“Yes, but we need to discuss a few things first.” Things Hayden didn’t want to tell, and Collin wouldn’t want to hear.
“Just go, Hayden. I’ll talk to Collin, and he’ll be a different person at breakfast, even if I have to tranquilize him.” She pointed at Collin. “You. Sit.”
Collin didn’t comply, but he stayed put.
Laken followed Hayden outside and the door closed behind her with a thud. “I had no idea Collin was Brady’s father until about two minutes before you showed up.”
“Your family doesn’t excel in communication, huh?” His vision clouded. “I can’t lose Brady. When Katie was sick, she wanted Collin to come for Brady. But he didn’t. I did. We’ve built a life together.”
“I’ll talk to him, and if you two can be civil, maybe something can be worked out.” Laken sighed. “Does Collin know about the accident?”
“That’s what I planned to discuss at breakfast.”
“Do you want me to tell him?”
With everything in him, Hayden wanted to say yes. He gazed up at the stars twinkling in the inky sky, stomach churning at the coming confrontation. “It’s my responsibility.”
“I could join you at breakfast.”
His eyes sought hers. “You’d do that?”
“Of course. Suddenly, I have a stake in Brady’s happiness.” Her blue eyes sparkled in the glow of the porch light. “I’ve never been an aunt before.”
“I better get home to Brady. He’s nervous about tomorrow.” With a lump in his throat the size of a post-holiday mailbag, he hurried toward his truck.
“Hayden, I’m sorry about this.”
With a hard swallow, he turned to face her. “Me, too.”
“So where is breakfast?”
“At the Rambler Café, over in Rose Bud.”
Her eyes widened. “A restaurant?”
“I thought a public place might keep us from coming to blows.”
“Not a good idea.” She shook her head. “Raised voices airing dirty laundry. Though my mother would see this as a scandal to be kept secret, it will still get out, eventually.”
“Hadn’t thought of that.” Hayden ran a hand along the back of his neck.
“I could cook here.” She settled on the edge of the weathered, wooden porch step. “Or better yet, if it’s okay with you, at your place. That way Collin would get the chance to see Brady’s home, where he’s happy.”
“All I have is frozen waffles, Pop-Tarts, and cereal.”
“I already grocery shopped for Collin, and I love to cook. It’s settled. Where do you live?”
Hayden rattled off directions. “You’ll never know how much I appreciate your help on this. Puts you in a tough spot.”
She straightened her shoulders as if shifting her heavy load. “No problem.”
Thanks to her calming presence, his stomach settled. He turned toward his truck. Surely together they could make Collin see Brady needed to stay right where he was.
Laken rushed inside to find Collin pacing her small living room.
As the door thudded closed, he skidded to a stop. “Let me explain.”
“You abandoned Katie even though she was pregnant?” She propped her hands on her hips.
“She didn’t find out until I’d already left.”
“But she wrote to tell you when she was dying. How could you not go to her?”
He sank into the couch.
“After I moved to California, I jumped into a rebound relationship with a coworker. I cried on her shoulder, so she knew all about Katie. She split a few weeks ago, and as a parting shot, she shoved Katie’s letter in my face. All this time, she’d been hiding it.”
The words cooled her anger. She plopped beside him and the springs creaked in the cheap furniture. “Oh Collin, I’m so sorry. You really loved Katie?”
“More than life. When I finally read the letter, I held out hope that she’d beat the cancer. That she was still alive.” Collin’s eyes squeezed shut. “Have you met Brady?”
“Twice.” Laken’s mouth went dry. “Of course, I didn’t know who—he’s a great kid.”
“Is he happy?”
“Yes. He loves Hayden very much.”
Collin stood and paced the room again. The floor popped and squeaked with each step. “I don’t want to miss any more of my son’s life. Will you help me?”
She followed him. When he turned back toward her, she blocked his path. “I won’t help you rip Brady away from everything he knows. We have to do what’s best for him. Even if that means he stays with Hayden.”
“How can you be on Hayden’s side?”
She hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder. “I’m not. I’m on Brady’s side.”
His arms came around her.
No matter what happened, she knew they’d be all right. She just had to convince him of the best thing to do. And at the moment, she wasn’t sure what that was.
A knock sounded at the door. A large knot lodged in Hayden’s throat.
Laken’s bright smile greeted him, with a subdued Collin on her heels.
“I’ve got bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits, and gravy fixings.” The cheeriness in her voice didn’t put a dent in the tension surrounding them.
Food was the last of his concerns, but Hayden pointed the way to the kitchen. “Great. Right through there. Collin and I will talk in here.”
“No.” The word wrenched from Laken. “Y’all come.” She adopted an overdone Southern drawl. “I hate being banished to the hot stove while the menfolk visit.”
Laken ushered her brother ahead, and Hayden followed her.
“Set the groceries right here.” She clattered pans together even though Hayden had them sitting on the stove waiting. The wheelchair-accessible cabinets were awkward for her, too low. She lined a skillet with bacon. The gas burners clicked a steady rhythm until they lit. As the bacon began to sizzle, she whisked the eggs.
Hayden took his usual seat at the oak table and gestured for Collin to sit across from him.
“This is a great house.” With the stove in an island, Laken faced Hayden while she cooked. Collin’s back was toward her. “I love the rustic siding and plank walls. Was it already here, or did you have it built?”
“Actually, my dad used to be a contractor. He and I built it for Brady. When he turns twenty-five, it’s his.”
“Speaking of which, can we just get to the subject of my son?” Collin ran a jerky hand through his hair.
A storm brewed in Hayden’s soul.
“Hayden, why don’t you tell Collin about some of Brady’s activities?” Laken poured fat off the bacon into another skillet and spooned in flour.
“He’s a great kid. He rides horses, plays catch, basketball. Typical boy.” Hayden cleared his throat. “Only, not typical at all.”
Collin leaned forward, his expression softened. “Is he a brain? Katie always was.”
Hayden’s jaw clenched. Lord, help me with this. “You’ll notice the cabinets are lower than most, and the ramp out front. The entire house, including both bathrooms and all of the closets are wheelchair accessible.”
Laken stopped scrambling the eggs.
“All very well and nice.” Collin’s brows scrunched together. “I guess you plan on getting old and decrepit and using my poor Brady to take care of you.”
The back door opened. Hayden swallowed as Brady rolled himself inside.
Collin’s eyes widened. “Brady?”
Tears rimmed Laken’s lashes.
“You’re my father.”
Hayden’s heart took a nosedive.
“Yes.” Collin stood and managed a few shaky steps to kneel beside the boy, as if his legs could no longer support him. “Why…?”
“When I was five—”
“I’ll handle this.” Hayden settled his hand on his nephew’s slight shoulder.
“It’s okay, let me.” Brady peered up at him, trust and respect glowing from the depths of his soul. “Hayden was leaving for work and I wanted him
to stay home with me, so I ran out to catch him as he backed out of the garage. He told me a bajillion times to stay away from moving vehicles, but I thought he saw me.”
Emotions warred over Collin’s face. His mouth went slack. Shock, anguish, and disgust. Hayden had seen them all in his own mirror.
“You ran over him?”
“Brady, I told you to stay at Grandma and Grandpa’s.” Hayden’s jaw clenched so tight, it ached.
“I guess I still don’t listen very good.” Brady sat straighter in his chair and looked at Collin. “I shouldn’t have run behind Hayden. It wasn’t his fault. It was an accident.”
The weight in Hayden’s chest shifted with the different take on what happened. He squeezed Brady’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. You were five; I should have watched for you.”
“But you’d told me and told me to stay away from moving vehicles.”
“Who was supposedly watching out for him?” Collin thundered.
“A nanny. After Brady got out of the hospital, my mother stayed with us through the week, until I transferred here a couple months ago. Now he stays with my parents when I work.”
Collin pounded his fist on the table. “Katie trusted you to raise my son, and you paralyzed him.”
All color drained from Brady’s face.
“Like Brady said.” Laken turned the burners off and set the meal on the table. Calm in the midst of the storm. “It was an accident. Now let’s stop trying to place blame and eat.”
Despite the distractions, the meal was magazine perfect. The scrambled eggs wafted appetizing steam, the gravy bore no clumps, the biscuits’ golden surface begged for butter, and the bacon was just-right crisp. Hayden’s mouth watered.
She set another plate in front of Brady and pulled her chair next to where he parked. “Your father is my brother, so that makes me your aunt.”
“Cool.” Brady grinned. “I never had an aunt.”
“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to spend some time with you, get to know you better.”
“I’d like that.” The boy turned to Hayden.
The plea in Brady’s eyes tore at him. “I think it would be best if you went back to Grandma and Grandpa’s.”
“Please, can’t I stay? I can ask the blessing.”
Hayden nodded. At least he’d done something right with his nephew.
“I cooked plenty.” Laken passed a glass of juice to Brady.
Collin cleared his throat. He bowed his head, only when Laken did.
“Dear Lord, thank You for this food and the good stuff You do for us. Please let Hayden and my dad make friends. Help us all get to know each other and be a real family. Amen.”
Laken’s insides hurt, as if a prizefighter had used her for a punching bag.
Brady’s innocent prayer for the two men glowering across the table from one another to be a family didn’t look promising. How could she get these two on the same page? She had to keep Collin from dragging Brady back to California. Away from the only family he’d ever known. Away from his friends and his home.
Away from her.
The biscuit and gravy weighed heavy in her stomach. All she’d wanted was to get out of Romance, but now with Brady in the equation, she had to stay. She didn’t even know him, yet the blood they shared drew her to him. His happiness mattered most.
The scrape of silverware against plates reverberated through the room. Both men were wolfing down their breakfast, while Brady pushed his eggs around and around. Couldn’t they see their love for Brady was the common thread?
Maybe she could ease the tension between Hayden and Collin. Maybe she could help them come to a compromise for Brady’s sake. Maybe she could assure Brady’s happiness and form some semblance of the family she yearned for. Could Brady fill the hole in her heart?
“So, Brady, are you excited about school starting?” She took a sip of her cooling coffee. It would probably make the wad in her stomach swell larger.
The boy’s eyes shone. “Two of my best friends from church will be in my class.”
“You’ve made a lot of friends here?”
Brady nodded. “More than I ever had. At my old school”—his shoulders slumped—“the kids made fun of me.”
A lump lodged in her throat, and she glanced at Collin, hoping the comment sank in. Was he listening? Brady’s happy here.
Her brother gulped a swig of coffee.
Laken placed her hand on Brady’s back. She could feel him trembling, absorbing the tension between the two men most important to him. “So you like small-town life?”
“People are nice here. The ones at church anyway. I hope kids at school will be, too.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be the hit of the school.” Hayden winked. “Word is, Justin and Mike have your back.”
Collin needed Hayden’s gentleness. Her brother obviously wasn’t used to dealing with children. Each time he moved, Brady’s gaze flew to Hayden.
“So, Hayden tells me you play basketball.” Collin’s tone was all interest. He was learning.
“Yes, sir.”
Collin’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m your father, son. You don’t have to call me sir.”
“But you don’t have to call him dad, either.” Laken smiled. “How about Collin for now? You two have some catching up to do.”
“Speaking of which,” Collin cajoled, “I’d like to spend some time with Brady. How about we go for a walk—I mean—maybe shoot some hoops.”
Brady’s eyes lit up. “You play basketball?”
“I used to.” Collin dropped his crumpled napkin on his plate.
Hayden wolfed down bite after bite, faster and faster as Collin made headway.
The boy’s trembling stopped. “I’ve got a court over at Grandma and Grandpa’s.”
Collin stood. “Let’s go.”
Brady looked at Hayden.
“I’m not comfortable with that temper of yours.” Hayden’s gaze pinned Collin, like a lion protecting his cub.
“I’m not mad at Brady,” Collin deadpanned.
Hayden’s jaw twitched. “Go show him some of your moves.”
“Cool.” As Brady rolled toward the door, Collin hurried to push.
“I’d rather do it myself,” Brady mumbled.
“Sure.” Collin’s hands jerked away. “No problem.”
The door shut behind them.
Pushing away from the table, Hayden stalked to the sink. Gripping the countertop edge with both hands, he hung his head. “You have no idea how hard it was to let them go.”
She touched his arm, rock hard and muscular beneath her fingers. “You did the right thing. Brady wanted to go with him. No matter how badly a parent lets a child down, the child longs for a close relationship. Trust me, I know.”
“Why is he here? Why now?”
“His girlfriend hid Katie’s letter, until they broke up last month and she tossed it in his face.”
“So he moved on, while Katie gave birth to his son.” Hayden’s voice broke in contradiction to his obvious physical strength. “He can’t move Brady to California. He just can’t.”
“I’ll do my best to encourage him to stay here.” She traced her fingers in a soothing motion across his back. “That way, even if he wants Brady to live with him, at least they’ll be here instead of thousands of miles away.”
Hayden turned toward her. “What’s keeping Collin in California?”
Laken nibbled on the inside of her lip. “I’m not sure. I know he wants to be far away from our parents. Our dad was verbally abusive toward Collin.”
“And you?” His green eyes softened with concern.
Tears stung and she blinked. With all he faced, Hayden still worried about her. “No, he ignored me. Anyway, Collin is the comptroller for a large fragrance company. That’s all I’m aware of.”
Hayden scratched his chin. “So he doesn’t have any other California connections? The girlfriend?”
“That’s definitely over, and it was
a rebound relationship anyway. I don’t think he ever got over loving Katie.”
His eyes clouded. “Me neither.”
The urge to hug him flitted through her mind, and she turned away. “A comptroller could find work anywhere.”
“How do we convince him?”
“We—I mean—you let them spend a lot of time together, and Collin will have to see how happy Brady is here. And how jarring it would be to move him.”
“Brilliant. And you can spend time with them both and make sure Brady’s okay.”
“Collin would never hurt him, Hayden.”
“I mean emotionally.”
She offered her hand. “It’s a deal.” Now, if only Collin would catch on to how disruptive claiming Brady would be.
“Could you check on them about now?” Hayden’s jaw twitched. “I’ll get the dishes, and I’d feel a lot better if you were with Brady. I think they’ve had enough alone time.” “Why don’t you come with me?”
Laken followed Hayden to a trail winding through a tall line of lavender crape myrtle trees with a citrus, honeysuckle scent. Even without him, she’d have found her way by the steady thumping of a bouncing basketball next door.
“So, you played basketball in Searcy?” Brady swished the ball through the hoop in the backyard of a house much like Hayden’s. Nothing but net.
Collin rebounded and passed it back to his son. “Star shooter. In California, the school close to my condo ranked seventh nationally and second in state this year.”
The suggestion was clear. Come home with me and you can attend a big-
time school. Had Collin been pressuring Brady this whole time?
Brady’s shot bounced off the rim, and Collin rebounded.
Hayden cleared his throat. “Rose Bud has a great basketball program.”
At the sight of his uncle, Brady’s eyes lit up.
Loping toward Collin, Hayden stole the ball and hit a three-pointer. “It’s not fancy, but it’s a good school.”
Collin sprinted toward Hayden.
Laken managed to cut him off and whispered, “Enough about California. And what would Brady think of you if you attack the uncle he loves?”
Collin blew out a big breath. “I was just going after the ball.”
“With an intentional hard foul in mind.”
ARKANSAS WEDDINGS: THREE-IN-ONE COLLECTION Page 23