She’s my rock.”
“Kinda like Rennie was my rock,” Zach said quietly. “I felt so lost after she left, like a part of me was missing.”
“I know, son.” John wrapped a strong hand around his son’s neck. “I know we all encouraged you to stop looking for her, but maybe we shouldn’t have. If you’d found her, you would’ve found out about Tyler a hell of a lot sooner.”
“True,” Zach said, sighing. “But what kind of father would I have been back then? Would I have been what Tyler needed or was he better off being raised by”—he couldn’t even say his name—“him.” Even though he owed Rennie’s late husband a debt of gratitude for loving Tyler so much, the sting would have to lessen before he felt ready to admit it.
“You’ve always loved kids. You may not have thought you were ready to be a father back then, but I believe you would have done the right thing.”
Zach smiled at his father’s choice of words. “That’s what Rennie said—that I would have done the right thing—but would that have been the right thing for Tyler? I mean, do you think he would have sensed that I wasn’t into being a dad?” When his father didn’t respond, he tipped his head back and watched the clouds shift in the darkening sky. “Maybe she was right to take him away from me. Maybe that’s the best thing she could have done for him.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” John said. “You were young and stupid ten years ago.” He nudged Zach with his shoulder. “Now you’re older… and not as stupid.”
Zach shook his head when his father’s tanned face split into a wide grin. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad.”
“You’ll figure this out,” John said, slapping his knee. “Just give it a little time, and remember what’s important in all this: Tyler.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Uh oh,” John said, getting to his feet. “It looks like you’ve been spotted.” He gestured toward the boys heading toward them. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m gonna head back to the party and have a chat with my grandson’s mother about bringing him to the club sometime soon.”
Zach grabbed his father’s forearm. “Don’t come on too strong, okay? I wanna give Tyler a chance to get used to me being in his life before we bombard him with the rest of the family.”
“Don’t worry,” John said, winking. “You know me, always easy-going.”
Zach rolled his eyes as he tried to hold back his smile. “Yeah, right.” When John had taken a few steps, Zach said, “One more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t give Rennie a hard time. I want us to work this out for Tyler’s benefit.”
John shook his head, looking amused. “Right, it’s all for Tyler’s benefit. It has nothing to do with the fact you still have feelings for his mama.”
***
Rennie was in the kitchen refilling large plastic bowls with chips and pretzels when Zach’s father walked in. She’d seen John and Zach wander off half an hour ago. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they had been talking about.
“Nice party,” John said, bracing a hand on the kitchen counter as he watched her.
“Thanks. Tyler seems to be enjoying himself. That’s what matters.”
“I agree,” he said, lowering his deep voice as eyes so much like his son’s, so much like Tyler’s, bore into her. “Tyler is the only thing that matters. Which begs the question, why did you keep him from us?” Rennie fumbled with the bag of pretzels, her hands trembling. John’s employees often found him intimidating. Rennie hadn’t seen that side of him… until now. He towered over her, his scowl lines set deeply in his tanned face. “I know my son behaved like an ass, but we didn’t deserve to suffer because he wasn’t ready to grow up.”
So Zach had told his father the truth. She had to admit he’d earned back a measure of her respect with the act. He could have easily made her out to be the bad guy
“Kinda like Rennie was my rock,” Zach said quietly. “I felt so lost after she left, like a part of me was missing.”
“I know, son.” John wrapped a strong hand around his son’s neck. “I know we all encouraged you to stop looking for her, but maybe we shouldn’t have. If you’d found her, you would’ve found out about Tyler a hell of a lot sooner.”
“True,” Zach said, sighing. “But what kind of father would I have been back then? Would I have been what Tyler needed or was he better off being raised by”—he couldn’t even say his name—“him.” Even though he owed Rennie’s late husband a debt of gratitude for loving Tyler so much, the sting would have to lessen before he felt ready to admit it.
“You’ve always loved kids. You may not have thought you were ready to be a father back then, but I believe you would have done the right thing.”
Zach smiled at his father’s choice of words. “That’s what Rennie said—that I would have done the right thing—but would that have been the right thing for Tyler? I mean, do you think he would have sensed that I wasn’t into being a dad?” When his father didn’t respond, he tipped his head back and watched the clouds shift in the darkening sky. “Maybe she was right to take him away from me. Maybe that’s the best thing she could have done for him.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” John said. “You were young and stupid ten years ago.” He nudged Zach with his shoulder. “Now you’re older… and not as stupid.”
Zach shook his head when his father’s tanned face split into a wide grin. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad.”
“You’ll figure this out,” John said, slapping his knee. “Just give it a little time, and remember what’s important in all this: Tyler.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Uh oh,” John said, getting to his feet. “It looks like you’ve been spotted.” He gestured toward the boys heading toward them. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m gonna head back to the party and have a chat with my grandson’s mother about bringing him to the club sometime soon.”
Zach grabbed his father’s forearm. “Don’t come on too strong, okay? I wanna give Tyler a chance to get used to me being in his life before we bombard him with the rest of the family.”
“Don’t worry,” John said, winking. “You know me, always easy-going.”
Zach rolled his eyes as he tried to hold back his smile. “Yeah, right.” When John had taken a few steps, Zach said, “One more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t give Rennie a hard time. I want us to work this out for Tyler’s benefit.”
John shook his head, looking amused. “Right, it’s all for Tyler’s benefit. It has nothing to do with the fact you still have feelings for his mama.”
***
Rennie was in the kitchen refilling large plastic bowls with chips and pretzels when Zach’s father walked in. She’d seen John and Zach wander off half an hour ago. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they had been talking about.
“Nice party,” John said, bracing a hand on the kitchen counter as he watched her.
“Thanks. Tyler seems to be enjoying himself. That’s what matters.”
“I agree,” he said, lowering his deep voice as eyes so much like his son’s, so much like Tyler’s, bore into her. “Tyler is the only thing that matters. Which begs the question, why did you keep him from us?” Rennie fumbled with the bag of pretzels, her hands trembling. John’s employees often found him intimidating. Rennie hadn’t seen that side of him… until now. He towered over her, his scowl lines set deeply in his tanned face. “I know my son behaved like an ass, but we didn’t deserve to suffer because he wasn’t ready to grow up.”
So Zach had told his father the truth. She had to admit he’d earned back a measure of her respect with the act. He could have easily made her out to be the bad guy
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