Page 33 of Pucking Fate

“Of course I want your help! If that day ever comes,” she adds quietly.

“It will,” I assure her.

“So, where’s the birthday boy?” Preston asks. “I can’t believe he’s already turning five and about to start school.”

“Same,” I agree. “And he’s around back playing with Christian.”

“So, this is Christian’s SUV?” Elle asks, eyeing the black luxury vehicle suspiciously.

“Uh-huh. Why?”

“I guess I can’t believe he bought something other than a sports car for once,” she remarks.

It finally dawns on me that Christian must have bought the vehicle since he’s been in town, as he arrived in a flashy little car. He probably knew that I would never let him take our son anywhere in a freaking speedster. For one, some of them don’t have a back seat, and two, they’re too dangerous to be driving around with a four-year-old passenger. Five-year-old tomorrow.

I guess it was sweet of Christian to make the concession and sell the car he drove up here in to buy an SUV.

Not that Christian doesn’t have plenty of money to spend, but he didn’t have to go to all that trouble.

He did it because he cares about Finley and wants to be a bigger part of his life.

I know he wants to tell our son the truth, to finally hear Finley call him Daddy. But I’m so scared about what comes next.

Will Finley hate me for keeping him from his father his entire life? There’s no way he can understand at his age why I did what I did.

Sometimes I’m not sure why I didn’t reach out to Christian sooner.

It’s just that he hurt me so much and then went to play for the pros. Before he left, I did tell him I was pregnant, and his first reaction sounded like he expected me to end it, even going so far as to send me money through a cash app.

I thought his reaction meant he didn’t want to be a father, not when he was hoping to start his pro career.

Then, seeing him date so many women, I couldn’t let my son be a part ofthatlife. I want Finley to grow up respecting women, not use them for sex.

But I also, selfishly, wasn’t sure if I could handle Christian loving our son but not me.

14

Christian

Once Preston and Elle show up, I’m old news to Finley.

Since I’m so competitive, I’m actually a little jealous of seeing how much Finley loves seeing his uncle and playing with him. Especially while he doesn’t even know that I’m his father.

I shove the bitterness down as I search the backyard for Maya. She’s standing off to the side of the porch from the rest of us, staring at me in her tempting jean shorts and teasing white tank top.

Unlike usual when there’s hesitancy, distrust, or occasionally lust in her gaze, at this moment she’s looking at me with almost a smile on her face, like she maybe, sort of, wants to let herself like me.

“What’s up?” I ask her when I approach, since my presence in our pretend hockey game is no longer required by Finley.

“Nothing,” she says.

“Nothing?”

“I’m just…happy,” she replies.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She nods and then tips her head toward the front of the house. “Did you buy the SUV for Finley?”

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