17. Chapter Seventeen #2
“Gave Vanessa one of those tablet devices to monitor cameras around her place, and he’s got one too,” Lorraine says.
“Seems a bit much. The only people who go in and out of any of the other doors are Stephen and Vanessa. Deliveries, salespeople, friends, and relatives—they all come through our front door.”
“Vanessa and Stephen have their own entrances?” I ask.
“Round back,” Walter says. “Our apartments are connected—Vanessa over there,” he points to the left wing of the house, “and Stephen over there,” he points to the right, “and us in the middle.”
“Mom,” Landon says, tugging on my arm.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say. “Landon, these are Stephen’s parents. Lorraine and Walter, this is Landon.”
“Nice to meet you, young man,” Walter says. “I’m always giving Stephen a hard time about having kids of his own soon.”
“Do you think that’s…” The last word sticks in my throat, and I force it out, “likely?”
“He works too much to even meet anyone,” Lorraine says.
“Is that checkers?” Landon whispers, staring at a small table near Walter’s chair.
“It is checkers,” Walter says with a chuckle. “Do you play? Sometimes my kids still play with me.”
“I just learned,” Landon says. “Can we play?”
“You’ll need to bring the board around,” Walter says. “I haven’t got the mobility to do it.”
The nurse and I angle the table around, and we draw a second chair forward to face Walter for Landon to use.
I watch them for a moment, and my throat tightens at the realization that this is another thing Landon misses out on because of who his father is, who I married—attentive grandparents.
“Do your parents spend much time with him?” Lorraine asks, nodding toward Walter and Landon.
“No,” I say, my tone wistful. “As a baby, yes, but now that he’s older…”
“Shame,” Lorraine says. “I often think about how life doesn’t always give us what we want most.”
“Yours is grandchildren, I take it?”
She sighs. “Since Stephen’s come back from that overseas job, he’s different. Probably the accident, but I can’t see him having kids now. Too focused on climbing the ladder at Tucker Securities. And Vanessa’s still got big dreams, even if she pretends she doesn’t.”
“I heard Stephen’s accident was bad,” I hedge, sure I shouldn’t be prying but unable to help myself.
“Almost died,” Lorraine confirms, her voice growing thick. “I don’t know all the details. Stephen’s not allowed to talk about it, but Owen Tucker did something wrong. Felt guilty as hell about it. That’s all I know.”
Saying that to anyone—especially someone like me—seems slanderous if Owen’s concerned about his company’s reputation. However, giving Stephen a stake in said company makes him even less likely to say a peep. They win or lose together.
“You play like Stephen used to as a kid,” Walter says with a chuckle.
“Stephen taught Mom and then Mom taught me,” Landon says.
“Speak of the devil,” Walter says as the tablet beside him lights up. “Barely nightfall and he’s already home. A bit unusual.”
My heart starts to race, and suddenly, I’m not so sure that coming here was a good idea. While I wanted to see Stephen, I’m almost positive he won’t be pleased to see me here.
“Landon, we should go,” I say, rising from the couch. “We don’t need to take up any more of Lorraine and Walter’s time.”
The sound of the front door opening causes a sweat to break out across my palms. Coming here was a mistake.
“But Mom, I’m winning. Can’t I finish the game?”
Stephen appears, his shoulders filling the doorway, and a shiver of awareness runs down my spine. I shouldn’t want him with such a ferocious need, but I do, as though my body has finally remembered what it’s like to need someone again.
He’s in a well-fitted suit, and the furrow in his brow confirms that he’s not pleased I’m here.
“Are you okay?” he asks me, scanning my appearance. Then his gaze flicks to Landon. “Your son is okay?”
“We’re okay,” Landon pipes up before moving another checker. “Your dad says I play just like you, and I’m winning!”
He grimaces and shoves his hands into his suit pants’ pockets. “Can I speak to you outside?”
“Can I finish my game?” Landon asks.
“We were just leaving,” I say, drawing my purse close to my side.
“You can finish your game,” Stephen says to Landon. “I need to speak to your mom for a minute. Dad, send him out when you’re done.”
“Will do,” Walter says, his gaze flicking between the two of us with a curious, concerned edge.
“Stephen, I—”
“Outside,” he says, stepping away from the doorway to let me slip past into the main hallway.
I shove my feet back into my high heels, and I open the door to escape.
He doesn’t put his shoes on, just steps out behind me in his socked feet, and then he draws the heavy door closed.
Maybe he’s going to yell at me. That rarely used to happen, but it feels like something he might do now.
Barely leashed tension vibrates off him.
“You’re really okay?” he asks me, scanning me from head to toe again.
“Yes, I just…”
“I don’t understand what you’re doing here.”
“Landon wanted to see you.”
Stephen swallows and then runs a hand down his face. “You can’t just stop by to see me or my parents or anyone in my family.”
“I didn’t mean any harm. Your parents seemed… They were happy to see us.”
“Come on, you’re not this na?ve.” His frustration is clear. “You’ve never been this na?ve.”
“Landon doesn’t have a lot of positive male—”
“Don’t. Don’t do that.” He shakes his head.
“Logan fucking Bishop is his uncle—the best player in the World Hockey League who adores your sister. Brice Summerset, a literal prince who does a lot of philanthropic work, is his uncle. Nathaniel, who volunteers his time for countless charities, is also his uncle. Gage, for all his problems when he was younger, also seems to have a pretty stable life now. He has positive role models in abundance outside your home. What you just tried to say is bullshit, and we both know it.”
“Okay,” I say, and my throat is tight with tears. “Okay. Maybe I need you in my life.”
“You’ve survived the last six years just fine without me.”
“Survived, yes. But that’s not really much of a life, is it?”
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
When he meets my gaze again, determination coats him.
“You cannot just stop by. That’s not who we are anymore.
You coming here with your son doesn’t look right, and anything that raises the eyebrows of the wealthy on this island puts my company and my reputation in danger.
” The door opens behind him. “Don’t do this again,” he says in a harsh whisper, intended only for my ears.
“Hey, buddy,” he says, turning around and lifting Landon into his arms. “Did you win?”
“I did.” He wraps his arms around Stephen’s neck and hugs him tight. “I miss you.”
Stephen cradles him close, but he doesn’t tell him he misses him back, even if his embrace says it anyway.
“School’s going well?” he murmurs instead.
“Yep,” Landon says, drawing back to put his hands on either side of Stephen’s face. “I think I could beat you at checkers too.”
“Maybe someday, we’ll find out.”
“We should get going, Landon,” I say with a catch in my voice. No part of me wants to leave.
Stephen sets Landon down, and he rushes toward the car without me. I catch Stephen’s gaze one last time, and he says, “I meant what I said.”
Then he turns and goes back into the house without casting me another glance.