Jess

I looked up at the officer, keeping my expression as neutral as I could. This wasn’t common, but it had happened enough that I was used to it, and once I explained that Jake was a family friend, people let it drop.

“May I help you?” I asked, trying to sound friendly but not too ingratiating, the perfect balance for these types of situations.

“Jessica Roberts?”

I frowned, but didn’t confirm my identity and instead looked up, waiting.

The officer seemed disinterested in me and instead looked over his shoulder. “Is this her?”

I didn’t see who he was talking to at first, but a moment later, Misty emerged from the trees.

“Yes, that’s her. And that’s my son,” she said.

I rocketed from the bench, then slowed, keeping my so-called calm when I remembered that the officer was there.

“Misty?” I asked, looking at her, frowning.

“Jessica, I’d appreciate it if you did the right thing,” she said.

“What are you talking about, Misty?” I asked.

“I hate that it had to come to this, but I’m not going to let you keep my son away from me,” she said.

I looked at her confusedly, trying to understand what was happening and not being able to.

“Misty,” I said, inching toward her.

She frowned, and I dropped my hand to my side, my stomach going through a similar motion.

This was wrong. Something was off.

“What’s going on, Misty?” I asked.

“I appreciate all your help for all these years, Jess, but Jake needs to be with his mother,” she said.

“What?” I asked, gaping.

“I don’t want a scene. Just call him over here and explain that he needs to come with me,” she said, the officer who stood behind her giving her order even more force.

“I… Misty,” I said, knowing that I must sound insane.

Fearing that I was. What other explanation could there possibly be for this?

“Ma’am, you don’t want this to be traumatic for the boy, do you?”

I looked over at the officer, and instantly everything that was happening snapped into place.

“Are you really going to do this, Misty?” I asked, my voice low, trembling.

“Are you making me, Jess?” she tossed back.

I stared at her for a moment, searching for any trace of the girl I had grown up with, the one who meant more to me than blood.

I didn’t see her. Realized I hadn’t seen her for a very long time.

“Don’t try to stall,” she said.

Even if I had no idea who she was, Misty still knew me. She was right that I had been trying to stall, but in those few seconds I realized there was no angle for me to play here.

Jake wasn’t my son.

I had no authority, no claim, especially not against his mother. And the officer wouldn’t care that I had been the first person to hold him. Wouldn’t care that when he woke up crying at night, he cried for me.

“Why are you doing this, Misty?” I asked, my voice watery with tears.

She looked at me, her eyes steely, determined. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” she said.

I looked at her, nodded, and, fighting back tears, I called to Jake.

* * *

Sean

“I think we should add macadamia nuts,” Grace said.

“That doesn’t seem very Irish,” I responded.

“I think we should add macadamia nuts,” she repeated.

I smiled and she smiled in return.

Grace was never so stirred as she was when talking about baking, and I wasn’t one to argue. People loved everything she created, so I wouldn’t get in her way.

She gave me a slight smile, one that the years of our friendship had taught me meant she’d had no doubt as to the outcome of a conversation. Then she retreated to the kitchen, taking her sample of her newest creation with her.

I watched her for a moment and then decided I’d leave Declan in charge of the pub tonight. I wanted to see Jake before he went to bed.

And, in truth, I was anxious to see Jess, too.

It seemed odd that after only a few weeks they had become such a part of my life, but every second I was away, I missed them both terribly.

Somehow, I’d gone and found myself a family, and yesterday had only cemented that fact. I’d thought about it long after my conversation with Grace and realized and accepted how right this was.

It was such a mind fuck, but it was also awesome. There wasn’t a day that went by that my son didn’t amaze me, and I could say the same for the woman who’d cared for him his entire life.

I’d gotten far luckier than I deserved. I didn’t understand it and couldn’t explain it, but I had. And I wanted to make sure I stayed that way.

Jess was still as stubborn as the day I’d first met her, but even she had to see how good things were between us. She and Jake and I belonged together, and I would do everything in my power to make her see that.

My heart gave a little wobble at the thought, but it wasn’t one of fear or even hesitation. It felt like something falling into place. I was getting a chance at the family I hadn’t known I’d wanted and one I didn’t deserve. I was beyond grateful for that.

“Sean!”

I stood at the sound of my name being called in that urgent way I never wanted to hear, especially not from Jess.

I moved toward the stairwell and met her before she entered the pub. Her eyes were wide, and her face wet with the tear tracks that stained her cheeks.

“Where’s Jake? And what’s wrong?” I asked.

My heart was thundering now, but I tried to keep calm. It was nearly impossible, though, once I looked at Jess. She was as upset as I’d ever seen her, and when I said Jake’s name, she crumbled and my alarm spiked into overdrive.

I held her tight as I led her to the bar and pushed her down into one of the chairs.

“Jess?” I said, managing to keep my voice calm though my panic was rising. This wasn’t like her, and I still didn’t know where Jake was.

She looked dazed but then she lifted her eyes to meet mine. “Misty took him,” she said.

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to understand what was happening but knowing it was nothing good if Misty was involved.

“She asked if we could meet at the park. Said she wanted to see Jake. I’m so stupid that I didn’t think anything of it. I showed up. And so did she. With the police. She took Jake,” Jess said, her voice trembling as tears flowed from her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

The anguish in that whispered apology was crushing, but I pushed that and all of my other emotions aside and held her close to me. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Nothing at all,” I said, trying to reassure her.

And she didn’t. This was squarely on Misty, but now Jake and Jess would have to deal with the consequences.

I held Jess, my mind spinning as I tried to think of the different scenarios. I hadn’t gone through any of the process of being officially declared Jake’s father. So even if I was inclined to go to the authorities, I didn’t have a leg to stand on.

And I wasn’t inclined to do that at all. Which was exactly what Misty was counting on. For reasons I couldn’t fathom, Jess thought of Misty as a good person. But I saw her for the opportunist she was, and hated her for using my son and the woman I loved like this.

“Have you talked to her?” I asked Jess.

“No. After she left the park with Jake, I came straight here,” she said.

The tears began to well again, and I brushed her cheek with my thumb.

“It’s all right, Jess,” I said, smiling though I didn’t feel it. What I felt was fear and rage that almost made me delirious. But I couldn’t show Jess that. “This is just a misunderstanding. Jake will be home tomorrow.”

She didn’t believe me. I could see that in her face. But I didn’t try to reassure her. I didn’t know if I could.

Because Jake would be home tomorrow.

But Jess wouldn’t like what I’d have to do to make that happen.

* * *

Sean

“So what are we going to do?” Michael asked.

“Sean?” Patrick asked, looking at me.

It had been a couple hours since Jess had come to the pub. She was still upset but trying—and failing—to hide it. I was upset too. And hurt that Jess was going through this.

What Misty had done was inexcusable. And made only worse because Jess thought it was her fault. That couldn’t be further from the truth. All she’d ever done was try to make sure that my son had the best possible life she could give him.

I loved her for that.

And I planned on telling her that as soon as Jake was back where he belonged.

For now, I tried to swallow past my own worry and fear, something that was nearly impossible to do, and figure out what to do next.

I looked at Patrick, Declan, and then Michael. “Get my son back.”

“Good answer,” Michael said. “Whatever it takes, right?”

I focused on Declan and nodded slowly. “Whatever it takes.”

“I think Misty has been running with the wrong crowd. Her boyfriend is a piece of shit,” I said.

“So you think he put her up to this?” Declan asked.

“Maybe. Or maybe she had the idea and he gave her the play,” I said.

“Cash grab?” Michael asked.

I nodded. “She already tried to hit me up and I told her to fuck off. I guess she thought this was a better way to get my attention,” I said.

“It worked,” Patrick said.

“It did. And when she sees that, she’s going to do this over and over again. Use Jake to bleed me dry,” I said.

“You won’t allow that,” Michael said.

“No. I can’t,” I replied.

“So?” Patrick asked.

“So we wait,” I said, having to force the words out.

I hated them, could hardly bear the thought of doing nothing when my son was gone. My instincts, my anger, screamed at me to act. But I couldn’t give in to that. Misty was Jake’s mother, though that mattered to me less and less as the hours ticked by. But she was, and Jess still cared about her, so I needed to consider what would happen after.

Which meant I had to stay calm, as impossible as that seemed.

Declan looked at me with a questioning expression.

“Right now, Misty thinks she’s got me by the balls. And she’s right. I want her to continue to think that and get nice and comfortable,” I said.

“And then pull the rug right out from under her ass,” Declan said.

“Exactly.”