Page 10 of Conveniently Yours

She nods. "I do."

"Good, I'll be over to your house this evening at seven."

Once again, her eyes are wide and her lips are parted. "What?"

"You heard," I tell her as I move toward the door. "I'll bring dinner. Will Brandon be awake?"

She shakes her head. "No, he'll be down by then."

I glance at my watch and snarl. "I have a meeting with my father that can't be postponed. I'll see you at seven, Scarlett."

She nods. "See you at seven," she repeats.

Tonight, I'm going to ensure that I get to know my son. I don't want to anger Scarlett, but I also won't allow her to push me aside as though I'm no one.

Maybe, just maybe, I can be a father and win Scarlett back?

SIX

SCARLETT

I watch as Brandon plays with a sweet little girl. I love how social he is with other children, he's so damn sweet with them and always willing to play and share whatever he's got with them.

After being shown around AllBeck Management and being given my access code and badge for Monday morning, Brandon and I went to the day care facility they had. I assumed it would be a room, but I was wrong. It's on the ground floor and has access to the garden where the children can play. When we arrived, the children were doing arts and crafts and their teachers, Zoe, Amanda, and Laurence, greeted Brandon and encouraged him to play while Susie spoke with me about the facility. It's such an amazing thing to have on site, and it gives parents peace of mind.

The job working for AllBeck Management is amazing and perfect as it's something I could do to utilize everything I have learned in my business degree, but the downside to it is Axel Beckett. God, seeing him again has stirred so many emotions inside of me. I never thought I'd be face to face with him, I guess that was foolish of me.

What I hadn't expected was his anger. He was so cold and angry about me keeping Brandon from him. I hate that I hurt him by doing so, but I did what I had to do. I was in a bad way when I left my home, left him and Noah behind, it took a lot for me to grow and become the woman I am today, but now that I've seen Axel, I understand my actions have consequences and I'm facing those right now.

"What's got you looking so glum?" Evelyn asks as she takes a seat on the bench beside me. When I left AllBeck Management offices, I called Evelyn letting her know I was finished and on my way to the playground where Brandon could unleash some of his energy.

I sigh. "I got the job," I tell her with a wry smile.

She claps her hands looking gleeful. "That's excellent. I truly appreciate you doing this, Scarlett, I wish you didn't have to."

I place my hand over hers. "You've taken care of Brandon and I for the past five years, Evelyn. Me doing this is finally something I can do to help you in return."

She nods, patting my hand and giving me that soft motherly smile. "I'm lucky to have found you," she says softly.

She has no idea how much she has helped me, how her love and devotion to not only me but also Brandon helped us both become the people we are today. She encouraged me to finish school, to get my degree and not give up. She was on hand to babysit whenever I wasn't around and loved taking Brandon for the day. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am right now. I owe her more than I could ever say, and I love her. She's like a second mom to me, and I was so lucky I walked into her shelter.

"So why are you so down?" she asks. "Getting the job should have made you happy."

"It did, it does, but my boss is Axel Beckett," I tell her. "Brandon's father."

She presses her lips together, her hand gripping mine. "I see. I take it he knows that he's Brandon's father?"

I nod. "He does, he's so angry, Evelyn. I don't know what to do."

"And rightly so," she says pointedly. "I know we've spoken countless times about this, Scarlett, but you should have told the boy he was going to be a father. You were hurt, and you were devastated by the events that took place that day. The words your brother spoke to you, cut deep. That boy instantly dismissed what you had because your brother hurt you. Together, their actions broke you."

I nod. They did break me.

"But the boy still needed to know about his son. So, what happens now?" she asks.

"He's coming over this evening to speak about that. I have no idea what to do. What if he's so angry that he takes my baby from me?"

"That's not going to happen," she says adamantly. "You need to think about Brandon, Scarlett, think what's best for him and what would benefit him. You do that and you'll be guided right."

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