Page 58 of Playing with Temptation

Nate seemed to breathe easier. He threaded his fingers through hers, and the rapid beat of her heart slowed. She nodded as Nate asked questions, glad to let him handle it.

Once Liam briefed them, he led them to the small private waiting room where their families were gathered.

“You’re a great uncle, Liam,” Kendra reassured him. “Thank you again for taking care of our son. It could’ve happened with any of us.”

Kendra didn’t miss Nate’s subtle sneer when she referred to Liam as Kai’s uncle.

“Liam, would you tell everyone we’ll be there in just a minute? Nate and I need to ask the nurse a question.”

Nate raised an eyebrow and frowned. He clearly suspected why she wanted to talk to him.

* * *

Nate trudged through the open waiting area and dropped into one of the chairs. He dragged a hand down his face. “What did I do now?”

Kendra stood in front of him with an expression that scolded him like a child. She folded her arms, bringing attention to her chest. He dropped his gaze. Right now he needed to stay focused on their son, not reminisce about what they’d done earlier in the day.

“Why are you being such an ass? Liam loves Kai. He’d do anything for him.”

“I don’t need him to do anything for my son. Maybe he’s a big shot in merry old England—” Nate feigned a terrible British accent “—but I don’t need his charity.”

“He didn’t mean anything by it. He feels guilty. He only wants to help. That doesn’t make him a bad guy.”

“It makes him a condescending one.”

“If you knew anything about Liam, you’d know he’s not like that at all.”

“Well, I don’t, and I don’t appreciate him acting like I can’t take care of my own kid. No one asked for his help.”

“He’s Kai’s uncle and your son adores him.”

Hearing how much his son adored some other man felt like a punch square in the jaw. He pressed a stream of air through his nose and shook his head. “Maybe if I got to spend as much time with my own kid as he apparently does, Kai would feel that way about me instead of that guy.”

Kendra’s eyes widened for a moment, then her expression softened, her eyes filled with what he was sure was pity. She released an audible breath, then sat beside him.

She placed a warm hand over his. “I know it’s hard not seeing Kai as often as you’d like, but he loves you, Nate. You’ll always be his hero.”

Nate grunted, his gaze still on the gray hospital floor tiles. “You don’t see the glow in his eyes when he talks about Liam the Great.”

Kendra shook her head and laughed. “You’re being funny, but the truth is Liam is pretty great. He’s great for my sister. Great for the town of Pleasure Cove. And he’s great with the kids—our son included. We should be thankful Kai has a big family of people who love him.”

Nate gritted his teeth. The muscles in his jaw tensed. “Shacking up with your sister doesn’t make him family.”

Lips pursed, Kendra narrowed her gaze. “So you’re going to go all 1950s on me? Fine. They’re engaged, so he will be soon. But in my book, he couldn’t be a better uncle, even if he were blood.”

“From what I hear, he hasn’t always been so good to his blood brother, either.” He huffed, hating that he’d revealed his hand.

Now she’d know he’d talked to his brother Mitchell, who worked as Liam’s next in command at Pleasure Cove Luxury Resort—one of the many resort properties owned by Liam’s family.

What he hadn’t gleaned from Mitchell—or his brother hadn’t been willing to reveal—he’d learned by searching the web. Liam had sustained a feud with his brother Hunter for years over a woman Liam had dated and his brother eventually married.

Kendra stood, glowering down at him, her expression filled with disappointment. “People make mistakes, Nate. Hopefully we learn from them and eventually grow up. You should try it.”

Nate caught hold of her hand as she turned to walk away. “I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s just hard seeing Kai so excited when he talks about this guy. It feels like Liam is trying to take my place in Kai’s life.”

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