Page 28 of Rugged Fox

I nodded my head yes. "He reached out when Lucien was a year old, claiming he knew he was the father of my son. I got in touch with a lawyer who assured me there was nothing Alejandro could do about it. He was serving a life sentence and I didn't list him on the birth certificate. Alejandro could've demanded a paternity test but it was pointless. All it would mean was he owed child support and I didn't want anything. I never responded to the letter and he never reached out again."

Stupidly, I thought that meant the issue was dropped. I should've known better.

Maverick cleared his throat. "I think it's safe to assume his rivals are also aware, then."

This was what happened when I got too comfortable. Those first five years after Lucien was born I spent every second looking over my shoulder that someone would snatch my baby boy away from me. Slowly over the years, I’ve relaxed, but it wasn't until the past two years that I finally felt confident enough that my past was behind me.

Oh, how wrong I was.

"Are you expecting a visitor?"

Nolen's question, and car doors slamming outside, jarred me out of my thoughts, and my eyes drifted over to the clock. "Shit, it's Lucien. He had an early dismissal today and asked if one of his friends’ mothers could bring him home."

I headed for the door with Easton hot on my heels. I was tempted to tell him to go back to the kitchen, that I could get my son on my own, but it was probably no use. He appeared to take this protection thing very seriously.

It wasn't until I opened the door that I realized my mistake. I should've fought to keep Easton out of the line of sight.

"Kati." Lauren's nasally voice went straight through me. "Having a midday get-together and you didn't invite me? Tsk tsk." She looked over my shoulder and her eyes grew ten sizes bigger, I swear. "Oh, hello there. You must be the man everyone in town is talking about." Lauren attempted to lean in and whisper to me but it was pointless. The woman didn't understand the concept of keeping quiet. Her version of a whisper was just as loud as her regular talking voice. "The rumors are true. He's a fine specimen of a man."

Kill me now. If Ms. Daisy was the gossip of her generation, then Lauren Jacobs was of ours. The woman didn't know how to keep a secret or shut her mouth if her life depended on it. News about Easton being inside my house would be spread across town within the hour. Everyone would be speculating about why he was there and what was happening between us.

"Thank you so much, Lauren, for bringing Lucien home. We both appreciate it."

"Yes, thanks, Mrs. Jacobs. Let Michael know I’ll text him later to hang out."

I could kiss my son for understanding the need to rush the woman along. I would hear about my rude behavior later as I slammed the door on a slack-jawed Lauren. Oh well. That was a problem for another day. I had plenty on my plate already.

"Why is Easton here, and why are there so many cars in front of our house?"

There was no point in dragging things out. I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a sigh. "Drop your backpack and meet me in the kitchen. I'll explain everything."

Lucien was a little too eager, while I needed to gather my thoughts. Talking about my son's sperm donor wasn't in the top five things I loved to do. It wasn't even in the top one hundred.

"You okay?"

Easton was so close. I wondered what he would do if I just leaned into him. Just for a second. Just enough to soak up some of his strength. The man proved he knew what I needed without voicing it. His big arm wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me into a side hug. It wasn't an overly romantic gesture, some might even consider it a friendly one, but it was exactly what I needed.

"I'll be here every step of the way."

Tears pooled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, not while there were six men I barely knew in my house. I could break down later when I was alone. Maybe in a bubble bath with a glass of wine. A candle or two. Hell, maybe I would throw a book in there, just to bring some levity to the situation after I cried everything out.

I shamelessly took the few moments he offered, my arms crossed in front of me, and my head down. After a beat, I took a deep breath to steady myself.

"I'm good now." I blinked away the last of the tears that threatened to call me a liar and continued to look at the floor. I'm sure my eyes were red and my cheeks a little blotchy. I was one of those unfortunate women who were ugly criers. My face always gave me away.

"I get why you might want to hide it from my team,” Easton said quietly, “but you never need to hide it from me."

I couldn't be sure, but it felt like his lips ghosted across my hair. People said forehead kisses were like crack, but this felt a thousand times more intimate.

I soaked up Easton for another second before I pulled out of his embrace, and the loss was immediate. Once in his arms would never be enough. Now that my body knew what it felt like to be pressed against his, it wanted more.

I held my head high, trying to appear resolute, and we walked back into the kitchen where everyone was introducing themselves to my son.

"So, who's going to tell me why my mother is upset?"

The next twenty minutes Nolen explained the same thing to Lucien that he had to me. Just like I had done, my son interrupted occasionally to ask questions or seek clarification. Lucien seemed to know far more about prison and gang life than I did. I made a mental note to ask him about that later.

By the time Nolen was done talking, my nerves were shot. I wanted to snatch up my teenage son and run away. I obviously couldn't do that though. Lucien loved Willow Creek. He liked his school despite the principal being an asshole. He liked his teachers and had the same friends since kindergarten. There was no way I could take him away from all that just because I was worried. That wasn't fair.

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