Page 12 of Broad Shoulders

“It’s fine. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He looks at Kai in my arms, his expression softening. “Bye, buddy.”

When I turn back after watching him leave, my mother has a look ofI told you sowritten across her face, as if Jackson's departure just proved her point.

“Was that really necessary?” I demand.

“What?” She reaches for Kai, who goes to her willingly. “I just asked a few questions.”

“You interrogated him. You brought up Dad.”

She bounces Kai on her hip while readjusting his onesie. “I’m looking out for you and this little man. Someone has to.”

“I can look out for myself. And Kai.”

“Oh, honey.” Her voice softens with condescension. “You’ve been so focused on managing everything since Kai was born. It’s understandable that you’d be swept up by Jackson’s sudden return.”

“I’m not ‘swept up’ by anything,” I argue. “He’s Kai’s father. He has a right to be in his life.”

“And he’s the same man who didn’t respond to any of your messages when you tried to tell him you were pregnant.”

I shake my head. “He never got those messages. The team never passed them on.”

“So he says.” She gives Kai a little bounce. “Men like that have a different life, Alana. The novelty of playing daddy will wear off.”

“You don’t know him.” My voice rises despite my effort to stay calm. “Jackson is a good person. You’d see that if you gave him half a chance.”

“I hope you’re right.” She sighs. “But I’ve seen this story before.”

Her certainty infuriates me. The worst part is that I’ve had the same fears lurking in the back of my mind. What if Jackson does leave eventually? But seeing him with Kai today, the way he interacted with our son—that kind of paternal love can’t possibly be temporary. Can it?

“You’re wrong about him,” I say firmly. “Jackson isn’t like Dad. He came back here for me before he even knew about Kai. And now that he knows, he’s staying.”

“For how long, Alana?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.” I take Kai back from her, holding him close. “And I need you to respect my decisions. I want Kai to have his father in his life.”

Mom presses her lips together in a thin line. “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I do,” I say, wishing I felt as confident as I sound.

As I look down at my son, his eyes already drooping with sleepiness, I can’t help but picture Jackson’s face when he heldhim, full of fatherly pride. My mother is wrong about him. She has to be. Because the alternative—that Jackson could come back into our lives only to eventually leave again—is something I’m not prepared to face.

Not when I’m starting to realize just how much I want him to stay.

5

JACKSON

It’s not like I need another reason to stay. I’ve already decided Alana and our son are my entire world. But when Alana’s mother practically accuses me of being a deadbeat dad waiting to happen, it throws extra fuel on the fire burning inside me.

She might think she knows how this story ends, but she couldn’t be more wrong.

I tear out of Alana’s driveway, the engine of my rental car growling in a way that matches the feeling in my chest. A man has his breaking point, and being compared to someone who abandoned his family pushes right against mine. I spent my career proving people wrong. This is just one more person to add to that list.

I burn through the afternoon looking at more properties. One place actually seems pretty damn near perfect until I realize it’s a forty minute drive from Alana. No way in hell am I going to live that far away from her. Her words from earlier ring in my ears—don’t worry, you’ll find a place—and I cling to that promise. And to the hope that she actually wants me around.

A week later, frustrated that I still haven’t found a rental that works, I switch my search from “rentals” to “for sale.” This opens up a whole new world of possibilities. There are half a dozen houses up for sale within a five-minute walk from Alana’s place. Three of those are instant nos. Another two show potential until I spot the telltale signs of hasty renovations hiding deeper issues.

But the last house I look at makes my heart rate kick up a notch. Scrolling through the photos, I see everything I could want—a covered lanai wrapping around the back, a spacious yard with an unobstructed view of the mountains, and rooms flooded with natural light that makes the whole place feel alive.

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