“Dinner is served,” Lucy interrupts my thoughts as she puts a steaming pile of spaghetti in front of Colt and me.
“Is he really going to eat all that.” I mumble around a fork full of food. I moan, enjoying this one bite more than necessary before scooping another one up and shoving it into my mouth.
“He eats more than I do most days, but he’s a growing boy. The doctor says just let him eat as much as he wants.”
I turn and watch Colt, shoveling large bites of food into his mouth. He turns toward me and gives me a toothy smile, sauce covering his mouth. “You should try to get more of that into your mouth, buddy.” I grab the napkin beside me and wipe his face.
“You’re one to talk.” Lucy giggles as I feel her brush her napkin across the corner of my mouth.
“What can I say, there is something about a home cooked meal that does it for me.” I give her a wink before digging back into my dinner.
We continue to eat in silence, the only sound in the room is the scraping of our forks across the plates or the random comment Colt wants to share with us between mouthfuls.
I imagine what it would be like to come home to these two after a long day at the garage and having dinner together as a family. I would give Colt a bath and tuck him into bed, reading him a bedtime story before turning out the lights and snuggling on the couch with Lucy. A cold beer in one hand and my girl next me, that’s the way life should be.
“Are you finished?” Lucy’s voice comes from beside me. I can only nod my head in response as she grabs my plate and Colt’s before heading into the kitchen. I chase her wanting to help ease her workload just a little.
I push up my sleeves and head toward the sink, turning on the water. “You don’t need to do that. I can take care of them after I get Colt to bed.” She tries to push my hands out of the way, but I don’t budge.
“Why don’t you go give Colt that bath you promised. I’ll take care of these. You made me my first home cooked meal in years, the least I can do is the dishes. Once I’m finished, I’ll let myself out.”
Lucy’s shoulders sag in defeat before she gives me a shy smile. “Thank you,” she whispers before heading back to the table to grab Colt.
I hear the two of them discussing something quietly as they head down the hallway toward the bathroom. As the water warms, I focus on finishing these few dishes in the sink. I mindlessly clean each dish, rinse it, and place them in the drying rack, thankful for the monotonous task to focus on.
As I finish the last dish, I place it in the drying rack and look around to make sure there is nothing else that needs to be done before I dry my hands on the towel hanging on a hook near the sink. I take one last look down the hall before turning and heading for the door.
As I stroll down the street toward my house, I remember all of the questions I wanted to ask Lucy. Who is Colt’s father? What she has been up to since I left? Does she still love me?
That last question is the most important out of all of them, but the one I’m most afraid of the answer. Either way I know I will have to prove myself to both Lucy and Colt. To prove to them I can be the man they need, someone they can count on.
Chapter Eight
Lucy
“How are things with Tyler?” Rylee slides up to my desk at Corporate Cares, taking a seat on the end. I roll my eyes at my friend and keep typing. There is no way I’m having this conversation with her right now. If ever.
“Come on, Lucy,” she whines, “I left the two of you in your house looking mighty cozy almost a week ago. I need to know what happened.”
I look up from my computer screen and smile. “Nothing happened. I asked him to stay for dinner and he did. Tyler did the dishes and left; I haven’t seen him since.”
Rylee scowls at me before crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s it? No big heart-to-heart? Sorry I left you for four years without a word? Nothing?”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but nope. He talked more to Colt than me actually,” I feel a pang of jealousy as the words leave my mouth. I’m ashamed of myself for feeling jealous of my son having a conversation with his father, not that either of them know their connection to each other.
“Are you jealous?” My cheeks pink at Rylee’s question.
“No. Why would I be jealous? Tyler and I mean nothing to each other any longer. I’m happy that Colt found another male to speak to other than Colton, but I doubt this will be a long-term thing.” I turn in my chair and head out of the office. I have no actual destination in mind, but playing fifty questions with Rylee while in the office seems inappropriate.
“Both of you have to get things finalized for the auction. There is no avoiding Tyler.” Rylee steps up beside me, looping her arm through mine. “You can tell me everything that is going in that pretty little head over lunch, then we are both going to see Tyler.”
“I know he is the liaison between us and CD Enterprises, but I don’t need to meet with him. Email and text message work fine,” I grumble as she pulls me toward the elevator. “Besides, I
