Feisty Red (Three Chicks Brewery #2) - Stacey Kennedy Page 0,15

ended up at River Rock’s Elementary School. The old schoolhouse with the large silver bell above the door had only a hundred or so students a year. Last night, Sullivan thought about packing his bags and getting far away from this town—from the nagging feeling that Clara’s one-night stand story didn’t add up. Even as he waited by the light post, sipping his coffee, he knew he should leave. What if her story seemed off because this kid was his? What was he going to do about it? Be a dad? The thought was damn near laughable. He was failing at keeping his own life together and his anger in check. But there he was, at the schoolhouse, waiting for…he wasn’t quite sure.

People passed by him on the sidewalk, moms and dads picking up their laughing and smiling children. But when Sullivan spotted Clara parking and then exiting her practical sedan, a car he couldn’t even imagine her owning, his feet remained rooted to the spot. She’d always been responsible and had a good head on her shoulders, but she hadn’t been uptight or practical. She moved closer to the school, a huge smile on her face, the noise of the children near deafening. Sullivan scanned over every little face until he stopped at one, and he felt the ground drop from under him. The boy had light brown hair, a shade Sullivan recognized because the same color was on his own head. He saw a blur of jeans and a red backpack as the boy ran into Clara’s arms and she squeezed him tight.

Time slowed. Sullivan had seen that smile on her face before. She used to smile at him that way. But then she caught sight of him, and she straightened up, her pretty eyes instantly becoming guarded, her smile disappearing.

Walk away now. He repeated it in his mind again and again, but his feet decided otherwise. He took the final steps to reach Clara and Mason then went down to his knees, feeling like the air had been sucked right out of his chest.

Mason watched him closely then his eyes slowly widened. “Whoa, you’re Sully.” He blinked. “And look, our eyes are the same.”

Sullivan breathed past the tightness invading his chest. Now closer, Sullivan swore he was looking into his mother’s eyes. Same shape. Exact same color, a little lighter than his. “Yeah, little man, they sure are.” He glanced up at the woman who owed him answers. One look at Clara’s face was all Sullivan needed as she wrapped her arms around Mason, drawing him back into her safe hold. Damn. The world shook beneath him when he saw her expression. Something he’d never seen on her face when they were together. Distrust. Caution. Sullivan knew then. Clara perceived him as a threat to Mason.

Sullivan had failed at many things, but this, there was no failure worse than seeing Clara feeling like she needed to protect the kid—his kid—from him. Hot anger pulsed through his veins, and crippling shame coursed through him until he couldn’t even identify how he felt about this. “Care to explain?” he asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

Clara sighed then kissed the top of Mason’s head. “Come to the house tonight at seven thirty.”

“Why not now?” Sullivan barely held onto his composure, rising again.

She rubbed her hand through Mason’s hair, making him laugh. “Because this little guy needs dinner and a bath before bed.”

Right. A routine. “All right, seven thirty it is.”

Clara gave him a nod then turned to Mason and clearly forced a smile. “Say goodbye to Sullivan.”

“Bye,” he said and then whirled around, booking it to the car.

Clara followed like a bomb hadn’t been dropped on Sullivan’s life.

5

Most days, Clara knew exactly how her day would go from the moment she woke up to the moment she went to bed. She had a schedule. A plan. Life never really changed much. But all her years spent worrying were finally coming to a head, and her worst fears were coming true. Her structured life was about to be blown to pieces…. Because Sullivan knew. She had no idea how he found out, or if it was a coincidence that he was walking by the school. Truth was, it didn’t matter how he knew, only that her secret had come out. Clara could only sit with bated breath, hoping—praying—that Mason stayed safe through all of this and that Sullivan wouldn’t insert himself in their son’s life only to vanish without a word.