Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
I look over at the voice and the little boy from the tree farm is standing there with a rag, wiping down a table. He walks over and stares up at me.
“Uh, yeah, that was me,” I tell him.
“Cool. Are you going to spend Christmas with us?”
“Uh…” I start, but before I can answer, I see Cane walking toward us.
He bends down and puts his arm around his son’s shoulder. “Hey, buddy, Joseph is in the back and says he has some extra chocolate chip cookies if you want any.”
“Yippee!” he hollers and takes off running.
“No running,” Cane calls out to him.
His son slows down, but barely.
“What are you doing here, Candy?” He stands back up and turns to me.
I’m so happy to see him, but I know he’s still mad at me. I can’t say that I blame him.
I tug on the bottom of my jacket. “I wanted to come and tell you that I was sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said to you yesterday.”
He hesitates briefly, then admits slowly, “I should have told you I had a kid.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Why didn’t you?”
He grimaces and slightly shakes his head. “I wanted to. I tried to. That’s what I was going to talk to you about, but then we started talking about your ‘list’ and you said you didn’t want kids now. I should have told you right then. But I figured that would’ve run you off… So pure selfishness kept me from telling you.”
I shake my head. That damn list. It’s done me more harm than good!
I look at the door that his son ran through. “How old is he?”
He smiles wistfully. “He’s five going on twenty-five.”
“He seems like a great kid. Did he get upset about us kissing?” I worried about that all night. I know kids can get upset about stuff like that.
He blows out a breath. “No. He was upset that you left. He was hoping you were going to spend Christmas Eve with us… I was too.”
I cringe. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
There are several people sitting around us, but in my mind, it’s only me and Cane. He takes a step toward me, but there’s still a wide space between us. “Can I ask you a question?”
I bite my lip, and then nod my head.
His hand grips the chair back next to him. “Do you not want a man with a kid because you can’t imagine loving one that wasn’t your own?”
“No, God no! Of course not,” I tell him adamantly.
I look down at his hand and his knuckles are white from clinching onto the chair. “Then why? Why do you have on your list that you don’t want a man with a child?”
A tear rolls down my cheek and I wipe it away before I mutter to him, “Because I’m afraid they couldn’t love me.”
He releases the chair and steps toward me. “That’s crazy. How could they not love you?”
My eyes drop to the floor in front of me. “Because my own parents don’t love me. How could a child that’s not even mine love me?”
Cane
I reach out and cup her shoulder. “Oh, honey.”
She won’t look at me and I can feel her body trembling under my hand. I can only imagine what she’s been through. I want to kiss her and hold her to me, assure her that we can work this out.
A commotion from the kitchen has me looking that way. It sounds as if a bunch of pots and pans have fallen. Mason opens the door and hollers, “Dad, we need you in here!”
“I’ll be right back, Candy.” I hate to leave her with the look of despair on her face. “I’ll be right back.”
She nods and I take off jogging to the kitchen. I help pick up everything on the floor and then tell them I’ll be right back. I take Mason by the hand and walk out to the dining hall to introduce him to Candy, but she’s gone. I look out into the parking lot, but her car is not there.
I take a deep breath and then go back to my station at the serving line.
Two hours later, I have Mason belted into the truck and I finally have a plan. Mason’s mom spent Christmas Eve with him and came over early this morning to see him open presents. I have him the rest of the day.
We go to the tree farm and I let Mason pick out a tree. I grab the leftovers from Christmas Eve, clothes for Mason and me, and the present I got Candy and load everything into the truck.
It only takes us an hour before we’re back on the road, headed to Candy’s house.
We pull into the driveway, and I help Mason out of the truck.