Page 41 of Return to You

Ricky’s eyes widened as he stared blankly at Kade for several beats before a smile spread across his face and he started laughing. Several more tears fell down his cheeks as he continued cracking up.

Shit. Panic gripped Kade. Had he just broke the kid? Had Ali left for one night and he’d caused Ricky to have a nervous breakdown?

“It does suck!” Ricky wiped his cheeks as his laughter died down. “No one has said that, but it does. When I told my therapist she told me that I was my own person. I had my own identity. She gave me breathing exercises to do when I felt sad. But, none of that helped. I know I’m my own person. I know that I have my own identity. I know how to breathe, even when I’m sad.” Ricky sniffed. “But the truth is, it just sucks. That’s it.”

“Yeah. It does.” Kade felt his own eyes swelling with emotion. “But hey, at least your dad looked like Chris Hemsworth and not Chris Farley.”

“Chris who?”

Being around the twins made him feel every single one of his thirty-two years.

“Never mind.”

“Let’s go!” KJ called out as he ran down the stairs.

Ricky put his book in his backpack, stood up, and wrapped his arms around Kade’s shoulders and hugged him tightly. “Thanks.”

“Any time.” Kade squeezed him back, trying his best not to cry like a baby.

Kade heard the door open and KJ yelled impatiently, “Come on!”

Ricky took a deep breath before dropping his arms and straightening. “See you tomorrow. Make sure Aunt Ali eats something. She forgets sometimes.”

“Will do,” Kade assured him as the kid walked out of the kitchen.

He might not be able to bring Patrick back, or make up for not being here the past year and a half, but he could make sure that Ali ate. That he could do.

Of course, tonight he was sure that she was eating. She was eating with Keaton Savage.

He knew he should be happy for her. He should be glad that she was with a good guy that KJ loved. He should be relieved that she’d found someone that she could have a future with.

But he wasn’t happy, glad, or relieved. He wanted Ali for himself. He wanted to be with her, to raise the boys with her, to start a family with her. Not some other guy. Him.

And he didn’t know what in the hell he was going to do about it. He might not have an answer for that, but he did have one for draining some of the frustrated energy that was consuming him. There was a speed bag in the basement and it was calling his name.

16

“You don’t have to do this. I can manage.” Ali wobbled as she got out of Keaton’s car.

He placed his arm around her for support. Support she needed thanks to her not-so-graceful tumble outside the restaurant. They were saying goodbye and she’d hugged him, turned, and tripped over her own feet, landing face-first on the sidewalk. On impact, she thought that her palm and knee had taken the brunt of the fall, but when she attempted to stand up she realized very quickly that she’d twisted her ankle on the way down.

She didn’t have her car since she’d walked to work that morning and had gone directly from work to Santino’s, so Keaton had insisted on driving her home.

As she hobbled up the path to the house and leaned into Keaton’s strength, she waited to feel something. Anything. A spark of attraction. A tingle of excitement. A shudder of arousal. But there was nothing.

His smile made her feel calm and his support made her feel nothing.

Not that she’d want to date Keaton even if that wasn’t the case. It would be complicated with KJ being his student. But her body obviously didn’t discern between what was complicated or not. If it did, she’d feel the same way about Kade that she felt about Keaton.

“Thanks, again.” She balanced on one foot as she dug in her bag for her keys.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go and get that checked out?” Keaton asked for the dozenth time.

“I’m good. I’m going to ice it and it’ll be good as new.” She hoped.

She hadn’t heard a snap or pop when she fell, so she was fairly certain that she hadn’t broken it. But it was hurting like a sonofabitch.

As she jangled her purse hoping to hear her keys, the door opened. Kade stood before them looking like a modern-day warrior ready for battle. His hands were taped, and his sweats were hanging low on his waist. His T-shirt was damp, clinging to his skin.

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