sister-in-law do.”
“We don’t do anything. Casey stays close to me because she wants to continue to have a connection with her sister and she has that through my son,” Antonio said.
Serena blinked in rapid succession. “Son?”
He nodded. “I have a five-year-old son, which has a lot to do with why you think I was running hot and cold with you when we first met.”
“Wow,” she said quietly. “A son. I had no idea that you were … That’s a lot of responsibility.”
Antonio nodded. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my son and he’s the most important thing in my life.”
Serena leaned against the wall, her head reeling from the fact that Antonio wasn’t seeing another woman, but was a father. “So, where’s your son now?”
“Camping with Norman and his grandsons.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you had a son?” she asked as she ran her hand across her face.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I know that some women run as soon as they find out I have a son or they immediately think I’m trying to make them A.J.’s new mother. I had no idea what was between us but from the look on your face, I’m thinking you’re a runner.”
“This is a bit more than I expected, but I’m not a runner.”
“Good, because I like you, and when the time is right, I’d like to introduce you to my son.”
Serena offered a small smile. Though she said she wasn’t a runner, she wasn’t ready to be a step-mommy either. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids. She just preferred liking them from a distance. She sighed inwardly. Her thoughts were selfish, but she wondered how Antonio’s son would change what they had. Should she run? Finally, she said, “That would be nice, one day.”
“So, are you ready for breakfast?” he asked, cocking his eyebrow.
“Just coffee. I actually have to go and see Jade in a little bit,” she said as she looked at the clock on the nightstand. “I didn’t realize how late it was.” Serena felt horrible lying to him, but she didn’t know if she could handle dealing with a man who had the responsibility of raising a son.
Antonio bit down on his lower lip. “All right,” he said suspiciously. “Are you sure you’re not running?” he asked as he reached for his pants.
“Antonio, I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I’m acting like this,” Serena said.
“I’m not going to force my son on you, but if you’re going to be a part of my life we come as a package. Tell me if you can’t deal with that and we can say good-bye right now.” Antonio slipped his pants on and waited for Serena’s reply. When she didn’t say anything, he nodded.
“Then I guess I have my answer.” He kissed her cheek as he walked out of the room with his shirt clenched in his hands.
Standing in the middle of her bedroom, Serena tried to tell herself that saying good-bye would be the best thing. She’d be saving his son from a childhood like hers, where random women had popped in and out of her dad’s life. She’d gotten what she wanted—her curiosity had been satisfied and she could move on.
But a small voice inside her that wouldn’t be ignored told her to go downstairs and stop Antonio from leaving. For once, Serena listened to that voice and tore off after him.
“Antonio,” she said as he reached for the doorknob.She closed the space between them and grabbed his hand. “Don’t go.”
“Why should I stay?” He looked into her eyes and Serena felt a jolt from her heart. A feeling she hadn’t experienced since L.A.
“Because,” she said as she squeezed his hand. “I … I …”
“Let me guess. You’ve never dated a man with a child?”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything for a moment. “There’s something you should know about me. I was raised by a single father,” she said as they headed over to the sofa. “Dominic Jacobs is a great father, but he was a bit of a player.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“I had a
“We don’t do anything. Casey stays close to me because she wants to continue to have a connection with her sister and she has that through my son,” Antonio said.
Serena blinked in rapid succession. “Son?”
He nodded. “I have a five-year-old son, which has a lot to do with why you think I was running hot and cold with you when we first met.”
“Wow,” she said quietly. “A son. I had no idea that you were … That’s a lot of responsibility.”
Antonio nodded. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my son and he’s the most important thing in my life.”
Serena leaned against the wall, her head reeling from the fact that Antonio wasn’t seeing another woman, but was a father. “So, where’s your son now?”
“Camping with Norman and his grandsons.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you had a son?” she asked as she ran her hand across her face.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I know that some women run as soon as they find out I have a son or they immediately think I’m trying to make them A.J.’s new mother. I had no idea what was between us but from the look on your face, I’m thinking you’re a runner.”
“This is a bit more than I expected, but I’m not a runner.”
“Good, because I like you, and when the time is right, I’d like to introduce you to my son.”
Serena offered a small smile. Though she said she wasn’t a runner, she wasn’t ready to be a step-mommy either. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids. She just preferred liking them from a distance. She sighed inwardly. Her thoughts were selfish, but she wondered how Antonio’s son would change what they had. Should she run? Finally, she said, “That would be nice, one day.”
“So, are you ready for breakfast?” he asked, cocking his eyebrow.
“Just coffee. I actually have to go and see Jade in a little bit,” she said as she looked at the clock on the nightstand. “I didn’t realize how late it was.” Serena felt horrible lying to him, but she didn’t know if she could handle dealing with a man who had the responsibility of raising a son.
Antonio bit down on his lower lip. “All right,” he said suspiciously. “Are you sure you’re not running?” he asked as he reached for his pants.
“Antonio, I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I’m acting like this,” Serena said.
“I’m not going to force my son on you, but if you’re going to be a part of my life we come as a package. Tell me if you can’t deal with that and we can say good-bye right now.” Antonio slipped his pants on and waited for Serena’s reply. When she didn’t say anything, he nodded.
“Then I guess I have my answer.” He kissed her cheek as he walked out of the room with his shirt clenched in his hands.
Standing in the middle of her bedroom, Serena tried to tell herself that saying good-bye would be the best thing. She’d be saving his son from a childhood like hers, where random women had popped in and out of her dad’s life. She’d gotten what she wanted—her curiosity had been satisfied and she could move on.
But a small voice inside her that wouldn’t be ignored told her to go downstairs and stop Antonio from leaving. For once, Serena listened to that voice and tore off after him.
“Antonio,” she said as he reached for the doorknob.She closed the space between them and grabbed his hand. “Don’t go.”
“Why should I stay?” He looked into her eyes and Serena felt a jolt from her heart. A feeling she hadn’t experienced since L.A.
“Because,” she said as she squeezed his hand. “I … I …”
“Let me guess. You’ve never dated a man with a child?”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything for a moment. “There’s something you should know about me. I was raised by a single father,” she said as they headed over to the sofa. “Dominic Jacobs is a great father, but he was a bit of a player.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“I had a
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