Page 26 of Love Without Demands

I knew from my research and from Paul’s stories that Monty was his third child, with me being three months younger than him. Paul twirled some pasta around his fork and took a bite before continuing.

“My heart was beating so fast. All I wanted to do was scoop you up and hold you, but I didn’t want to scare you, so I asked to speak to your mother. You ran inside to get her, and as soon as she saw me, she sent you back inside.”

“And she cussed you out in Spanish,” I filled in as he took a drink of his water.

“Right in the front yard,” he said with a chuckle. “Then she took off her shoe. I’m pretty sure she was going to throw it at me, but your papa pulled up just then and defused the situation.”

“He was the only person that could calm her down when she got riled up,” I remembered. “I got a shoe thrown at me once when I was seventeen. Completely deserved though. I stayed out all night without calling. Luckily, it was only a fuzzy slipper, but the intent was there.”

Paul gave me an amused shake of his head and rolled his eyes. “Teenage boys. Auburn gave me the most trouble. Monty waspretty quiet. He had a girlfriend named Kassie, so he spent most of his time with her.”

“You told me Monty is single, so I guess they broke up?”

Paul’s lips thinned and turned down at the corners. “That’s a story for another time. Anyway, after your father got Estrella—sorry, Stella—calmed down and in the house, he came back outside. Demanded to know what the hell I wanted.”

I took a bite of my excellent pasta and listened to the story I’d heard at least three times already. “I assured him I didn’t want any trouble, but that I thought I deserved to know if I had another child. He didn’t admit it then, but he offered to get together and talk with me the next day.”

Paul took another drink of his sparkling water. “We planned to meet at a small pub, and I was almost shocked out of my shoes when he actually showed up.”

“If Papa said he was going to do something, he did it,” I said, and Paul smiled.

“He really was a good man, Cruz, and I’m sorry you lost him too soon.” He looked away for a long moment, his voice soft. “I can never tell you how grateful I am that you had him in your life. I couldn’t have asked for a better father for you.”

This was the thing I appreciated most about Paul Bouvier. From the first time we’d met face-to-face last year, he’d spoken about my papa with nothing but respect. There was never a hint of awkwardness or bitterness in his tone, only gratitude. And he never once tried to use his position as my biological father to usurp Benjamin Estrada’s position as my real dad.

Paul dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and smiled wanly. “Do you want the old man to shut up? I know I’ve told you this story before.”

It seemed to bolster him to tell it, so I indulged him as Kenzie refilled his water glass. “Not at all. Continue.”

“So I met with Ben, and he told me Stella wanted nothing to do with me. She was being tight-lipped, but he said she seemed afraid.” He pulled at the back of his neck. “I’m assuming that had something to do with Chloe.” His top lip curled into a sneer at the mere mention of her name.

He’d told me before about his wife’s blackmail scheme against him, and I was happy I’d never met the bitch.

“I’d gotten a hotel room and thought about the situation all night. Didn’t sleep a wink. You seemed so happy and well cared for, and I didn’t want to disrupt the only home you knew. Once your papa knew I meant no harm,” Paul continued, his voice taking on a musing quality, “he agreed to keep me in the loop regarding you. In return, I wouldn’t try to get custody of you.”

“Papa related to you as a father,” I stated.

Paul nodded. “He was very kind and understanding about it. Your mother was already pregnant when they met, so he knew you weren’t his biological son. We came to a mutual agreement. It was the hardest decision I’d ever made in my life, but disrupting the life of a child with two parents and a stable home would have been cruel. I never wanted to hurt you, Cruz.”

Sincerity rang through every syllable, even as a tear slipped down one cheek.

“I know, Paul, and I appreciate it so much. I know that was a huge sacrifice on your part, but you were right. It would have been traumatizing for me.”

He nodded and swiped away the tear with the heel of his hand before picking up the box he’d set beside his chair. “There are letters in here from your father. I know you’ve read mine to him, but I thought you might like to read the story from his perspective.”

Slugging back the rest of my drink, I attempted to rein in my emotions. “I’d love that.”

“You can keep them, but I’d like to have the mementos back when you’re done looking at them.”

“Of course,” I assured him.

Paul left some money on the table, and we rose. Setting the box on my empty chair, I pulled him into a hug. “Thank you,” I said quietly. “You mean a lot to me, Paul.”

It was the first time I’d initiated any kind of affection with him, but it felt good and right. He’d given me the gift of hearing my father’s voice through those letters, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.

“You keep this,” I said, pulling the baseball from the box and placing it into his hand. “I’m sure it’s worth at least five cents now that I’ve signed it.”

His face creased into a smile. “It’s worth everything to me, Cruz. More than you know.”

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