Page 99 of Tempting Him

“Hey, Mom,” Jay greets.

Her friendly smile is back as she opens her arms to bring him in for a hug. “Hi, baby. I’m so happy to see you. This is quite the surprise.”

“Yeah,” he says, pulling back. “Is Dad here?”

Her eyes find mine again before she nods. “Yeah. Come on in, Aleksander,” she says with a grin. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Caroline. Thank you.”

I don’t think that she’s too unhappy that I’m here. It seems to be mostly surprise and hesitancy because she isn’t sure how Cal will react.

We follow her through the house, passing the dining room and bypassing the long, narrow kitchen before entering their cozy living room.

“Have a seat,” she says, gesturing to the couch. “I’ll go get him.”

As she heads upstairs, Jay rubs his palms over his jeans, glancing at me. “Mom was never really the issue.”

I nod, and then the clicking of footsteps descending the stairs gets my attention. Caroline gives us a smile, but Cal is emotionless when he spots us.

He puts whatever he might be feeling aside to hug and greet his son, and I stand up alongside him, but he doesn’t extend his hand for a shake.

Jay’s parents sit across from us in the loveseat, clearly awaiting some sort of announcement. When nobody says anything for what feels like an eternity, Caroline speaks up.

“So, what’s going on? This is a surprise,” she says, gesturing between us.

She doesn’t look angry at all, just curious. Cal, on the other hand, remains fairly stoic, but something in his expression tells me he knows what this is about. After all, why would we be here together after all this time?

“Well,” Jay starts, “I wanted to tell you guys about me and Alek. We’re going to be together, and I didn’t want to have to hide that from you.”

Caroline nods absently as she stares at her son. My eyes flicker to Cal.

“I have to tell you, I’m stepping down as CEO. The company remains mine, and all the work I do won’t be done from either building.”

Jay’s mom’s eyes widen. “So, you’re moving to Michigan?”

I nod. “I am. It’ll take a little time, but in order to give this a real chance, it’s the only way. I wouldn’t ask Jay to give up his job as he’s just starting out.”

She grants me a little smile before looking at her son. “This is serious then.”

“You were right. It did matter to me,” Jay tells her, referencing a conversation I wasn’t a part of. “The separation really put that in perspective.”

Cal remains silent, hands clasped as he watches the three of us talk.

“Dad, I know how you felt when you found out, but as I hope you can see, this is more than just a fling. Yes, it started out that way, and I didn’t anticipate actually falling for him, but I did. Nothing we’re doing now is inappropriate. He’s giving up a role in his own company and moving his life to another state, and I think that shows a lot. I hope you can understand that this is something we both want and hope to grow into something more. I’m sorry I happened to fall for your friend, but since you did like him enough to consider him one, you should know he’s a good guy.”

“Cal,” I say, jumping in. “Caroline, you too. I want you both to know that I really care about Jay, and I can admit he’s probably too good for me, but I’ll do everything I can to be better and to earn the right to be with him.” Jay’s hand lands on my knee, giving me a squeeze. I meet his gaze momentarily, smiling at him. “Our age difference has never been a huge concern or anything we felt we needed to devote a lot of time to. It’s obvious I’m older, but he’s such a brilliant and confident man, and I think I can speak for him when I say I don’t believe he ever felt like I was taking advantage of him.”

“I can put him in his place if I need to,” he teases with a grin.

“Well,” Caroline says, glancing back at her husband while she rests her hand on his leg. “I think it’s very admirable to make such drastic changes for our son, Alek. I can appreciate the effort you’re putting into this, and he must mean a lot to you to do so. Especially considering you aren’t sure how this may turn out.”

I nod.

“I figured something like this was coming,” Cal finally says, breaking his silence. “I knew you were hiring a CEO, and as soon as we got the call that Jay was in town, I put two and two together.” He sighs, running a hand over his beard. “I know I never allowed another moment for you to talk about Alek and what was going on between you, but I knew that night that it was more than a fling. I could see it in your reaction to him leaving. I could read it on your face for the rest of that week. You were affected heavily.”

Everyone sits in silence for a while, unsure of what to say, or where to go from here. He isn’t exactly excited, but he’s far less upset than that night in my hotel room.

“I only care that you’re happy,” Caroline tells Jay. “You know that. I’ve never cared about who you chose to spend your time with, I just wanted you to be happy. If being with Aleksander is what brings you happiness, I’m fine with that.” She turns to me. “My kids are my whole world, and I wish I could protect them forever, but he’s a grown man capable of making his own decisions. If he chooses to be with you, I trust he knows what he’s doing and I hope that you’ll protect his heart to the best of your ability. Just as I hope he does the same for you.”

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