Page 80 of Taming the Boss

“I don’t know, maybe consider what would be best for Owen?”

“Oh, because you gave him this fancy house, you’re the better parent, right?” Melissa rubbed her throat and glanced at Maddie. “Who are you?”

“The nanny,” she said quickly, darting a glance at me as she pursed her lips. The momentary pang landed in my gut from how she’d labeled herself, but I knew she didn’t want to create issues with Owen’s mother. But I also didn’t like that she didn’t feel as if she could admit she was with me without creating friction.

This whole situation was needlessly complicated. It was time I took a stand.

I stepped forward and linked an arm around Maddie’s waist as I kissed her head. “She’s who I’m with. And she loves Owen too,” I added as Melissa gasped.

“So, that’s why you didn’t bother answering my calls. You’re cutting me out of my son’s life.”

“Seems to me you did that by dropping him off with a stranger you said was his father,” Maddie interjected softly, holding up a hand when Melissa reared back as if she’d been slapped. “I’m not second guessing you. You’re his mother. But I just know he’s confused.”

“I’m sure he has been. I just was running out of money, and I knew he’d be better off with Jude until I could save up some. But that’s not going so well, either.”

Maddie reached out to touch her arm. “Do you want to come in and sit down?”

“Maddie, what are you doing?” I snapped, instantly regretting my knee-jerk reaction when both women looked at me as if I was some ogre.

“She’s Owen’s mom.” Maddie’s voice was patient in a way I’d never been. “I’ll go make sure Owen is okay while you talk. Or while you insist she leave. Whatever. Your call. I’ll check on Owen.” Her next move was to hurry up the stairs, assuming he’d gone up to his room.

Where else could he have gone? He was just a little boy. Just three.

Then I heard Maddie calling him softly. “Buddy, where are you? Where did you go?”

I frowned, stiffening my shoulders. “I’m not letting you take him.”

All the fight seemed to have bleed out of Melissa at once. “I don’t want to take him from his home.” At my raised brow, she sighed. “Okay, maybe I did at first. It never occurred to me I wouldn’t be what’s best for him long-term. Not that I’ve seen him yet, but this is such a lovely place. Is he happy here?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “He wasn’t at first,” I admitted. “I had no clue what I was doing. But everything changed when I met Maddie. She knows how to make a home for my boy. And for me.” I released a shaky breath, belatedly hearing Maddie’s soft footsteps coming down the stairs. Owen was on her hip, holding onto her while he rested his head on her shoulder.

Seeing them together in just that way sent a jolt through me. I couldn’t lose them. Either one of them. Already they were both irreplaceable pieces of whatever was being built here.

I climbed a few steps to brush a hand over Owen’s cheek, impossibly relieved when he turned his face into my hand. “You okay, buddy?”

His lower lip trembled. “I don’t want to go away.”

“You’re not going anywhere, my boy. We love you.” I took a deep breath before shifting to face Melissa where she still stood in the doorway, now holding her hand to her mouth. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

“I won’t take him,” she murmured. “Can I just see him for a few minutes?”

Maddie nodded gently, passing Owen to me as if she was entrusting me with his care. And somehow that felt like such a big moment between us, even though Owen was my son. But Maddie was so good with him. So loving.

“Baddie?” Owen asked, his voice thick with tears.

“I’m not going anywhere.” She squeezed his hand and then she squeezed mine too.

I carted Owen down to Melissa and she sat down right on the floor in the foyer to hold him. After a moment of indecision, he crawled into her lap to hug her. “I missed you, Mommy,” he whispered, making Melissa cry.

“I missed you too, Owen. But I can see you’re in a good place with your dad and Maddie.”

“Baddie,” he immediately corrected, making all of us laugh.

After a moment, I sat down on the floor beside them and then Owen crawled into my lap and stuck his thumb in his mouth, watching over my shoulder for Maddie, who soon came to join us, as well. It was probably more than a little odd that we were all on the floor in the foyer when there was plenty of perfectly serviceable furniture available, but if it worked for Owen and Maddie, it worked for me too.

We talked for a little while, Melissa asking Owen questions about his summer so far that he more or less answered with one word answers that he rotated through.

“Good.” “Fine.” “Okay.”

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