After we dried off we went to bed, exhausted. Ken was good at pushing my limits, but I knew I wouldn’t be up for more. He didn’t look like he would ask for more, but he still wrapped his arms around me to hug me close and hold me to his chest. We’d cuddled before, but I found it especially soothing this time, especially after the encounter with Mike.

I sighed as I thought to myself, remembering his last words to me. I’d known Mike for years, and I knew he wasn’t the kind of guy to say things he didn’t mean. He’d probably just come back to talk and mention the law again if I continued refusing him.

The last thing I needed was the law getting involved. He’d left us, true, but I didn’t know why or where he went, and he was still Bryson’s father. More than anything, I felt insecure. I knew my boy would still want his dad, and it would be cruel of me to try and get in between them.

But he didn’t deserve to walk back into our lives and take my son from me! My mind cried out against the very idea of it.

Sadly, I was a lawyer myself, and I knew all the things that would be taken into consideration. There was plenty for me to worry over. I was on my own and struggling, and life was only just settling to where I could spend time with my son without worrying about our financial situation. If Mike could provide better, he could be considered the better choice.

No fucking way would I just let him have my son.

“What exactly did that man say to you?”

“Hmm?” I looked up, resting my chin on Ken’s chest, to find him looking down at me.

“Your ex-husband,” he emphasized with a sour look.

It would have been funny if I wasn’t so shaken up. “He wants Bryson. I didn’t let him explain things, so I’m not too sure exactly what he wants, but he at least wants to see Bryson.”

Ken frowned. “Don’t take this as me taking his side, but would that be so bad? He may not have been the best dad around, but he’s still the boy’s father.”

I sighed. That was exactly what had me so worried!

“You don’t understand because you weren’t here when he first left. Bryson was so distraught when his dad just disappeared without a word. It was a chore getting him to eat every night, and he suddenly got quiet and withdrawn at school. His grades didn’t suffer too much, but they still dropped. I was worried, his teachers were worried…”

“He doesn’t look that bad now.”

“Of course not, because he adjusted. But what happens when he sees Mike now, and Mike decides he needs to leave again? I don’t know how it’ll affect him. And what if Mike tries to take him from me altogether?”

Just the thought had me shivering, but this time with anger. I couldn’t just bury my head and pretend the possibility wasn’t there, not this time.

“Do you think he wants to take Bryson from you?”

I focused on Ken’s face. “What?”

“He hasn’t told you specifically what he wanted right? Maybe he just wants to stick around and be a good dad for his son. He might not want to take him away from you. Besides, is there any judge in this town that would just hand your son over to his dad after years of zero contact?”

“You can never know for sure,” I muttered under my breath. “Stranger things have certainly happened. And I don’t think Bryson would hate his dad, no matter how long he’s been gone. He still insists on making him a card on Father’s Day even when the man himself isn’t there to receive it.”

Mother’s Day had warmed my heart, but that? That had frozen it. It meant my little boy was still waiting for his father to come back. He’d probably be ecstatic that his father was back. If I were a good mother, I would have told him already and helped them meet. But it was because I was a good mother that I hadn't done it yet because I didn't know Mike’s plans. Hopefully, he wouldn’t just go looking for Bryson himself, before I could talk to him. Though the idea was slim, it was possible Mike could have changed in the time since he’d left.

“And you have no idea where he went the whole time he was away?”

I shrugged again. “Absolutely no fucking idea. It’s not like he even told me he was leaving. The divorce was done with, so I didn’t think too much about it until I needed him to help me at least talk to Bryson, only his number wouldn’t go through. He could have been anywhere…”

I wondered what he’d been doing when his son and I struggled back home. Had he been on vacation? Did he get a job out of town that kept him away? Or had he been busy exploring the entire time?

Whatever it was, it had taken its toll on him. I thought back to when I saw him on my doorstep, remembering details I’d put out of my mind before. He’d looked worn. Though it had only been a few years that he’d been gone, his appearance had made it seem like he’d aged about ten years. He must have just arrived in town and shown up, because he had a trace of beard on his chin and jaw, and unless the years had changed him a lot, he normally liked to be cleanly shaven.

Then, there was Ken. Kenji. He’d told me about the stigma behind his name, and while I understood that part, I didn’t know why he hated his name instead of being proud of it, and damn whatever anybody else said. I’d become a little interested in it after his story, and I’d searched online to try and figure out why his parents would have named him that way.

When I did find out, I thought there couldn’t be a better fit for Ken’s warrior spirit. I remembered him punching Mike out, and while I probably shouldn’t have encouraged it, the fact he did it in my defense had brought me out of the funk Mike appearing so suddenly had nearly sent me into.

I couldn’t afford to start panicking right now, I reminded myself. I had my son to think about. And Kenji, too.

“There is one thing I wanted to talk about,” Ken said suddenly.

I refocused on his face, feeling curious. It was the first time we were meeting face to face in weeks, and the first time Ken had initiated talks between us. I wondered what he had to talk about and if it had anything to do with Mike. I’d mentioned little tidbits of how we met and got together, and our earlier years as a couple. Did he want more detail than that?

“You can talk to me about anything, Ken,” I said honestly. “I’ve really wanted to talk to you, too, just…”

His expression turned sheepish, his lips tilting up at one corner into a smile. “Yeah, sorry about that. Work has been crazy.”

I hummed. “How’s the studio been doing?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s getting off the ground, at least. I have customers coming in, a lot of them. There’s already a gym in town, and they’ve been in the area longer than I have, but because I’m focused on boxing and not just working out, I’m getting a lot of clients. I’ve been so busy organizing the classes, not to mention there are people that will need and are willing to pay for one-on-one instruction.” He sighed. “It’s hectic.”

“What did you do before you came here, anyway?”

“I worked at a gym as a personal trainer. That’s why I just opened my own and know most of what I’m doing. For the business part… when a lot of kids my age were going off to universities, I was taking a bunch of online courses on things like business administration because I didn’t want to be left completely behind. I didn’t think I’d ever use them, just thought it would be useful to know and…”

“Years later, it’s worth something,” I finished for him.

He grinned at me, then sighed and his eyes slid closed. “I’m still worried about the future, though. Yeah, things are fine now. But you never know, things could take a sudden bad turn.”

I pursed my lips, thinking that my situation was quite similar.

“You can't keep worrying about the future, though,” I said quietly. This was something I’d come to find for myself, even if the future I was facing now was less than satisfactory, to put it mildly. “You lose out on a lot if all you keep doing is thinking about what will happen before it happens. Focus on right now, but try to stay cautious, and you should be fine.”

“Is that advice coming from experience?” His eyes opened, and he stared at me.

“You could say so. After Mike left us, I kept wondering what would happen the day I let myself and my son down. I was in a slump over it for a month before my best friend managed to snap me out of it. She’s good at doing that, and she told me something along those same lines. I don’t know where I’d be without her.”

Ken tilted his head a little, his expression thoughtful. “Is there a possibility I could know this friend of yours?”

I frowned, thinking it over seriously. “I don’t think so… I mean, she’s seen us at least once—”

“Wait,” he said, interrupting. “When exactly did she see us?”

I shrugged. “Think back to that first day we went out together when you broke my fence and came to fix it.” My eyebrows arched as I looked down at him, and he had the grace to look sheepish about it.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I was deep in thought when that happened. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose.”

I just chuckled at his hastily thrown out excuse. “I was never mad about it. Plus, I’m grateful it happened, because who knows how long it would have been before you decided to talk to me?”

Ken laughed with me. “I guess there is that.”

He grinned at me, his arms around my waist squeezing me a little.

“So,” I continued with my story, “you and I went out and ended up at a restaurant together, twice, just on the first day. My friend was in the area, and she saw you. She told me about it later. It’s possible that you’ve met her and just don’t realize it’s her. Her name is Annara.”

He frowned and tried to think, but then he was shaking his head.

“Sorry, the name doesn’t ring a bell.”

I wasn’t surprised. She was pretty good at flying under the radar. Plus, I was sure she still had a gym membership at the old place.

“I’ll introduce you to her one day,” I said, without thinking. It took me a minute to realize what I’d just said, and I winced. “Sorry…”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” he said quickly. “This is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

My eyebrows shot up. My heart started beating a little fast, as I wondered if I should be worried.

“Really?” I said, trying to make my voice sound casual.

He saw right through me. “You don’t have to doubt yourself, Lydia. I’m not trying to break up with you, it’s just… when I saw that guy at your door making you uncomfortable, I wasn’t sure exactly what we are, and if I had a right to pick a fight with the guy when I didn’t know who he was. If anything, I should be the one worried here.”

“What?” I stared at Ken, who looked serious. “What the fuck are you talking about? Ken, do you understand how awesome you are? My ex just showed up on my doorstep, and you’re still here. You get along great with Bryson. I’m carrying so much baggage, and I’m already so much older…”

He caught my face between his palms, leaning up to press a quick peck on my lips to get me to stop.

“You need to stop thinking like that,” he said seriously, holding my gaze. “Lydia, you’re beautiful, so much more than you think. Ever since the first time I got a proper look at you, I can't help but keep looking. You’re older, yes, but you’re sexy, and I never felt for any other woman what I feel with you. It worried me a little in the beginning, how easy it would be to fall for you, but… I’m willing to stop running away from it if you are.”

I blinked down at Ken. My mind didn’t want to process what he was saying because there was no way it was possible. He was implying he had feelings for me. Possibly deep feelings.

“And my son?” I asked to stall. “It doesn’t bother you that I have a kid?”

He shook his head. “Lydia, my parents had me young. Straight out of high school! And you’ve raised such a wonderful little boy, how could it bother me? I’ve sat down with the both of you, remember? You’re both wonderful, and I know I wouldn’t mind having you both in my life for a while, Lydia. I’ve always been looking for a home, someplace to settle down roots. Would it be so stupid if I said I found it in you and Bryson?”

I pursed my lips, seriously considering what he was saying. I knew he wasn’t just trying to use my son and me as a placeholder family to get over this issue with his parents. I’d seen how genuine he acted when he was around my son.

“It wouldn’t be stupid,” I mumbled after a minute.

Ken grinned up at me like I’d given him the world, and I blinked at him in confusion again.

“I want to see just how far you and I can go. I was nearly married before, and you got divorced. I’m not saying we’ll get there, but…”

My body shivered, even though he felt warm against me. Remarrying was one of the last things on my mind. After Mike, I hadn't even thought of meeting another guy I could feel anything so deeply for. And yet, here was Ken, who I’d already imagined having a child with. And now, marriage. I had to admit, though a great part of me was unsure, it didn’t sound terrible.

I ducked my head into his chest. Ken didn’t ask for me to give him an outright answer, and I appreciated that. I took a bit to arrange my thoughts and feelings, Ken’s fingers carding gently through my hair calming me down.

Several minutes later, I had my answer.

“Can you spend the night?” I asked, my voice in a whisper.

His hand in my hair didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.”

“Even…” I started, only to trail off as my worries got the better of me again. Get a grip, would you, I chided myself. You can do this. I took in a deep breath and looked up to meet his eyes. “Stay tomorrow, even if my son comes home. Whatever the time.”

Ken smiled at me. “I promise I’ll be here until you tell me to go away.”