“Yep. I’ll talk to my mom and grandmother when I get home.”He was family now. Family helps family.
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”
“Hey, what are cousins for?”She laughed and sprang to her feet. Enough serious talk.“Come on. I’ll race you back to Jesse’s.”
Jesse sat before a spread of invoices for food and supplies for The Destiny, trying to get them sorted and paid. This was a part of business ownership that he hated.
He heard Blake come in.
“I’m back here.”
Blake came into the kitchen and slumped into the chair across from him, glancing at the papers.“Bill paying time?”
“Yep. And I hate it.”
“If I stay here awhile, I could help. I’m a whiz at math. I took care of all the bills for Mom the last few years.”He shrugged.“But I guess we need to see what happens first.”
Jesse nodded. The uncertainty of everything weighed heavily on him. He wished he had answers to give Blake.“So the lawyer called and wants us to get a paternity test. Said that will help. You okay with that?”
“Sure.”He nodded.
“Then she wants to meet you and talk to you. I’ll set that up.”
“I’m sorry to be such trouble.”
“You aren’t causing trouble. And we’ll get this sorted out,”Jesse said.“So, did you have fun at the beach?”
“I did. Man, Emily sure likes to go shelling. She’s really picky about which ones she keeps.”
Jesse almost said that Heather was the very same way. But he didn’t want to bring up her name. At all.
Blake picked up a paper and looked at it mindlessly.“So…about Heather. Are you guys friends? Or were you until finding out about me ruined it?”
“You didn’t ruin anything,”he quickly assured him.“And Heather and my relationship…Well, it’s complicated.”He couldn’t explain it to himself, much less to someone else. Best friends. Slept together once. And now? He could barely look at her without rage overcoming him.
Blake looked at him, waiting for him to continue. But how did he explain what he and Heather have? Orhad,because right now he didn’t care if he never saw her again.“We were friends when we were kids. And when she’d come back to town to visit.”
“Like when I was…uh…you know.”
Jesse closed his eyes, and the memories of that night swam before him.“Yes, like that night. I did sleep with Heather, obviously. Mistake. Big mistake. Things were never the same.”
Blake looked startled or…hurt?
He rushed to explain.“No, not that it was a mistake that you were born because of that night. I swear, I’ve never been happier about anything in my life. I’m thrilled you came and found me. So, maybe that night was the best thing that ever happened to me.”In all his anger at Heather, he hadn’t stopped to consider it that way. But it was. Because of that one night, he had this son sitting right here at his kitchen table.
“So…I was wondering…”Blake sat up straight, looked him right in the eye.“I’d—I’d like to get to know Heather…if that’s okay with you. I know you’re mad at her. But I might not get another chance if I have to go back to Kansas. Not like this. In the same town and everything.”
He probably shouldn’t be surprised at the request, and he shouldn’t let his anger interfere. But Heather had given the boy up. She’d given away her chance. And yet…Blake still wanted to get to know her.
Blake’s expression was tentative and hopeful. He couldn’t deny the boy anything.“If you want to get to know Heather, I won’t stand in your way.”
“Thanks, Jesse. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it. Because I really do appreciate all you’re doing for me.”Blake turned and headed to his bedroom.
Jesse sat staring at the pile of invoices, trying not to be…what? Jealous? Was he jealous that Blake wanted to get to know Heather?
He hated how complicated his life and his emotions were these days. Except for the one thing that had exploded into his life bringing unexpected blessings. His son.
Chapter 22
