by Lexy Timms
“Okay, I take it back. That’s not crazy. That’s actually incredible.” She sat up. “You liked going to the aquarium, didn’t you?”
“Of course, I did,” he said. “You and Finn were there.”
“Finn likes you.” She smiled. “And you like him.”
He nodded. “I do. Seeing how much he loves science has been really inspiring. I never thought I’d ever get along with a child, but he reminds me a little bit of myself at that age.”
“The enthusiasm, the intelligence. Yeah, I can see it.” She nodded. “Truth is, I think he’s more like you than he is like Gary.” Her mouth fell open when she realized what she had said. Heather had never ever wanted to replace Finn’s father. As angry and hurt as she was by Gary’s actions, his role as Finn’s dad meant so much to her. If only it meant as much to Gary as it did to her and Finn. Her ex-husband hadn’t been a stable presence in Finn’s life. Frankly, there were moments when she actually wondered if Gary cared about Finn at all. It was a horrible thing to wonder, and she would never reveal her fears to her son, but that nagging fear had always been there. Just below the surface.
So while she didn’t want to replace Gary, Simon was making far more of an effort to be there for a child he barely knew. That touched her so much that a lump formed in her throat. “I didn’t mean—”
“I understand what you meant,” he said. “But without Gary’s presence, Finn won’t get the chance to be influenced by him. That isn’t your fault. I think it’s a damn shame that Gary is missing out on getting to know Finn. It just makes his attempt at full custody look hypocritical.”
“I wonder if I should just cut him out of our lives entirely,” she said. “When the custody battle is over, I’m terrified that things will go right back to the way they were. With Gary never bothering to spend time with Finn.”
“Do you think getting full custody is the solution?” Simon asked. “You’ve been adamant about sharing custody with Gary despite him trying to take Finn away from you. But if Gary’s unstable behavior continues, it’s going to affect Finn. Maybe you getting full custody is the right solution for everyone involved.”
“Maybe.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll have a better sense of things after I talk to the lawyer you’re putting me in touch with. Right now, I think it’s best we enjoy the rest of our vacation.”
He nodded. “You’re right. Let’s not dwell on that stuff for now. Whatever happens, though, I’m here to support you.”
Her hand went up to touch the starfish pendant she was wearing. Holding the delicate pendant reminded her of how much he loved her. When they had been in the aquarium gift shop, he had told her that her happiness was a gift to him. Nobody had ever said anything that kind to her before. In that moment, she had fallen in love with him even more.
Knowing that he had her back gave her a strength she didn’t know she had. For months she had been dealing with Gary on her own. Raising Finn on her own. She didn’t expect Simon to step in and take on being a father, but the effort he had put into getting to know her son touched her deeply.
Before coming on this trip, she had worried that Simon would regret dating a single mother. Or worse, wouldn’t get along with Finn at all. But now she knew that she didn’t have to worry. They had managed to bond, which meant that the trip had been more than worth it. The two most important people in her life were getting along, and that was more than she had ever dreamed of.
Simon got up and unbuttoned his shirt. Days spent by the pool had tanned his skin. Getting an eyeful of the muscles of his chest was making her mouth water. They hadn’t been intimate on the trip since the first night, and each day it got harder and harder to resist him. “How about we go help Finn with this sand castle?” he said, seemingly oblivious to the affect he was having on her.
“Okay.” She grabbed a sarong from the beach bag, tied it around her waist, and followed Simon across the sand.
Finn was packing wet sand, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he sculpted a lopsided sandcastle.
Simon crouched down beside him. “Need help, buddy?”
“Yes please,” Finn replied. “Can you guys help me make a moat for the castle?”
She sat down on the sand and reached for one of his plastic shovels. “Sure. How about we decorate it with seashells afterwards?”
Finn grinned. “Yeah, great idea, Mommy.”
They spent the rest of the day helping Finn build sandcastles on the beach. When the sun began to set, they gathered their things and headed back to the bungalow for dinner.
After she tucked Finn into bed, she started packing for the trip back to Seattle while Simon worked on some of his ideas on a laptop on the living room. There was something so peaceful and tranquil about working together in silence. Even though their vacation was coming to an end, her heart felt lighter. Because the vacation wasn’t the end of their time together. They were still getting to know each other, and maybe that meant there was a chance that their happiness could last.
THE FLIGHT BACK TO Seattle was long but uneventful. Simon drove Heather and Finn to Heather’s place.
When Simon leaned down to gently kiss her goodbye, Finn let out loud, frustrated sigh.
He chuckled as he pulled away from her. “Guess I’ll be going now. See you later, buddy.”
Finn smiled. “Are we going to hang out some more soon?”
Simon glanced at Heather. “If it’s okay with your mom.”
She nodded. “It’s definitely okay. How about we invite Simon to have dinner with us and your grandparents?”
“That would be awesome,” Finn said. “Did you hear that, Simon? We’re having a family dinner! Maybe we can play board games.”
Simon smiled and patted Finn’s head. “Sounds like a plan.”
Finn cheered and raced into the house.
Heather laughed. “Where does he get the energy?”
“I guess the prospect of us spending more time together has gotten him all worked up,” he said with a smile. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner.”
“It’s a good chance for you and my parents to catch up,” she said.
“I’d like that,” he said. “I’ve missed your parents.”
“And they’ve missed you.”
He leaned closer to give her another quick kiss. “Thank you for coming on this trip, Heather. I’ll never forget it. And thank you for letting me get to know Finn. He’s a terrific kid.”
She smiled. “I guess this is goodbye.”
Simon nodded. “You need a chance to rest from the flight. But I’ll message you as soon as I get home.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Simon.” She paused. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” He watched her as she slowly closed her front door, missing her already.
When she shut the door he got back into his car and started the ignition. A vibration of his phone interrupted him and he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve it, hoping that Heather had already sent him a message.
He frowned when he realized the message was from Gary.
“We need to talk. It’s obvious Heather isn’t going to listen to reason, so it’s up to you and me to settle this disagreement. Let’s meet today.”
The cryptic text was making him uneasy, but if there was a chance for Simon to help Heather get past her issues with Gary then he was willing to hear the guy out. He quickly sent off a text instructing Gary to meet him in an hour at his apartment, then headed home.
An hour later, Simon opened his front door for Gary.
“Glad you could make it,” Simon said tightly.
Gary’s eyes narrowed. “You gonna let me in or what?”
His tone was already pissing Simon off, but he reminded himself that he was doing this to help Heather and Finn. Simon motioned for Gary to come in and led him to the living room.
“What’s this about?” Simon said warily as he took a seat on the sofa.
Gary sat opposite him. “I hear you and Heather went on a trip with my so
n.”
Simon nodded. “Your lawyer was made aware of that. Heather is perfectly within her rights to take a short vacation with Finn.”
“Yeah, but she went with you,” Gary muttered. “Doesn’t seem fair. You aren’t the boy’s father.”
“I’m not. But Heather and I are together now,” Simon said. “We’ve all been trying to get to know each other.”
“The only reason I know you’re together is because I found out through my attorney,” Gary muttered.
“Look, Heather respected you enough to inform your lawyer,” Simon said. “I think she deserves credit for telling you about us even though it puts her at risk.”
“Yeah, well, it won’t look good if the press finds out about this,” Gary said.
“I’ve got enough money to bury you under a mountain of legal bills if you pull a stunt like that again,” Simon warned. He didn’t like throwing his power and wealth around if he could help it, but Gary was trying his patience. Putting up with his threats was totally out of the question now that he and Heather were together. They had only just started their relationship, and he wasn’t about to let Gary come between them again.
“What if I could make all your problems go away?” Gary asked.
Simon raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Gary shrugged. “It means whatever you want it to mean. Maybe we could work something out between us. I mean, you’ve got money, right? Why don’t you use it to get what you want?”
“I’m guessing you already know what I want,” Simon said coldly.
“Sure, you want Heather. And Finn comes with Heather,” Gary said. “They’re a package deal. She’ll break up with you the moment she realizes that you’re coming between her keeping custody of Finn.”
“You’re what’s coming between her and Finn,” Simon bit out. “You’re trying to take Finn away from her. Why are you punishing her like this?”
“Because she ruined my life,” Gary growled. “She got pregnant and saddled me with a kid. I was supposed to live my life, but I got stuck with a child and a wife like some chump. But now she gets to be free after all the years she sucked out of me? Screw that. I’m getting what’s mine. If she gets to waste my time, then I’m going to waste hers. A custody battle is the least she deserves after sucking all those years out of me.”
“This is payback for Finn?” Simon was stunned. Gary was an even bigger ass than he had ever realized. He was putting Heather through hell as some kind of sick payback for getting pregnant. Pregnant with his child. How the hell could Gary use his kid to get back at her? “You know she didn’t get pregnant on her own, right?”
“You don’t get to judge me, asshole,” Gary snarled. “If you really want to help, you’ll give me what I want.”
“And what do you want?” Simon demanded.
“If Heather gets to start over with some rich boyfriend, then I want my cut,” Gary said.
“Your cut?” Simon narrowed his eyes at Gary, suddenly understanding what he meant. He wanted money. Money to stop hurting Heather.
“Yeah. I expect a sizeable amount for getting out of the way,” Gary said. “A couple million dollars, if you know what’s good for you.”
Chapter 7
Money had been no object for so long, that for a second the amount Gary was demanding didn’t even register.
A couple million dollars was chump change really. The type of money Simon could make back within the hour without doing anything at all. But to Gary, that kind of money could set him up for years. Decades, if he spent it wisely.
Simon leaned forward, too intrigued to let this go. “What happens if I don’t pay you?”
“You’ll regret it.” Gary’s eyes narrowed. “You might be able to sue me and stop me from going to the press, but you can’t stop me from going to a judge with what I know. A sympathetic judge means I’ll get full custody of Finn.”
Instinctively, Simon’s hands balled up into tight fists. “You’re seriously willing to ruin your son’s life to get back at Heather? Are you really that petty?”
“Finn is my kid, okay?”
“You never spend time with him,” Simon shot back, half regretting the words. He wasn’t Finn’s father. He wasn’t anything—yet. However, Gary... This guy was just an asshole. And a lousy father.
“What do you know about it?” Gary crossed his arms and scowled.
“I know that Finn’s heartbroken over the fact that you refuse to spend time with him,” Simon shot back and then sighed, trying to lower his voice. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have a great kid like that look up to you?” Simon stopped himself before he let things get too personal. He knew how Finn felt. How it felt to want a father’s respect and attention. Simon would’ve given anything to have his own father’s love, but that ship had sailed long ago. He might not be able to go back and fix things with his own father, but maybe he could help give Finn the chance he never got.
The only problem was, he didn’t know where to go from here.
“Unlike you, I actually have to work,” Gary said. “That’s what keeps me away from my kid.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Simon said. “Heather has a demanding job, but she makes time for Finn. It’s not your job keeping you away from him. I know that you’ve got some girlfriend that keeps you away from your son. Or maybe a couple.”
“You don’t get to judge me.” Gary’s jaw clenched. “Heather started dating you, so I’m sure she doesn’t spend nearly as much time with Finn as she used to.”
“You’re wrong,” Simon said flatly. “You said it yourself: Heather would never let anything come between her and Finn. Yet you have the nerve to try to take Finn away from her.”
“Can you blame me?” Gary retorted. “She spoils him too much. She’s making him soft. I need to toughen that kid up.”
“Why? So he can grow up to be an ass like you?”
Gary jumped to his feet, anger blazing in his eyes. “Watch yourself.”
“You’re in my apartment,” Simon warned. “Begging for my money, I might add.”
“Look, we don’t see eye to eye on anything,” Gary said. “But if you give me the money I need, I’ll get out of the way. You can have your perfect little life with Heather and my son.”
Simon hesitated. Was that really what he wanted? For Gary to step away? “What exactly would I be paying you for?”
“I’ll drop the custody case. The first custody hearing’s in a few weeks, so I’m ready to get this going,” Gary replied as he resumed his seat. “After I drop the case, I’ll let Heather have full custody. I’ll give up all parental rights to Finn and leave Seattle, so I can finally start my life.”
That meant that Gary would be out of Heather’s life for good. She wouldn’t have to worry about losing her son. Wouldn’t have to worry about Gary’s threats and bullying. Heather would finally be free of her ex-husband. Free to finally live her life on her terms.
The urge to pay him off was suddenly overwhelming. A few million dollars was all Simon would have to give up for a lifetime of happiness with Heather.
He could picture his life with her. A life without Gary’s shadow looming over them. It meant no more lawyers, no more looking over their shoulders, no more waiting for the other shoe to drop in the press.
“If you leave, you’d be letting go of your vendetta against Heather,” Simon pointed out. “You wouldn’t get your chance at your twisted form of payback.” He’d need lawyers to draw up a contract. Have Gary sign them, stating he was giving up parental rights. Would it work? “You couldn’t come back to ask for more if you run out of money.”
Gary shrugged. “It would be worth it to get my hands on two million dollars.” He hesitated. “Maybe I should make it three million? Wouldn’t want to risk running out.” When he saw Simon’s expression, he backed down slightly. “Two mill’s plenty.”
The fact that he could so callously turn his back on his own son for money sickened Simon.
Turned his insides to molten lead as rage coursed through his veins.
“And what about Finn?” Simon demanded.
“What about him?”
“He would be destroyed if you left him behind,” Simon said, unable to mask the desperation in his voice. “He’s just a kid. If you turn your back on him now, you’ll be breaking his heart for the rest of his life. Is that worth it?”
“According to you, if I stay I’ll never get along with his mother,” Gary said. “How’s that good for him in the long run?”
“You’re a selfish ass.” Simon wanted to lunge across the living room and beat some sense into Gary, but it wasn’t his place to teach the guy that kind of lesson. What was his place in this situation?
“Maybe, but it’s obvious you’re considering it,” Gary said coolly. “That’s why you haven’t thrown me out yet. It might hurt Finn for a while, but don’t act like you don’t want a future with Heather. A future that’s made easier because I’m out of the picture.”
He was right. Which was what scared the hell out of Simon. Gary’s proposal outraged him, but deep down a part of him was entertaining the idea. It would be so easy to pay the guy off and be rid of him. With Gary gone, he would have the chance to really start his life with Heather. A life he was ready to seize with both hands.
“I need more time to think this over,” Simon conceded. “And something like this needs to be done through the proper channels. We’d need to get our lawyers involved.”
“Sounds fair enough,” Gary said. “You have my contact details.”
Simon gave a curt nod and stood up. “I’ll need a week or more to consider things.”
“At least you’re not totally unreasonable.” Gary got to his feet and flashed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Which means I know you’ll make the right decision.” He turned to head to the door before spinning around again. “Obviously, if we go through with this, you can’t tell Heather or Finn you paid me to skip town. This has to stay between us, Simon.”
“Obviously,” Simon said, his tone chilly. Telling Heather about forking over millions of dollars to her ex-husband was the kind of thing that would utterly destroy their relationship. If he went through with this she would never forgive him. But if he didn’t give this scheme some thought, she could very well lose her son forever.
