Of course, Matt jumped all over it. If there is one thing I’ve come to know about Matt, he loves Gabe beyond all measure. His entire reason for living is that little boy.
I was in no way disappointed when he told me last night—Friday night—that he had to go pick up Gabe and wouldn’t be able to see me. I had just been packing up my briefcase with some weekend work when he had come into my office to give me the bad news.
Except… it wasn’t bad news. When he told me he needed to forsake me in favor of Gabe, I was genuinely happy for him and I made sure he knew that. He gave me a soft kiss goodbye and murmured, “I’m not sure I deserve you.”
Those words alone made it all worthwhile.
But then Matt called me this morning—Saturday—and asked if I wanted to go with him and Gabe to Coney Island for the afternoon.
I had asked, “Are you sure, Matt? You want me to meet Gabe?”
He never even hesitated. “Absolutely.”
But now the nervousness abounds because, holy hell… what if Gabe hates me? If he hates me, there is no future for Matt and me… no matter how good the sex is.
With moist palms, I knock on the door and, when it opens, I’m staring at a little miniature Matt. Dark brown hair and soft amber eyes. He smiles at me and, woe to his future girlfriends, he even has Matt’s dimples.
“Hi,” Gabe says. “Dad says come on in. He’s just finishing up some work.”
“Thanks,” I tell him as I walk into the apartment, and he shuts the door behind me. “I’m McKayla. But you can call me Mac. All my best friends do.”
“Want to play Wii bowling with me?” he asks, not even acknowledging my name but instead, focusing on what’s really important to little boys.
Before I can even answer, I’m completely enchanted when he takes my hand and leads me into the living room. “I’m really good. I beat Dad all the time, and I’ll probably beat you.”
Chattering away, Gabe sets up my avatar and hands me the Wii controller. After explaining the basics to me, we begin the game.
Gabe clearly plays the Wii a lot because he gets strike after strike. He’s a little ham too, because every time he does, he does a little dance in front of the TV and yells, “In your face, Mac.”
We’ve only been playing for about twenty minutes when Matt comes out of his back office. I’m just getting ready to bowl when he says, “Poor form, Mac. I think you need to bend over a little more.”
I shoot a smirk over my shoulder at him and say, “Behave yourself.”
Chuckling, Matt sits down on the couch and watches his son totally beat my ass again. Gabe shrieks in glee, mocking my defeat at the hands of a child.
Laughing, I hand the controller back over to him. “You are just too good, Gabe. I’ll never be able to beat you.”
Turning to his dad, he says, “Want to play?”
Matt reaches out and tousles Gabe’s hair. The look on his face is one of overwhelming love for his child, and it shoots a ping of joy through my heart. “Maybe later, buddy. Let’s get ready to head out to Coney Island. Go get your shoes on.”
Gabe leaps up and yells, “Hooray,” before he takes off running to his room.
Matt turns to me and crooks his finger. “Get over here and give me a proper hello.”
There’s no room for hesitation. I willingly walk up to Matt and let him pull me down onto his lap. His lips find mine in one fluid move, and he’s giving me a kiss that is possessive and deep.
It’s also brief because that type of kissing usually leads to hands wandering and clothes shedding, and we, of course, cannot do that with Gabe here. He pulls back with a sigh. “So, what do you think of Gabe?”
Matt’s words are full of pride.
“He’s wonderful,” I assure him, and then I ponder a moment. “He’s you.”