Mikey seemed to weigh this piece of information in his mind and he tilted his head. His interrogating tone softened.
“Do you still fly planes?”
“Not anymore. My feet stay firmly on the ground these days. I like to ride my bike instead. Do you want to take a look at it?”
A flicker of interest sparked in Mikey’s blue eyes. He turned to look up at Elaine for permission. She nodded.
“Go ahead.”
I led Mikey to my bike and gave him an overview, letting him rev the engine to a deafening roar. He still seemed to harbor reservations about me, but at least he didn’t have that mugshot scowl on his little face anymore either.
I stood back to let Mikey explore the bike on his own so he didn’t feel like I was hovering over him. Elaine slipped closer to stand beside me.
“He’ll be talking about this for weeks,” she said.
“I’d offer to give him a ride—”
Elaine shot me a look of alarm. I put up a hand to calm her fears.
“—but I won’t,” I added quickly. “I don’t think he trusts me enough for that. Mikey looks like he might shiv me in the kidneys as soon as my back is turned.”
She smothered a laugh behind her hand.
“That’s not true.”
I raised an eyebrow at her and lowered my voice, leaning toward her so Mikey wouldn’t overhear us.
“Sweetheart, your child has the facial expression of a miniature mafia mobster. Al Capone reincarnated. The Godfather 2.0. I’m shaking in my boots every time he gives me the evil eye.”
Elaine laughed that infectious belly laugh again. It made my heart lurch against my sternum and a smile spread across my lips. God, she was breathtakingly beautiful when she laughed like that.
“He’s always been a serious little boy,” she explained. “Especially when it comes to me. He can be very protective.”
“Well, that explains why he was standing in front of you like a bouncer at a club, ready to kick the ass of anyone who flirted with his mama,” I replied.
Her gaze softened and she glanced down at her gloved hands, brushing a few stray snowflakes off her coat.
“His father never knew I was pregnant,” Elaine said in a quiet voice. “He didn’t love me and he told me that. So we broke up and then…”
She gestured at Mikey who was examining every inch of my bike like a seasoned mechanic.
“Then I became a mom,” she finished. “It turned my world upside down. Mikey noticed very quickly that he wasn’t like other kids who had a dad. I never know what to tell him, because the truth that his father didn’t even want me, let alone Mikey, is just…it’s too brutal. I can’t break a little boy’s heart like that.”
I said nothing, battling my own memories of being unwanted by my father, and the lifelong damage that caused. Mikey didn’t deserve that.
“Is that my little man?” a woman’s voice called out.
Elaine and I turned to see a young woman with long, wavy chestnut hair, flying across the park. Mikey raced to greet her, stretching his arms wide. She scooped him up in a bear hug and peppered his face with kisses.
“That’s Ruby,” Elaine said before I could ask. “She used to babysit Mikey for a year or two before she picked up more hours working at the coffee shop. She’s a sweet girl. He adores her, but I suspect that has to do with the sweets she keeps in her pockets just for him.”
Right on cue, Ruby slipped a brightly colored candy into Mikey’s palm and placed a finger to her lips.
“Don’t tell your mom. It’s our secret, okay? Merry Christmas, little man. Hi, Elaine!” she added with a wave as she brought Mikey over to join us. “I had no idea you two would be here today. Is this your first charity ride?”
“Yeah, Mikey wanted to see the motorcycles,” Elaine said.
“Well, in that case, he has to see my husband’s bike,” Ruby replied. “It’s huge. You’ll love it.”
