His Temptation, Her Secret
Page 40
“Can you get down to the beach?”
“There’s a path. It’s pretty rocky on the shore, not really good for swimming. But there’s a pool beside the patio. And there’s an aquatic center about fifteen minutes up the highway. It has water slides.”
“Sweet,” Eli said, wandering out onto the lawn. He plopped down on the grass and ran his hands through it.
“That’s a wonderful sight,” Sage said, pausing beside TJ. “I can’t believe he’s finally home.” She seemed to trip on the word home.
“We need to tell him the rest,” TJ said. He was excited and anxious and impatient all at once.
“I know.”
“Now?” TJ looked at her. He could see her hesitation.
“Now,” she agreed. “Eli?” She walked forward.
“Have you ever seen such a big yard?” Eli asked her.
She sat down on the grass beside him, and TJ joined them.
“How many people live here?” Eli asked, gesturing to the house.
“Just us,” TJ said. “Me and your mom right now, and you, of course.”
Eli looked to be in awe. “You live here all by yourself?”
TJ wasn’t sure how to answer.
Sage stepped in. She took Eli’s hand. “There’s something I need to tell you, honey.”
Eli’s expression turned guarded. “Is it bad? Am I sick again?”
“No. No, no, no.” She squeezed his hand. “You are perfectly healthy. Everything is looking good on all the tests. This is about me. And about TJ.”
Eli looked to TJ.
“We told you he was your bone marrow donor.”
Eli waited.
“Well, the reason he was a match, such a good match, is he’s also your father.”
TJ held his breath while he waited for Eli’s reaction.
It took Eli a minute to speak. “You mean, like, way back before I was born?”
“That’s right. TJ is your biological father.”
Eli eyed TJ with disdain, looking him up and down. “Where’ve you been?”
“He didn’t know,” Sage quickly put in.
“I didn’t know,” TJ said. “If I’d known, I would’ve been there for you, for both of you.”
Eli set his jaw in a way that looked all too familiar to TJ. “How could you not know? Did you bother to find out?”
“I didn’t,” TJ admitted. “But I had absolutely no idea you existed.”
“That was my fault,” Sage said. “I should have told TJ. But I didn’t trust him back then. I didn’t think he’d be a good father. I honestly thought we’d be better off without him.”
Eli’s gaze went to the house. “Looks like he could have helped us out.”
“That’s true,” TJ said.
“It’s not fair to blame TJ,” Sage said.
“It’s okay to blame me,” TJ said to Eli. “I’d blame me. I do blame me. But I’m so glad I found you. I’m so glad I know you now.”
Eli’s expression softened a bit. “I guess you did save my life.”
“I’m here now for anything you need.” TJ meant it with all his heart.
“There’s something else,” Sage said.
Eli looked at her.
“TJ and I talked about it. And, well, we both want to be close to you, as close to you as possible while you’re growing up.” She hesitated.
Eli subtly but distinctly angled his body toward his mother.
TJ quickly moved to finish the explanation. “After I found out, while you were recovering, well, we remembered how much we liked each other in high school. We thought it would be best, best for you, best for everyone, if we got married.”
Eli blinked at that. He looked to his mom. “You’re getting married?”
Sage looked to TJ, clearly uncertain.
“We got married,” he said to Eli. He didn’t want to leave anything out. “We want to be parents to you together.”
Eli’s brow furrowed. “Are you moving to Seattle?”
“We thought about that,” Sage quickly put in. “But TJ has this amazing big house.”
“Here?” Eli asked, glancing sharply around. “We live here?”
TJ couldn’t tell if Eli was happy or upset.
He felt like he needed to make a sales pitch. “You can decorate your room, pick out your furniture. I’ve got a wide-screen TV in the basement for gaming.”
“What about my friends? And I promised Heidi I’d come back and see her.”
“We can go see Heidi,” Sage said.
“You can bring your friends here,” TJ said. “Or you can visit them in Seattle.”
“I know it won’t be exactly the same,” Sage said. “But I just got a new car, and we can drive up there whenever you’re ready.”