Page 59 of Reckless Curves
Chapter Nineteen
Taking advantage of having a morning with no piano lessons, Kendra worked on the song she had to deliver for one of the pop princesses of the day. She was excited at the prospect that this could be her big break. Kendra had a good voice but knew her real talent lay in song writing. Besides, she much preferred to be behind the spotlight than in front of it. She saw what that kind of life could do to people, and their privacy.
She was struggling to find the right lyric, and she was listening to Connor laughing in the yard, when a knock sounded on her door. As soon as she opened it, Tom swept her into his arms and held her close. Kendra returned his embrace, stroking his hair and kissing his cheek.
Since she didn’t know what was wrong, Kendra just hugged him, trying to soothe him with her closeness. When he drew back and kissed her, it was a different kind of kiss, one that sought comfort instead of passion.
Kendra gladly lent her support to him and kissed him back tenderly. By the time the kiss ended, her heart throbbed in her chest, but concern overrode all her desires. The pain in his eyes made her scalp tingle with fear.
“What is it, Tom? What happened?”
“Where’s Connor?” he asked.
“In the kitchen.”
Tom released her and headed for the other room. Kendra knew something had happened with his Dad. Entering the kitchen, he saw Connor scooting a train engine across the floor and the smile that lit his face brought tears to her eyes. He loved his son, and he knew right then that Kendra had no right to stop him from announcing his paternity to the world.
Catching sight of Tom, Connor threw up his hand. “Hi, Tom!”
Tom grinned and scooped Connor into his arms. “Hi, buddy.” He kissed Connor’s soft cheek and hugged him. “I love you and I will be the father you deserve. I promise. I know you don’t understand what I’m saying, but one day you will. You’ll never have to wonder if I love you.”
Connor wiggled in his arms. “Are you my Daddy?” He’d understood one word. His little serious face broke Kendra’s heart.
“I am your Daddy. Is that all right with you?”
Connor threw his small arms around Tom’s neck and giggled. Her son saw her over Tom’s shoulder. “Mama, I have a Daddy now. Tom will be my Daddy.”
Kendra kneeled down next to her two favorite men. “He’s always been your Daddy, but he’s come home now.” And the three of them collapsed on the floor of her kitchen, hugging and smiling and crying.
Finally, Connor got bored with sitting still. “Mama, can I go for a swim?”
“I’ll take you in a minute,” Tom said. “Find Jackie and she can put your swimsuit on.” Connor was running from the room before he’d finished speaking.
“How did it go at the hospital?” she asked as they both rose to their feet.
He tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. Taking a huge breath, he said, “I went to see Dad after getting my bloodwork done. God, he looks like… crap. He’s so thin and he’s hooked up to all these monitors and stuff.” He shook his head. “Seeing him like that… was so hard. We had a good talk and got a lot things out in the open. I wasn’t expecting that. I was so mad at Sam for making me do it, but I’m glad he did.”
Kendra rubbed his back. “That’s great that you reconciled with him, Tom. I’m sure that it’s a big relief. I often wonder if I should reach out to my parents, or my mother maybe.”
Tom let out a shaky sigh. “I can’t advise you on that. You’ll know when it’s time.”
“Probably. I hope so.”
“I told Dad about Connor because I want them to meet. If I’m not a match as a donor, he will die, Kendra. I want Dad to see his grandson before he goes. I hope you can understand that,” Tom shared. “It’ll still be a secret for now because it’s not like Marcus or anyone else will see Dad.”
Tears of sympathy filled Kendra’s eyes. It was only right that Tom’s father met Connor. Tom had missed so much of his son’s life, he should be able to share the news with whoever he wanted. “It’s okay. I think you should be able to tell whoever you want. I shouldn’t have asked you not to acknowledge Connor. I think I’ll have a housewarming party for our friends this weekend, and we will tell them then—together. If that’s what you want?”
He pulled her close and kissed her. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. Should we tell Marcus separately?”
“He’s gone out of town for a few days to the parts expo. But he’ll be back this weekend. I think we tell him at the same time. If there are people around who might rejoice at our news, he’s less likely to try to kill you. I kind of like having you around.”
Tom smirked. “Do you now. That’s fine with me. The being around a bit I mean.” He kissed her long and hard.
When the kiss ended, she stepped back and stated quietly, “I’d like to go with you to the hospital.”
Tom’s face registered surprise. “Really?”
“Really. I want to meet him,” Kendra responded.
