He snakes an arm around my waist and says, “Oh, baby, it’s too late for you to rethink anything.”
While he shows me around the rest of his workout room, I hear little feet run against the hardwood floor.
“Dad, Myra says I can’t have a cookie yet. Can you tell her to give me one? It’s not fair—" He stops at the door, and the words die in his throat when he sees me. He looks at me and then at his father. My stomach sinks when his little shoulders sag and he stares at the floor.
“Evan, you remember Vickie, right?” Colt reaches for him, lifts him up, and spins him around before putting him back down.
“Hi, Evan.” I offer him a big smile and take a step closer. He runs to the other side of his father and wraps his arms around one of Colt’s long legs. I stop my approach and drop my hand.
“Hi.” He gives me a one hand wave. There’s no enthusiasm in his voice. I know kids. I’ve worked with kids for years. This one wants me gone. “I’m gonna go watch TV.” He looks at me as if I kicked his puppy and runs out of the room.
Colt scratches his head and says, “Sorry. He’s usually friendlier than that.”
“Maybe I should go. You just got back, and he probably wants all your attention, which I can understand.” I drop myself down on his weight bench. “He’s a little boy who has already lost his mother in the worst way. We didn’t think this through.” I stand and walk out the door, but he catches up to me and grabs my wrist before I can get too far.
“You’re right. I didn’t think it through. That’s on me, not you, but you’re already here and he’s seen you. I’m not going to keep you hidden from him, and I’m allowed to have a relationship and a life. He’s a good kid. Give him some time, okay?” He wraps his arms around me and rests his forehead on mine. He’s right. Evan’s a great kid. He’s smart and funny. He even has a little protective streak in him. I’ve seen him look out for Vincent, even though he’s only ten months older. He has a maturity that most kids his age don’t have, but he’s been dealt a bad hand in his short life.
“He’s a great kid,” I tell him. “I won’t go. At least not yet, but if he doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave. He comes before everything.”
He plants a soft kiss on my forehead. “Stop that. You’re not going to make me like you. Don’t even try it.” He takes my hand in his, and we walk back to the kitchen together.
Myra pulls three plates from the cabinet, but Evan only takes two.
“You forgot this one, baby.” Myra, who has a noticeable limp, walks to the table and puts the third plate down. She runs a hand through Evan’s hair and caresses his scalp. He leans against her, taking all the affection she has to give him. “You must be hungry, big boy. Why don’t you get the glasses for Myra? And I made your favorite cookies, but you have to eat all your dinner before your daddy will let you have a few.”
“I want five,” Evan says.
“Well, that’s up to that man over there.” Myra points at Colt. “But you have to be good.” He turns and wraps his arms around her thick waist before he does as she says. She looks at me and winks.
Myra leaves a few minutes later, leaving us to enjoy the delicious roasted chicken she made. Evan is quiet while he eats, looking from me to his father. He’s a big eater. He eats everything on his plate and drinks a full glass of milk.
“Your dad tells me you’re going to kindergarten next school year,” I say to Evan.
“Yeah,” is all I get back. He puts his head down and stares down at his empty plate. “Can I have the cookies now, Dad?”
“Maybe after you answer Vickie.”
“I said yeah.” He rolls his eyes at his father. Colt purses his lips, but I put a hand on his arm before he can utter a word. He looks at me and I subtly shake my head.
“Cookies sound great,” I announce. As soon as Colt nods at Evan, he jumps off his chair and runs to the kitchen island. He opens a jar and pulls out a stack of cookies. He’s already shoved one in his mouth before he runs out of the kitchen and to the back of the apartment.
“I’m sorry,” Colt says. He picks up my hand and kisses it. “I’ll talk to him. I promise you he’s a good kid. I raised him to be respectful and kind. I’ve never seen him act this way before.”
I wave my hand in dismissal. “He’s five. It’s okay.”
“It’s not.” Colt rises from his chair and stands. “I’ll be back.”
I make up my mind on my next move before Colt is out of sight. I stand from the table, walk to the counter and take out one of the cookies. One bite later, I spit it out in a napkin. It’s obvious a sugar substitute was used. I close the jar and push it as far away as possible.
After meeting Colt at the club, I spent a few hours googling him, and one consistent thing was his rigid diet. Obviously, he makes sure his kid eats healthy too. I find my tote on the living room couch and take my phone out. I send a short text letting him know I’m leaving and walk out the front door. For all the reasons I have for not dating men with kids, the kid not liking me never made the list. That’s never happened before. My reasons were always about me not wanting to share the man with his ex.
In this case, I can’t blame the kid for his feelings. His daddy is the only parent he has, and he doesn’t want to share him. I wouldn’t either. I was Evan once upon a time. We didn’t want to share our dad with Cheryl, but lucky for us, Cheryl never gave up on us.
I press the button for the elevator, but Colt’s front door opens. He walks out with Evan under his arm like a football and approaches. He throws an arm across my shoulders and turns me away from the elevator.
“I don’t think so. Come back inside.” After taking a few steps, I stop in the middle of the hallway.
“I’m taking off. I don’t want to intrude.”
