something he ever would have considered with any other woman. There was something about Lexi that made him lose control. “About that night...”
“You guys had an argument, didn’t you?”
Josh looked at his son, surprised by his summation. “What makes you think that?”
He shrugged. “She was supposed to spend the night. When she didn’t, we figured something was up.”
“Yeah, I guess I should have explained.”
Jay claimed the seat next to his father. “You don’t owe us any explanation, Dad. What’s between you and Lexi is your business. Mike and I are cool with it.”
Josh scrubbed his hands over his face, suddenly feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. How could he explain it to his son when he didn’t understand it himself? “That’s just it, Jay. There’s nothing between Lexi and me. I wanted there to be, but she didn’t feel the same way.”
Jay gripped his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dad. That really sucks. I know how much you cared about her.”
He looked at his son’s hand. It was the hand of a man, a young man who deserved complete disclosure. He didn’t want to see his boys repeat the same mistakes he had made with women, and the only way to ensure that didn’t happen was to humbly admit to those mistakes and hope they could learn a lesson from them. “I allowed myself to fall in love with Lexi, Jay. It was stupid. I knew she wasn’t interested in getting married or having a family, but I allowed myself to believe that if we got closer, she might change her mind.”
“I take it that’s not going to happen?”
“She’s bringing a date to your birthday party tonight. Does that answer your question?”
Jay jumped up, pacing the flagstone enclosure around the pool. “Why the hell would she do that? Is she trying to hurt you or just trying to piss you off?”
Josh appreciated his son’s outrage on his behalf, but he didn’t want his situation to affect their relationship with Lexi. They’d always liked her, and he knew the feeling was mutual. “It’s no big deal, Jay. Fact is she’s going back to Arkansas tomorrow.”
Jay stopped pacing long enough to face him. “What? Why would she do that?”
Josh shrugged. “I wish I knew. She didn’t want to tell me.”
“This doesn’t make sense, Dad. I thought she moved back here to be closer to Sierra and the baby. Why would she leave now?”
“Your guess it as good as mine, kid.” Josh could hear the cars pulling up in front of the house, followed by shouting and laughter as car doors slammed. He stood up. “Sounds like your friends are starting to arrive. I think I’ll head inside. Just yell if you need anything.”
Jay stepped in front of him. He reached up to give him a hug. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you, Dad.”
Josh swallowed the lump in his throat as he slapped his son on the back. It had been a long time since one of his kids had turned the tables on him and offered their support. He was supposed to be their shoulder to lean on, not the other way around. “Thanks, buddy.”
Jay turned to greet his friends and Josh waved his hand in greeting as he walked toward the house.
Ashley had offered to help set up for the party and he accepted. They were still friends and he knew she wanted to be here for their kids’ milestone birthday.
She was emptying a bag of chips into a bowl. “Looks like you and Jay were having a nice talk.” She smiled. “I couldn’t help but notice.”
He straddled a stool at the breakfast bar and watched his ex-wife spoon dip into a plastic bowl.
“Yeah, they’re really growing up, Ash.”
She laughed. “Tell me about it. They’ve started patting me on the head.”
He smiled. “They’re great kids. For all the mistakes we made, we must have done something right.”
She reached across the counter to grab his hand. “I’m so proud of them. Thank you for being the father I knew you would be. Even after the divorce, you were always there for them.”
He was
“You guys had an argument, didn’t you?”
Josh looked at his son, surprised by his summation. “What makes you think that?”
He shrugged. “She was supposed to spend the night. When she didn’t, we figured something was up.”
“Yeah, I guess I should have explained.”
Jay claimed the seat next to his father. “You don’t owe us any explanation, Dad. What’s between you and Lexi is your business. Mike and I are cool with it.”
Josh scrubbed his hands over his face, suddenly feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. How could he explain it to his son when he didn’t understand it himself? “That’s just it, Jay. There’s nothing between Lexi and me. I wanted there to be, but she didn’t feel the same way.”
Jay gripped his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dad. That really sucks. I know how much you cared about her.”
He looked at his son’s hand. It was the hand of a man, a young man who deserved complete disclosure. He didn’t want to see his boys repeat the same mistakes he had made with women, and the only way to ensure that didn’t happen was to humbly admit to those mistakes and hope they could learn a lesson from them. “I allowed myself to fall in love with Lexi, Jay. It was stupid. I knew she wasn’t interested in getting married or having a family, but I allowed myself to believe that if we got closer, she might change her mind.”
“I take it that’s not going to happen?”
“She’s bringing a date to your birthday party tonight. Does that answer your question?”
Jay jumped up, pacing the flagstone enclosure around the pool. “Why the hell would she do that? Is she trying to hurt you or just trying to piss you off?”
Josh appreciated his son’s outrage on his behalf, but he didn’t want his situation to affect their relationship with Lexi. They’d always liked her, and he knew the feeling was mutual. “It’s no big deal, Jay. Fact is she’s going back to Arkansas tomorrow.”
Jay stopped pacing long enough to face him. “What? Why would she do that?”
Josh shrugged. “I wish I knew. She didn’t want to tell me.”
“This doesn’t make sense, Dad. I thought she moved back here to be closer to Sierra and the baby. Why would she leave now?”
“Your guess it as good as mine, kid.” Josh could hear the cars pulling up in front of the house, followed by shouting and laughter as car doors slammed. He stood up. “Sounds like your friends are starting to arrive. I think I’ll head inside. Just yell if you need anything.”
Jay stepped in front of him. He reached up to give him a hug. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you, Dad.”
Josh swallowed the lump in his throat as he slapped his son on the back. It had been a long time since one of his kids had turned the tables on him and offered their support. He was supposed to be their shoulder to lean on, not the other way around. “Thanks, buddy.”
Jay turned to greet his friends and Josh waved his hand in greeting as he walked toward the house.
Ashley had offered to help set up for the party and he accepted. They were still friends and he knew she wanted to be here for their kids’ milestone birthday.
She was emptying a bag of chips into a bowl. “Looks like you and Jay were having a nice talk.” She smiled. “I couldn’t help but notice.”
He straddled a stool at the breakfast bar and watched his ex-wife spoon dip into a plastic bowl.
“Yeah, they’re really growing up, Ash.”
She laughed. “Tell me about it. They’ve started patting me on the head.”
He smiled. “They’re great kids. For all the mistakes we made, we must have done something right.”
She reached across the counter to grab his hand. “I’m so proud of them. Thank you for being the father I knew you would be. Even after the divorce, you were always there for them.”
He was
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