Southern Chance (Southern 1)

“Kallie,” he says, and I walk closer to him. He grabs my hips and puts his face to my stomach and kisses it. “I’m so sorry.”

My hand goes into his hair, like I always do, my own tears falling and mixing with his. “I named him Gabriel.” The sob rips through him now, and I hold Jacob in my arms as he cries for our child.

“I’m so sorry.” He keeps saying that over and over again, and I look at him.

“I’m sorry for doubting you, and I’m sorry that I ran from you.” I lean in and put my forehead against his. “I was just so devastated that the only thing I could do was run.”

He’s about to say something else when the front door opens, and all we hear is screaming. “Dad, I’m home!” His eyes fly to mine, and then it happens in slow motion.

“Dad?” We hear again, and Ethan comes into the room with a huge smile on his face that falls when he sees me with his father. Or it falls because he sees his father in tears.

“Ethan.” Jacob stands, and I want to say that it doesn’t hurt me, but I’m gutted. Hearing his son call him dad and knowing that our son would be his age. I’m about to get up and excuse myself to leave when I hear Cristine.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she hisses, and it’s Jacob who talks now.

“Buddy, bring your bag in your room and bring me down your laundry,” he tells Ethan. The little boy looks at me, and I just smile.

“Okay, Dad,” he says softly and walks away. Only when Jacob knows he’s out of the room does he look at his mother.

“This ends now,” he tells her. “This shit. All of it.”

“She deserted you in your hour of need,” Cristine says. I want to tell her she’s right, but instead, I excuse myself.

“I’m going to let myself out,” I say, not making eye contact. I turn to walk out of the house, hoping like fuck it’s an easy way to go. Luckily for me, the foyer is right in front of me, and the front door is now shining at me.

My hand grabs the door handle, and I’m about to open it when I feel his hand on mine. “You can’t leave,” he says, my back against his chest. “You can’t just leave.”

“I’m not leaving,” I say, but really, I am. “I’m just … we just have a lot to process, so I was going to go.” He turns me in his arms.

“You were escaping again, and I’m not going to let you,” he says.

“I just need some time,” I say. “I wasn’t running forever. I was just …” I look down. “It’s a lot to take in, and I just laid a lot out there for you, too. So it’s a good time to go to our separate corners and talk later.”

I hear the crunch of rock, and I look over to see that it’s Casey. “Besides, you have Ethan here, and I just …”

“Can I call you later?” he asks, wrapping his arms around me, and I nod at him. “Okay, then.” He kisses my lips softly. “But we have to finish this conversation.”

“We will,” I say, and I turn to walk out of the door toward Casey, who looks at me when I get in the truck.

“What’s the story?” he asks, and I look at him. “Do I need to take him out?”

I shake my head with a laugh, my heart feeling just a touch lighter. “Not today.”

Chapter Nineteen

Jacob

I watch her walk to Casey’s truck and get in and fucking hate it. I want her to stay here with us always.

“You cannot be serious right now, Jacob,” my mother says from behind me, and I take a deep breath. “You brought that woman into your home.”

“That woman is going to be my wife,” I say, turning around, and she takes a step back. “She just doesn’t know it yet. But I’m going to make her my wife, and if you push her away, that means you’ll be pushing me away.”

“But …” she starts to say. “But you have Ethan and Savannah.” And Gabriel, I think to myself. I rub my chest where my tattoo hides. A tattoo I got when my father passed away of a cross for him and under it, I put Ethan’s birthday. I am going to have to add another birthday to that. I ignore the pain in my chest as I think of my child and the pain that she went through. Alone. Without me. Doubting that what we had was real.

“I have Ethan, and Kallie knows this. It isn’t a surprise to anyone,” I say and walk back into the living room. “And as for Savannah, the only relationship I want with her is to co-parent with her, exactly as I have been.” I walk back into the kitchen and open the fridge to start breakfast.