Page 28 of Sweet Tooth
Why in a million years he’d ever come back, I could never have guessed.
“What do you want?” I asked Paul coldly.
He shuffled from one foot to another, tried an unconvincing smile. “Can’t a guy come and see his son?”
“It’s been more than three years.”
An ugly scowl marred his face. “And if it is? Not my fault you packed up and left without a word. Left me with shit all.”
“You weren’t at the house half the time, you were too busy out getting high and fucking your side piece. Why are you really here, Paul? Because I know you don’t give a shit about me or our son.”
One look and it was obvious. He was here for what it had all been about near the end.
“I’m not giving you any money.”
He opened his mouth to say something but footsteps coming up behind him stopped him. He turned to look at who was approaching, and my stomach fell.
“Jess, hey, I…” Zane fell silent, looking at Paul.
“It’s fine.” I forced my voice to sound strong, sure. Any weakness Paul would suck out like a leech. “Paul was just leaving.”
But Paul didn’t move.
“He giving you trouble?” Zane asked, moving up close beside him, his eyes dark and watchful.
Paul appraised him, his gaze going from Zane’s expensive car to his broad chest.
He muttered to himself as he stalked away, throwing one dirty look over his shoulder as he did so. I released a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
Zane’s questioning gaze went to me, but just then the door opened.
“He’s here!” Parker exclaimed, dancing out.
“Since when could you open the door?” I asked him as he skipped about the porch.
“Since today,” Parker said, with all the self-importance of a king. “I tried and tried and did it.”
I sighed. There was another thing to worry about with Parker – making sure all doors were locked at all times.
“Do you know what we’re doing today?” Zane asked Parker.
“Skating!” he exclaimed, hoisting up the used skates I’d bought him yesterday.
“Darn right we are.” Zane grinned, though it wavered once his gaze met mine. “You ready?”
It was also asking, you ok? I said nodded yes to both.
A few minutes later, once we were all in the car and on the way to the skating rink, Zane tried asking about it. “So about that guy…”
I shook my head. “Not now.”
Thankfully, he left it at that.
The skating rink was pretty abandoned.
“Guess Tuesday nights aren’t a big draw,” Zane said with a shrug.
“Great, fewer people for me to trip over,” I said, holding onto his arm to stabilize myself.
To call myself a ‘bad’ skater would’ve been generous. I looked like a newborn giraffe on skates.
“Damn,” Zane said as my latest topple nearly took him down with me. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were bad. Why’d you agree to come?”
“You know why,” I said softly.
Both of us fell silent as, ahead of us, Parker zipped and zoomed around the ice as easily as if he’d been born on skates. I’d had him take lessons at two-and-a-half. He’d been a natural.
“Maybe he’ll grow up to be the next Wayne Gretzky,” Zane said.
We exchanged a smile. “A mom can dream.”
Watching him, my heart had crept up my throat. To think that Paul had been there, so close, I shivered.
Zane caught my hand. “Jess…”
“Don’t,” I said sharply. If we started talking about it now, I wasn’t going to be able to keep it together for Parker, and this skating trip was for him.
Zane squeezed my hand, then brought it up to his lips. “It’s going to be alright.”
And maybe it was how he stroked my hair after, so lightly and lovingly, but for some reason, I believed him.
17
Jessica
On our way home, Parker quizzed me about Christmas. “Santa is still coming this year, right?”
“Right.”
“And I’ll need to make my list, right?”
“Right.”
“I don’t need to,” he said firmly. “I only want one thing.”
“Oh yeah?”
“The WonderPro skates 3000.”
I fiddled with the heater so it wasn’t blasting hot air straight into my eyes. “Make sure you make a list so Santa can have different things to choose from.”
“But I don’t want different things. Just those skates.”
“What about chocolate?” Zane chimed in. “You like that.”
“Yeah,” Parker said.
“Sounds like that’s something else to put,” Zane said.
“Okay.”
Minutes later, Parker was sound asleep, and we were pulling up in my driveway. Part of me half-expected to see Paul parked at the door, but there was no sign of him.
“This makes it easy,” Zane said, helping me by opening the door as I carried Parker inside.
“You should see him when he’s had too much sugar too close to bedtime,” I whispered, kicking off my boots and walking down the hallway. “It’s hopeless.”
“You’re a good mom,” Zane whispered easily. “I’m sure you find a way.”
I smiled a little at that, although it faded fast enough.
