Chapter 18
Leo
“Daddy, you know what Reese told me?” Brenton’s dark eyes gleam excitedly as he peers up at me.
Just the mention of that girl’s name and I feel sparks under my skin. Pulling in a deep breath, I maintain my neutral demeanor.
I look down at my son and smile. “What did Reese tell you?”
“She told me that black bears sleep aaallll winter long!” He stretches the word out and spreads his arms wide.
“Uh-huh?” I say as I pull his too-tight dinosaur pajamas over his head and down over his belly. Shit, I still haven’t made time to take him shopping. I really need to get on that. I won’t let him be that kid in school who everyone laughs at because his pants only get to his ankles.
“Yeah! And Reese said that black bears even know how to swim. Isn’t that cool?”
I crouch down in front of him and use my fingers to brush his hair out of his face. “Very cool, buddy.”
He’s silent for a while, deep in contemplation, as he wiggles into his pajama pants. Then he looks at me and grins. “And she said that they eat salmon, too. Just like we had for dinner.”
Seems I’m not the only man in this house who can’t get Reese off my mind. Brenton is in love with her. Already. I see why. She’s someone you can't not like. She’s kind, funny, patient. And she always smells so good. No matter how much I try, I can't help but feel better when I’m near her.
She told me point blank that she’s not interested in me and I hate that I wish she were. I find myself imagining what it would be like to have her close, to have her in my life. But that’s not gonna happen. I have to settle for Reese as just my neighbor, just my babysitter. What choice do I have?
I look at my son and offer him a small nod. He frowns at my lack of enthusiasm. “I thought you liked salmon.”
I nod again to give him what little assurance I can muster. “I like salmon. A lot.” We smile at each other and for one split second, I forget to be a total grouch.
Brent pulls away from me and climbs into the bed. “Reese said she’ll take me to the petting zoo when they come to town soon. She told me not to tell you because she has to ask your permission first.”
I chuckle curtly at my little snitch. “Maybe you shouldn’t spill Reese’s secrets ‘cause next time she won’t tell you anything.”
Twisting his lips to the side, he seems to consider my statement. “You’re right, daddy. Nobody likes a tattletale.”
Laughing, I ruffle his hair and sit on the edge of the mattress. “So, what story do you want to read tonight?”
He peers over at the pile of books sitting on the chair in the corner. I haven’t installed his shelf yet. I’ve been meaning to get to that. And I should put some pictures on the wall. Maybe even some posters. Make the place a little homier. Kids need that sort of thing, right? Some semblance of stability? Add that to my to-do list.
Once Brent selects his book, I scoot closer and he crawls into my arms so he can read along with me. He points out the pictures, giving me a running narrative of the story. He even tries sounding out some of the words on his own. When we’re done with the book, I tuck him in, kiss his head and turn off the light.
I creep down the stairs into the kitchen to eat the food that Reese gave me tonight, salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The smell of it as it warms in the microwave has my mouth watering.
Pulling a chair up to the counter, I collapse in front of my meal, absolutely exhausted. I worked hard today, hauling bags of cement, painting ceilings, installing flooring. As soon as I’m done eating, I plan to go straight to bed.
The mail sits next to my plate. I open the envelopes one by one as I eat. At first, it’s nothing interesting. Just bills. Credit card. Electricity. Internet. As I’m polishing off the last bite of broccoli and carrots, I get to the thick white envelop at the bottom of the pile.
My heart immediately starts thudding when I see the logo stamped into the top left corner. The scales of justice. A judge’s gavel.
My hands are shaking as I rip the envelope open and pull out the sheaf of papers. My vision goes red and agony scorches my chest as the finality of it sinks into my stomach. Mara actually went through with it…
It’s the divorce judgment. My divorce is final.