14. Kyra
14
Kyra
“ I forgot how good you can cook.”
Jason shovels a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. Heidi and Hunter have been talking non-stop since he walked through the door, mostly about school and their friends, so we’ve both been taking bites when there’s even a hint of a break in conversation.
“Gee, thanks,” I mutter.
“I mean it. This is really good.”
“It is, Mommy,” Heidi agrees. “I wish we could have this for dinner every night.”
I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. There wasn’t much time to cook by the time I got home so I settled for a simple meal of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
“Me, too,” Hunter chimes in. “Why don’t you cook like this all the time?”
I bite back the sharp retort. They are only six after all.
“Maybe I should come over more often,” Jason suggests, and I stare daggers at him.
“Yeah!”
The twins cheer in unison, but before I can redirect their excitement, the doorbell rings.
“Excuse me a minute.”
“We’re eating,” Jason says. “Do you really have to get that?”
No, I don’t.
“Yeah, I do.”
Just as I reach the door, the bell rings again.
“Kyra, it’s me.”
Reaper?
“Hey,” I say when I open the door and see him standing at the threshold. “What’re you doing here?”
“Who is it?” Jason calls from the kitchen table.
“Who’s that?” Reaper demands, brushing past me.
“Sure, c’mon in.”
I close the door and turn around to see Reaper standing in the entry to the kitchen, staring, no doubt, at Jason.
“Reaper, that’s Jason,” I say when I step around him. “Jason, this is Reaper. He’s one of the guys who helped get Night and Day back in order. And they are Heidi and Hunter,” I introduce, pointing to the kids.
“I remember you,” Hunter says, his mouth full of green beans.
“You went on the adventure with Mommy,” Heidi adds, her manners a little better than her brother’s.
Reaper grins. “I did,” he confirms. “It was quite an adventure, that’s for sure.”
“Did you need something, my man?” Jason asks, his tone rude. “As you can see, we’re kinda busy here.”
“Right. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Reaper looks at me. “I just wanted to talk to you about the diner. But you can call me la?—”
“You can stay,” Heidi says simply. “Mommy made lots so there’s enough for you.”
“I’m sure Reaper’s a busy man,” Jason states, looking pointedly at the other man. “Aren’t you?”
“Actually, not really.” Reaper smiles at Heidi. “Thanks for the invitation.”
I guess I have no say in what goes on in my own house.
“I mean, if it’s okay with your mom, of course,” Reaper tacks on, invading my thoughts.
Jason glares at me, clearly wanting me to say no, which gives me the only reason I need to say yes.
“I don’t mind at all.” I walk past the table, nodding at the empty chair. “Have a seat, and I’ll get you a plate.”
“Thanks, Kyra. I appreciate it.”
Attention shifts to Reaper and our adventure as the twins pepper him with questions. He makes the entire event sound more exciting than Barry or I did, and they’re so caught up in his storytelling that Jason might as well not exist.
For the next hour, I watch how enthralled Heidi and Hunter are, how good Reaper is with them, and the walls I’ve carefully built around my little family start to crack. And then Jason opens his mouth.
“Look, you said you wanted to talk to Kyra about the diner,” he says. “But I think you should talk to me instead.”
I whip my head in his direction. “Excuse me?”
“I am half-owner.”
“You mean you were half-owner,” I remind him.
“I don’t recall signing anything over to you.”
My vision blurs, and my blood boils. “Heidi, Hunter, why don’t you two go to your room and play before bath time?”
“But I’m still ea?—”
“Go,” I insist, earning a frown from my baby girl.
The two of them carry their plates to the kitchen and set them on the counter before walking to their room, grumbling the entire time about how life isn’t fair.
Reaper stands. “Uh, maybe I should get going.”
“No,” I snap. “You shouldn’t.”
“That’d be good,” Jason says at the same time.
Reaper glances between the two of us and then settles his eyes on me. “Kyra, would it be okay if I went and read a book or something to the twins?”
“No,” Jason barks.
“Yes, please,” I say simultaneously.
“Right, uh. I’ll go do that then.”
As soon as I’m alone with my ex, I stand and lean on the table. “You son of a bitch,” I seethe.
“What’s your problem?”
“You,” I practically shriek. “My problem is you.”
Jason scoffs. “I’m not the one parading a complete stranger in front of our kids. What kinda name is Reaper, anyway?”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve, ya know that?” I snap. “Reaper, saved my life and the diner you seem to think you have a right to.”
“It is my diner.”
“You gave up the right to it the moment you walked away. I’ve put in the blood, sweat, and tears to keep that place going, not you.”
“Your point?”
From the time he left, Jason hasn’t given a damn about Night and Day. He hasn’t given a damn about his kids either for that matter. What’s different now? The answer hits me like a ton of bricks.
This is the first time I haven’t caved and given him the money he asked for.
I fucked up. All this time, I’ve been giving him what he wanted in order to keep the peace for Heidi and Hunter. I’ve been handing over cash thinking it would keep him away. What I failed to see is that it only served to keep him closer, to ensure his filthy talons stayed lodged in my life and theirs.
“Get out,” I order.
My ex stands and mimics my pose. I have no doubt he’s trying to seem threatening. Unfortunately for him, all it does is piss me off even more.
“You can’t tell me wh?—”
“Get the fuck out before I call the police.”
Jason’s face pales, but he doesn’t move. We stare at one another, neither of us willing to back down.
“I think it’s time for you to leave.”
Jason and I whip our heads toward the doorway, and Reaper is standing there, his shoulders squared and gaze deadly. He’s intimidating as hell, although he doesn’t scare me.
Interesting.
“It’s not your house,” Jason counters. “If Kyra wants me out, she can make me.”
“Sounds like an argument a four-year-old would make,” Reaper comments dryly, and Jason bristles while I smother a laugh. “Did Kyra happen to mention how I saved her life?” When Jason says nothing, Reaper continues. “I put a bullet between the fucker’s eyes.”
The last of the remaining color leeches out of Jason’s cheeks. He glances at me as if I’ll stick up for him, but I’m done. He might be the father of my children, but I owe him nothing.
“This isn’t over,” Jason says as he walks around the table. Reaper blocks his exit for a moment and then steps aside. “This isn’t over by a long shot.”
“Have a good night,” Reaper states in what I imagine he thinks is a friendly tone.
When the front door slams shut, I wince, knowing that Heidi and Hunter probably heard way more than is healthy for them.
“They’re fine,” Reaper tells me, closing the distance between us. I open my mouth to ask how he knows what I’m thinking, and he presses a finger against my lips. “I told them you guys were practicing for another adventure.”
Try as I might, I can’t ignore the zing that ricochets from one nerve ending to another at his touch. That doesn’t stop the grin from spreading though.
“Thanks.”
He removes his finger and drops his arms to his sides. “Don’t mention it.”
Without me even asking, Reaper begins to clean up the table. Silently, I pitch in, and in no time, there’s not a trace that a meal was even had.
“You wanted to talk to me about the diner?” I prompt when we’re finished.
“Right.” He grabs my hand and leads me to the couch. Once we’re both seated, he turns to face me. “My brothers and I would really like to help out at Night and Day. We’ve hashed out all the details, and if it’s okay with you, we’ve come up with a schedule so all shifts are covered, and we can even help with the kids if you want. And before you say anything about how it’s your diner and you don’t need help or before you think I’m an overbearing ass like your ex, please know that I’m not trying to take over. I just want to help.”
I stare at him, my heart in my throat. I want to accept his help. I really do. But the part of me that wants to stand on my own two feet, the part of me that wants to protect what’s mine stops me from accepting quickly. My protective walls are only cracked, not crumbled.
“I appreciate that, but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” I begin. “I’ve worked hard to build the life I have, to create a safe environment for the twins.”
“And?”
“And none of it includes a man riding in on a white horse playing savior,” I say honestly.
Reaper grins. “No white horse. Chrome, maybe. Definitely not white. And I’m not trying to play savior. The offer of help is no strings attached.”
“Meaning?”
“Look, Kyra, I’m not trying to get in your pants or step into the role of Daddy. It’s time you learn that accepting help doesn’t make you weak or a target for unwanted advances. It means you’re human.”
“Nobody gives something without wanting something in return.”
“I do.”
I sigh, realizing he’s not going to give up. And I find that I don’t really want him to. There’s no way I’ll let myself rely on him, but I’d be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, if he turns out to be a prick like most men, I’ll do what I’ve always done: protect myself and my kids.
“Fine,” I cave. “But this is temporary until I can get the diner back on its feet and hire real staff.”
His grin widens.
“Understood.”