It was no surprise to Nora that the paternity test came back positive, confirming that Davey was Ben’s biological father.

As she drove across town to meet him, nerves rumbled in her belly. She had been determined to find Davey for one reason—so Ben would have family to take care of him should something happen to her. She hadn’t thought through what having a father would mean for Ben. She also questioned whether Davey wanted to be a father. He didn’t strike her as the paternal type. What if he wanted nothing to do with Ben? That would crush Ben…but only if they told him Davey was his father.

She pulled into the diner’s parking lot contemplating how to protect Ben. She decided she would outline rules of engagement with Davey, including not telling Ben the news until she was confident that Davey would stick around.

Last night, she’d had the opposite fear—that Davey would fight her for full custody and being Ben’s biological father, he would take Ben away from her. After thinking it through, she’d pushed that worry aside. Davey was a NASCAR driver who traveled most of the year. He didn’t have time to take care of a child…unless he hired a nanny. A hint of panic reappeared, but she brushed that aside too. Traveling non-stop wouldn’t be a good life for a nine-year-old, nor would it be what Ben wanted. He had made it perfectly clear that his desire was to stay in Serenity.

A glance at her watch indicated she was fifteen minutes early. She made her way inside the diner and slid into a booth in the back. She ordered hot tea, then waited and worried. She had no idea what to expect with Davey. When he’d called her yesterday, he had shared the test results in a factual manner without giving away any emotion. Now that he’d had time to let the news sink in, what was he feeling? Anger, panic…joy?

She took a sip of tea to calm her nerves, then glanced at her phone. Davey was ten minutes late. Impatience kicked at her gut. Did he think his time was more valuable than hers? She tapped her fingers on the table as she took another swig of tea.

Five minutes later, Davey arrived. He quickly spotted her, but spent the next little while signing napkins, papers, and a ballcap as he made his way toward her. With each interruption, Nora’s jaw clenched. By the time he slid into the seat across from her, she was simmering with irritation.

“Glad you could finally make it,” she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

He raised a single brow and nodded at her mug. “Haven’t had enough caffeine this morning?”

When Davey turned to look for the waitress, she shot over faster than Nora could blink.

Nora rolled her eyes while Davey laid on the charm. She had to admit he was good-looking. That is if you liked the sun-kissed blond, blue-eyed, tall, lean look. And apparently, the waitress did. As Davey signed her order pad, she hung on his every word. She told him that he’d had a great season and that she had cried after he’d wrecked in some race.

Cried? Seriously? It was a race, not a matter of life and death. Finally, she took Davey’s order for a cup of coffee. When she started to walk away, Davey touched her arm and the woman turned back. Her eyes sparkled and her face flushed as she glanced back and forth between Davey’s hand on her arm and his face. “Amber, could you also bring Nora—” he nodded in her direction “—another tea?” His lips ticked up into an obnoxious grin. “She seems to be a little short on caffeine this morning.”

After Amber pulled herself together and made her way toward the kitchen, Nora pinned a look on Davey. “It must be exhausting to be you.”

“You can’t even imagine,” he said, his tone surprisingly genuine.

Maybe he did get tired of the doting, after all. She could empathize. She would hate being recognized everywhere she went, having people ask for her autograph, and even worse, dealing with the media tracking her every move. Maybe he hated it too. He probably had to be charming and gracious as a part of his job.

But that wasn’t her concern. They were here to talk about Ben.

The waitress returned with their drinks, then lingered to ask if Davey needed anything else…repeatedly. Losing patience, Nora tapped her foot on the floor as Amber hemmed and hawed and made a general fool out of herself. Nora consciously focused on blinking her eyes instead of rolling them. The latter was a bad habit she’d been trying to break.

Amber finally left with a promise to check back on them.

Huffing in frustration, Nora shifted toward Davey, then got down to business. “How d’you feel about being a father?”

“No, how are you? How’s the weather? How was your season?” Amusement danced in Davey’s eyes. “You’re a straight-shooter, Nora Williams.”

She lifted a shoulder. “I try.” She poured hot water over a new tea bag. “And nothing personal, but I don’t follow NASCAR.”

“Let’s start over.” Davey’s lips curved into a smile. “I’m sorry I was late. Cruz and I lost track of time going through my dad’s stuff.”

Nora’s irritation snapped like a twig in a storm. Steph had told her that Davey’s dad had passed in January and that he and Cruz had been the driving force behind Davey’s career. She lifted her gaze. “I’m sorry about your father.”

“Thanks.” Davey pulled off his white NASCAR jacket drawing her attention to his sinewy arms. Underneath, he had on a fitted black crew shirt, with the Outdoor America logo on the pocket. As he placed his jacket in the space next to him, his arm muscles bunched. His build was lean, but he obviously worked out to get those brawny arms. She wondered if it helped him while racing. Even though she didn’t follow NASCAR, she’d heard enough buzz around the bar to know that Davey was good at what he did. When his gaze met hers, she was taken aback at how closely his glacier blue eyes resembled Ben’s.

“Back to your question,” Davey said, adding cream and sugar to his coffee. “Since you seem to be big on directness, I’ll give you an honest answer.” He slid her a puckish grin as he took a sip of his coffee. “At first, I didn’t believe it and I was a little pissed. Now that it’s confirmed, I’m terrified.” He let out a tight laugh. “I don’t know shit about being a dad. But I sure want to try.”

Surprised by his sincerity and by his desire to try, she smiled. “That’s fair.” She took a sip of tea. “Ben’s a great kid even though he’s had a rough life.”

Frowning, Davey put down his mug. “How so?”

Nora filled him in on the short version of Lynn’s alcohol and drug use and the impacts on Ben’s life.

“Damn. She wasn’t like that when we dated.” He pushed his long, sexy bangs off his forehead. “I wish I’d known about Ben sooner.”

“Why,” she snapped, “so you could take him away?” The words came out before Nora could stop them. She wasn’t sure why she was giving Davey a hard time considering she had tried to get Ben out of his dismal living conditions countless times. Maybe it had more to do with the tendrils of unwelcome attraction toward him that kept surfacing.

Regardless of the reason, Davey didn’t take bait. He met her gaze, his eyes soft and kind. “So I could help in whatever way I could.”

She sighed. It was a good answer and it showed he was thinking about Ben’s wellbeing. Even so, she didn’t know if Davey had staying power. She drank a few sips of tea, then broached her rules of engagement. “I don’t think we should tell Ben that you’re his father.”

“Why the hell not?” Davey’s brows knitted.

“I didn’t mean ever.” This wasn’t going well. She pulled in a long breath and started over. “Why don’t you meet him first? Get to know him…make sure this is something you want to do.”

“I’m not a murderer or a pedophile,” he said in a low and controlled voice. “And I’m not the asshole you seem to think I am.” His jaw tightened. “This isn’t a game where I decide whether to play or not. Already passed go, already playing.”

She hadn’t expected him to be so adamant. “I’m just trying to protect Ben.” She shifted her gaze to the floor. “My dad took off when I was five.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, scrubbing a hand over the very sexy stubble on his cheek. Why did these thoughts keep popping into her head? She wasn’t interested. He was full of himself and in the spotlight. Even worse, he was of the male gender and she was done with men for a very long time.

“I get it.” He reached a sinewy arm across the table and put his large hand over hers. His warm, tingly touch caused goosebumps to run up and down her arms. “My mom took off too,” he said. “When I was fourteen.”

“But your mom is amazing.” How could he even compare his wonderful mother with her deadbeat dad? “She must have had a reason.”

“How do you know your dad didn’t?” he asked. His tone was gentle but Nora focused on the challenge underneath.

Sucking in a wounded breath, she snatched her hand back. “You have no idea what my childhood was like.” She pressed her hands around her mug. Her dad had left when she’d been so young, she didn’t have many memories of him. It had been as if she’d never had a father. Over the years, she couldn’t help but wonder if her mother’s mental issues had worsened after he had left or whether her mother had been cruel and abusive toward him and that’s what had driven him away? Nora clutched her mug tightly, allowing the warmth to mollify her lingering childhood pain. She could almost understand why her father had left her mother. If Nora’d had the opportunity, she would have left too. But leaving her and Lynn alone to deal with their mother had been inexcusable.

Davey’s blue eyes softened. “I’m listening.”

She shook off her unwanted memories. She didn’t want to talk about her childhood. “We’re here to discuss Ben.”

Thankfully, Davey nodded and let it go. “I wish Lynn would have told me,” he said again, his eyes shifting to a faraway place. “Your sister was a bright spot in my otherwise crazy life.”

Aw. She studied Davey. He looked like he meant every word. He’d somehow gotten past Lynn’s tough talk and badass exterior and found the sweet girl Nora remembered from her youth.

His eyes returned to the now and scrutinized her. As his gaze roved from her head to her chest and then moved downward as if he could see through the table, Nora squirmed in her seat.

She reminded herself she was a confident woman. But that was true only as it related to certain things—caring for Ben and connecting with animals, bartending and office work. She was far less confident when it came to other things, like men, relationships, and her looks.

Her face was average, her only unique feature was her green eyes. As much as she jogged, she’d never been able to reduce her broad build, her big boobs, her big butt. Ella told her that guys liked big boobs and big butts. They probably did, but not like hers. Men ogled over model-thin women who were skinny except for boobs bigger than their build could carry and butts with a tiny padding. Nora wasn’t petite by any stretch of the imagination, and no matter how much targeted exercise she did, she had never been able to shrink her build.

Raising her chin, she met Davey’s gaze. She was who she was, and she couldn’t care less whether Davey liked how she looked or not. At least that’s what she told herself.

But his eyes sparked interest. She dropped her gaze to her hands. Hopped up on two large mugs of tea, she had probably misread his signals.

“Come on, Nora.” Davey pushed a hand through his hair. “Ben deserves to know his father.” He reached across the table and put his hand over hers again. Warmth shot out in all directions, dulling her senses. “That’s why you tracked me down, isn’t it? You wanted Ben to have more family.”

He rubbed his palm over the top of her hand. As warmth fanned throughout her body, she caved. Not because of the hot, tingling sensations, but because Davey was right. Ben deserved the opportunity to get to know his father.

The following evening, Davey pulled his ’69 Dodge Charger in front of Nora’s place. He was full of nerves, which pissed him off. He didn’t do nerves. It was part of what made him a great race car driver—never let ‘em see you sweat. Or better yet, never sweat in the first place.

He tried to suppress his anxiety, but for once, the emotion was tougher than him and wouldn’t be pushed aside. With no other option, he accepted it. He was confident it would lessen as the evening unfolded.

Trekking up the walkway, he glanced warily at the divided steps, the left side leading to his mother’s, the right side to Nora’s. Squeezing the flowers into his chest, he veered to the right, hoping he didn’t run into his mother. He was nervous enough without seeing her. He hustled the rest of the way to Nora’s front door, taking in the green topiaries in large urns and the antique chairs nestled on each side of a cozy table on the front porch.

On the door there was a large moss wreath with white flowers and a welcome sign with a gnome hanging off the ‘e.’ He smiled at the gnome, then rang the doorbell.

Footsteps trampled over and then the door opened. Ben stood in the entry way gaping at him wide-eyed. Was he panicked at the sight of a strange man?

Squatting down, he laid the flowers on the porch. He extended his right hand to Ben, completely unprepared for the rush of emotions. This was his *son*, his own flesh and blood. He’d been worried about what he would feel when he met Ben and had wondered if he was capable of making an intimate connection. No longer concerned, he shook his son’s hand. “I’m Da—” he almost said ‘dad.’ Damn it, Nora would kill him if he blurted it out spontaneously, after all of her fretting and planning. “Davey Jo—”

But Ben cut him off. “Davey Johnson!” Ben grinned from ear-to-ear. “What are you doing here? Did I win a prize or something?” He whirled toward the living room. “Aunt Nora, you’ll never believe who’s here!” he shouted.

Davey’s heart flooded with both relief and appreciation. Relief that his son knew who he was so they could avoid awkward introductions and appreciation that his kid seemed to like him already.

When Nora appeared, he redirected his attention. In a trance-like state, he stared at her, wobbling ever so slightly as his knees turned to water. Tonight, she looked different. Sweet and sexy, in a girl-next-door kind of way. Her hair wasn’t on the top of her head. It was long and loose, the tips extending to the top of her generous breasts. She was dressed casually, so unlike the women in his circles who wore tight cocktail dresses and sophisticated runway clothing. Yet Nora looked every bit as stunning in a long shirt that was snug at the top and flowy at the bottom, layered over a pair of black leggings. She wore boots that came up to her knees and despite the fact that they were practical flats, he found them incredibly sexy.

As Ben raced over to her, Davey picked up the flowers, then stepped inside.

The living room was small but inviting. A dark rose sectional sofa sat in the corner, accented with lots of toss pillows. There was a matching recliner and a square table. A tall bookshelf was positioned on the far wall. Two of the shelves were filled with pictures, mostly of Ben.

“Aunt Nora,” Ben said, tugging on Nora’s shirt sleeve. “You’ll never believe who’s here.” Ben’s grin widened. “It’s Davey Johnson!”

Davey grinned back at Ben, wondering how his son knew who he was if they didn’t follow NASCAR. Maybe Nora was a fan after all but hadn’t wanted to admit it. His grin widened with that thought.

“Yes, I see,” Nora said, lifting her gaze to meet his.

He raised a brow. “I thought you didn’t follow racing,” he said, unable to help the hint of smug that came through in his voice.

“I don’t,” Nora said. “But Lucas and his dad are fans.”

Now he felt like an idiot, but for some silly reason, he was also pleased that Nora hadn’t been dishonest with him. “Who’s Lucas?”

“My best friend,” Ben said, his voice pitched with enthusiasm. “Can he come over for dinner? ‘Cause he’s not gonna believe this.” Ben looked up at Nora with pleading eyes. “And Mr. Collins too? Pleeeasssse!”

Davey glanced at his son’s pleading blue eyes. There was no way he could say no to his kid. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Nora beat him to it.

“Not tonight, sweetie,” she said, in a firm, but kind voice. She clearly had experience in handling these situations. “But you can call him, okay? Then wash your hands for dinner.”

Ben’s bottom lip protruded. “But what if he doesn’t believe me?”

Sorry, Nora, but the hell with your plans. She had wanted to spell out every single word they would say and in what order. But he didn’t operate that way and he wasn’t going to let his kid suffer. He wouldn’t blurt it all out, but he could ease Ben’s mind now.

He pushed the flowers into Nora’s hands, then bent down so he was eye level with his boy. “Over dinner, we’ll make some plans. If it’s okay with your aunt, I’ll take you out this weekend. Maybe Lucas can come too.”

“Oh boy.” Ben bounced up and down on his feet. “Can we, Aunt Nora? Huh, can we?”

“Sure,” Nora said, her voice tight as if he had disrupted her order. “Go call Lucas, then wash up. Dinner’s almost ready.”

After Ben scampered off, Nora politely thanked him for the bouquet, then led him into the kitchen.

“Smells great,” he said, drawing in the spicy scent. “Thanks for having me over. I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.”

She arranged the flowers in a vase. “We’re having vegetable stir-fry. Hope that works for you.”

“Sure.” He could always stop and get a burger on the way home.

“Ben and I don’t eat meat,” Nora said, spinning toward him. “I’m a vegan, Ben’s a vegetarian. You’ll need to remember that.”

Great, she was one of those people. He rubbed his chin. “Mind if I ask why?”

Nora’s lips thinned and her gorgeous green eyes flicked with irritation. He wasn’t sure what it said about him, but her annoyance intrigued him. Women were never angry with him, that is, unless he was breaking things off.

“I’m a vegan because animals are beautiful, loving souls who have mates and families and feelings just like we do.” Turning toward him, she lifted her chin. “They deserve to live their lives in peace.”

Now he got it. She really was one of them. But Lynn and Ben too? “Was your sister a vegan?” She’d eaten plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers at the track when the two of them had dated, albeit many years ago.

“No.” As Nora stirred the vegetables in the large cast iron skillet, Davey wondered how Ben had become a vegetarian considering his mother hadn’t been. Before he could ask, Nora answered. “Ben made the decision on his own a few years ago,” she said, slanting him a defensive look. “After I took him to the Kent’s farm.”

It sounded like Nora had coerced Ben into her way of thinking. But he knew better than to share his opinion so he kept his pie-hole closed. A short while later, the three of them were seated at the small round table in the kitchen nook.

“Did I win you?” Ben asked, looking awestruck. “Or do you know Aunt Nora?” He stuffed in a mouthful of stir-fry. “I hope I won you. Wait—it’d be better if you know Aunt Nora ‘cause then I could see you more often.” His grin was so adorable, it pulled at Davey’s heart. “So which is it?”

Davey glanced at Nora, hoping she could read his mind. They needed to tell Ben now.

Nora nodded. She put down her napkin and turned toward Ben. “There’s something we need to discuss with you.”

“Uh-oh.” Ben’s grin waned. “I didn’t do it!” He lifted his hands in the air. “I swear.”

“Do what?” Nora asked.

“I dunno.” Ben shrugged. “Just covering my bases.”

Davey laughed, and so did Nora.

“Sweetie,” Nora said, “you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ben’s grin came quick. “Told yah.”

Shaking her head, Nora took Ben’s hand. “There’s no good way to ease into this, so I’m just going to say it straight-up. Davey’s your father.”

Ben’s mouth dropped open. “What?” His head snapped back and forth between Nora and Davey. “For real?”

“For real,” Davey said, relieved that the truth was finally out. He smiled at his son. “Your aunt and I just found out.”

Ben flew around the table and threw his arms around Davey’s shoulders. As he hugged his boy tight, a tender connection gushed into Davey’s chest enfolding and squeezing his heart.

The rest of the night flew by in a blur. Both the vegan stir-fry and the made from scratch biscuits were delicious. Davey ate so much that he stopped thinking about the need to make a pit stop for manly food on the way home. As they ate, Ben barraged him with questions about racing and then talked Nora into letting Lucas and his dad, Jamie, stop by. Nora lurked quietly in the background while he visited and took pictures with Ben, Lucas, and Jamie. By the time he got into his car, he had made two sets of plans for the weekend, one with Ben and Lucas and the other with just Ben. His son seemed to be on top of the world.

Davey headed home feeling pretty good too. Maybe this dad thing wouldn’t be so hard after all.

The next morning, Davey awoke to the smell of country-smoked bacon. With his stomach rumbling, he tugged on clothes, cleaned up, and made his way to the large, country kitchen.

“You cooking for an army?” he asked Cruz, taking in the spread. Bacon, sausage, cheesy-eggs, and on the griddle, pancakes.

Cruz grinned. “I’m feeling a little hungry.”

Laughing, Davey set the table. Pulling orange juice from the refrigerator, he took in the overfilled shelves. “You buy out the store?” he asked, pouring two glasses of juice.

“I was hungry when I went shopping too.” Cruz plated the pancakes. “How’d last night go?”

“Good.” Dave grabbed butter and maple syrup and put them on the table. “Make that great.” He loaded his plate with food, then sat down at the table across from Cruz. “My kid’s adorable.”

“Yeah?” Cruz stuffed in a large bite of eggs. “You aren’t feeling trapped anymore?”

Damn, had he really used that word associated with his own child? Davey flashed back to the conversation he’d had with Cruz just a few days ago when he’d been scared shitless. But that had been before he’d met Ben. “Nope.” He took a bite of his pancake, then lifted his gaze. “He looks like me when I was that age,” he said, surprised at the pride in his voice.

“I thought the same thing when I looked at his picture,” Cruz said. “A spitting image.”

Davey filled Cruz in on his night. Meeting Ben, Lucas, and his dad. “By the way, Lucas’ dad, Jamie, wants to meet you too. He’s a big fan.”

Slathering butter over his stack of pancakes, Cruz nodded. “Just say the word.”

“We should pick up some ATV’s for the weekend,” Davey said, thinking out loud. “I bet Ben and Lucas would love riding.”

“You’ve got plenty of space here.” Cruz grinned. “I can clear one of the fields. I’ve been wanting to get on that big tractor of your dad’s.” He took a drink of orange juice. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do with this place?”

“Not yet.” Davey puffed out his cheeks. “I should sell, but it doesn’t feel right. I’m not sure I’m ready to let go of it yet.”

“No need to do anything until you’re ready,” Cruz said. “In the meantime, it’s a great place for Ben and his friends to play.”

Davey felt an unexpected warmth at the mention of Ben. His son. “And to think Nora wanted to wait to tell Ben.” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m not sure she likes me.”

Cruz chuckled. “There’s a first.”

Davey flipped Cruz the bird, making his friend laugh.

“She’s just being cautious,” Cruz said. “She had a rough childhood.”

Davey stopped eating and cocked his head. “How do you know anything about her?”

“I had dinner with your mother last night. She filled me in.”

Davey put down his fork. Cruz had gone on a planned, intentional dinner with the woman who’d cruelly left him behind when he’d been a child. “What the hell?”

Cruz lifted a shoulder. “Don’t know many people around here anymore.”

Davey tried to tamp down his irritation. Cruz was a big boy who could have dinner with whomever he wanted. But after his mother had tossed him aside like yesterday’s trash, Davey couldn’t help but feel betrayed. It felt like his closest friend had stabbed him in the chest when he wasn’t looking. As hurt and anger singed at the corners of his control, he pushed his plate aside. “What the hell?” he repeated.

“Davey.” Cruz’s voice was low and calm. “Your mother was one of my few close friends in school and you know we’ve kept in touch over the years. I’m going to want to see her while we’re here.” Cruz finished off the last of his sausage, then looked him directly in the eye. “I was hoping you would too.”

Davey didn’t say anything for a long moment. That was the last thing he wanted. But at his dad’s funeral, he had promised his mom that he would touch base with her after the season had ended. He’d come to Serenity because of Ben, but he would have come at some point anyway because of the promise he’d made.

Guilt sliced through him. He was such an asshole, giving Cruz a hard time. He glanced over at his friend. “I’m sorry, man. It’s just, the wounds go deep, you know?”

Cruz nodded, then carried their dishes to the sink. He put on a pot of coffee before returning to the table. “There was more to what happened than you know, maybe more than I know too,” Cruz said. “You need to sit down with your mother and talk it out.”

Davey must have looked as horrified as he felt because Cruz let out a rumbling chuckle. “It doesn’t have to be tomorrow.”

Thank God. Because if Cruz had asked it of him, he would have done it. But he wasn’t quite ready for his mother. He had to figure out how to be a parent himself before he would be ready to deal with his own parental issues. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

“That’s all I can ask.” Cruz slapped him on the back. “But I’m going to get together with your mother occasionally while we’re here. Okay?”

Embarrassed over his hissy-fit, Davey nodded. He hadn’t even been home for two weeks and the damn town was already making him soft, making him feel emotions he used to easily keep at bay. But they’d only be around for another couple of months before the next season began. He could manage anything for a couple of months.

“It’s fine.” He pinched his lips together. “Sorry for being all pissy.” Before Cruz could respond, and because he didn’t want to talk about his mother or his piss-poor attitude, he changed the subject. “Back to Nora. She might not like me, but she should know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt my kid.”

Cruz raised a dark brow.

“Come on.” Davey pinned a look on Cruz. “You of all people should know that.”

“I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt him.” Cruz rose, grabbed two mugs from the cupboard, and poured coffee. He returned to the table with the mugs, then retrieved cream and sugar.

“Thanks,” Davey said, taking one of the mugs. He doctored up his coffee, then met Cruz’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

“We’ll be out of here in January.”

“Shit.” That’s probably what Nora had been thinking too. That he’d up and leave like her father had done. He pushed a hand through his hair. He’d only be around for Ben for two months before he had to leave. “Fuck,” he said, understanding, maybe even respecting, Nora’s hesitation.

“I don’t want to be that kind of father.” He pressed a hand to the back of his neck. He supposed he could fly back occasionally during the season to see Ben, and maybe he could fly Ben to a few of his races. But that wasn’t the kind of father-son relationship he wanted. He wanted much more, but there wasn’t a lot he could do about it. He raced cars for a living and his career entailed significant travel. “What choice do I have?”

Leveling a look at him, Cruz took a sip of his coffee. “There’s always a choice.”