Read Online Cherish & Blessed by Tere Michaels - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tere Michaels
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to where Kent was. “I was a real jerk to my stepmother for years. For what it’s worth, I regret it. And we’ve made our peace.”
“Well, I’ll keep hoping, then,” Matt said, though deep down, the fear never quite left him.
What if Evan were better off without him?
“Hey, son,” Blake called out. Kent turned around, his face pale under the blotchy red spots on his forehead and cheeks. He looked about four seconds away from tears, and Matt found himself suddenly sad.
Young love sucked. Old love wasn’t much easier, but at least you had some scar tissue built up around your heart to make it hurt a little less.
“Hey, Dad. Sorry about that.” Kent wrapped his arms around his chest. They were all cold, Matt realized. And most likely the other two were no more interested in returning to Tension House than he was.
“It’s okay, kid. I think we get it.” Matt tried to smile reassuringly. “Just some rocky stuff. Totally normal.”
Kent’s mouth wobbled as he tried to form words. “She lied. Or at least she left stuff out.” He looked at Matt apologetically. “You and Mr. Cerelli being together. It wouldn’t have mattered to me. It doesn’t.”
“Well, good. I’m glad to hear that,” Matt teased the kid gently. “Because I’m old and set in my ways.”
“I’m just confused. I thought we were, you know, honest with each other.” He looked so crestfallen.
Blake gave his son’s arm a squeeze, and Matt took a moment to appreciate the kind of father this guy was. He wasn’t smothering, but he did let the kid know he was there for him.
“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret,” Matt said, dropping his voice a bit. He made a show of looking left, then right. “Cerellis are amazing people. Smart, passionate… stubborn, secretive, and they go from ten to a hundred in five seconds flat, no matter what the emotion.” He winked. “They hate to be wrong, even when they really, really are.”
“So I shouldn’t hold my breath for an apology?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get one. You have to talk to her, though, let her know why you’re hurt. Spell it out a little.”
Kent sighed.
“Yeah, I know. Not all hearts and flowers,” Matt said.
“It’s just a lot more complicated than I thought,” Kent admitted.
Matt and Blake laughed. “Oh wait, it gets worse,” the boy’s father said.
They took the long way home, a loop around the neighborhood, making small talk before approaching the house. Sports, school, Kent’s internship at a nonprofit. No one had thought to bring their cell phone, so they were essentially coming in blind—which made finding Miranda sitting on the stairs and Cornelia in the car all the more fun.
“Ah, okay. You each take a significant other. I’m going to make sure Evan isn’t on the roof….” Matt gave them a wink.
He and Miranda exchanged a cool look before he walked inside. That was a conversation he was scheduling for half past never fucking ever because frankly, he didn’t feel like being either the adult or the bigger person. Screw it—he was immature and vindictive. Kent was a nice kid, and Miranda deserved to get dumped.
Let her learn a lesson about manipulating people. Let her feel the sting of betraying someone’s trust. It might curtail this sort of bullshit before she got older. Who knew what damage she could do to a kid?
He was four steps into the foyer when one of those pesky realization things hit him in the face.
Oh. Right.
“Thanks, Mom, as always,” he murmured dryly.
The television was on—football—with Shane napping in the easy chair and Danny sacked across the sofa with inelegant ease. He looked up as Matt passed by. They exchanged shrugs and “whatever” eyebrow raises, which made Matt feel as warm as a hug.
“Dad?”
“Out back, pacing. You know, I was thinking we need a woodpile and an ax out there so he can whack stuff when he gets like this,” Danny deadpanned.
Matt was clearly raising this
“Well, I’ll keep hoping, then,” Matt said, though deep down, the fear never quite left him.
What if Evan were better off without him?
“Hey, son,” Blake called out. Kent turned around, his face pale under the blotchy red spots on his forehead and cheeks. He looked about four seconds away from tears, and Matt found himself suddenly sad.
Young love sucked. Old love wasn’t much easier, but at least you had some scar tissue built up around your heart to make it hurt a little less.
“Hey, Dad. Sorry about that.” Kent wrapped his arms around his chest. They were all cold, Matt realized. And most likely the other two were no more interested in returning to Tension House than he was.
“It’s okay, kid. I think we get it.” Matt tried to smile reassuringly. “Just some rocky stuff. Totally normal.”
Kent’s mouth wobbled as he tried to form words. “She lied. Or at least she left stuff out.” He looked at Matt apologetically. “You and Mr. Cerelli being together. It wouldn’t have mattered to me. It doesn’t.”
“Well, good. I’m glad to hear that,” Matt teased the kid gently. “Because I’m old and set in my ways.”
“I’m just confused. I thought we were, you know, honest with each other.” He looked so crestfallen.
Blake gave his son’s arm a squeeze, and Matt took a moment to appreciate the kind of father this guy was. He wasn’t smothering, but he did let the kid know he was there for him.
“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret,” Matt said, dropping his voice a bit. He made a show of looking left, then right. “Cerellis are amazing people. Smart, passionate… stubborn, secretive, and they go from ten to a hundred in five seconds flat, no matter what the emotion.” He winked. “They hate to be wrong, even when they really, really are.”
“So I shouldn’t hold my breath for an apology?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get one. You have to talk to her, though, let her know why you’re hurt. Spell it out a little.”
Kent sighed.
“Yeah, I know. Not all hearts and flowers,” Matt said.
“It’s just a lot more complicated than I thought,” Kent admitted.
Matt and Blake laughed. “Oh wait, it gets worse,” the boy’s father said.
They took the long way home, a loop around the neighborhood, making small talk before approaching the house. Sports, school, Kent’s internship at a nonprofit. No one had thought to bring their cell phone, so they were essentially coming in blind—which made finding Miranda sitting on the stairs and Cornelia in the car all the more fun.
“Ah, okay. You each take a significant other. I’m going to make sure Evan isn’t on the roof….” Matt gave them a wink.
He and Miranda exchanged a cool look before he walked inside. That was a conversation he was scheduling for half past never fucking ever because frankly, he didn’t feel like being either the adult or the bigger person. Screw it—he was immature and vindictive. Kent was a nice kid, and Miranda deserved to get dumped.
Let her learn a lesson about manipulating people. Let her feel the sting of betraying someone’s trust. It might curtail this sort of bullshit before she got older. Who knew what damage she could do to a kid?
He was four steps into the foyer when one of those pesky realization things hit him in the face.
Oh. Right.
“Thanks, Mom, as always,” he murmured dryly.
The television was on—football—with Shane napping in the easy chair and Danny sacked across the sofa with inelegant ease. He looked up as Matt passed by. They exchanged shrugs and “whatever” eyebrow raises, which made Matt feel as warm as a hug.
“Dad?”
“Out back, pacing. You know, I was thinking we need a woodpile and an ax out there so he can whack stuff when he gets like this,” Danny deadpanned.
Matt was clearly raising this
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