Mason nodded, but his eyes were locked on Kai and Jessie’s embrace. Flicking his green-blue gaze between the two of them, he lifted an eyebrow. “Are you two together? As in, a couple?” His tone seemed nothing more than curious, a man of science studying an interesting phenomena of nature in front of him, but Jessie felt herself flush with heat.
Kai pulled her tightly against him. “What we are isn’t really relevant.”
Mason’s eyes snapped up to his face. “Oh, I know. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s perfectly fine if you are together. There are no inherent genetic dangers in a sexual relationship between the two of you. I was just…curious.” He smiled apologetically, like out of everyone in the room, Kai should understand curiosity.
The blunt way he talked made Jessie’s cheeks feel like they were on fire, but Kai seemed amused. He even smiled a little. Maybe seeing an invitation in his mirth, Mason pointed to the couch. “Do you mind if we sit, Kai. I’d love to have a conversation with you.” He smiled widely for the first time. “I’d love to get to know you, if you’d let me?”
Kai inhaled a slow breath. On the exhale, he slowly nodded. “All right, I can handle…talking.”
Jessie wondered if she should leave them alone, but Kai led her to the couch; clearly he wanted her to stay. Jessie sat beside him, still holding his hand in support. Mason sat on the smaller couch, looking nervous, but happy too. He seemed to have been genuine in his desire to get to know Kai.
Rubbing his hands on his slacks, Mason cleared his throat and gave Kai an apologetic smile. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t know how to act around you either.” He laughed lightly as he shook his head. “It’s not every day that you find out you have a twenty-three year old son.”
Kai laughed at his remark, then smiled over at Jessie. “Yeah, I suppose that could be a shock.”
Hearing Mason let out a weary exhale, they both redirected their attention to him. “I suppose I should start at the beginning. Your beginning anyway.” He indicated Kai on the couch, then smiled sadly. “Leilani Harper was the most beautiful, exotic, vibrant woman I had ever seen. I couldn’t help but fall madly in love with her…”
His expression alternating between reflection, remorse, and lingering love, Mason began describing the series of events and bad choices that led to Kai’s creation. Kai seemed uncomfortable hearing such intimate, and not always flattering, details about his mother. But by the end of Mason’s tale, he’d scooted to the edge of the couch, listening raptly.
Mason had a way of painting their relationship that made it easy to see why they’d fallen so deeply for each other, even though it was wrong for them to do so. Jessie couldn’t help but steal glances at Kai throughout Mason’s confession. While she and Kai couldn’t be together for entirely different reasons, the heartache they’d all shared was the same. Jessie found herself sympathizing with Kai’s mother. She couldn’t imagine being torn between two lovers like that, and then having to leave one behind for the sake of the child, a child who could have been fathered by either one of them. That was hard to picture, but she could easily understand being in love with someone who was forbidden.
When Mason was finished, Kai hung his head and nodded. He seemed to better understand the turmoil his mother had gone through. As Jessie rubbed his back, she hoped that when Kai saw her again, he wasn’t too hard on her. Her choices hadn’t been the best, but her decision to stay with Uncle Nate had in large part been for Kai’s benefit. Either way, her decision must have been hard.
April emerged from her room to leave for work. Having heard parts of Mason’s tale, she gave Kai a swift hug and a light kiss on the cheek. Jessie was a little surprised as she watched the affectionate moment between them that she no longer felt any jealousy over their contact. Maybe that was because April and Kai’s relationship had shifted into an easy friendship, or maybe it was because Jessie was now bonded with Kai so firmly that she had no question where his heart was; he showed her every chance he got. Or maybe, it was just because she’d gotten to know Kai over the last few months, and she was certain he’d never stray. That just wasn’t who he was. He was loyal and trustworthy, loving and honest. He was devoted to his family, and there for anyone who needed a hand. Inside and out, Kai was just a good person. And besides being the man who occupied her bed and her heart, he was also her best friend. Her soulmate. As Jessie waved goodbye to April, she was certain that, unlike his mother, Kai would never find himself in a position where he had to choose between two lovers. Jessie was absolutely certain that Kai’s heart was hers…and only hers.