Page 8 of Liam

“Mom, the boy isn’t my son.” It’s the simplest way to start.

“Then why is he here?” She challenges.

“Because…damn it. Okay. Try not to be upset, but he’s…my brother.”

“What?” She paused for a moment just as Renee came from the bedroom. “Why is your dad’s whore coming out of your bedroom?” She’s on her feet about to confront my future wife.

I get in the way, stopping her from doing something irreversible. “Mother, calm down. Renee is not a whore, and she sure as hell isn’t anyone’s but mine.” I grab Renee’s hand and sit her down by my side on the opposite side of my mother as I explain the truth about Max. As I finish, tears come to my mother’s eyes. Renee lets go of my hand, and I wrap my mother in my arms for a strong hug. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. I’m sorry for her and Gerald. This probably isn’t easy for him to see her hurt over a dead man. He knows that she doesn’t pine for my father, but my father broke her spirit and her ability to see herself as worthy.

She pulls back, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief that Gerald slips into her hand. She gives him a warm, loving smile in return. “I’m sorry. I was so rude to your…” She looks for an answer to what we are.

“My fiancée.”

I see where her eyes land, and I brace myself. “I don’t see a ring on her finger,” she scolds me.

“There will be.”

“That’s better. I’m sorry that you’re burdened with your father’s baby. I know you’ll do the right thing and care for him because you’re a good man. Maybe you should get ahold of your other brother and inform him. He might like to meet him.”

“I left a message for him to call me when he returns from his mission. It’s okay. With Renee by my side, we’ll raise him better than he could have gotten with dad and his bimbo.”

“Why didn’t she just tell you about your brother? They were married after all. She could have used him for her own financial gain.” My mom knew Cherry well. Cherry took it upon herself to make sure my mom did. It was cruel, but my mother laughed the skanky broad off.

“She knew that I wouldn’t be beholden to give him shit. She had all of dad’s assets. The company wasn’t his long before he died. But there’s more I have to find out. I think she didn’t want the baby to be dad’s. There’s no denying that he could pass for my son, so I’m going to have the DNA test done and see if he really is dad’s boy. I’m sorry. I can understand…” I pause thinking about how messed up this is to her.

“Don’t do that. I had a hard time accepting being around your brother, and that was my character flaw. It’s been hard to accept that he’s the product of a longtime affair. But since I met Gerald, I learned that some things happen for a reason. I should have been nicer to your brother. It wasn’t his fault.” She smiles at me, hoping I believe her. And I do. She’s been through a lot of heartache and reevaluation of her happiness.

Whimpers come from the baby’s room. Shit. I don’t know the first thing about babies, but I’m going to learn. Even before I found out otherwise, I was willing to help be a father to her baby. Now that I know Max isn’t her baby, it makes this whole makeshift family deal a lot easier for me. I’m kind of territorial where she’s concerned.

“I have to check on him.” Renee stands up, giving out an awkward smile. Her tits bounce when she does it; I bite backa groan, then toss my gaze to my stepfather. If that fucker is looking, I’ll pound his face in. Anyone staring at my woman needs their ass knocked out.

Luckily, he wasn’t gawking. He’s holding my mother’s hand. I know he’s good for her, and they’ve been together for nearly a decade, but I don’t trust anyone with my mother. I don’t want to see her hurt again.

I take my eyes back to my precious fiancée. Renee’s beyond anything I could have ever hoped for, and I’ve been nothing but a dick. He’s my little brother. I should be the one looking after him. “I’ll come with you,” I say, jumping up from my seat.

“I suppose…since he is your brother,” she mutters, rubbing her hands together.

I grasp the back of her neck, tipping her head back and massaging her pulse. “Baby, I told you that I was going to accept him even when I was a nutcase jealous ass. I just don’t know how to take care of him.”

“I’m not much better,” she whispers, staring up at me with all her heart in her eyes.

I could drown in her gaze. I want to be alone with her. “Then we’ll learn together.” I pull her into my arms and kiss her tenderly, forgetting all those around us and deepening it until we’re breathless.

She steps back from me. “The baby.”

“Yeah, let’s do this.” I take her hand and walk to the bedroom. I get a shock when I see my mom holding onto the little man.

“Sorry. I wanted to see him. He looks so much like you when you were a baby.” I look at her, waiting for the waterworks to kick in. “I’ve forgiven your father long before he died for cheating on me and the life we lost as a family. It’s crazy, but I feel unexpectedly attached to this guy.”

“I’m sorry, mom.”

“Don’t, Liam. You’re a treasure. Even if I got a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn’t because I wouldn’t have you. Keep being the good man you are. Here. Learn to hold the little one. Soon you’ll have your own son.” She hands him to me, and I take him from under his arms.

“Thanks.” I held him to my body just like she gave him to me. He curls into me, pressing his face to my chest and releasing a sigh. My heart fucking melted. At that moment, I knew I would do everything I could to show him that he can be better than his biological father.

My mother kisses my cheek then hugs Renee and says, “Goodnight. Call me when you get everything straightened out.”

Chapter 8

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