Page 13 of The Locksmith's Promise

Laughing, Corwin dropped to his knees on the floor, his multi-coloured perma-puppy wiggling around on her back as Cor took up the invitation to scratch her tummy.

Baxter’s dark eyes flashed with betrayal.

His voice shook. “We’ll be having that coffee, Maggie.”

I nodded, swallowing tightly.

What is happening?

“Sooner rather than later,” he warned.

Turning to face our son, he offered a small, deceptively calm, smile. His voice warbled once before evening out. “That’s a good-looking pup you’ve got there.”

Corwin looked up and smiled widely. “Thanks! Her name is Jeff.”

“Her?”

He shrugged. “Mom picked it. I wanted to call her bubbles, but Mom wanted Jeff.”

“It’s a great name,” he rasped. “I’m Baxter. I’ve known your mom forever. I haven’t seen her for a long time, and I didn’t know she had a child. It’s great to meet you.”

My face flushed with a heady cocktail of fury and remorse.

How could he not have known?

I realized what he was doing, and I didn’t blame him. If I’d just met my child for the first time at the tender age of ten, the last thing I’d want him to think was that I abandoned him.

My chest ached. Baxter was ten when his own mother left him with his bastard of a father. The parallels were painful and impossible to ignore.

Corwin, God bless him, stepped right up and extended his hand to shake his father’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Corwin.”

I swallowed my grief as they touched for the first time, Baxter’s eyes wide with wonder.

You should have followed up.

You should have tracked him down.

You should have given him a second chance.A third chance. A fourth.

Corwin’s startled gaze moved to meet mine when Baxter didn’t immediately let him go.

I cleared my throat. “Cor, Baxter is super important to me. He was my best friend growing up, the best friend I’ve ever had.”

At the sound of my voice, Baxter released him.

A strangled sound from the upstairs hallway caught our attention. Miller stood with his arms around Maxine who held her hand over her mouth.

Baxter jerked his chin up at Miller, then turned his face away. “I’ve got a few things to do, Mills. I’ll be back later.”

Chin dipping toward the son he obviously didn’t know existed, he rasped, “I’m really happy to meet you, Corwin.”

His lips tightened as he slanted me a hurt glance and a brief nod. “Mags.”

With that, he left.

And just as he’d done over a decade before, he didn’t look back.

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