For Her Son's Sake (15 page)

Kell didn’t know how to explain it without sounding like...like himself. Not the persona he put on for everyone to see but the parts of himself that he didn’t like and usually kept hidden away.

“Crap. You accused her of being the leak, didn’t you?” Dec asked. “Damn. That’s my fault. I should have done some research before just throwing it at you.”

“It’s cool, Dec. I did ask her about it. It was logical,” Kell pointed out. “You both know that. In the business world that’s how things work.”

Allan gave a cynical laugh. “Jessi would have kicked my ass if I’d asked her about being the leak. Women are different. Surely, you have figured that out.”

“Yes. But I would have to be someone I’m not,” Kell said.

Dec nodded. “I get it. It’s hard to trust. Believe me, after growing up the way we did it’s very hard.”

He was surprised that Dec had put what he was feeling so eloquently. But his cousin knew what he was talking about—he’d been adopted and had never really felt accepted as a Montrose, even though both Kell and Allan considered him closer than a blood relative.

“I don’t know what to do. I’d have to admit....”

“That you love her,” Dec said. “Hardest words to say. Ever.”

“Why is that? And why doesn’t she just understand how I feel?” Kell asked.

“Because you’ve got her messed up, too,” Allan said. “That’s how it was for Jessi and me. We both knew we had something there but neither of us wanted to be the first one to admit it.”

Kell could see that with Allan and Jessi since they’d spent most of their adult lives as adversaries, but it was different with Emma and him. She’d been in love before. It should have been easier for her to reach out to him.

He slammed his head on the table as he remembered the shy smile she’d had on her face in his office. That she’d wanted to discuss something personal with him and he’d been too focused on accusing her of betraying him. She had been ready to reach out to him.

And he’d reacted the way he always did. “I’m a Montrose through and through.”

“What do you mean?” Dec asked.

“I’m really good at killing off anything that seems like it might be close to love. It’s my one true skill. You should both be glad you aren’t like me.”

Allan punched him in the arm. “We are like you. You’re a guy and the way you’re acting right now tells me that you do love Emma.”

“Of course, I do. That’s never been a question in my mind,” Kell said.

“Then what is?” Dec asked.

“If I can really be a part of her family,” Kell said. “I don’t know how to live with people I care about.”

“Given how you’ve kept the three of us together, I’d have said that’s bull. Maybe it’s time you forgot the past and the way that Grandfather used us and ask Emma for forgiveness and to be your wife.”

Fifteen

H
ere it was, two weeks after Kell and she had broken up and she was still trying to get over him. She’d taken the job they’d offered her as executive vice president of educational games, but then had asked for a two-week vacation, which had been approved. She’d taken Sammy and gone to Madrid, where Helio’s family had spoiled them both.

She’d finally been able to see that she wasn’t really afraid of letting herself love again. Because she was surrounded by people who loved her. Her sisters, her son and her deceased husband’s family. Her main problem was trusting Kell, and she knew she could have been a little easier on him but at the same time he should never have jumped to the conclusion that she’d betrayed him. And having done so, he should have apologized.

She took a deep breath and tipped her head back to look up at the February sun shining down on her. It was Valentine’s Day, and it would be so easy to blame the love-focused holiday on her current blues. But she had a feeling it was more a broken heart.

She had another few minutes before she had to be back in her office. For a moment, she’d had to escape all the flower deliveries and talk of romantic dinners from her team. But they were all wonderful people and she already loved her new role. At least she was grateful to Kell for that.

“Mommy?”

“Sammy?” she asked, turning to see her son standing next to the bench she was sitting on outside the building. “What are you doing out here? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am. Miss Daisy brought me out here.”

Emma scooped her son up for a quick hug as she noticed his day care teacher standing by the door. She waved at Emma and Emma waved back.

“Did you need me?” she asked, settling him on her lap. He had his tablet in his hands.

“Yes. I wanted to show you something.”

“What is it?” she asked, smoothing his hair and kissing the top of his head. He’d stopped asking about Kell being his daddy but they’d had a long talk about how sometimes adults didn’t get along. She doubted he’d understood it but when she started crying in Madrid the last time he asked, he’d stopped.

“This,” he said, sliding his finger across the screen and opening up the video player. “Use these.”

He pulled a pair of headphones from his pocket and gave them to her. She popped them in her ears and then re-settled Sammy on her lap. “I’m ready.”

He pushed Play and the video began showing Sammy playing his piano on the tablet. Then her son looked up at the camera and started singing “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

“This is sweet, honey,” she said to him.

“Keep watching, Mommy.”

A few seconds further in she heard the sound of a trumpet and saw Kell move into picture. He was playing the virtual trumpet on another tablet. Then at the point at the song when Louis Armstrong usually started singing, Kell started to sing.

He stared straight into the camera and sang to her. And she felt her heart beat a little faster. She listened to the song all the way to the end and then as the music ended, Sammy and Kell looked straight at the camera and said, “No one can take the three of us from each other.”

She took the ear buds from her ears. She didn’t know what to say.

“What did you think?” Kell asked from behind her. She turned in her seat to look over at him.

“I loved it,” she said. “I’m not sure—”

“Sammy, will you go with Miss Daisy and let us talk for a few minutes?” Kell asked.

“Yes. I’m glad you liked the video, Mommy,” Sammy said, scooting off her lap and then running back to his teacher.

Kell stood there next to the bench and he looked good. He was clean-shaven and had on a pair of dark sunglasses. His thick curly hair was still rakishly draped over his forehead and as he sat down next to her she noticed he wore the same spicy aftershave.

“I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your song and sang it with Sammy,” Kell said.

“Not at all. I am a little confused as to why,” she said. “The last we talked—”

“I acted like an ass. I’m not saying I wasn’t justified to ask you if you knew where the leak came from, but I should have trusted you,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I sort of get it. Besides we’d already decided we couldn’t make a relationship work.” She wasn’t quite sure what he was after here but she wasn’t going to allow herself to jump to any conclusions.

“No, we didn’t. I was waiting for you to tell me how you felt and make it so I wouldn’t have to admit what I have known for a while now.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“That I love you. That I like the man I am when we’re together and if you’ll give me a second chance I’d like to try really having a relationship with you,” he said.

“I love you too, Kell. But I don’t know if love is enough,” she said.

“That’s why I want us to take it slow and see where things go. I want a chance to be a part of your family. Really a part of it as a stepdad to Sammy and a husband to you. Will you give me a chance?” he asked.

She hesitated. He was offering her everything that she wanted but she had to admit she was afraid to take it. What if she said yes and it didn’t work out?

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “I love you, Kell.”

“Then don’t be scared. Together we are strong enough to face anything.”

She nodded. “You think so?”

She was hesitating and she knew why. She didn’t want to give in to the fact that he loved her just in case he changed his mind.

“I know so.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He pulled back to whisper in her ear, “I don’t have a future without you by my side.”

“Me either,” she said.

* * *

Two months later Kell was ready to admit that he’d let go of the past. They’d fully merged Infinity Games into Playtone and Emma’s education division was off to a running start. He had the one thing he’d always wanted—some peace from the bitterness his grandfather had raised him with.

He had adjusted easily to domesticated life and sometimes Emma said that was because he’d always wanted to be a part of a family. There was a time when that woman was too smart for her own good.

His cousins and Emma’s sisters were coming over to her house today for a barbecue and he was planning to formally ask Emma to marry him. He’d had the ring since Valentine’s Day, but it hadn’t felt right to ask her then. He’d needed a little bit of time to let them both feel confident that they were together for the right reasons.

They’d had a few bumps but only because Kell couldn’t say no to anything Sammy asked for. Kell knew it was because he’d always wanted someone to spoil, but Emma put her foot down and told him that both she and Sammy would still love him even if he didn’t give them the moon.

“I brought the sparkling wine,” Dec said, coming out onto the patio.

“Thanks.”

“Wouldn’t beer have been better?” Dec asked. “It’s kind of the beverage for grilled food.”

“Not today. Besides, I have plenty in the little fridge. Pop the sparkling wine in there and grab us both a Corona.”

Cari came over to give Dec a hug and DJ and Sammy were racing around the patio with the remote controlled cars that Kell had purchased for him. As always, he was impressed by how good Sammy was with his little cousin, the way he took the other boy under his wing and showed him how to do things.

“Can you keep your sister in the house until Allan and Jessi get here?” Kell asked Cari.

“I can. Why?”

“I need to get something set up out here.”

“Okay. Do you know what’s going on?” she asked Dec.

“Nope,” he said, kissing his wife as she went back inside.

“So?”

“I just want everything perfect before Emma comes out here,” Kell said, starting to feel nervous. What if this was a mistake and she said no. He should have just asked her in bed this morning before everyone came over.

But then he knew that he wasn’t going to let fear rule him. That he had almost lost her before because of that fear. He wasn’t going to do that again.

“Help me hang this up,” he said to Dec.

Allan came out on the patio carrying little Hannah. She smiled and squirmed in her father’s arms until he put her down. She crawled over to her cousins, and seeing the three children together, Kell had a sense of rightness come over him.

It was too bad his grandfather had held on to his hatred for so long instead of bringing his family together like this. He and his cousins could have had a much better life.

But he wasn’t complaining. They were all happy now and that was what mattered.

“What’s up?” Allan asked. “Cari said ‘boys only’ outside.”

“I’m going to ask Emma to marry me and needed to get everything set up,” Kell said.

“Great. We were wondering when you were going to get around to it,” Allan said. “Jessi is planning to corner you today.”

“Just what I need,” he said. “Sammy, you ready?”

“Yes, I am,” Sammy said, coming over with his little car. He put the ring box in the top of the convertible.

“Once your mom comes out and I go down on my knees, send the car over, okay?”

“I will,” Sammy said. “Then you can really be my daddy, right?”

“Yes.”

“What’s going on out here?” Emma asked, stepping out onto the patio.

“We have something to ask you,” Sammy said.

“You do? I hope it’s not about the go-kart again. I already said no,” Emma reminded him.

“It’s not,” Sammy said. “Darth Dada?”

Even though Kell wasn’t a big fan of it, the name had grown on him. He heard Jessi snickering behind Emma and shook his head at her.

“Emma, I hope these last few months have proven to you how much I love you.”

She smiled at him and gave him a kiss. “They certainly have.”

“For me too,” he said. “I think you know that I’m committed to you but it’s time I made it official. Will you marry me?”

He got down on one knee and Sammy, who was still standing next to him, just took the box from the car and handed it to Kell.

He opened it and looked up at Emma Chandler— once his enemy and now his future. She nodded and then said, “Yes!”

He put the ring on her finger and got to his feet to kiss her properly and thoroughly. And then they were surrounded by their family, who congratulated them. And he knew that he’d finally put the ghosts of the past to rest and found the family he’d always craved.

* * * * *

If you loved this
BABY BUSINESS
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