Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 19091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, let me clear this all away.” I gestured toward the hob as I began cleaning the island. “I left some pasta and garlic bread for you.”
“You’re an angel,” he murmured as he strolled by. I tried not to inhale the scent of his expensive cologne. A few seconds later, he said, “There’s a ton here. Have you eaten?”
I glanced up from tidying. The answer was no and I was starving, but I’d been too busy feeding Michael and getting his costume ready. “Oh, I’ll eat at home.”
“There’s plenty, and I can only imagine how rushed off your feet you’ve been today. I’m putting out two plates.”
Ten minutes later, I was seated across from Haydyn at the small bistro table off the kitchen. It didn’t take much to convince me to stay. Mostly because I wanted to be around Haydyn, but also because I was avoiding my cousin’s apartment as much as possible. Things were not good there.
Since I was driving, I stuck with a glass of water with my meal while Haydyn poured himself a glass of wine.
“Long day?” I asked to distract myself from the sight of his fingers caressing the wineglass stem.
Haydyn swallowed a bite of pasta and met my gaze. “I’m close to finishing up a project, and it always feels a little manic toward the end. Plus, midterm papers.”
I nodded. I’d kept Michael busy the past week because Haydyn had so much marking to do.
“You’ve been a lifesaver these past few months,” he told me, eyes on his plate. “I was worried when Michael hired you, but it worked out.”
I chuckled at his teasing, even though it was technically true that Michael offered me the job before Haydyn could. “I’m glad you’re happy with his decision.”
He shot me a smirk, but before he could say anything, his phone buzzed on the table. He reached for it and frowned at the screen. With a sigh, he turned it over and dug back into his pasta.
Finding myself more and more curious about my boss, I blurted out, “Everything okay? Someone bothering you?”
Since I’d started working for the Barrs almost three months ago, there had been no sign of Haydyn dating. If he was seeing someone, it was happening in the hours he spent in Inverness. Otherwise, he was totally dedicated to his son. Michael talked about his mum, Deena, after his visits with her, but I still didn’t know the story there. Haydyn was a professor. However, that income didn’t account for their luxurious home, car, and the designer clothes they both wore. Or the fact that Michael had everything a kid could ever need or want, including the fancy holidays Haydyn took them on every summer.
There was so much I didn’t know about them, and I could only piece together the bits of information I’d gleaned over the last few months. Tonight was unusual for Haydyn because, although he was friendly with me, he tended to keep his distance as much as possible. Perhaps it was the sudden lowering of his guard—him inviting me to share dinner—that made me ask my slightly nosy question.
Haydyn looked up from his plate, his gaze searching mine. He looked handsome but tired. “It’s a text from Deena asking to see Michael tomorrow. She asked to have him this Halloween, and I’ve already said no because she went behind my back last weekend and asked Michael to spend Christmas with her.”
I knew Michael was spending Christmas with Deena because he’d been excitedly talking about it all week, but I hadn’t known the decision was made without Haydyn. “Oh. That’s not cool.”
He pressed his lips together in a hard line before continuing, “Now I can’t tell Michael no because he’s excited, but I never planned for her to have him during such an important holiday. It’s been less than a year since she came back into his life.”
“She’s getting pushy.”
“Aye.”
“You can tell me if this is none of my business, but how long was she out of Michael’s life?”
Haydyn smirked unhappily. “His whole life, Kenna.”
My lips parted in shock. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope.” He took a sip of wine, and I could see it was to distract himself from the anger still brewing within. “I came home when Michael was six months old to find him alone, screaming the house down, sitting in his own filth. Deena had packed her things and left us. I could maybe get over her leaving us if she hadn’t left my baby alone. She could have called a neighbor and asked them to stay with Michael until I got home, but she just left him. Anything could have happened.”
At the fear in his eyes, I couldn’t help but reach over to cover his hand with mine. “I’m so sorry.”
“She had postpartum depression,” he said. “I didn’t know that until she wrote to me last Christmas, asking for forgiveness and to see Michael. There was a lot of back-and-forth between us for a few months before I asked Michael what he wanted to do.”