Page 98 of Renewal After Dark

“Wow. A letter like that would make me quake in my boots, especially if I had a wife and kids at home who had no idea what I’d been getting up to on the side.”

“I know, right? He’ll shit himself.”

“Least of what he deserves after the way he lied to you.”

“I’m afraid he’ll be angry more than anything. He doesn’t expect me to do something like this.”

“I assume he’d have no idea where to find you.”

“I don’t think so. I mean, I told him about my grandmother having a place out here, but not that she’d left it to me or that I wanted to come out here. That wasn’t part of my plan when I was with him. I thought we’d end up together, you know?”

“Yeah, I do, and you had no reason to think otherwise at the time. Where would he look for you?”

“Probably at the apartment where I lived when we were together.”

“Would they tell him where to find you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Might be worth a phone call to put them on alert that you don’t want them giving out any info about your whereabouts.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“Does he know where your mother lives?”

McKenzie shook her head. “I never took him there, but he knew I was from Coventry. She has a different last name than me, so it wouldn’t be an obvious connection.”

“You might also want to make her aware you’re taking legal action. Just to be safe.”

“Do I hafta?” The thought of voluntarily telling her mother anything went against everything she believed in.

“Yes, you hafta,” he said, smiling, “because you’d feel awful if anything ever happened to her because of you.”

“Why do you have to make so much sense?”

Jax let out a squeal and began to strain against the confines of the seat.

McKenzie reached down to release the straps and lifted him into her arms. “Someone has been a very good boy while Mommy was working.”

“He’s such a good boy. Want to come see Duke? I’ll show him around the ferry landing.”

“Do you have another client coming in?”

“Not unless I get a drop-in.”

“Okay, then. Thanks.” She handed Jax over to Duke. “Jax, what noise does Duke’s bike make?”

“Room room.”

Duke laughed. “That’s right. I’ll take you for a ride when you’re a little bigger.”

“No, you won’t.”

Grinning, he said, “We’ll be right outside if you need us.”

“Don’t go too far.”

“We won’t.”

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