Page 50 of This Is Why

“I do.” She licks her lips. “I really, reallydo.”

Gabe comes back and we finish our trip around the zoo quickly and easily. There’s no doubt in my mind the boy could handle something like the Manoa Falls Trail. If we get there early enough, we’ll avoid the majority of the crowds. I clap a hand on his shoulder as we walk back to the car, proud of the boy for handling the heat and excitement without buckling under the pressure. We make the drive back home without incident and the garage door has just finished closing behind us when the doorbell rings. I stride through the house and find Toby standing on the porch.

“We don’t want any,” I say, looking as gruff as Ican.

Toby purses his eyebrows and takes a step back. “Don’t want anywhat?”

“We don’t want any of what you’vegot.”

He looks even more confused. “Is Gabehere?”

“Gabe? I don’t know anyone namedGabe.”

Toby takes another step back. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you? I never cantell.”

“Yes. I’m totally messing with you. And yes, Gabe is here. You want me to callhim?”

“Well, actually, I wanted to know if he could spend the night. My mom said it was okay.” Having Gabe gone in the morning would make it difficult to get to the Falls in time to beat the crowds, but having him gone tonight would make it easy for me to start checking things off the list of Things I’d Like to Do toLexi.

“Let me check with his mom. You want to come in and hang out while wetalk?”

Toby’s face lights up. “Sure!”

I hold open the door and he zooms past me, half-collides with Gabe, and then races him upstairs. Lexi watches me from the couch, her primly crossed legs doing nothing to make me forget her lack of panties.

“What’s that about?” sheasks.

“Toby invited Gabe for a sleepover.”

“What did yousay?”

“That I’d askyou.”

“You are his dad, you know. You have every right to say yes or no as you seefit.”

I don’t know how to take that. The thought sends me reeling. I might be his dad, but she’s the one who raised him and up to this point, she’s been pretty clear that Gabe is hers. The fact that she’s acknowledging that I have any power over him at all seems like a pretty big deal and I won’t take it lightly.

“Okay,” I say as I sit beside her. “That might betrue—”

“It istrue.”

“Fine. That’s true, but I’ve only had any claim to him for the last two weeks. You’ve had claim to him for his wholelife.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve had a claim to him for his whole life. You just didn’t know about it.” She rests a hand on my knee. “This has been bothering me for the last couple days. You’re a good man who wants to be a good dad and I was wrong not to work harder to find you when I found out I was pregnant. You should have had the option to choose for yourself how active you wanted to be in his life. I robbed you of something special and I’m sorry I kept him from you. Really, truly, sorry.”

Her words touch me, but I swallow back the emotion. There’s no point in looking backward. The only thing we can change is the future. “There’s no need to apologize, Lex. What matters is we’re together now and we have the chance to decide what that looks like. I can’t imagine making a decision that affects the three of us without talking it through with you first. Even something as simple as an overnight with a next door neighbor. That’s not my decision alone. That’s something for both ofus.”

Lexi smiles and nods her head. “Tara and Jack seem like good people and the boys get along well. What are your thoughts?”

“I’d trust Jack with my life.” Hell, in fact, I have trusted Jack with my life on more than one mission. “And Tara is a good woman. I don’t see anything wrong with it at all.” I lean in close and slide my hand along her inner thigh. She parts her legs and I slide all the way home to finally discover for myself that she is one hundred percent sans panties.

“You thought I was kidding, didn’t you?” sheasks.

“Not for one second.” I pull my hand away because now is not the time or the place. “So. Overnight. Yea ornay?”

“I’m good with it if youare.”

“Then that sounds like a plan. Looks like you and I finally have some time alone tonight,” I say with agrin.

“Which means I don’t have to worry about Gabe hearing anything.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I say. “The things I want to do to you? He’s only going to be next door. If I do my job right, there’s still a chance he’ll hear everything.”

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