Read Online A Christmas Knight by Kate Hardy - Free Book Online Page B

might be speaking out of turn, here, but I can’t get you out of my head. There’s something about you that just draws me. And I’d like to start seeing you.’
    Her eyes went wide. ‘Dominic. I…’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t date.’
    â€˜Because of Tyler? I already know you come as a package. And I’m certainly not expecting you to get babysitters so you can see me. I like your son and I think he likes me—so I’d like to get to know you both better. We’ll take it as slowly as you like.’
    She bit her lip. ‘I haven’t dated anyone since my marriage broke up.’
    He needed to know. ‘Very long ago?’
    â€˜Five years—Ty was three.’
    â€˜Your ex met someone else?’ Dominic guessed.
    â€˜No.’ She closed her eyes for a moment, then lifted herchin; whatever had happened, clearly it was a huge, huge thing for her. ‘You know the “terrible twos”? Ty had them really, really badly. We didn’t realise at the time that he had Asperger’s. He couldn’t tell us how he felt, why he needed everything to be in order—so he’d just scream. Most of the time it was something we couldn’t do anything about…and he’d scream and he’d scream and he’d scream.’ She sighed. ‘Jack couldn’t cope with the tantrums. And when the nursery suggested we see someone, and the GP referred us to a paediatrician who told us that Ty has Asperger’s…he couldn’t handle that his son was a bit different.’
    Dominic was truly shocked. ‘Jack left you because Tyler has Asperger’s?’
    â€˜He couldn’t deal with it.’ She sucked in a breath. ‘I might as well tell you the rest of it. Ty looks nothing like Jack—he takes after my side of the family. And Jack asked me if Tyler was actually his.’
    Dominic couldn’t quite take it in. ‘He accused you of having an affair?’
    She closed her eyes. ‘I didn’t have an affair.’
    â€˜That goes without saying.’ He realised his fists were clenched, and deliberately splayed his fingers. Apart from the fact that he had no idea where Louisa’s ex lived, breaking the man’s jaw wouldn’t make things any better. ‘You’re not the type to cheat. What on earth made him think that?’
    â€˜It took me a long while to work it out.’ She opened her eyes again. ‘I think he just wanted to be able to blame the genes on someone else. I’m glad that Ty didn’t inherit his father’s personality. Though Jack wasn’t like that when I met him. I’m not that lousy a judge of character—at least, I don’t think I am.’
    â€˜You’re not,’ Dominic said. ‘But you see the good in people.’ She saw the good in him. ‘What about his parents?Surely they…?’ His voice faded as he saw her expression tighten.
    â€˜They sided with Jack. Which is why Tyler only knows one set of grandparents— my parents.’ Her gaze connected with his. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you a sob story; I’m simply trying to explain why I don’t date. Because I’m never going to put my son in a position where he can be rejected again.’
    â€˜I can understand that.’ He shook his head in disgust. ‘What kind of person would reject their own child? That’s beyond me.’
    â€˜Me, too.’
    â€˜You’re both better off without him.’
    She gave him a wry smile. ‘You’re telling me. I fell out of love with him the moment he told me why he was leaving. That’s why I reverted to my maiden name—and I changed Tyler’s at the same time.’
    â€˜And your ex didn’t mind?’ No way would Dominic ever have let himself be cut out of his child’s life.
    â€˜He didn’t want us,’ she said simply. ‘It made life easier