The Father of Her Son - By Kathleen Pickering Page 0,41
Julie McKenna’s plans dead in her tracks. One Irish woman matching wits with another would be worth any price of admission.
But right now, guilt tugged at him. He wanted to know what had made Kelly unhappy this morning. His gut twisted with the thought that his aggressive self the night before might be making her regret staying with him. Add to that, he fully understood that Buzz Campbell was no fool—no one understood that better than Kelly. He was probably already gunning for Matt. The fact that Kelly trusted Evan enough to allow the boy into his charge spoke volumes about her faith in him.
He wouldn’t take that trust lightly.
As the car pulled up to the entrance, Kelly kissed Matt on the top of the head.
“You stay close to Evan and do what Sarah tells you. Okay? Be nothing but the perfect gentleman today.”
The excitement in his face made her laugh. “Mom, I’m gonna meet Urban Hero!”
She squeezed his shoulders. “With that costume, the audience won’t be able to tell who is the real Urban Hero. I’ll be watching the show from Neverland and cheering you on.”
The driver opened the door and Matt was the first to scramble out.
Sarah gave Kelly a reassuring look. “I have two younger brothers. I’ll take good care of him.”
Kelly shook the younger woman’s hand. “I am sure that he is in the most competent care. I am directly across the street if you need me.”
Matt ran toward the lower lobby doors. “See ya, Mom!”
“Hey, Matt-man, hold up a second. I want to say goodbye to your mother.”
Matt practically skidded to a halt at Evan’s words. Sarah walked over and waited with him by the entrance.
It pained him that Kelly looked exhausted—beautiful, but clearly the weight of all of this sneaking around had caused some unsettling sleep. He waited until she looked at him. “Are you okay?”
She shrugged. “I’m not very comfortable with our plan here. I hate to let Matt out of my sight.”
Evan reached for her hand, glad that she didn’t resist. “He’ll be fine. Right now, I’m more concerned about you. Can you handle the crowd at Neverland?”
Her small grin didn’t fool him for a second. “Just another day at work.”
He pulled her into a hug. “This will all come out right, Kelly. You’ll see.”
She broke free from his embrace yet he sensed her hesitation. “There’s no room for any other alternative, Evan.”
He tapped her chin. “On that we agree, Red.”
“Let’s go, Evan!” Matt was jumping up and down.
Evan kissed her cheek. “Text me when you leave Neverland.”
She headed from the garage. “As soon as Michael arrives, we’ll come over.”
* * *
DEAN LEANED AGAINST the doorjamb of Evan’s office, surprise on his face. “Well, who do we have here?”
Matt looked up from his game player with expectation, but frowned, as if disappointed the new visitor wasn’t Urban Hero.
Evan looked up, closing the file on the latest legal research he was investigating on Kelly’s behalf. “Morning, Dean. You’re in early.”
Dean pointed to Matt. “Isn’t he the Neverland kid?”
The Neverland kid? Not, Kelly’s son? Dean knew Kelly from Neverland, ate her food and flirted with her just like all the other guys in the newsroom. His word choice revealed everything. With those three words, Dean had betrayed the fact that Kelly and Matt were nothing but a story to him. Why did Evan feel the sudden urge to stuff the moron down the mail chute?
Then again, Evan had to check his anger. If he wasn’t emotionally invested in Kelly and Matt, he’d have the same vulturelike eye for a story. He had to admit that Dean’s moniker for Matt would make a great lead-in if the media got hold of it. He could see the headlines: Senator’s Lost Boy Found in Neverland.
Like a bank vault door slamming shut to protect this particular boy, Evan wanted all attention off him. He decided he wouldn’t admit Matt’s identity to Dean even if he did know. “This young man is an Urban Hero aficionado. He’s on the show with me this morning.”
“Looks like you’re up to your hairline in the Campbell debacle, Evan.”
“And it looks like you’ve got your sniffer in the wrong can, Dean.” Evan stood, which got Matt’s attention. “Come on, champ. Time to make sure we’re beautiful for the cameras.”
Matt jumped from his seat. He held up his empty juice box. “I finished my juice.”
Evan deposited the empty container into his wastebasket, then slid his research file beneath his show notes. He wouldn’t leave