I grabbed a pair of his jelly sandals and put them in the luggage before heading over to Jayden and sitting next to him on the bed. “Me, you, and Granny are all heading off on a trip with one of Granny’s friends,” I told him as I reached out and stroked his soft, blond hair away from his sleepy face.
“What kinda trip?” Jayden questioned as he rubbed his eyes with his tiny fists.
“We’re going to the beach, baby boy,” I told him. “We’re going to make sand castles and swim in the ocean and maybe we’ll even see some fishies!” I ruffled his hair and smiled sweetly at him.
“R-really?!” Jayden cried before launching himself out of bed and hurrying over to the closet. He grabbed hold of his toy chest and dragged it out before searching for his beach toys.
“I need my backpack, Mommy!”
I stifled a laugh and retrieved it for him. Then I watched as he grabbed his arm bands and his bucket and his plastic fish before excitedly attempting to pack them all in his tiny rucksack. None of it fit very well and soon Jayden groaned as he struggled to cram it all in.
“Hang on, honey. You’re going to break them!” I cried as he grabbed his green swim ring that was decorated with turtles and tried to shove that inside his rucksack too.
“I won’t, I pwomise,” Jayden told me with a scrunched-up face as he concentrated hard on pushing everything inside the bag. “Come on, Mommy, we need to hurry up and go see the fisheees!”
I laughed again before kneeling down and helping him pack his stuff away. I took the larger items and put them in the luggage instead so he could still carry the rucksack himself. “The fisheees aren’t going anywhere, baby,” I told him and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.
“But I wanna see them!”
“And we will, okay?” I reassured him and stroked his hair. “Now, can you go put your jacket and shoes on for me?”
“Yes, Mommy!”
Jayden disappeared back into the closet to retrieve his things, but before I could stop him, he was haphazardly trying to put them on and failing miserably. He had his shoes on the wrong feet and his coat on backward! I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh sweetie, I’m so proud of you,” I said with a smile. “You’re trying your best, but let Mama help, okay?”
Jayden nodded and let me rectify his mistakes before finally donning his rucksack and excitedly heading for the stairs. I nervously picked at my nail polish and then took a deep breath. It was now or never.
The two of us headed down the stairs and I took Jayden to the kitchen where I could see my mom was already packed and ready. She was sharing a cup of coffee with Spencer at the dining table, the two of them caught up in reminiscing about their school days. Spencer hadn’t even noticed my reappearance yet, but I knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long so I took a deep breath and I spoke.
“Jayden, this is Mommy and Granny’s friend, Spencer,” I said by means of introduction, kneeling down next to my son and pointing at his father.
In a state of obvious shock, Spencer’s head turned rapidly and a range of emotions crossed his face before he finally settled on happiness and smiled wide. He stood up from the table and crossed the room to our son who had grown shy all of a sudden and was half-hidden behind my legs. Spencer squatted down and held out his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, buddy. Your mom and Granny have told me all about you,” he said in a quiet, clear voice.
“Who are you?” Jayden asked with a confused face. He shook Spencer’s hand warily.
“I’m…” He glimpsed up at me and I looked away. “I’m the one who is taking you all to the beach! Are you ready for the trip?”
Jayden nodded. “I got everything, mister, even my swim ring! Do you wanna see me blow it up?”
“No! Baby, that’s not a good idea,” I told him with a nervous chuckle. “We can blow it up once we get to the beach.
“Okay, Mommy. Can I show him my fisheees?” he asked, looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes.
“Of course, you can, baby.”
Spencer laughed as Jayden retrieved his collection of plastic fishes from his backpack including a shark, a clownfish, and a jellyfish. “This one is Mister Shark,” Jayden began to explain. “This is Clowny and this is Jiggly-Jelly!” He held each one out for Spencer’s inspection as he spoke and then looked up at the older man with a face full of wonder. “Mama bought them for me! My fisheees! All mine!”
I could see tears welling in Spencer’s eyes as he nodded at his son. “Of course, they’re all yours. Don’t worry, I won’t take any from you,” he reassured him. “But how about we see if we can get you some more while we’re away?”
Jayden’s little face lit up and he began to excitedly jump up and down on the spot. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” he cried.
“Okay, honey, that’s enough,” I interrupted. “Let’s put your fishes away now and get a move on, okay? The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to the beach.”
Jayden nodded and began packing everything away once more. Once he was finished, Spencer ushered all of us toward his fancy car. I took Jayden’s booster seat to the car and Mom insisted that I put it in the front seat so the boys could spend more time together.
“Jayden needs a good male role model in his life,” she explained. “Besides, he seems quite taken with Spencer, doesn’t he?”
I nodded as a wave of emotions rushed over me. I was excited and scared and happy and nervous all at once and it was making me feel a little bit queasy. When I finally sat in the car and Spencer started driving, my mind was a million miles away worrying about everything that could go wrong on this trip. While Jayden chattered away to his new best pal, Spencer, I wondered how I was going to manage to keep mine and Spencer’s sordid affair a secret from my mom. My thoughts were racing as I hoped that Jayden would get along with Spencer and not end up hating him. But worst of all, I was worrying about whether Spencer might make a move on me…
Or worse, what if he didn’t?
19
Spencer
It was the most bizarre day I’d ever had. Not only was I on my way to the incredible island of Hawaii for a much-needed vacation, but I was going with Rylee. The girl I had wanted to see again every day for the last five years. And the strangeness didn’t end there. We were going with our son. The young boy I hadn’t even known existed until a week ago and now he was here, lively as anything, and chattering away to me in the passenger seat.
“Car so fast!” he cried in excitement as I drove my sleek Mercedes toward the airport. “Faster, faster, faster!”
“I can’t go much faster, Jayden,” I told him fondly, glancing to my right to smile at him. “We have to stay under the speed limit.”
“Sp-speed limit?” he replied, sounding out the strange words.
“Yes, that’s it.” I gripped the steering wheel tighter under my palms and took a quick look in the rearview mirror where I could see Rylee biting her fingernails anxiously. I knew she was apprehensive about me spending time with Jayden, but I was determined to prove to her that I could be a great dad and an even better boyfriend.
“Are we almost at the fisheees?” he asked as he peered out the passenger seat window.
“Um, it’s a long way off yet,” I told him with a grin.
“I like fisheees. Fisheees swim. Fishees in sea and lake and house!” he explained excitedly, looking up at me with a big toothy grin. “Can we go swim?”
I couldn’t get over how cute he was. He obviously had a big interest in water and I was pleased that a Hawaiian vacation seemed to be a big hit with everybody. “Of course, we can go swim!” I replied. “I can take you swimming in the ocean or in a pool! Would you like that?”
“Yes! Yes!” he cheered.
“Has Mommy taken you for swimming lessons before?” I asked.
Jayden looked up at me with a confused look before Robin chimed in, “Oh, yes, Jayden and Rylee have taken classes at the community center since he was two.”
“Wonderful
. We’ll definitely get you out in the water, buddy,” I promised him.
“Yay!” he cried. “Swim! Swim! Swim!”
I never thought joy could be so infectious, but Jayden’s happiness seemed to course through my own veins and paint a permanent smile on my face. I knew right then that this was going to be the vacation of a lifetime.
* * *
Within an hour, all four of us were climbing aboard the sleek, white jet awaiting us on the runway. Jayden was completely astonished by it, apparently having never seen a plane in real life before, while Rylee and Robin chattered excitedly about their plans for the trip. I walked on last and watched with glee as the others enjoyed themselves. I imagined luxury wasn’t exactly something they were used to in Halston and damn it, I was determined to make sure they indulged themselves a little more—especially Rylee.
Over the last few weeks, I’d seen how hard she worked and being a mother must cause a lot of extra strain. I wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to relax in future and I was determined to be there to make sure it happened.
“Wow, it’s bigger than I imagined!” Robin exclaimed as she entered the cabin of the jet. Her hands caressed the leather of the seats before she popped herself down in an aisle seat. “Rylee! Come sit with me, you can have the window!”
Rylee rolled her eyes but joined her mother and took a peek outside. Despite her quiet, surly demeanor, I noticed the smallest upturn of her lips and I knew somewhere deep inside she was happy about going away. I wanted to make sure that smile came out in full force before the vacation was over.
“How about I give you a tour of the plane, buddy?” I asked Jayden as he stood wide-eyed and staring around the cabin.
“Mommy? Can I?” he asked as he made little puppy dog eyes toward his mother.
“Of course, baby, but don’t go too far,” she replied.
“We won’t,” I promised before heading down the length of the plane. “Back here is the toilet, if you need to go during the flight,” I told him and pointed at the door. “But the most exciting part is at the front of the plane. Do you know what a pilot does, Jayden?”
Jayden stood still for a moment as he thought about his answer. “Nope,” he replied, popping the ‘p’.
“Well, Jayden, the pilot is the one who flies the plane! Do you want to meet him?”
The child began to nod his head up and down faster than I’d ever seen before. I smiled and took his tiny little hand to walk him back up the aisle toward the cockpit. I pushed open the door and smiled at the pilot inside who was getting the plane ready for take-off.
“Good morning, how’s it looking?” I asked, curious.
“Clear skies and no sign of trouble,” the pilot replied, casting a glance over his shoulder. “We should get to Hawaii as planned in approximately six hours.” He caught sight of Jayden. “Hey, little fella. How are you doing?”
“Good, good,” Jayden replied as he swung his body from side to side. “Can I fly plane?”
Both the pilot and I laughed. “Not today, big guy,” I told him. “Maybe one day when you’re big and strong.”
“Aww, okay,” Jayden replied with a pout.
“Come along now, let’s get you sat down. Did you want to sit by the window so you can see what we’re flying over?” I kneeled down next to him and smiled.
“Yes! I wanna see! I wanna see!” Jayden cried happily before racing away down toward the cabin again.
“Thanks again,” I said to the pilot and gave him a slight salute before following Jayden. The two of us sat opposite Rylee and Robin. I gave Jayden the window seat as promised and away we went.
During take-off, Jayden got a little scared and nervous, but once we were settled in the sky, he soon cheered up and began pointing out the window at the clouds he could see and the buildings we passed on the ground below. I could feel myself falling more and more in love with him with every second that passed. The way he was always looking for answers about how things worked and how he tried so hard to figure out the world around him reminded me of me. I wondered if he might grow up to be an inventor one day. The thought warmed my soul and my cheeks hurt from smiling.
I could see that Rylee was watching us, but she was trying not to be obvious about it. I understood why she was worried, but I was glad she didn’t interfere. Meanwhile, Robin was helping herself to another cocktail courtesy of the stewardess who brought up plenty of food and drink throughout the journey.
“I guess I may as well enjoy my permanent vacation!” Robin called as she sipped on her daquiri. “Thank you, Archie!”
Rylee and I both laughed and joined her for a drink to toast her newfound unemployment. It wasn’t long before Jayden fell asleep in his chair and I leaned across the space between myself and Rylee in order to talk and not disturb the young boy.
“Have you thought anymore about the lawsuit, Robin?” I asked in a hushed whisper.
She nodded and sipped her drink. “I have, but I still feel a little undecided,” she answered with a sigh. “What do you think I should do, Spencer?”
I rubbed my chin with my fingers and thought for a moment before responding. “Hmm, if it was me, I’d sue the hell out of that vile, old, lecherous man,” I admitted. “Besides, it would be a kind of poetic justice for a reputable lawyer to be hit with a lawsuit that could ruin his entire business.”
Robin’s expression soured at that. “Spencer, I don’t want to destroy his career. Even if he is an awful person, I don’t want to be responsible for something like that. I just don’t think it’s very fair how he treated me.”
“Well, my lawyer friend is excellent at his job. I’m sure if you explain how you feel that we could figure out a way to get back at Old Man Jenkins without destroying him totally.”
“Hmm, I’ll think it over,” Robin concluded as she finished her second cocktail.
By the time half the journey had passed, Robin had also fallen asleep and it gave me an opportunity to speak with Rylee alone for the first time since we’d boarded the plane. I smiled over at her, hoping to soften her up a little before I tried to talk about our relationship again. She beat me to it, however.
“So, Spencer, what are you hoping to get out of this weekend?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I thought I’d been clear about what I wanted from the very start, Rylee,” I said with a shrug. “I want to get to know my son and apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused with your mom. Besides, I knew getting us out of Halston would make you feel more comfortable about everything. Since there won’t be anyone around to spot us, we’ll not spark any gossip.”
Rylee nodded and pursed her lips. “Well, I have to say I’m surprised about all of this. I never knew you had such a large amount of money you could just throw around. Are you sure you can afford to charter a plane? And I have to say, you can’t have been serious about the grocery store, right?”
I laughed and nodded. “The grocery store was only a drop in the bucket. I’m lucky enough to have made a good deal of money from my hard work over the years,” I admitted. Rylee’s eyes widened and she leaned in a little closer. I couldn’t help but indulge myself in her surprise.
“When you have a billion dollars, money kind of stops being an issue,” I confessed.
“A billion dollars!” Rylee cried loudly, waking up both Robin and Jayden with a start. I couldn’t resist laughing at all three of them.
When the plane finally landed, there was a car waiting for us and I guided my new family toward it with a smile. “This car will be taking us straight to a resort on the coast of the island that is known for it’s exquisite views and delicious food,” I told them. “I’ve rented a family villa there for all of us.”
“Oh, how exciting!” Robin exclaimed.
Rylee remained rather silent for the entire journey which worried me. I couldn’t help but cross my fingers and hope that things would go well during this vacation, otherwise, I could kiss goodbye to everything I wanted: Rylee, Jayden, everything
.
20
Rylee
No matter the circumstances, I had to admit that Hawaii was beautiful. The private villa Spencer had rented for us was beautifully decorated with lush furnishings and plenty of comfortable chairs, sofas, and loungers for us to laze around on. There were four bedrooms which was more than enough to occupy all of us. There were even four bathrooms, one for each bedroom! My mom’s room had the most powerful shower I had ever seen while the mine had a bathtub that looked like it could fit at least four people in it. The whole place was twice the size of my mother’s house and I couldn’t quite believe we were going to be staying here for the entire weekend.
When I stepped outside, I noticed there was a hot tub on the decking, but that wasn’t even the best part. We had direct access to a picturesque beach with shining white sand and a beautiful, sparking sea of aqua with foaming white waves which lapped at the shore. I wasn’t quite ready for the beach yet. I wanted to unpack and explore the villa a little more, but Jayden had other plans.
“Beach now, Mommy!” he cried excitedly. “I wanna see fisheees! Now, now, now!”
I heard Spencer’s rumbling laugh from behind me. “I can take him outside to explore while the two of you get settled in?”
For a moment, I hesitated. I wasn’t used to the idea of Spencer and Jayden spending time together yet, but at the same time, I wanted to give Jayden a chance to learn who his father was. Eventually, I nodded. “Sure, just don’t go too far, okay? And be back soon!” I told him.
“We will,” Spencer replied and gave me a look of understanding. I knew he would be respectful of my boundaries with Jayden. After all, he had to if he wanted to keep in contact with both of us. I was here and I had given Spencer the chance to prove he was true to his word. The ball was in his court now and all I had to do was sit and wait.
The two boys left out of the back door with Jayden excitedly skipping toward the sand. I watched them for a while, smiling at the way Jayden dived into the sand and began trying to form castles. Seeing the two of them together was cute and it made my heart ache for my deepest desire: a family, a real family with Spencer and Jayden together. I’d spent so long hoping for it and now that the possibility was here, I was so scared something was going to go wrong.
Mommy's Boyfriend (Be My Boyfriend Book 1) Page 12