sure, but given what Tad had done, the nostalgia associated with that look had lingered way longer than it should have.
Tad’s grin faded, and his step faltered as he took in his beaming son on another man’s shoulders. Finn’s face lit up. “Daddy!”
Squirming to be let down, Finn wiggled until Cole obliged, and Jane watched as Finn ran out the gate and straight into his father’s arms. “Finny.” Tad hugged his son hard. “I missed you so much,” he said gruffly.
For a second, Jane’s heart hurt so badly she could barely draw breath. She believed him. Tad loved Finn deeply, and she knew he missed his son when they were apart. But she wanted to yell this was your choice, douchebag.
She didn’t.
She just stood and watched, trying to master uncharitable thoughts about this being typically Tad. To turn up at the worst possible moment like a bad freaking penny. The last she’d heard from him was when he’d spoken to Finn two nights ago, during which he’d estimated his time to grace them with his presence as being mid next week.
And now here he was…
“Hey, Janey.”
She grimaced. At nineteen and in her lust, she’d adored the way Tad had called her Janey. It’d been his pet name for her. Now, a grown-ass woman with a business, a four-year-old, and a divorce to her name, the old endearment grated. She hated the possession and the intimacy it implied, which of course he knew, because she’d asked him to stop with it a long time ago, and he’d complied.
But, she guessed, with Cole an ominous, silent force dominating the space behind her, Tad was feeling some bullshit need to assert a claim.
She’d never felt more like socking him in the gut than she did right now. But she wouldn’t. Nor would she correct him, either, with Finn clinging to him like he was Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy all rolled in one.
“Hi.” Tad switched his attention to Cole. “I…don’t think we’ve met?”
Jane glanced at Cole, the blanching at the angle of his jaw evident even through the scruff of what was now a light beard. “This is Cole,” she said, jumping in. “He’s a friend of Wade Carter’s who’s been staying for a couple of weeks.”
Tad, whose hands were occupied holding Finn, didn’t offer to shake, but the way Tad was eyeing Cole, she wasn’t sure he would have even had his hands been free. Cole didn’t offer to shake, either; he just nodded and said, “Tad.”
She could see Tad was surprised that this man who’d been carrying Finn on his shoulders knew who he was, but he was even more surprised when Finn announced, “Cole plays rugby.”
Jane didn’t miss the way Tad’s gaze fell on Cole’s stick. Cole didn’t, either, if the continued tightening at the angle of his jaw was any indication.
“We’re going to Denver to watch a game right now,” Finn continued, and, in that spontaneous way of all children, he said, “You can come, too, Daddy. Can’t he, Cole?”
She opened her mouth to object, but Cole, tense though he was, smiled and said, “Of course, mate. The more the merrier.”
Finn beamed at his father again. “He calls me mate,” he said in a whisper loud enough to be heard in Australia. “Like in Bluey.”
“Hey, a rugby game. That sounds great,” Tad said, the jolliness in his voice utterly forced as he completely ignored the whole mate thing. “But I’m here to take you back home to California for some guy time.”
“Oh, but…” Finn’s face fell. “I want to see the game.”
“Maybe another time, huh? I already booked the flights.”
Okay, no. That was it. Jane saw red. Finn had been beyond excited about this expedition, and Tad didn’t get to come in and take this away from him because he was finally ready to assume his parental responsibilities.
Guy time? Oh, give me a break.
“Tad.” Her voice may have been a little on the high side, but it was sharp as a knife and grabbed Tad’s immediate attention. “Let’s chat inside for a moment. Finn, silly us, we forgot the football. I think it’s out in the backyard somewhere. Why don’t you and Cole find it while Daddy and I talk?”
Finn had wanted to bring his football today, but Jane had diverted his attention from the idea because he’d want to hold it for the entire trip and then, because Finn was Finn, it wouldn’t take long before he wanted to toss it around a bit,