by V. Vaughn
Still, I want to know more. “Hey, why didn’t Hillary want to go out with you again when you first came back?”
“Um,” he says around a mouthful of food. Bears do like their meat. He swallows before he continues. “Well, I was a jerk. I left her for my career. I was so sure I couldn’t be a football star if I didn’t give it my all. I was afraid Hillary would get in the way of my success.”
“I hear you, man. I left thinking the same thing about Mandy.”
“Unfortunately, when we leave women who love us, they get a little pissed off about it.”
“A little?”
Alec chuckles. “A lot. You’ve got some major sucking up to do, bro.”
He’s right about that. Especially since I did more than leave Mandy. I hooked up with her when she came to me years later and then rejected her all over again. All that did was prove to her I’m the man-whore rock star the tabloids said I was. If I were her, as a mother, I wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole.
But that’s not going to stop me from trying. While I may have gone through the phase, I’m not really a bad guy. If I’m going to get her back, I have to show her I’m still who she fell in love with back in high school. And I have a few ideas about how to do that.
Chapter 9
MANDY
Sweat trickles down my back as I say to Daniel, “C’mon sweetie, get your shoes on.” My son hasn’t quite grasped the sense of urgency I have when we’re late. I woke up a half hour past my alarm and have been rushing around trying to get everything done since then to get us ready for me to take him to Maria’s before my morning shift at the diner.
I didn’t mean to hit snooze and then fall asleep again. I only wanted a little more time because I was awake most of the night worrying about Griffin.
I finally manage to get Daniel’s shoes on, and I grab his backpack so we can traipse next door. When Maria answers the door, I know the day is going to be an even bigger headache than the one throbbing at my temples. She doesn’t look well at all.
“Oh, Maria. Are you okay?”
She shakes her head, “I’m so sorry dear, but I don’t think I’ll be able to look after Daniel today. I’ve got a fever.”
“Oh, no. Can I get something for you?”
She pats my hand. “You’re a sweetheart for asking, but no. I just need to rest, I think. I’m sorry to let you down.”
“Oh, goodness, no. Your health is important. Don’t you worry about me. Call me if you need me to bring you anything. Tony makes darn good soup.”
She offers me a weak smile. “Don’t forget today is teacher in-service day. Daniel doesn’t have school this morning.”
I do my best not to groan out loud. “Right. Thanks for reminding me. Now you take care of yourself, Maria.”
“Thank you, dear. I think a day on the couch is what I need. I should be fine tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’ll check in with you later.”
As Daniel and I walk back home he says, “We should bring her some special juice, Mommy.”
I smile at him, because he’s talking about the electrolyte drink I give him when he’s sick. “You’re right. I’ll bring some over to her later.”
Once we’re home, I call the diner to let them know I’ll be late and then start on my list of sitters. It’s a bust. I consider calling Hillary, but she’s got a sitter herself this morning for a doctor’s appointment.
I let out a sigh, because it looks like I’m taking Daniel to work with me.
I’m pretty sure Rita Mae won’t mind. She’s got a big heart and is very understanding. But I haven’t had to bring my son to work since he was a baby and didn’t need much to stay happy. A five-year-old is a lot more mobile.
When we get to the diner, I lead Daniel over to a quiet booth near the kitchen and tell him to sit and take out one of his coloring books. I get him a glass of water with a straw, and then I head to the back office to talk to Rita Mae.
I find her behind her desk tapping away at the computer. Keys continue to click as she asks, “What’s up?”
“My usual sitter for Daniel is sick, and I couldn’t find anyone to mind him for my shift, so I’ve brought him to the diner. I hope that’s okay.”
She takes off her glasses and looks at me. “I don’t see why that would be a problem. Daniel’s a very well-behaved boy.”
“He is. He’s in a booth coloring right now.”
She waves her hand at me. “It’s not a problem Mandy. Have a good shift.”
I leave her office, grab my apron, and then head out into the dining room to set up my tables for the breakfast rush. I’m working with Jeanine today, so I suspect I’ll be a bit busier than usual. I like Jeanine but she doesn’t move as well as she used to. I try not to hold it against her since she is sixty-two, although you’d never know it looking at her. She has flawless skin and a full head of luxurious hair because of the sea otter in her.
Everything goes smoothly for the first few hours. Daniel colors and draws and enjoys his snack I get for him. Breakfast isn’t usually too busy during weekdays. He makes a little noise when he gets his trucks out, but nothing louder than a conversation. I read to him when things slow down later in the morning, but he’s getting antsy being confined to a booth.
“C’mon, bud,” I say to him. “Want to help me get ready for lunch?” I show him how to fill the sugar bowls with the colored packets, and he scrambles up on the seat of the booth to do it while I roll silverware. The few customers in the place get a kick out of my son, and he happily chats with them.
But when the lunch rush starts, I have to sequester him back in his booth. While he’s usually a quiet mellow kid, being in a restaurant for hours is pushing it. I find him a kid’s movie to watch on my phone in hopes he’ll be entertained for a while, but I’m nervous.
As I bustle around, I keep an eye on Daniel, and I think maybe I’ve underestimated my child when he continues to be glued to my phone. I relax a bit, and that’s my downfall, because when I remember to check on him again, I find he’s not in the booth.
My heart jumps into my throat for a second before I notice he’s running around the restaurant with his arms out like he’s an airplane and making the sound effects to go with it.
I groan, even though the customers seem to be smiling at him. I walk over to stop my son before he causes an accident, and when I’m almost to him, he makes a quick turn to run away from me toward the front door. It opens just as he gets to it.
“Daniel!” I cry out just as a man scoops him up into the air.
“Whoa, little man.”
My heart stops because it’s Griffin holding Daniel.
“I’m not a man,” says my son. “I’m an airplane.”
“A fast one, too.” Griffin glances around. “Where’s your mom?”
I rush over. “He’s mine. I’m so sorry.”
Griffin’s eyes widen as he sets Daniel back down. “This is your son?”
I nod. “Yes.” I look at Daniel. “He’s supposed to be in his booth and not running around.”
Daniel gives me his funny little smile he flashes when he knows he’s done something wrong, and it hits me like a ton of bricks. It may not be the crooked one Griffin is known for, but it’s darn close. I gulp my fear down, hoping nobody else has noticed the resemblance.
“I know the problem.” Griffin squats down to look at Daniel. “He’s got ants in his pants. Anyone got some bug spray?”
Daniel giggles, clearly getting Griffin’s humor.
I smile at my son before looking at Griffin. “He’s not normally here, but my sitter is sick today, and I didn’t have any other option.”
Griffin nods. “I can imagine how tough that must be. I can look after him for bit if you want.”
My jaw drops. “I—” I scowl and look down at Daniel. The poor kid really is one step away from a meltdown if I force him to go back to his booth for another couple hours. It’s not fair to him or the customers if I do. “Well…” I realize my hesitati
on about Daniel being with Griffin is my doing and not because my son wouldn’t be safe. The man is his father after all.
“I get it,” Griffin says. “You don’t think of me as the nurturing type. But I swear I’m good with kids. Don’t you remember how I used to help you babysit the Jenkins’ kids?”
I chuckle because what comes to mind first is how he couldn’t wait for them to go to bed so we could make out on the couch. But then I recall how he really was great with them. Especially at the park.
“Miss!” calls out a customer who probably wants their food, and I let out a sigh. “That would be great. He loves the park if you want to take him there. I should be done a little after two and will meet you there.”
“The park it is,” Griffin holds out a hand to Daniel. “I’m Griffin.”
“Daniel Waters,” my son says as he shakes hands with Griffin the way I’ve taught him.
Griffin continues to hold his hand as he leads my son out the door. “How do you feel about the swings?” he asks, and my eyes fill with tears watching Daniel with his father, a man who should be in his life.
I don’t have time to dwell on how adorable my son and his father look together because another customer calls for me by name, and I turn to get back to work.
Chapter 10
GRIFFIN
I look down at the boy whose hand I’m holding. A hand so small in mine it’s a bit daunting. This little person is an extension of the woman I love and likely the most precious thing in her life. No wonder she hesitated when I said I’d watch him.
But I couldn’t stand the distress she was feeling over having to have her son at work. And Daniel… Well, I imagine being around his age, which I estimate is about four, and contained to a booth in a restaurant for hours is torture. I don’t remember much about being that age, but a need for motion comes to mind.
I ask Daniel, “Do you go to the park a lot?”
He nods shyly. I don’t think I was ever this quiet. I remember quite clearly my mother used to say I never shut up. Of course, most of the time I was singing some song I was making up on the fly. She likes to tell people my career was in the making since I began to talk.
We walk slowly to accommodate his little legs, and I notice the way he looks around as if he’s studying everything. This boy doesn’t miss much, and I wonder what he thinks about the things he sees. I bet he’s wise like his mother. She was an A student, something I was not.
Daniel looks up at me and smiles. My stomach clenches in a weird way, as if my body is trying to tell me something my eyes aren’t seeing. I take a closer look at the boy. The kid looks a lot like I did at that age. I suspect a lot of kids look alike when they’re young, but there’s something about Daniel that reminds me of myself. I guess it’s the way he smiles a bit lopsided, and the color of his eyes is similar to mine. Green, which isn’t all that uncommon, but it’s a strong indicator of panther blood. Jealousy stabs my heart. It would be just what I deserve to find that Daniel’s father is another panther shifter.
When we reach the park, one might expect to hear ducks quacking or pigeons chortling along with laughter and screams from children playing. And there is some of that, but there’s noise from a wide variety of other animals too. All types mingling together as if size and species don’t matter. Dogs running with horses, and hawks flapping around with kittens as if they’re not they’re prey. I spot a couple of tigers lazing in the sun and one big bear having a sleep in the shade of giant oak tree.
I miss this, seeing shifters of all types mingling together in public. It’s definitely not something you’d see in LA or even in New York where everyone says anything goes in that city. New York might have everything else, but it doesn’t have my people.
I smile when I look around at everyone. I get return smiles from those who haven’t shifted yet, and I even get a boisterous whinny from a palomino horse that runs up to us. I narrow my eyes at the horse, thinking I might recognize her.
“Mrs. Kimball?”
The horse nods her head and nickers at me. Then she canters away.
I look down at Daniel. “That was my high school music teacher.”
“She’s pretty,” he says.
“Indeed, she is.” My gaze sweeps the park. “So, what do you want to do buddy? Do you want me to push you on the swings?”
He nods, and we walk over to the bank of four swings in the corner of the park. Daniel scrambles onto one, and the chain squeaks as I push him. As he pumps his little legs to go higher, a wave of nostalgia comes over me. I remember swinging on these swings when I was a kid.
“Daniel, how old are you?”
“I’m five and a quarter.” He tilts his head up to glance at me. “That’s three months.”
I chuckle because he got his mother’s know-it-all ways, too. “Five and a quarter. Wow, I could have sworn you were twelve. Are you sure?”
He giggles, and my heart swells like it’s the biggest compliment in the world, but then it sinks in. Five and a quarter… I saw Mandy a little over six years ago and… I do the math and suddenly the oxygen is sucked from my lungs. I step back from the swings to bend over and gasp for air.
My panther roars in my head with pride. He’s ours.
I shake my head. It can’t be true.
Maybe she slept with someone else right after our sex-filled night? But I don’t believe that. Mandy’s not that type of woman, and I remember how the night ended with her telling me that she wanted us to get back together. Maybe I’m full of myself, but Mandy wouldn’t be with someone else while she was in love with me.
“Push me more, Griffin,” Daniel calls out.
I take a deep breath. “Okay, buddy. But careful. You might just go all the way around the bar.” I give him a big push and feel my heart swell again as he laughs.
Oh my God. I have a son.
Now that I think Daniel is mine, the similarities between us are crystal clear. Same eyes, same lopsided smile, and his hair is dark and wavy like mine is. He’s got to be my son.
My shock makes way to a burning in my gut fueled by anger. Why didn’t Mandy tell me? How could she have kept this from me? The swing smacks into my hands, and I push back. Six years, if you count the pregnancy, I’ve been a father without even knowing about it. Six wasted years I could’ve been something to this boy.
I push the swing again as my rage builds. Mandy took that decision away from me. How could she?
“Sir,” I glance over at a woman whose face is filled with concern. “Mr. Talbot, you’re pushing kind of high for a boy his age.”
I step back from the swings. “Oh.” I blink in confusion. “Right.” I flash her my crooked smile. “I’m new at this. Thanks.”
She blushes and drops her head before turning away. I shouldn’t be new at this. Pushing Daniel on the swings should be something I’m good at because I’ve had years of practice. I clench my teeth along with my fists. What would make Mandy keep something this monumental, this life changing, from me? It doesn’t make sense.
Chapter 11
MANDY
By the time I get off work, later than usual because of an extra boisterous table of football players who wouldn’t leave, I’m tired and on edge. My feet feel like they’re made of lead as I walk to the park, because I know I need to tell Griffin about Daniel.
When I get into the park, I don’t stop like I usually do to soak in the atmosphere of the place. Usually, a sense of peace settles over me when I see so many different shifters interacting as they are in animal form. Heartland’s park is truly remarkable, but today it’s not enough to cut through my dread.
I find Griffin and Daniel on the see-saw. I stop and watch them from a distance. They are both laughing as Griffin takes care to move it up and down gently for his son. I’m so struck by their similarities I stop to watch. Their grins are the same, and those eyes. Anyone looking at them would assume they are father and son. As I near them, Griffin’s gaze catches mine, and his expression turns dark. He morphs comple
tely from a carefree father enjoying his child to someone who’s pissed off. And it’s because…
He knows. He knows Daniel is his son. How can he not? He knows I’ve kept it from him, and he’s pissed. It takes all I have to keep walking toward them when what I want to do is run away from the inevitable confrontation. But I suppose that’s what I’ve been doing for the past six years and there’s nowhere left to run now.
When Daniel sees me, he gets off the seesaw and runs over. “Mommy!”
I squat down and hold my arms open. I ruffle his silky dark hair as I squeeze him tight, taking a bit of strength from the way he loves me more than anything in this world. “Hey, bud, did you have fun?”
He nods, his eyes bright with happiness.
I risk a glance over Daniel’s head at Griffin.
His eyes are dark and narrowed into slits. “We need to talk,” he says gruffly.
“I know. But not right now.” I glance down at Daniel. “We can meet up later and talk.”
I’ll call Hillary when I take Daniel home and see if she’ll babysit for me. I’ll tell her it’s an emergency because it most definitely is. Standing up to take Daniel’s hand, I say, “Thanks for looking after him. I really appreciate it.”
Griffin nods with his brow furrowed. He gazes down at Daniel with a mix of confusion, anger, and sadness in his eyes. My stomach aches with my guilt. “Call me after you’ve arranged everything,” he says.
“I don’t have your new number, and your old one is disconnected.” I take out my cell phone and hand it to him with a shaky hand so he can input his number.
When he hands it back, his expression is cold. “Call me.”
I swallow and nod. “I will.”
Griffin crouches down to Daniel’s level, and his expression changes to one of joy. “I had a lot of fun day today. Maybe we can do it again soon.”
Daniel grins at him with just as much happiness, and he lifts his hand up for a high five. Griffin smacks his tiny palm before tucking his hand in his pocket and turning to walk away. I watch as he’s stopped a few times on his way out. He shakes hands and even takes a picture with an avid fan, and then he disappears past the tall bushes that surround the park.
