It was hard to believe that with just a snap of fingers, Savanah felt transported back into another time and place when the two of them coexisted. She knew this wouldn’t last long. Caden was running for governor. His attention and energy would be focused on the campaign and not her. She hoped they could keep their relationship on the down-low before one of his political opponents found out and used it against him.
“Savannah, I smell the garlic bread,” Caden said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Oh.” She snapped out of her daydream and rushed over to pull the bread from the oven before it burned.
“Are you nervous?”
When she turned, Savannah realized Caden had moved from his perch on the barstool toward the oven. He was a few inches from her and crowding her space. “No, I’m not.”
Caden leaned in, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “I would hope not after Saturday night.”
“About that …,” Savannah began. When she’d thought about what happened earlier, she’d told herself she would project confidence and nonchalance. She’d make it appear like their night together was casual when it was anything but. Savannah felt as if her world had been turned upside down and inside out. Memories of the past and of the love they’d shared had come roaring back like the lyrics of a sad love song.
“I was wondering,” Caden said, moving in even closer, “when can we spend more time together?”
Savannah chuckled. “You mean in bed?”
“I can’t be the only one feeling this way.” Caden bent his head and whispered, “I need you, Savannah.” He dipped his head until their lips were just a tiny distance apart. Staring deep into her eyes, he kissed her so tenderly that Savannah wanted to beg him to take her upstairs to release her from the madness.
“Is dinner ready?” Liam’s sudden reappearance made Savannah jump away from Caden.
“Yes, honey. I was just about to call you. Why don’t you get some plates and set the table.”
She was grateful for the interruption. “We’ll resume our discussion later,” Caden murmured.
Savannah doubted it would be any easier, especially with his handsome face, dark, hypnotic eyes, and gorgeous lush mouth right across from her at the dinner table. It was going to be a long dinner, especially when she would have to keep her legs closed together tightly to avoid the heat of arousal Caden sparked.
Caden watched as his son systematically set the kitchen table. Plates first, followed by napkins, folded into a precise triangle. Cutlery was added before Liam finally sat three glasses at a forty-five-degree angle next to each plate.
He hadn’t had as much time as he would have liked to read up on autism, but he knew routine and order were important for Liam. Caden would have to play catch-up to make sure he understood Liam’s needs. “What would you like to drink?” Caden asked.
“Usually, we have water with our meals, though occasionally I’ll splurge on some lemonade and iced tea, but never any soda,” Savannah said. “Liam doesn’t do well with soda.”
“I go off the rails,” Liam announced unceremoniously as he went to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. “Can we have some tonight?” he asked, holding up the beverage. “We have a guest.”
“Yes, of course,” Savannah said as she placed the steaming pasta into a bowl and the marinara sauce into a serving dish on the kitchen table, then took a seat. “I hope you don’t mind turkey sausage. We try to eat healthy. Don’t we, Liam?”
Liam nodded, sitting down at the table. “Mom’s a nurse. She’s always explaining the benefits of eating vegetables, but peas and Brussels sprouts are not my favorite.”
“Mine either.” Caden grinned as he sat next to Liam, placing his son in between him and Savannah at the circular table.
He noticed Savannah didn’t coddle Liam but rather made him do for himself. His son was already piling a heap of spaghetti onto his plate. “Easy.” Caden laughed. “You have to save some for the rest of us.”
Liam passed around the bowl, and Caden did the same, making himself a large plate of pasta.
“Like father, like son.” The words were out of Savannah’s mouth before she realized it.
Worriedly, Caden glanced at Savannah and then Liam. Liam had a perplexing expression as he mulled over the words. “What do you mean like father, like son?” Liam asked, blinking with bafflement. “I don’t have a father. You said he went off to the military and you weren’t able to tell him about me.”
Caden glared at Savannah. He knew his face was a glowering mask of rage, and he had to force himself to rein in his mounting emotions. If Liam sensed his mother’s unease, he would spiral out of control. Although it wasn’t the ideal time to tell Liam who he was, however, Caden just couldn’t let this lie go unchecked. His son needed to know who he was and that he was there for him.
“I did go off in the military, Liam, without knowing of your existence. Your mother was right about that, but I’m here now.”
“Caden!” Savannah’s hand flew to her mouth.
Liam’s dark brown eyes flashed with some emotion Caden couldn’t read. He turned to his mother. “Mom, I don’t understand what he’s saying. Is he …” Liam glanced at Caden. “Is he saying he’s my father?”
Tears leaked from Savannah’s eyes. She couldn’t believe her ears. Caden had just dropped the bomb of his true identity on Liam without any thought to the consequences. She’d wanted time for them to get to know each other, for them to slowly build a bond before revealing Caden’s true identity. And now?
He’d imploded both their worlds, and it was too late for her to do anything about it.
She couldn’t lie to Liam. “Yes, Liam. Caden is your father.”
Liam spun back around in his chair to face Caden. He stared at Caden, studying his every feature unhurriedly as if he were trying to memorize his face. Caden stared back and waited in silence for Liam’s first move.
“I thought we looked alike,” Liam finally spoke. “But I, I never thought you could be my father. I always wanted a father, but Mom told me you didn’t know about me.”
“No, I didn’t,” Caden said.
“Did you want to know?”
Savannah swallowed the giant frog-sized lump in her throat.
Caden scooted his chair closer to Liam, but his son had the opposite reaction and pushed his chair farther away from him. Caden glanced at Savannah and she shook her head, so he didn’t move again. “Yes, I wish I had known. Please believe, Liam, that had I known you were my son, I would have claimed you and been in your life.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Because I didn’t know,” Caden responded quickly.
Liam looked across the table at Savannah. “He didn’t know about me because you didn’t tell him. Why didn’t you tell him?”
“Liam—”
“The kids at school make fun of me because I don’t have a father, but I have one.” He pointed at Caden. “I could have always had one. Instead I was picked on, made fun of.” Liam slapped his hand on his head. “I don’t understand.” He hit his head again. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
Tears slid down Savannah’s cheeks. “Liam, I’m sorry, I—”
Liam jerked up from his chair, causing it to slam to the floor. Caden reacted quickly, setting it upright. “You lied to me. You’re a liar. Liars are bad.”
Savannah watched in horror, unable to verbalize a sound as her son ran out of the room without looking at her or Caden. Seconds later, she heard the door to his bedroom slam. That’s when she turned her anger on the intended target. “How dare you? How dare you just drop that bomb on Liam? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Do you?” Caden asked, jumping up. “Because I’m not the one who caused this mess, Savannah. You are. You didn’t tell me of Liam’s existence until just two days ago. Forgive me for not knowing how to deal with th
e idea of having a son.”
“You don’t have a son,” Savannah returned. “Liam is my son.”
“You forget. Liam is my son too, and the truth is out there now. You can’t simply put it back in the box because you don’t want to deal with it. We have a child together, and we’ll have to learn how to coparent.”
“I don’t have to do a damn thing. You’re the reason Liam is upset.”
“I’m not the one who slipped up, but neither was I going to lie if Liam asked me if I’m his father. He deserved to know the truth. I couldn’t let him go on thinking he didn’t have one.”
“And me? You were content to throw me under the bus. Liam thinks I kept you from him.”
“Christ!” Caden ran his hand over his head. “That wasn’t my intention, and you damn well know it.”
Savannah shook her head. “I don’t know what to think, Caden. You’ve come storming back into my life, and I feel like I’m being caught up in a tsunami that I can’t swim out of.”
“I’ll make it real easy for you, Savannah. I’ll leave. I didn’t come here tonight to upset you or Liam. It’s far from what I wanted.”
“No, you just wanted me flat on my back.”
“That’s unfair, Savannah, and I’m going to leave before you say something you can’t take back.”
“Ever the diplomat. Well, you won’t be able to charm your way out of this, Caden.”
“And you can’t put your face in the sand anymore. Liam has a father, and I’m not going away because it’s inconvenient for you. We’ll talk soon.”
Caden stormed out of the house, leaving Savannah wondering what his next move was going to be. Would he try and sue her for custody of Liam? The Mitchell name carried a lot of weight in this town. On the other hand, Caden was campaigning for governor. Surely, he wouldn’t put Liam or Savannah under the scrutiny of the press with a taxing custody battle.
Would he?
Chapter 12
“So what’s this I hear I have a great-grandchild I knew nothing about?” Carter asked when he arrived at Caden’s campaign office early the next morning.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t get into this right now, Grandfather,” Caden replied as he packed up his briefcase with the files he’d been readying for today’s agenda. Discussing his son and Savannah hadn’t been far from his mind the whole morning. “I have to get to City Hall for a couple of meetings. I may be running for governor, but I still have mayoral duties.”
When he was finished packing, Caden started for the door, but Carter’s looming presence prevented him from leaving. “Don’t think you’re going to dismiss me, boy,” Carter said. “This is serious business, not only for this family but for your campaign. This must be handled expeditiously and judiciously.”
“I’m not blowing you off, but now isn’t a good time,” Caden said.
“Bull. We’ll talk in the car.”
Caden sucked in a breath and prayed for patience because sometimes his grandfather could really work his nerve. “Fine. You can drop me off at City Hall.”
“Fine with me.”
After locking the office, the two men walked to Carter’s Bentley parked outside. His driver immediately opened the back door, and they slid in. Once inside, his grandfather returned to the topic of conversation. “Well? Are you going to share with me how I ended up a great-grandfather none the wiser?”
Caden turned and trained his gaze on him. “Are you really behaving as if you’re the scorned individual in this scenario? I’m the one who just learned the woman I thought I knew, the woman I thought I loved, had my child and never told me.”
“How could you have let this happen?”
“I didn’t let anything happen. Perhaps you should discuss with my mother the wisdom of interfering in her children’s lives, because if she had not gone to Savannah behind my back when I’d been about to graduate from West Point, I wouldn’t be in this position. But instead of letting nature take its course and, God forbid, allow me to make my own choices and decisions, she led Savannah into deciding it was best to raise our child alone.”
“So I have your mother to thank for the mess we’re in?”
“You are not in a mess. And I resent the use of that word. Liam is my son, and I will not allow anyone to speak ill of him. He’s the innocent in all of this. We, the adults, made decisions that affected his life. We allowed him to be raised without a father.”
Caden wasn’t sure what he could have done differently twelve years ago. He’d told Savannah he loved her. Shown her in a ton of little ways how much she meant to him, and yet she’d still chosen to listen to his mother about their future.
“I’m sorry,” Carter apologized. His grandfather rarely said he was sorry to anyone. “I didn’t mean to say that. I’m excited to have a great-grandson. I am, Caden. If you believe nothing else, believe that. I just wish—”
“Mother hadn’t interfered?” Caden asked, glancing away to stare out the window and watch downtown Baltimore come into view. He wished the same thing, but there was no going back. “Savannah hadn’t listened to her and allowed herself to be bullied? That Savannah had given me the opportunity to show her I was a better man than she gave me credit for? Then know this, I wish the same, but that won’t change anything. All we can do is move forward.”
“How do you intend to do that?” Carter asked, eyeing him warily. “In the coming months, the spotlight is going to be shining on you, Caden. Surely, you know what must be done.”
Caden glanced at Carter. “I don’t follow. What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. When you ran for mayor, it was acceptable for you to be a single man, but now you’re running for governor against an opponent who’s a family man. In this day and age, nothing ever stays secret. It will come to light that Liam is your illegitimate son. You have to take decisive action and get in front of the narrative.”
“And I suppose you have an answer?”
“Marry this Savannah, the mother of your child. With your military background, you’ve always been seen as a man of honor. Do the right thing, and make her an honest woman.”
“Grandfather, you sound very old-fashioned. The world is different now.”
“Listen to me, Caden. I’ve been around a long time, and I know you Gen Xers or millennials or whatever you’re calling yourselves these days think you can snub your noses at us old-timers, but trust me when I say I know what I’m talking about. Marry her.”
Caden rubbed his jaw. He hated to admit it, but his grandfather had a point. If they were to marry, it would neutralize any comments his opponent, Eric Thomas, could make about his character. But more than that, he wanted to spend significant time with Savannah and be a father to Liam. If the way he and Savannah had come together a couple of days ago was any indication, things weren’t over between them. However, considering how last night ended, there was an obstacle.
Savannah.
There was no way she would agree to marry him, not when she blamed him for being honest with their son about his true identity. “I don’t know, Grandfather.”
“I don’t what to hear about what you can’t do,” Carter responded hotly. “Get her to agree. Your future depends on it.”
Hours later, Carter’s words were still with Caden as he sat in one of his endless city council meetings. He had to convince Savannah that marrying him was the right thing to do. He had to show her how good life could be for Liam, for her, even her abuela, by joining their lives together. She wouldn’t have to struggle and would have access to his finances to give them a better life. And if that wasn’t enough, he could always take a different approach and seduce her. Make her remember how she went up in flames when they were together and how good it could be again if she only allowed herself to let go.
Oh yes, Caden had an arsenal of reasons why marriage to Savannah was optimal. Now he had to persuade
her to his way of thinking.
Savannah was exhausted. Liam had been so upset to learn that Caden was his father. The news had prompted him to have a terrible episode the likes of which she hadn’t seen in years. He’d thrown things around in his room and yelled repeatedly at Savannah for keeping the truth from him. “I’m old enough. I’m old enough,” he’d said. “You could have told me.”
He was right. She could have told him the truth, but she’d been afraid—afraid of Caden and what he might do, but most of all, afraid that Liam might not forgive her. Last night, she hadn’t been sure he ever would, but eventually he’d tired and allowed her to sit by his side, but she couldn’t touch him or hug him. That broke her heart. Liam had made strides through his therapy and recently, up until last night, he had been able to allow her to hug him even if he didn’t reciprocate.
She had no one to blame but herself. She should have been honest and truthful with him. And she would have been if Caden had given her the chance. Instead, he’d been like a bull in a china shop, charging ahead with no thought for the consequences. He hadn’t witnessed Liam’s destruction and emotional breakdown. Caden didn’t have to stay up half the night worrying about Liam because he only wanted to claim what was his. And once he had, he’d gone home to his perfect life as a gubernatorial candidate. His life hadn’t changed one bit, while Savannah’s … well, everything was different now.
She feared how Liam would be this morning and had good reason for that when she saw his despondent expression as he walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Liam.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he went to the cupboard and pulled down a bowl and a measuring cup. He poured out exactly one serving of cereal into the cup before pouring it into the bowl. When he was finished, he went to the refrigerator and took out the milk. He added the precise amount of milk to equal the ratio of cereal in the bowl and took it to the table to eat.
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