Yes, legally, I was Ace’s wife, but he’d been in the military so long, and we’d been apart for all of those years. He likely had a different emergency contact and all of that set up.
Would his family have told me if something was wrong with him?
I shook my head to break out of those thoughts. Ace was just out west for training. He was fine. The more likely reason he hadn’t called was that I’d bitten his head off before he left.
That, and the fact that we weren't a traditional married couple anyway. We had only a few months before our union was officially dissolved.
The thought should’ve at least brought me some relief. The divorce meant I could inherit my grandmother’s estate and pay off Vincent Reyes. But all it filled me with that night was dread.
“Sweetie.” I cupped the side of Aiden’s face. “You know that our living with Mr. Ace is temporary, right? We’re here for a little while, and then we’re moving into a place of our own.”
Aiden nodded, his eyes lowered a bit. “But he’s my friend.” Suddenly, he looked up, his face brightening. “What if he changes his mind and asks us to stay? I think he likes you. He looks at you sometimes when you don’t see. I think that means he likes you. What if he could be my dad?”
Air whooshed from my lungs.
That question about knocked the wind out of me. Especially since the last words I’d hurled at Ace were akin to telling him that he wasn’t Aiden’s father.
“What if I read you a bedtime story?” I asked, reaching for one of the books on the nightstand by his bed. I ignored the shake of my hand as I grabbed the book.
“Okay,” he said gloomily, lying back against his pillow. “But will you wake me up when Mr. Ace gets home? Please?” he begged.
“No need, kid. I’m right here.”
Aiden and I both gasped as he looked toward the door. Ace stood there, taking up most of the entranceway with his arms folded across his chest. My gaze slid down his body, taking in the forest green Henley shirt he wore with dark blue jeans, looking like the embodiment of everything masculine and male.
I didn’t know who was more excited to see him—me or Aiden.
My son leaped out of bed and ran to him. “Mr. Ace.”
Ace easily caught him in his arms as he bent low to grant him a hug. I had to look away because I felt the tears coming. Between what Aiden had just asked about Ace becoming his father and my shame about what I’d last said to Ace, I couldn’t look him in the eye.
“How was it? Did you fly a lot?” Aiden bombarded Ace with questions.
I wanted to tell him to let Ace breathe since he’d just gotten in, but words refused to come out of my mouth.
“How about we talk in the morning?” Ace suggested. “It’s your bedtime, isn’t it?”
“Aw, man,” Aiden whined.
Ace laughed. “I’ll finish reading you that story. You didn’t finish without me, did you?”
Aiden shook his head. My son had given me strict instructions against reading the story about the little boy whose father was a fighter pilot. That was the story only Ace could read to him at bedtime.
“No, we didn’t finish last time, remember? Can you read it to me?”
“If it’s okay with your mom.” Ace gave me a questioning look.
I managed to stand and nod. “I’ll wait outside,” I stammered out as I made my way to the door.
I didn’t even look at Ace as I passed him. I gently closed the door behind me and allowed the two of them to have their private moment.
With my back against the wall, I slid down to the floor and covered my face. I refused to let myself cry, but everything started to feel like it was closing in on me. The week prior, I’d emptied my retirement account and gave every penny minus the taxes to Vicent Reyes.
The son of a bitch had acted like he was doing me a favor by not telling Aiden’s birth father about his whereabouts.
Then there was Aiden. He truly was falling for Ace. I knew he needed more of a male role model in his life. And the way he and Ace took to one another should’ve warmed my heart, but instead, it frightened the hell out of me.
“He knocked out quick.” Ace’s deep voice startled me out of the emotional spiral I was getting ready to go down.
