Page 49 of In this Moment

Chapter Thirteen

For the majority of the day, Evie had managed to put her troubles out of her mind long enough to get lost in her work. She even found herself smiling and laughing with customers as if her life wasn’t totally falling apart aroundher.

By the time she locked up the shop and headed home, she was in a much better mood, but that good feeling evaporated the moment she saw Tony’s car parked out front of her house.

She was going to need to let those feelings go, and learn to accept the fact that Tony was going to be a part of their lives. She took a deep breath and went to greethim.

“You’re a little early,” she said. “As you can see, I just got home. But I’ll go get Jonah for you and make sure he’s ready togo.”

“No.” Tony stopped her. “I came early because I was hoping to talk toyou.”

“Me?” She looked instinctively to the car, but Tony was alone. “Where’s Lauren?”

“She’s at home. I wanted to talk toyou.”

Warning bells went off in Evie’s head. “I don’t think we should talk about the custody case,” she said. “I think it’s a better idea to let Russ and your lawyer handle all the negotiations.” She turned to leave again. “Really, it’s hard enough to do this without—”

“I’m sorry.” His hand shot out and gripped her arm. Not hard, but firm enough to make her turn around again.

“You’rewhat?”

“I’m sorry, Evie,” he said again. “I know all of this has been hard and it really wasn’t my intention. The last thing in the world I want to do is come in here and make things rough on you when you’ve been doing such a good job with Jonah for the last eight years.”

She tried not to laugh, afraid she would choke or worse, cry. “If you’re not trying to make it hard…then why are you making ithard?”

Dammit. She blinked hard, but it was no use. The tears were coming. She swiped at her cheeks. “I can’t cry. Not where Jonah can seeme.”

Tony, his hand still on her arm, led her toward his car and opened the door for her. “Sit, please. At least then no one cansee.”

She nodded and gotin.

Tony slipped inside the driver’s side door and immediately she was hit with a sense of deja vu from nine years ago when they sat just like that, the night he took her up to the hot springs and they’d made love. The night that Jonah was conceived. She could still remember the way her heart skipped when he came close, the way her breath caught in her throat when his arm brushed hers. And when they’d kissed, well, she would have done anything forhim.

Things were different now. None of those feelings existed. Instead, as she sat next to him, there was only an overwhelming sense of defeat that came overher.

“I meant what I said, Evie,” he said after a moment. “I know it’s hard to believe and you don’t have any reason to believe me, but I hope you can try. I really wasn’t trying to hurt you when I came to Cedar Springs. I only want to know Jonah and be part of hislife.”

“Whynow?”

He took a deep breath and chuckled a little but Evie didn’t find anything funny. “I know it sounds terrible, but it was Lauren. The minute she found out I had a son, she insisted on meeting him. She’s always wanted a family and then after we got married, we tried for a bit but…anyway, we’re still trying but it was her idea for me to reconnect with Jonah. And I’m so glad Idid.”

Reconnect?Wouldn’t he have had to be connected in the first place for that to happen?

Evie bit her tongue.

“And it only started out that way, with Lauren asking about him. But it’s changed now. I can’t believe I waited so long,” he said. “I can’t believe how much I’ve missed and how old he is. I’m really glad Lauren pushed me onit.”

She nodded numbly and lookedaway.

“I know what you’re going tosay.”

“Youdo?”

Tony nodded. “I do. You’re going to say that it shouldn’t have taken my new wife asking about him for me to want Jonah in mylife.”

“You’re right.” Evie grinned a little bit. “You did know what I was going tosay.”

“I know, I know. And you have every right to say that because it’strue.”

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