“How do you think I am, Dad? My head is spinning. I’m angry. I’m confused. And I’m afraid. I don’t even know how to be a father. Most men get eight or nine months to figure this out. I’m being thrown into the deep end of the ocean here without a life vest.”
Cal nodded. “And your son, Liam? How is he taking this?”
“We haven’t told him. I literally just found all of this out yesterday. It won’t be easy telling him.”
“Why not?”
“He’s autistic, Dad. So Savannah and I will have to tread carefully.”
“Autistic? Are you sure?”
Caden nodded. “We may be new to all of this, but Savannah had him diagnosed years ago and has made a life for him. He seems happy and adjusted.”
His father smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. What can I do? How can I help?”
“Just be there when I need to bend your ear, because I have a feeling that’s going to be quite often.”
“You got it, son.” His father reached for him and pulled him into a strong embrace. He didn’t let up even when Caden struggled to pull away, so Caden gave in and accepted the comfort. “I’ve got you, boy. I know you may not believe it, but we all do.”
Caden hoped so because he was both excited and afraid of what lay ahead.
Chapter 10
“Okay, Savannah. It’s time you tell me what’s going on,” Charlotte said when Savannah returned to work on Monday. “You promised we’d talk, but when you got back the other night, it was too late.”
“I know, Charlotte, and I’m sorry for being so cagey. So much has happened that I’m still trying to deal with the fallout.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Charlotte shot back. “Fill me in.”
Savannah gave Charlotte the highlights: how she met Caden Mitchell when he was at West Point; how they fell in love and she became pregnant, but she never told him because his mother interfered.
“So you just ran away?”
Savannah nodded. “I’m not proud of it, but at the time I thought I was justified. Caden had a long road ahead of him in the military. There wasn’t room in his life for a wife and baby.”
“But you didn’t give him a chance,” Charlotte said gently.
“I know. And he’s very upset with me.”
“Is that who you went to see the other night?” Charlotte asked. “I imagine he had some choice words for you.”
“Yes, he did.” Savannah didn’t offer up any details, but Charlotte was looking at her suspiciously.
“But yet, you stayed out quite late,” her friend commented. “Didn’t come back until well after midnight.” Her blue eyes trained on Savannah’s hazel-green ones. “Tells me he had something else in mind too.”
“Charlotte!”
“C’mon, Savannah. We’re both grown women here. You happened to see your child’s father after all these years and stayed out late, which you’ve never done. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. You spent the night with him.”
Savannah colored.
“Hey, I’m not mad at you. Caden Mitchell is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! And with your shared history and now a child, it’s no wonder you hit the sheets. Passion is the opposite side of anger.”
“I don’t know how to feel about it,” Savannah confided. “I haven’t heard from him since Saturday night.” She held up her smartphone. “You would think he would call me. If not me, then to check on Liam.”
“Cut him a little slack, Savannah. Being a father is all new to him. You’ve had twelve years to make the adjustment, not to mention he still has unresolved feelings for you and probably has had an unpleasant talk with his mother about her involvement.”
“You’re right. It’s just … our night together was so incredible.”
“I’m sure he’s probably feeling the same way, but his feelings for you may not be so easy to deal with. He probably hates you and cares for you in equal measure.”
“You think he hates me?”
“Okay, maybe hate is a strong word, but he can’t be happy with you keeping his son from him.”
Savannah understood that. She was just on pins and needles waiting for word from Caden. She had to be patient. She owed him that. He would contact her in due time.
Caden glanced down at his watch that afternoon. He wanted so much to escape the humdrum of this fundraising lunch and call Savannah. She and Liam had been on his mind all day. He wanted to talk to his son. Find out his likes and dislikes. Find out what he truly loved.
Savannah had so much time with their son. Caden had seen how much Liam loved her. He just wanted a small space in Liam’s life, but he wasn’t at all sure how to go about occupying it. Should he take him to the movies? Maybe a baseball game? He could take him to Six Flags, but perhaps that was too much. Would the crowds overwhelm him? Was Liam scared of heights? Caden had no idea because he didn’t know his own son. Why? Because his mother and Savannah had made decisions for him.
Savannah.
He was both enamored by her and angry at her, if that was possible. Saturday night, he’d wanted to drown in bourbon and feel sorry for himself and all that had been denied him. But the night ended in a way he hadn’t anticipated. Savannah had come to him of her own accord, admittedly to talk, but deep down he’d known that wasn’t the only reason. She was as drawn to him as he’d been when he’d seen her at the fundraising dinner.
His feelings had led him to her door and vice versa. Making love with Savannah again was everything. He’d never felt so caught up or enraptured with another person as he felt with her. She was the woman who always did it for him, and Saturday night was no exception. She was no longer a figment of his imagination but a flesh and blood dream come to life. Being deep inside Savannah was the closest to heaven he’d felt in ages.
When he’d entered her, she’d been tight and snug and so responsive. Her cries and moans awakened emotions in him he’d long thought were dead. He would have to face those feelings, but how?
“Caden?” Jack was standing in front of him.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Nothing of importance,” Jack said. “But be glad it was me and not a donor. What’s wrong with you anyway? Your head hasn’t been in the game since we arrived.”
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit distracted.”
Jack pulled him aside into a quiet corner of the room. “Is it because of the information I gave you on Savannah?”
Caden glanced around, making sure no one could hear him. “Yeah, and I got a hell of a lot more than I bargained for.”
Jack frowned. “Could it jeopardize your campaign? I need to know the implications, Caden.”
“Not right now you don’t. At least not until I figure it out.”
“Alright, but don’t delay. Secrets have a way of coming out.”
Jack was wrong about that. Sometimes, secrets could stay hidden for years.
Later, when they were back at campaign headquarters, Jack and Caden were discussing the next steps in his gubernatorial run when a knock sounded on the door. It was his new assistant, Angelique.
“Angie, what is it?” Caden asked.
“There’s a Natalee here to see you. Says she’s a friend.”
“It’s alright. You can let her in.”
“When it rains it pours,” Jack said from his perch on the other side of the room.
Natalee swept into the office in a designer suit, heels, and a dazzling smile, which might have worked if Caden hadn’t spent Saturday night wrapped in Savannah’s arms. When he and Jack left the fundraising lunch, he’d tried reaching Savannah but got her voicemail. He’d left a message vowing to call later and stop by that evening.
Caden rose. “Natalee, it’s good to see you.”
She beamed. “You as well. I was hoping we could …” She paused when she noti
ced Jack in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you weren’t alone.”
“It’s alright.” Jack got to his feet. “I have a few things to do to prepare for the next event. Talk later.” He nodded at Caden as he exited.
Natalee’s eyes followed his exit before turning back to Caden. “I hope I didn’t interrupt.”
“It’s fine.” Caden walked over, touching her elbow as he led her to the side table Jack had vacated. She took a seat while he remained standing, moving a few feet away. “You were saying?”
“I was hoping to see what I could do to help.”
“C’mon, Natalee. Why are you really here?”
She flushed. “You caught me. I was in the area and was hoping to take you to a late lunch.”
“I’m afraid I’ve already eaten. We had an early lunch with some donors.”
“Of course. I don’t know what I was thinking. Your calendar is probably full of such engagements. How about dinner?”
“Natalee …”
“C’mon. You have to eat.”
“I do, but my situation has changed. I won’t be dating anyone at the moment.”
“You didn’t elope or something on me, did you?” Natalee chuckled. “I mean, I’m sure your mom would have told me.”
“No, nothing as serious as that, but a woman from my past has resurfaced and there’s some unfinished business there that we have to resolve first before I can get involved with anyone new.”
Natalee’s eyes fluttered. “That’s disappointing. I was hoping we could get to know each other better.”
“So did I, but it’s not going to happen,” he said, trying not to hurt her feelings.
Natalee slid to her feet with grace and ease and came toward him. With her index finger, she lifted his chin. “Are you sure? So what? You have an ex. We all do. This doesn’t have to change a thing.”
Caden stepped back abruptly from her. “I’m afraid it changes everything.”
“That sounds cryptic. Care to elaborate?”
“I’m still figuring this out, and I can’t bring anyone else into the mix right now. I’m sorry. It’s just bad timing.”
“Alright.” Natalee held up her hands in surrender. “I’ll back off, but if you suddenly find yourself available,” she said, then brushed her lips across his, “you should give me a jingle.”
“I’ll do that. Let me see you out.”
Caden immediately helped Natalee to the door. Although she was an attractive woman with a pedigree that would lend itself to his campaign, she didn’t set his heart or his soul afire. Only woman one did.
And to hell with reading over policy the rest of the day. He had to see Savannah … and his son. It was time he started building that bridge.
Caden didn’t call on his way over to Savannah’s that evening. He just drove over after showering and changing clothes at home and selecting a few surprises. He’d read that some autistic children respond well to movement- and construction-based activities. He was hoping to take Liam to the Philadelphia Legoland Discovery Center this coming weekend and had tickets in his pocket. Caden wasn’t sure if Liam would like it, but he was hoping to connect to his son on some level and that showing him the tickets would prove how serious he was about getting to know him.
When he arrived, Savannah’s Ford Escape was already in the driveway. He pulled his BMW beside hers and turned off the engine. Nervously, he reached for the bouquet of flowers he’d brought with him. It was a peace offering because he knew he should have called earlier. That’s what women expected after a night in bed together. But in his defense, Caden was woefully out of practice.
He climbed the stairs, rang the doorbell, and tapped his feet, waiting for an answer. Savannah opened the door, wearing scrubs with her hair in a ponytail. It looked like she had just come home from work.
“Did I catch you at a bad time?” Caden asked.
“Uh, no.” Savannah smoothed her hair. “I’m just surprised to see you.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t hear from you yesterday, and I thought—”
“Savannah, I’m sorry. The campaign has been busy and …” Rather than continue sticking his foot in his mouth, Caden produced the bouquet from behind his back and handed it to her. “If memory serves me right, you like peonies.”
She grinned widely with no trace of her unease. “Thank you.” Savannah beamed. “These are lovely. And yes, they are my favorite flower. I guess it’s your day to surprise me. C’mon in.”
Caden stepped inside, and the aroma of marinara sauce immediately wafted to his nose. “Cooking?”
Savannah nodded. “I’m going to put these in some water.” She turned on her heel, and he followed behind her down the foyer into a large country kitchen with white cabinets, a granite countertop, and a large bar area. While she busied herself, finding a vase and cutting the peonies, Caden took in his surroundings. The kitchen was warm and cozy with a basket of bananas sitting on the counter and a pot of delicious goodness cooking on the stove. He was glad Liam had a place to call home, though Caden wished it was with him.
“Where’s Liam?”
“Upstairs doing his homework while my abuela watches Jeopardy. He likes keeping her company. He’s a good boy,” she said as she slid the flowers into the vase and arranged them before placing them on the bar. “But I doubt you came over to talk about that. Why are you here?”
“Savannah, we spent an incredible night together. I’m not such a heel that I don’t recognize the significance, even more so because we haven’t been together in years. Yet if I’m honest, it felt like we’d never been apart.”
“You feel that way too?”
Caden nodded. “I knew what we shared in New York years ago was special, and out of that love we created Liam, but I never expected it to be so …”
“So what?”
“I don’t know,” Caden said, taking a seat at the bar and staring at her directly. “But I want to find out. I want to explore what was denied to us. I recognize that’s not going to be easy. We have a child together. A son … who I want to get to know.”
“I want that too, Caden, but we have to tread carefully.”
“Want me to know what?” a quiet tenor voice said from behind them.
Caden turned and saw Liam standing in the doorway. “What do you want me to know?” Liam searched both of their faces.
Savannah stared at Caden like a dear caught in the headlights. It wasn’t the right time to tell Liam he was his father. Getting to that point would require time and a well-thought-out plan. Caden didn’t want to spring his identity on his autistic son until he was sure Liam was ready.
“That I got tickets to the Legoland in Philadelphia. Thought we could do a daytrip over this coming weekend. What do you say? You interested in coming with me?”
Liam glanced at Savannah for approval.
She smiled. “I’m fine with it if you are.”
“Yeah, I’d like that. But what about Mom?” He looked at his mother. “Can she come too?”
“But of course.” Not only did Caden want Savannah by his side, but he was a stranger to Liam. He would need Savannah to help navigate this unknown terrain so that he and his son could get to know each other.
“Cool.” Liam’s head lowered to the floor. “Is dinner ready yet?”
“Almost, sweetheart. I need to boil the pasta.”
“Garlic bread. You have to make garlic bread,” Liam stated emphatically. “You always make garlic bread with spaghetti.”
“And I will this time,” Savannah promised. “It’s in the freezer.”
“Okay. I’m going back upstairs now.” Liam spun away as if he was leaving, but then he paused at the doorway. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“I would love to, if that’s okay with you,” Caden said, directing his comment to Liam.
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Liam shrugged. “Mom always makes enough for leftovers.” Without another word, he exited the room, leaving Caden and Savannah alone again.
“Is it alright if I stay?”
“Of course. The only way you’ll get to know Liam is by spending time with him. I promise you I won’t stand in the way of that again. I should never have before. I guess I let fear rule me, and for that I will forever be sorry.”
Caden moved from his barstool and walked over to Savannah, circling his arm around her waist. He tipped her chin upward and forced her to look at him. “It’s in the past, Savannah. Although I wish we could go back, we can’t change what’s happened. What’s done is done.”
“And us? Are we done too? Was Saturday night a one-off, a goodbye to the past?”
Caden stilled, and his expression grew serious. “No. We’re not done, not by a long shot. I want you, Savannah. That hasn’t changed. In fact, I think my appetite has only increased.”
A blush spread over her cheeks. “What are we going to do about it?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Caden promised because there was no way he was about to lose Savannah and his son again.
Chapter 11
As she put the garlic bread in the oven, Savannah ran through the last few days in her mind. When she hadn’t heard from Caden since their reunion on Saturday, she’d begun to wonder if their night together was just a beautiful dream, an illusion, and now that she’d woken up, it would never be repeated. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want that. Being with Caden again after twelve years was just as spectacular, just as mind numbing as it had been the first time. Except making love with Caden now was even better than before. Was that because he’d had years of experience to learn his way around a woman’s body?
Throughout the course of the night, Caden had learned every one of her nooks and crannies. And she’d learned his. She’d explored the hard ridges of muscle, the smooth expanse of stomach, the eight-pack abs that made her want to rush to the nearest gym. Savannah certainly wasn’t as fit as she would like to be. There were more curves to her now after she’d had Liam, but Caden hadn’t seemed to mind. His hands had become intimate with every part of her, making her scream out his name in pleasure.
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