Page 6 of Reckless Curves
Chapter Two
Tom gripped the steering wheel so hard it was a wonder he didn’t snap it right off the steering column. His brain was going a hundred miles an hour as he tried to wrap his mind around this bombshell; he was a father. He did not doubt that Kendra spoke the truth, but perhaps it might pay to get a DNA test just to be sure. If Conner was his flesh and blood, why had she waited so long to tell him? She should have been right up in his face as soon as he’d arrived back in LA. He’d been here for months, she’d had plenty of opportunity.
He glanced in the rearview mirror to ensure Kendra was still following him.Kendra. The mother of his child. Over the whole drive to his house, he tried to solve the puzzle of their past, but he didn’t have all the pieces. He’d have to get more information from her.
When he pulled into his driveway, he quickly killed the engine and got out as Kendra parked beside him. Standing against his car, he watched as she gathered her things, and when her legs swung around after she’d opened the door, his physical response was immediate. He’d never gotten this woman out of his head.
“This way.” He directed her, watching those long legs as she brushed by.
They walked in silence to the front door and as he unlocked it, turning off the alarm, he felt a sense of pride for his accomplishments in life, now mingled with remorse for not knowing his son and his mother. Life sure throws you curveballs. He’d dealt with plenty in his life, and he’d learned that these struggles gave you strength through either accepting or overcoming them. “You want a drink? I have iced tea, water, or soda.”
“No beer? I could use a beer,” Kendra replied.
“I don’t drink so I don’t have it in the house, sorry,” Tom said, flicking on the living room light.
“Since when?” she asked.
“Since I found out that my dad pickled his liver. Haven’t drunk liquor in three years.” Addiction was hereditary, and he was already too much like his father. He would never end up a sad, sorry excuse of a man whose wife left him for a man with deeper pockets and who was sober. He didn’t blame his mother for leaving. But he’d never forgive his mother for leaving and not taking him with her. Why had she left him behind?
He shook away the insecurities caused by his childhood, remembering the day he’d heard about his father’s liver. It was the last day he drank. It had been tough, but he was nothing like his father and never would be.
Tom motioned towards the ugly gray couch against the far wall. “Have a seat.”
Kendra’s gaze roamed around the room, and her expression told him she hated the place. The distaste on her beautiful face made him laugh.
“Pretty ugly, huh?”
Kendra’s mouth curve upwards. “Yeah. Why do you live here when you’re rich?”
Tom said, “I bought it for the land. I’m going to tear this down and rebuild. I’ve always wanted to design my house and I want a large garage to play in.” He wanted to show the world he’d made it. He’d escaped to the right side of the tracks.
“Men and their cars… ” She stared outside. “It will be a huge house.” She eyed him incredulously. “For one man?”
He shrugged. Something deep within him wanted a big house. “I have nieces and nephews.”
She nodded and perched on the right end of the couch, so Tom took the left, the anger that had been building the whole drive home barely under control.
He’d earned a fortune working in formula one and when Marcus had suggested the concept of Bad Boy Autos he jumped at the idea. He would be the head mechanic and oversee the team, while Marcus would take on operations, marketing, and finance. Plus, it was the famous formula one world driver’s champion, Marcus Black’s name that would draw most of the clients. The perfect fit.
Their first year was looking extremely profitable.
Yet Kendra seemed to struggle financially, and he hated that.
“So, I’m responsible for you dropping out of law school and the estrangement with your father. Marcus kept me informed about your life when he learned you were pregnant. You really know how to hammer a guy. I have a son I don’t know, and you’ve waited all this time to tell me. All you had to do was tell Marcus and I would have learned the truth about those emails and phone calls.”
He watched as Kendra breathed deeply before replying. “I would have dropped out of law school at some point, anyway. I only went to school because father couldn’t get Marcus to go. He wanted one of his children to take over the family law firm. Getting pregnant was a blessing. It gave me the courage to stand up to my father.”
“Your father, like mine, is a bit of a bastard.” At least they had that in common.
“My father is a control freak, and while I have little respect for the man, he made sure I got the best treatment when I was battling cancer. I can’t forget that.”
Tom considered her words. “I think you have a lot of your father in you. You’re stubborn, and you also seemed to like controlling things. You could have told me as soon as I set foot in LA. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for not telling me I had a son sooner. I know I’ll never forgive myself for not reading your emails or taking your calls.”
Again, she was quietly considering his words, and then said, “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I thought you didn’t want us, and I worried about your business with Marcus. But you are right. I should have done this ages ago. Connor should have come first, not you or Marcus.”
Turning to her, some anger he held deep in his gut died. “Okay, start at the beginning, Kendra. And what I really want to know is why you didn’t tell me the minute I arrived back in LA.”
Connor was already three years old, and he’d missed his baby’s early years. How did he forgive that? He swallowed back his anger, knowing part of this was his fault. He should have responded when she’d contacted him years ago. He knew Marcus’s warning about his sister was merely an excuse. When he was younger, he was not willing to have a steady relationship. After the disaster of his parent’s marriage, he definitely didn’t want to go down that track at any speed. He’d planned to conquer the formula racing circuit with Marcus. It had been his dream for so long.Their dream.A dream that would prove he could rise above his upbringing and get away from his father.
