stars just like Coen’s.”
Mom groaned and rolled her eyes, and I tried covering my laugh with a cough, and failed miserably. Blowing her a kiss, I put my hand on Parker’s back and led him outside.
“Why don’t we wait a decade or so until we think about that, okay? Right now, let’s just go have dinner with Coen, sound good?”
“Cool!”
I smiled and followed my son to the car. The entire time I chanted to myself that this dinner was a good idea. That one day I wouldn’t regret letting my guard down for a guy like Coen and letting him into my son’s life.
Chapter Six
Coen— September 2, 2010
“T HIS IS THE coolest, ever!” Parker yelled. “Coen’s the coolest, isn’t he, Mom?”
I glanced over at Reagan and she rolled her eyes at me. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool, buddy.”
“And this one comes off because I’m not old like you?”
I barked out a laugh and kept pressing the wet paper towel down on Parker’s arm. “That’s right, bud. It’ll come off in a few days.”
I held the paper towel there for a few more seconds before removing it, and then removed the hard back for the temporary tattoo and watched as Parker’s eyes lit up.
“Cool!”
I’m positive cool was his favorite word, and the extent of expressive words at that. But I had to steal his word. This kid was pretty damn cool.
“What do you think?” I held out his arm so Reagan could see, and even though she shot me a look, a smile crossed her face.
“Mom, isn’t it cool?”
“So cool, Parker.”
“I can’t wait to show Jason!” he said excitedly before tearing out of Reagan’s kitchen to go back to playing in the living room.
My lips slowly curved up into a smile as Reagan fought and lost with biting back her own smile, and I pulled her close. “You mad at me?”
She looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Mad? Are you kidding? I’m furious,” she whispered.
“You look it,” I murmured against her lips and she smiled against my kiss.
“That was really sweet of you,” she said when I pulled back. “He doesn’t even remember they’re called tattoos, but all he talks about are the stars on your arm. They’re the only ones he remembers. This was . . .” she floundered for something to say as she looked over at Parker. “This was fun for him. I already know he’s going to talk about that tattoo, and who gave it to him, until it washes off.” Looking back at me, she shrugged. “Thank you.”
“Not a big deal. He spent the whole night talking about it the other night, had to get one for him.”
Her hazel eyes held mine, and her lips tilted up on one side. “That’s just it. You didn’t have to.”
“Okay, I wanted to. Better?”
“Much.”
I leaned in, and had just barely brushed my lips against hers when we heard, “Ew, you’re kissing a girl?”
Reagan froze, and I held back a laugh as I turned my head to look at Parker. “Yeah, why, do you want me to kiss a boy?”
Parker made a face. “Gross! No! But girls have cooties!”
“Yeah? Says who?”
His mouth opened and his eyebrows pinched together for a few seconds before he sputtered, “Everyone.”
I unwrapped my arms from Reagan, and crouched down so I was his height. “Girls your age do have cooties,” I whispered loudly, and tried so hard not to smile when he nodded quickly. “But you know how I’m old so my stars don’t wash off?” Parker looked at his star, then my tattoos before nodding again. “Well, when you’re this old, girls don’t have cooties anymore. So they’re safe to kiss.”
Parker looked at me like he was trying to memorize every word I was saying. “How will I know when they’re safe?”
I glanced up at Reagan, and her face fell into a look of horror. “He’s six,” she mouthed.
“Just trust me on this, bud,” I said when I looked back at Parker. “You’ll know.”
“ ’Kay,” he replied, and looked up at Reagan. “It’s okay, Mom. You’re safe, you won’t give
Mom groaned and rolled her eyes, and I tried covering my laugh with a cough, and failed miserably. Blowing her a kiss, I put my hand on Parker’s back and led him outside.
“Why don’t we wait a decade or so until we think about that, okay? Right now, let’s just go have dinner with Coen, sound good?”
“Cool!”
I smiled and followed my son to the car. The entire time I chanted to myself that this dinner was a good idea. That one day I wouldn’t regret letting my guard down for a guy like Coen and letting him into my son’s life.
Chapter Six
Coen— September 2, 2010
“T HIS IS THE coolest, ever!” Parker yelled. “Coen’s the coolest, isn’t he, Mom?”
I glanced over at Reagan and she rolled her eyes at me. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool, buddy.”
“And this one comes off because I’m not old like you?”
I barked out a laugh and kept pressing the wet paper towel down on Parker’s arm. “That’s right, bud. It’ll come off in a few days.”
I held the paper towel there for a few more seconds before removing it, and then removed the hard back for the temporary tattoo and watched as Parker’s eyes lit up.
“Cool!”
I’m positive cool was his favorite word, and the extent of expressive words at that. But I had to steal his word. This kid was pretty damn cool.
“What do you think?” I held out his arm so Reagan could see, and even though she shot me a look, a smile crossed her face.
“Mom, isn’t it cool?”
“So cool, Parker.”
“I can’t wait to show Jason!” he said excitedly before tearing out of Reagan’s kitchen to go back to playing in the living room.
My lips slowly curved up into a smile as Reagan fought and lost with biting back her own smile, and I pulled her close. “You mad at me?”
She looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Mad? Are you kidding? I’m furious,” she whispered.
“You look it,” I murmured against her lips and she smiled against my kiss.
“That was really sweet of you,” she said when I pulled back. “He doesn’t even remember they’re called tattoos, but all he talks about are the stars on your arm. They’re the only ones he remembers. This was . . .” she floundered for something to say as she looked over at Parker. “This was fun for him. I already know he’s going to talk about that tattoo, and who gave it to him, until it washes off.” Looking back at me, she shrugged. “Thank you.”
“Not a big deal. He spent the whole night talking about it the other night, had to get one for him.”
Her hazel eyes held mine, and her lips tilted up on one side. “That’s just it. You didn’t have to.”
“Okay, I wanted to. Better?”
“Much.”
I leaned in, and had just barely brushed my lips against hers when we heard, “Ew, you’re kissing a girl?”
Reagan froze, and I held back a laugh as I turned my head to look at Parker. “Yeah, why, do you want me to kiss a boy?”
Parker made a face. “Gross! No! But girls have cooties!”
“Yeah? Says who?”
His mouth opened and his eyebrows pinched together for a few seconds before he sputtered, “Everyone.”
I unwrapped my arms from Reagan, and crouched down so I was his height. “Girls your age do have cooties,” I whispered loudly, and tried so hard not to smile when he nodded quickly. “But you know how I’m old so my stars don’t wash off?” Parker looked at his star, then my tattoos before nodding again. “Well, when you’re this old, girls don’t have cooties anymore. So they’re safe to kiss.”
Parker looked at me like he was trying to memorize every word I was saying. “How will I know when they’re safe?”
I glanced up at Reagan, and her face fell into a look of horror. “He’s six,” she mouthed.
“Just trust me on this, bud,” I said when I looked back at Parker. “You’ll know.”
“ ’Kay,” he replied, and looked up at Reagan. “It’s okay, Mom. You’re safe, you won’t give
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