Page 95 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

“You’ve got a deal. I want a rematch.”

“You’re going down.” He collected his piece of paper and a handful of pencils. “I’m going to draw in the living room. I don’t want Dad to see it until it’s finished.”

Dad.

“Okay,” Haley told him, and he went running off.

Somehow, I managed to keep it together until he was gone, but then I started sobbing.

“They’re tears of joy, I promise,” I said.

Haley wrapped her arms around me, and I felt her own tears dampening her cheek. “Me, too,” she sniffled. “Me, too.”

Now for the other part, I thought.What to do about Jordan and Shay.

47

Lucas

Bran’s immediate acceptance was a massive relief, and set my whole mind at ease. I didn’t expect every day to be this easy, and I knew he might have more complicated feelings about my absence down the road, but for now I savored his reaction. It had gone better than I ever could have hoped.

But there was another issue to settle.

Sara and Harper offered to watch Bran that evening, so I drove Haley back to my place. Where all of this had started. It felt so innocent back then, inviting her over to hook up. Everything was casual, but now there was the weight of everything that had happened since hanging over us.

Jordan and Shay were already there, sitting on the couch with a pitcher of margaritas on the table in front of them. “We’re two drinks in already, so you guys need to catch up,” Jordan announced.

“One drink in,” Shay clarified, holding up his glass. “Just beginning the second.”

“Fuck, lawyers are annoying,” Jordan muttered. “Fine.I’mtwo drinks in, and Shay has had one-point-one drinks. Hi, Haley.”

“It’s good to see you,” Shay told Haley.

I couldn’t tell if Haley’s sigh was relief, or dread. “I’ll be honest. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you two again.”

“You’ve seen me at baseball practice!” Jordan pointed out.

Haley smiled sadly. “You know what I mean.”

Jordan cleared his throat, then poured himself another margarita.

“I understand that Lucas told both of you about Bran? My son?” Haley asked.

“Technically, we figured it out before he told us,” Shay clarified.

“Wait, really?”

“You told us Bran was only four. But in court, you told a judge he was five,” Shay explained.

“We checked his baseball registration form,” Jordan chimed in. “That confirmed it.”

“Ah,” Haley said.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

Jordan glanced up at me, then ran his hand through his hair. “Listen. We’ll get right to the chase. Shay and I will step aside.”

“Jordan,” I tried to interrupt.

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