Exposed - Part Three (Exposed 3)

"Where's that?" I ask.

"In the palm of his tiny, perfect little hand."

Chapter 18

"Daddy, it's been five now." Cory is back, as if on cue. He bounces onto Hunter's lap as I stare at his face, wishing we had just a few more minutes to talk in private.

"Princess Sadie was just talking to me." He pushes the unruly strands of hair back from Cory's face. I stare at the genuine tenderness that runs between them. How can he not be this little boy's father? He calls him daddy. He loves Hunter so much. I can see that.

"We can play trains together." He jumps back to his feet as he reaches for my hand.

"I'll play." I smile before standing.

"This way." He pulls me down the hallway in a rush. I gasp as we enter his room. His name is spelled out in large letters on the wall. A small bed covered with blue linens and an assortment of stuffed animals is across the room. A massive toy train set sits in the middle of all the chaos.

He falls to his knees and I follow suit. I stare at his small hands and feet. He's giddy with excitement. He's everything that Hunter needs. He loves this little person so much even though he's not his father. He would trade his own happiness away to care for him. How could I not love a man who would do that?

"Do you want the red train, Princess Sadie?" He touches his hand to my cheek pulling me from my thoughts.

"What's that?" I reach to cradle my hand over his.

"You're crying. I like the blue train but if it makes you sad, you can have it." He proudly holds a small train engine in his hand.

"No. I like red." I smile through my tears. "I'll use the red one."

He throws both arms around my neck in a quick embrace. "Thank you for coming to play."

I suck in a deep breath as I place the little red engine on the track.

***

"I told Clive it wasn't going to work."

My eyes dart up. "Did you even go out with him?"

"No." She sighs as she sinks down into the couch in my new apartment. "It was destined to be over before it began."

"How do you figure that?" I laugh. I reach to fan out the magazines on my coffee table.

"I was too young for him," she smirks.

"As opposed to him being too old for you?" I raise a brow with the question. "He never called you back, did he?"

"No," she pouts. "I texted him twelve times and not one response."

"Twelve is eleven too many," I counter. "That's almost as much as a stalker."

"No, it's not." She sounds unconvinced by her own words. "I guess he didn't want any of this." She gestures to her body, which is hidden beneath a sweater and jeans.

"I guess." I shrug my shoulders. "Dylan is coming home next week so you can try and tap that again."

"You're kidding, right?" She asks expectantly. I can't remember a time when she didn't chase my brother.

"Yes." I laugh. "He's engaged,"

"To what?" she spits the question out along with her chewing gum.

"A woman I think," I tease. "He's been away a long time though so it could be a guy, I don't know. He didn't tell me the details. He just said he'd be back in Boston at the end of next week."