Well, not at him. At Kade’s shirt. Kade glanced down at the word Nike printed across the front of his sweatshirt. Tyler was homed in on the word and seemed mesmerized by it. “Nike,” Kade said softly.
“Nike,” Tyler repeated. Then Tyler turned his attention back to his letters and located an N , then an I , K , and finally an E . He placed them in order, and without looking at Kade, said the word again.
Monica entered the room. Kade stood up and turned to face her, excitement in his tone. “He can spell. When did he learn to spell?”
She started to say something on impulse, Kade could tell. But she stopped herself. “During the last six months.”
Kade chose to ignore the dig and turned back toward Tyler. “Can he read too?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “But Kade, he doesn’t know what he’s spelling or reading. I mean, he can’t comprehend it.”
She walked toward the couch, sat down, and crossed her legs. Monica had great legs, but her tight blue jeans didn’t have any effect on him.
Kade followed her to the couch, but he didn’t sit down. She still hadn’t explained the reason for the visit.
“But he does read?” Kade knew his tone was filled with hopefulness. Maybe the doctors had been wrong on some level.
Monica rolled her green eyes. “Yes. He reads. He picks up books all the time, and sometimes he reads aloud. But he has no idea what any of it means.”
“Are you sure?” Kade felt his hope slipping.
Monica nodded, then said, “Guess you’re wondering why we’re here?”
Kade arched his brows and waited. It seemed like a rhetorical question.
“Well,” she went on, “I’m going to get married, Kade.” She paused, as if waiting for a response.
Maybe it should have stung. But Kade didn’t feel much of anything.
“But first I need you to sign on the dotted line. I’m sure this doesn’t come as a shock to you.”
She reached into a big, black bag and pulled out a hefty stack of legal papers bound by a clasp at the top. “Feel free to read through them, but it’s a replica of the papers you drew up a while back. A copy had already landed on my attorney’s desk when you decided not to follow through with the divorce.” She crinkled her forehead. “I never understood why you didn’t go through with it. Anyway, the sooner you sign them and get them in the mail, the sooner I can get married, settled, and come back for Tyler.”
What? Panic engulfed Kade. Surely not.
“I couldn’t wait three months for you to get home to Los Angeles, so I packed up as much as I could for Tyler and brought it with me. It’s time for you to be a father.” Her scalding eyes challenged him to a duel. Well, it was about to be on.
“What?” It was all Kade could muster up.
“Don’t look at me like that. I gave up my life to take care of Tyler while you were off building skyscrapers. It’s your turn for a while.”
Kade narrowed his eyes and inched toward her, towering over her on the couch. “Those skyscrapers provided you with a very nice lifestyle.” He glanced over his shoulder at Tyler and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I don’t know what you’re thinking. You can’t leave him here. I mean, I love my son, but—”
“Love him? You don’t even know him!” Monica didn’t bother to keep her voice down. The familiarity of her sharp, shrill tone sent a chill up his spine. “I’m going, Kade. And that’s all there is to it.” She bolted from the couch and headed toward the front door. She turned around as she reached for the knob. “So, you can either help me with his things, or I’ll get it all myself.”
Kade laughed, despite himself. This couldn’t be happening. Mothers don’t do this sort of thing. “This is ridiculous,” he said. He followed her to the door. “If you needed a vacation, or some time to get married, or whatever . . . you could have called me so I could make arrangements.”
She stepped outside the door and waited for Kade to join her on the
“Nike,” Tyler repeated. Then Tyler turned his attention back to his letters and located an N , then an I , K , and finally an E . He placed them in order, and without looking at Kade, said the word again.
Monica entered the room. Kade stood up and turned to face her, excitement in his tone. “He can spell. When did he learn to spell?”
She started to say something on impulse, Kade could tell. But she stopped herself. “During the last six months.”
Kade chose to ignore the dig and turned back toward Tyler. “Can he read too?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “But Kade, he doesn’t know what he’s spelling or reading. I mean, he can’t comprehend it.”
She walked toward the couch, sat down, and crossed her legs. Monica had great legs, but her tight blue jeans didn’t have any effect on him.
Kade followed her to the couch, but he didn’t sit down. She still hadn’t explained the reason for the visit.
“But he does read?” Kade knew his tone was filled with hopefulness. Maybe the doctors had been wrong on some level.
Monica rolled her green eyes. “Yes. He reads. He picks up books all the time, and sometimes he reads aloud. But he has no idea what any of it means.”
“Are you sure?” Kade felt his hope slipping.
Monica nodded, then said, “Guess you’re wondering why we’re here?”
Kade arched his brows and waited. It seemed like a rhetorical question.
“Well,” she went on, “I’m going to get married, Kade.” She paused, as if waiting for a response.
Maybe it should have stung. But Kade didn’t feel much of anything.
“But first I need you to sign on the dotted line. I’m sure this doesn’t come as a shock to you.”
She reached into a big, black bag and pulled out a hefty stack of legal papers bound by a clasp at the top. “Feel free to read through them, but it’s a replica of the papers you drew up a while back. A copy had already landed on my attorney’s desk when you decided not to follow through with the divorce.” She crinkled her forehead. “I never understood why you didn’t go through with it. Anyway, the sooner you sign them and get them in the mail, the sooner I can get married, settled, and come back for Tyler.”
What? Panic engulfed Kade. Surely not.
“I couldn’t wait three months for you to get home to Los Angeles, so I packed up as much as I could for Tyler and brought it with me. It’s time for you to be a father.” Her scalding eyes challenged him to a duel. Well, it was about to be on.
“What?” It was all Kade could muster up.
“Don’t look at me like that. I gave up my life to take care of Tyler while you were off building skyscrapers. It’s your turn for a while.”
Kade narrowed his eyes and inched toward her, towering over her on the couch. “Those skyscrapers provided you with a very nice lifestyle.” He glanced over his shoulder at Tyler and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I don’t know what you’re thinking. You can’t leave him here. I mean, I love my son, but—”
“Love him? You don’t even know him!” Monica didn’t bother to keep her voice down. The familiarity of her sharp, shrill tone sent a chill up his spine. “I’m going, Kade. And that’s all there is to it.” She bolted from the couch and headed toward the front door. She turned around as she reached for the knob. “So, you can either help me with his things, or I’ll get it all myself.”
Kade laughed, despite himself. This couldn’t be happening. Mothers don’t do this sort of thing. “This is ridiculous,” he said. He followed her to the door. “If you needed a vacation, or some time to get married, or whatever . . . you could have called me so I could make arrangements.”
She stepped outside the door and waited for Kade to join her on the
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