King and Maxwell (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 6)

“Wasn’t hungry.”

“You swim miles at practice. How can you not be starving?”

“Just not.”

He turned back to the photo.

“They told me about those people.”

He glanced at her sharply. “What people?”

“The man and woman who brought you home that night. I don’t remember their names.”

“Sean King and Michelle Maxwell.”

“Right. Anyway, they won’t be bothering you anymore.”

“They weren’t bothering me. I hired them.”

“To do what exactly?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“No, I’m not going to try you.”

“Your father is dead, Tyler. We can’t change that.”

“That’s right, we can’t.”

“So why hire those people?”

“Like I said, you wouldn’t understand.”

She stood. “Don’t you think I miss him too?”

“I don’t know, Jean. Do you?”

“How can you possibly say that? I loved him.”

“If you say so.”

“Why do you have to be this way to me?”

He spun around in his chair. “Because I don’t really know you. It’s like I’m living with a stranger.”

“I’ve been your stepmother for nearly a year.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t mean I know you. We’ve never spoken more than a few words to each other. I wasn’t invited to see you get married. I didn’t even know you two were getting married. Don’t you think that’s weird? I’m his only kid.”

“Your father wanted it that way.”

Tyler rose, his face flushed. “No,” he snapped. “My dad would not have wanted it that way. He would have wanted me to be a part of it.”

“He was afraid you’d be upset that he was remarrying.”

“And his solution was to just bring you home one day and tell me you’re my stepmom? How does that make sense?”