanted her to think was that I’d abandoned a young pregnant girl. “Mason’s mom was only eighteen too, and we had a reckless thing that only lasted a few days. I had no idea she got pregnant, and she never told me about him. Or told him about me.”
“It’s such an odd choice to make—to keep a child from his father.” Millie’s expression was distressed. “I don’t understand it.”
“The circumstances were less than ideal,” I said. “Believe me, if I could go back knowing what I know now, I’d do things differently. But as it is, I can’t bring myself to judge Andi—Mason’s mom—for the decision she made. We were kids ourselves, barely out of high school. And I didn’t exactly leave her with the best impression of me.” I gave Millie the quick version of what had gone down in Frankenmuth that fall.
She nodded slowly. “So you think she kept your son from you as punishment?”
“I don’t want to make any assumptions, but I think it’s possible.”
“Wow.”
My drink arrived and I took a swallow. “Anyway, when Mason reached out a couple months ago, I was shocked. But even before the paternity test came back, I just had a gut feeling it was true. All the facts lined up.”
“Mason left me a voicemail telling me he’d found his real dad, and that he’d be at the wedding,” she said, shaking her head, “but he never said your name.”
“He’s mentioned you to me before too—just not by name.”
She looked surprised. “He has?”
“Yes. He spoke about a former girlfriend who helped him through a hard time, and he said she was planning his wedding.”
A quick laugh escaped her. “And I thoughtthatwould be the oddest thing about this weekend.”
“I’m sorry, Millie.”
“It’s not your fault.” She sat up a little taller. “But I definitely think it’s best if Masonneverknows the truth.”
“I thought we covered well enough.” I ran a hand over my hair. “But he suspected something.”
Millie set her martini glass down with a clink and seemed to choke a little. “What?”
“As we walked over to the barn, he asked me if anything had happened between us.”
“Hedid? But—but what gave him that idea?”
“I don’t know for sure. He just sensed the tension, I guess. I don’t know Mason that well, but maybe he’s really perceptive.”
“He is.” She twisted her hands together. “What did yousay?”
“I said the only thing I could say—nothing happened.”
Millie looked relieved, her shoulders loosening. “Okay. Good.”
“He told me that he’s spent much of his life searching for truth and feeling like things were being hidden from him.” I took another drink.
“His mom,” said Millie quietly. “It must be so hard for him that his mother kept you a secret. They were close.”
“In one of our first conversations, he mentioned something about working toward forgiveness.” For a moment, I wondered if I was betraying Mason’s confidence by sharing this information with Millie, but I wanted her to understand that if the stakes were anything less than earning my son’s trust and respect, I would have loved to spend time with her again. “I think reaching out to me, establishing a connection, is part of that.”
“Of course.”
