Page 12 of Reckless Curves
“He wants to know who you are,” Kendra replied.
Tom rolled his eyes. “I should’ve figured that out. I’m your—”
“No!”
Both Connor and Tom looked at Kendra in surprise at her loud tone.
Kendra met Tom’s gaze. “That’s not how to do this. Connor picks things up fast and we have some things to work out first. If he hears you called that, he’ll repeat it. I’m not ready for anyone to know yet, especially Marcus. So, for now, you’re just Tom.”
Tom’s expression darkened and he looked like he would argue. Then he glanced at Connor, pointed at his chest, and said, “I’m Tom.”
Kendra sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
Tom greeted his boy, “It’s nice to meet you, Connor.”
Emotions collided in Kendra’s heart as she watched the father and son. Anger at Tom for not reading her emails or listening to her voicemails cloaked the meeting with sadness. Three wasted years. But the picture of them together filled her with happiness that the two were finally meeting. Connor deserved to know his father. It looked like Tom wanted that too, but what would that mean for them all?
Connor smiled. “Hi, Tom.” He looked up at Kendra. “Mama, dis Tom.”
Kendra laughed. “Yes, Con. I know who he is.”
There was no forgetting the man she’d loved for so long. He always filled her dreams and he was never far from her mind. After all, he was her first love. And their night together had given her Connor. She could never regret that.
Tom ruffled Connor’s hair and stood up. “I came over to meet Connor and to talk about what we’re going to do about the situation. I’m not waiting any longer to be in my kid’s life.”
Kendra took a deep breath, walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. The cold air felt heavenly on her flushed cheeks, and she wanted to crawl right inside the appliance. She located a bottle of apple juice and concentrated on pouring some into a sippy cup so she didn’t have to look at Tom.
“Here, Con.” She handed it to him.
Connor took the sippy cup, drank a few swallows and then ran into the living room, leaving Kendra alone with Tom. She propped a hip against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, I guess the first thing is setting up child support and visitation through the court,” she said. “I think supervised visits would be best at first until you’re more used to taking care of Connor. Then we could do every other weekend and figure out who gets him on each of the vacations.”
“You’ve got this all figured out and we haven’t even talked.” Tom moved closer and Kendra was forced to tilt her head back to meet his eyes.
“No, Kendra. I will not drop him off and pick him up like a damn suitcase. He deserves better than that. Connor needs a full-time dad, not a part-time father.”
Kendra’s eyes widened as fear constricted her chest. “You’re going for full custody? Oh, hell, no! I’ll fight you on this and I’ll win, Tom.”
Fortunately, Tom shook his head, assuaging her concerns, “Whoa, I will not sue you for custody, Kendra. That’s the last thing I want to do. I’d never separate Connor from his mother. I thought that we could work this out privately.”
“What do you mean, privately?” she asked. “I want it to be legal. Just in case… I want to know Connor is taken care of.”
“I’ll never stop taking care of him—or you.” He stepped even nearer and Tom’s aftershave teased her senses. “I want it to be legal, too, but I was thinking of something more old-fashioned.”
Kendra fought down the effect he was having on her body. “More old-fashioned? What are you talking about?”
That determined look she knew so well settled on his face. “Connor needs both of us full-time. I want to give him the kind of life he deserves and I know that you do, too.”
She couldn’t figure out what Tom was driving at. “Well, of course, I do, but—”
“Kendra, let’s get married.”
Kendra shook her head. Did he just say married? Her eyes locked on his and goddamn, he was serious. He didn’t blink, didn’t utter a sound. So she did the only thing she could to lighten the mood. She laughed.
He stepped back as if someone had slapped him when she burst into laughter and put a hand to her chest. His proposal made her shiver, like a bucket of cold water poured over her head. Never had she imagined he would propose.
“This is no laughing matter.” Irritated, she watched him cross his arms over his chest and cock his head while her laughter subsided. She supposed she better hear him out, but there was nothing short of ‘I love you and want you both in my life’ that would even make his proposal remotely acceptable.
