He drew a deep breath. Regardless of his fears, it was time to make some changes. Time to prove once and for all that he didn’t have to be the kind of dad—the kind of man—his own father had been. He only hoped Joanna’s faith in him was justified.
* * *
JOANNA WAS STAGGERING across her living room with a teetering stack of books when her doorbell rang three weeks and one day after she’d come home from the resort. Simon was sleeping over at a friend’s house, and she’d been using the time alone to do some organizing for the move in two weeks. Boxes sat everywhere around her, but the one she’d earmarked for these books was in another room. She looked around for someplace to set the stack quickly, finally tumbling them on the couch to be packed after she saw who was at the door.
Sidestepping a box half filled with framed photos, she wiped her hands on her jeans and made an effort to smooth her hair. She was expecting a delivery today—the vacation photo book she’d ordered. She’d placed the order only a few days after they’d returned, thinking Simon would like to look at the pages during the flight to Seattle. He’d probably be both excited and a little nervous about the approaching changes in his life, so she’d chosen shots that featured him laughing and having fun. She’d tried to include pictures from each day of the week, and as many as possible of the other children he’d met so he’d remember the friends he’d made there. The Explorers Club counselors had sent all the parents snapshots taken during the field trips, so quite a few of those were included, as well.
There were, of course, quite a few photos of Simon and Adam in the album. Simon would love those. He hadn’t stopped talking about his dad since they’d gotten back, and he’d been thrilled to have spoken with Adam on the phone a few times since they’d parted. Maddie had sent Joanna the photo she’d snapped of Adam hugging Simon goodbye, but Joanna hadn’t included it in the book. Instead, she’d selected the one she’d taken herself of Adam and Simon from behind, walking hand in hand and smiling at each other. The moment Maddie had captured had been too raw, too poignant to fit the lighthearted vacation theme of the book. Joanna would save that for later.
Thinking of how excited Simon would be to see his gift, she opened the door. Only to find Adam Scott standing there, giving her a tentative smile that made her heart skip a few beats. Her hand tightened around the doorknob. “Adam?”
“Hi, JoJo.”
“You’ve cut your hair.”
She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. What a stupid thing to say. Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask what he was doing here? Or maybe why he hadn’t told her he was coming?
He brushed a hand over his hair, which still wasn’t as short as when she’d met him, but had been trimmed and tidied in the past couple of weeks. It looked good on him—but then, everything did. “Yeah, it was time. Uh—can I come in?”
“Oh. Of course. I’m sorry, I’m a little—I didn’t expect to see you.”
“I know.” He closed the door behind him, glancing around at the room. “Getting ready for the move, huh?”
“Starting to. I’m trying to throw some stuff away rather than move it.” Shaking her head to clear it, she added, “Simon’s not here, I’m afraid. He’s having one last sleepover with his two best friends here in Alpharetta. They were going for pizza, then a movie.”
She’d thought he would be disappointed, but he merely nodded. “That sounds like fun.”
She rubbed her hands down her jeans again, feeling grubby from her packing. “I’m sorry you missed him. Had we known you were coming—”
“Actually, I have a confession to make.”
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She’d been about to invite him to sit, but the hint of sheepishness in his tone made her study him with an arched eyebrow. “What sort of confession?”
“I knew Simon wasn’t going to be here this evening.”
“How—?” Had he somehow talked to Simon without her knowledge? It wasn’t that he needed permission to speak with his son, but Simon didn’t have his own phone.
“Your sister told me.”
Startled, she asked, “When did you talk to Maddie?”
“I called her to tell her I was coming and to ask if she could watch Simon this evening while you and I talked. She told me about the sleepover. Just as well, I guess. She has company for the weekend. Walt’s with her.”
Joanna tried to follow. Why hadn’t Maddie told her Adam had called? Or that Walt was in town? Why did Adam want to speak with her privately? Had he decided he wanted more active involvement in Simon’s life, after all? More input into decision-making? Into living arrangements? She couldn’t blame him for that, of course, but—
The only way to know was to ask. She raised her head. “Are you here to talk about Simon?”
His mouth twisted into a half smile as he took a purposeful step toward her. “Joanna, you are a wonderful mother. The best. But not everything is about Simon.”
“I don’t understand.”
He took another step closer. “I came to see you.”
“Why?” she whispered.
Placing a hand on either side of her face, he lowered his head. “Because...this.”