Kai slipped his hands in his back pockets once their handshake ended. Sighing, he looked down before slowly looking back up at Mason. “Yes. I’m going to stay here in Denver.”
He glanced back down the hallway, where the woman who was obviously more than just a cousin to Kai had disappeared. Mason had been a little shocked to see they’d moved into a physical relationship, but genetically it didn’t matter, since Kai wasn’t blood related. Even then, first cousins rarely had children with problems. It was only after generations of inbreeding that serious problems started cropping up. No, it was more of a social stigma than a biological one. Mason’s own surprise had been born from that stigma, but he had quickly dismissed it. Who was he to say what couple in love should or should not be together?
Kai’s eyes returned to him, a small smile on his lips. “Denver is my home.” He tilted his head at Mason, in almost the same way Mason had at him. “And I’d be honored to keep working for you.”
Mason smiled as he clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. You would have been…impossible to replace.”
Kai smiled widely, his face much more relaxed than when Mason had first walked in here. Mason had been so sure, once Kai had left him days ago, that he’d fled back home, back to the parents who’d lied to him. He’d been very surprised when he’d talked to Leilani and discovered that not only had Kai not gone home, but he hadn’t even called her yet. Mason had inadvertently terrified the woman, since she hadn’t been able to contact Kai in days.
Promising her that he would find Kai and immediately contact her, he’d exhausted all of his resources to find his son. He’d gone to Kai’s apartment early on, but the tenants there had only shrugged and admitted that they hadn’t seen him in a while. Upon Leilani’s advice, Mason had grudgingly called Kai’s grandmother this morning. Leilani had voiced her dislike of the woman, and Mason had been expecting a cold shoulder from the person who knew the whole sordid story about them, but she had been surprisingly helpful. Concerned even, and had directed Mason to Kai’s cousin, Jessie.
Mason hadn’t really been expecting to find him here. While he’d met Jessie once before, he hadn’t realized how close she and Kai were, more so than probably anyone knew. Mason supposed he owed Jessie thanks for that. If it weren’t for her, Kai might have indeed fled back home. His love for the woman had kept him in the city. It made Mason smile that at least one good thing had come out of his poorly delivered revelation, since Kai could now love his pseudo-cousin with a clear conscience.
Kai looked down, smiling at the compliment, and then he shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind, but I need a little more time off.” His lips twisted as he looked up at Mason. “I need to see my parents.”
Mason sighed and nodded. “Yes, I suppose you do.” He squeezed Kai’s shoulder before letting go. “Go easy on your mother, boy. She had her reasons for keeping you in the dark.” Mason was a little surprised he’d said that, but regardless of what had happened between him and Leilani, she had only been trying to protect Kai by sheltering him from the truth.
Kai nodded, and Mason was again proud of the man before him. In a surprising flood of warmth, he reached out to give him a swift hug. Kai stiffened a bit at the gesture, then loosely hugged him back. Embarrassed by his own display, Mason pulled back and cleared his throat. “Well, take all the time you need to, Kai.” Thinking a moment, he added, “Getting tickets can be expensive on short notice. I’ll make arrangements.”
Kai cleared his own throat, obviously touched. “You don’t have to…thank you.” Mason smiled and turned to open the door. Just as he was walking through it, he heard Kai say, “I’ll call you when I get there.” Mason twisted to look back at him and Kai shrugged. “You know, just so you won’t worry about me.”
Mason’s throat closed up and he could only smile and nod. Quickly leaving before the emotion choked him, Mason darted to his car. How strange. He’d definitely never anticipated the range of emotion he felt around his child, and he suddenly understood Leilani’s need to shelter him, protect him. Briefly closing his eyes, he wished his son a safe journey.
A silent car ride later, Mason pulled up to his true home, the one place on earth he felt the most at peace—the research center. Just as he shut the car off, his cell phone started ringing. Wondering if Kai had more to say to him, he grabbed the phone and glanced at the screen. When he saw who it was, he contemplated just letting it ring.