Southern Chance - Natasha Madison Page 0,52

away of a cross for him and under it, I put Ethan’s birthday. I am going to have to add another birthday to that. I ignore the pain in my chest as I think of my child and the pain that she went through. Alone. Without me. Doubting that what we had was real.

“I have Ethan, and Kallie knows this. It isn’t a surprise to anyone,” I say and walk back into the living room. “And as for Savannah, the only relationship I want with her is to co-parent with her, exactly as I have been.” I walk back into the kitchen and open the fridge to start breakfast.

“But …” I lose it and slap my hand on the counter. I look to see if Ethan is in the room.

“Mom, enough,” I hiss. “But nothing. Kallie is the one. She’s always been the one. She will always be the one.”

“I can’t forgive her for leaving you,” she says and looks down. “I won’t.”

“Then that’s too bad,” I say, “because I’m hoping like fuck Charlotte can forgive me for fathering a child that wasn’t her daughter’s.” She gasps. “Now, are you staying for breakfast or not?”

“I think I am going to leave you and Ethan,” my mother says. “I think you have a lot to talk about. But,” she says softly, “just remember that he has a mother and doesn’t need a stand-in.” She turns on her heels and walks out, and I make a mental note that we are definitely going to have more words.

“Where is Grandma?” Ethan comes into the room with his basket of dirty clothes.

“She had to take off,” I say and start to make breakfast while he carries his clothes to the laundry room.

“Can I watch television?” He looks at me, and I nod while I make him pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He turns off the television and comes to the island when I call him to come eat. He gets on the stool and looks over at me. “Did you and Grandma have a fight?”

“Why do you say that?” Wondering if he heard what we were arguing about, I look over at him.

“I heard her yell, and then she left.” He chews a piece of pancake. “Who was that girl?”

“Grandma and I were just talking,” I say, “and that girl was Kallie.”

He looks at me. “Kallie and I were best friends when we were in high school.”

“Like you and Mom and Uncle Beau?” he asks.

“She was actually my girlfriend,” I say, and he looks at me and then takes another bite of his food. No doubt he’s processing everything. He’s always been like that.

“Where has she been?” I look over at him.

“She left for school, and she just came back,” I say. “You know Casey, right?”

“Is that the cowboy?” he asks with his eyes big. “He’s so cool. Last year at the county fair, he lasted the longest on the bull.” I roll my eyes.

“He isn’t that cool,” I say, and he laughs. “But yes, that is her brother.”

“Cool,” he says again, picking up his eggs and then looking at me. “Are you going to start dating her again?”

I think about how to answer this. I don’t want to lie to my son, but I also want to be honest with him because if I get my way, she is going to be here a lot more. “I hope so.”

“Buy her candy,” he says with a smile. “Lollipops for sure.”

“Is that so?” I smirk at him, and he nods his head.

“I brought Alexis one, and she held my hand the whole recess,” he says. “But it made my hand all sweaty and gross, so I am not going to do that again.” I throw my head back and laugh. I lean over and kiss his head, and I think of our son and only then do I realize they would be the same age. Tears spring to my eyes, and I blink them away but not before he sees them. “You don’t have to hold her hand if you don’t want to.”

“I want to hold her hand,” I say, “and I want her to come over for dinners, and I want you to meet her.”

“She’s pretty,” he says, finishing his last piece of pancake. “We should invite her for movie night.”

“That is a great idea,” I say and get up, grabbing our plates and rinsing them off. “Now go get your homework so we can get that over with.”

He grumbles and groans while he walks