An Unexpected Attraction (Love Unexpected Book 3) (17 page)

She rested her head on his chest again.

Nick would be next on the list, but for now, Jay wouldn’t worry about him.

Chapter
Seventeen

“Thank you.”

Jay took the keys from the rental car agent at the Bradenton airport and found the Chrysler SUV in the parking lot. After stowing his bag and the gifts in the vehicle, he drove to the Holiday Inn where he’d stay for the next two days. It was several steps down from his usual travel accommodations but located close to his ex-wife’s home.

Jenna had grown up in Bradenton, a small city south of Tampa. During their relationship, whenever they’d had problems, she returned to this familiar territory where she had family and a small pocket of friends.

He called her from the hotel.

“Hi, Jay.” She already sounded tired from the amount of preparation involved with the boys’ celebration.

“I’m here,” Jay said, dropping his bag on the end of the bed. “The boys around?”

She called his sons and they came on the phone with excited voices. “Hey, Dad! You coming soon?” Marco asked.

“Where are you?” Arturo added.

Jay grinned, looking forward to the coming celebration and spending the next couple of days with his sons. “I’m at the hotel in Bradenton. I’ll be there in a little bit,” he promised.

Their excitement made him excited, too. He never took the bond with his sons for granted.

His marriage to Jenna may not have lasted, but he gave her credit for being an excellent mother. She seldom asked for anything and kept the boys grounded. The house he’d bought for them was a modest four-bedroom in a quiet neighborhood of middle-class residents, much lower on the economic scale than he could afford. But with the beach a short bike ride away and cousins aplenty in the same city, the boys always appeared happy, and for that he was grateful. He hoped when they moved to Atlanta they’d be equally content.

Less than an hour later, Jay parked on the street outside the nondescript-looking brick ranch. He stepped out of the car and surveyed the property. A big “Happy Birthday” sign adorned the door, and colorful balloons framed the top and sides. Before he even made it up the walkway, the door flew open and Arturo yelled over his shoulder, “He’s here!” before bolting across the lawn. Marco came rushing out behind him, and soon he was almost knocked to the ground as both boys flung their arms around him.

“Happy birthday, boys,” Jay said, grinning and wrapping his arms around their smaller bodies. He dropped kisses on top of their heads and patted their backs. “You having a good one so far?”

“Better now you’re here,” Marco said, looking up at him with a toothy grin.

Jay ruffled his blonde hair. “I’m better now that I’m here, too.” The hardest part of the divorce had been the lack of daily contact with his children. Summers and holidays were insufficient, and their Alpharetta move-in date couldn’t come fast enough. “Help me get your gifts from the car.”

The boys raced toward the rental—always running, those two—and retrieved the boxes from the back seat. Then the three of them walked to the front door, and he listened as they recounted their adventures for the day with their cousins, who had already arrived.

The birthday party attendees included the boys, Jenna, her widower brother and his three young children, Jenna’s mother Martha, and friends of the boys’. Their friends weren’t due for another hour, but the festive decorations were already on full display.

Streamers covered the entrance into the dining room, decorated with more balloons and party favors in blue, green, and white. Leading to the backdoor was a stockpile of neon water guns that glowed in the dark, for the nighttime “war” the boys had planned later.

“Dad, want to play the game with us?” Arturo asked. Their three cousins were sprawled on the floor in front of the television. On the screen, animated military figures crawled through the jungle with bullets flying overhead.

“Maybe later. I’m going to find your mother.”

“She’s in the kitchen with grandma,” Marco said, plopping down on the carpet.

The smell of food guided him toward the kitchen. Jenna had learned to cook authentic Italian meals, and his mother had even shared a few recipes with her. He already knew today’s menu: spaghetti and meatballs and shrimp alfredo, with heaping salads and plenty of artisan bread. If they were lucky, which he was certain they were, his former mother-in-law had baked a 7-up cake to go with the gelato Jenna had bought.

Almost to the kitchen, Jay ran into Dale and pulled up short. His presence at the party came as a surprise. Right away, he remembered him from their wedding.

He extended his hand and Dale took it. “How’s it going?”

Dale’s hand grasped his. Clammy, probably from nerves.

Jay sized him up. He was shorter by a few inches and stocky. He’d aged somewhat, but they all had.

“Good to see you again,” Dale said. He laughed, a nervous titter that manifested as a grimace.

To put him at ease, Jay fixed his face into an easygoing smile. This wasn’t a pissing contest, at least as far as he was concerned. “Good to see you. It’s been a long time.”

“Sure has.” Dale rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath. “Listen, I wondered if we could talk privately for a few minutes. Man to man.”

“Sure.” Jay found the words
man to man
a little amusing, but he respected the guy for getting straight to the point. He followed Dale out to the back porch.

Dale ran his fingers through his blonde hair and smiled a little uneasily. “Look, I wanted you to know that I have no intention of trying to get in between you and the boys. I’ve known Jenna for a long time, but we’ve only recently become close. I’m divorced, too, and have kids of my own. I know how difficult things can get with someone else in the picture and trying to blend families and all the awkwardness that comes with that entire process. You’re their father, and I’m not interested in causing any problems.”

Jay raised his brows at Dale’s forthrightness, and the other man laughed.

“I wanted to get that out of the way so we could all relax,” Dale said. “You and Jenna have been divorced for a long time, and she assures me there’s nothing else between you.” Although it was a statement, the declaration sounded more like a question at the end.

“That’s right,” Jay confirmed. “There’s nothing else between us.” He had his eyes focused elsewhere.

Dale visibly relaxed and broke into a full grin. “I hope we can be friends,” he said, extending his hand.

Jay shook it heartily. This time, the clamminess was gone. “Absolutely. I want what you want. For us to get along.”

They went back inside and Dale sought out Jenna’s brother in the living room where a football game played, and Jay continued to the kitchen. He’d say hello, get a snack, and join the men watching the game.

He was about to breach the open door of the kitchen when he heard his ex-mother-in-law say in a fairly loud but angry whisper, “You
have
to tell him.”

Metal clanged against metal, like the slam of a lid on a pot. “Mom, this is my decision. Not yours.” Jenna’s voice vibrated with annoyance.

Jay eased closer, careful not to make a sound.

“You’ve known for a long time. You should say something.”

“Not now.”

“When, Jenna? When will be the right time?”

“I don’t know!” Jenna hissed. “But it’s
not now
. I don’t want to spoil the boys’ birthday.”

Jay felt a little guilty about eavesdropping, but at the same time, he wondered what they were talking about. Could Jenna be ill?

Clearing his throat, he entered the kitchen and the two women almost jumped out of their skin.

“Jay,” Martha said, more out of surprise than a greeting. “We didn’t know you were here already.”

Interesting. If he didn’t know better, he’d think that whatever Jenna didn’t want to share had something to do with him.

“I’ve only been here a few minutes. Everything okay?” he asked.

Martha’s gaze dropped to the cloth she was wringing in her hand. Jenna crossed her arms and looked everywhere but at him.

“Is everything okay?” Jay asked again. “I couldn’t help but overhear—”

Martha’s head snapped up.

“What did you overhear?” Jenna asked sharply.

Jay frowned at her. “Not enough to know what’s going on.”

“There’s nothing going on.” Jenna turned back to the stove and stirred the meat sauce.

“Excuse me.” Martha slid past him out the door.

Jay watched her go and then turned his attention back to his ex, whose rigid stance in front of the stove was an obvious attempt at avoiding conversation.

Something was definitely amiss.

****

When the other kids arrived, the children totaled ten in all. They crowded into the den to eat and left the adults at the dining table. While they ate, Jay observed Jenna and her mother. Jenna seemed normal, but Martha appeared visibly upset and wouldn’t meet his eyes even though she sat right across from him.

Before he left, he had to confront Jenna about what she was keeping from him. He had a right to know if her secret involved the boys. If she was ill, he had a right to know that, too. They needed to prepare themselves and the boys for any outcome.

After dinner, everyone in the house packed into the den and Arturo and Marco opened presents. Jay sat on the floor taking pictures, and Jenna sat in an armchair memorializing the boys’ excitement with a video camera.

Their uncle, Ian, eventually wheeled in the scooters Jay had purchased and kept stored at his house. Because Marco was colorblind, his was black and Arturo’s was green, his favorite color.

The boys and their friends went into a frenzy for a few minutes. Their excited voices filled the room as they examined the new “toys.”

“Cool!”

“Aw man, you’re so lucky!”

“Thanks, Dad!”

Jay took a few more photos before he lowered the smartphone and said to Dale. “Would you hand me that red and green wrapped gift right there.” He pointed.

Dale sat in one of the armchairs with several presents stacked beside him. The one in question had a big green bow and contained a handmade chess set. The gift was for Arturo, who had developed an avid interest in chess over the past year.

“He can’t see those colors, Dad,” Marco explained. “He’s colorblind, like me.”

“Oh really?”

Jenna and her mother froze—Jenna in the chair, her mother seated on its arm. From the corner of his eyes, Jay noted their reaction and how they eyed him.

“That’s right, I am,” Dale said. He picked up the gift. “But I’m guessing it’s this one?” He handed over the box.

Jay might have brushed over the women’s reactions if Dale’s behavior hadn’t undergone a change, too. His easy-going demeanor came off as too easy-going in that moment.
Forced
, would be a better word, and his face reddened. Even Ian watched Jay with an odd expression on his face.

A feeling of unease engulfed him, like an invasion of ants crawling over and under his skin. He suddenly felt as if he was under a microscope, under observation to gauge his reaction. Then a thought hit him.

He stared hard at Dale, still with that affable expression on his face. His head swung in the direction of his ex-wife and her mother. He looked at Marco, now shadowboxing with his brother, and the bottom fell out of his stomach. The sensation intensified when his gaze settled once again on Jenna and Martha.

That’s when he knew.

Marco was not his son. Marco was Dale’s son.

His heart felt on the verge of exploding.

Everyone knew, but him.

Chapter
Eighteen

The birthday party had been ruined. At least for the adults.

Jay rested his head on the back of the sofa in the hotel room. Although he didn’t want a drink, he
needed
one and ordered a bottle of Scotch from room service. More than anything, he wanted to file away the events of the day and forget them.

Ian and Martha had remained with the kids while Jay, Dale, and Jenna had gone into the kitchen. Jenna had stood sobbing, muttering about how sorry she was and how ‘it just happened.’

“I wanted to tell you,” Dale had said, but after that, he stared down at the tile and remained silent.

Then Jenna flipped and blamed Jay for the deception.

“It’s your fault. You think I don’t know that you love her? That you’ve always loved her?” He didn’t even have to ask who she was talking about. “Why do you think I had my father recommend her for the job in Chicago? I had to get her away from you—from us. Something happened the night you took her home. I shouldn’t have allowed it, but it was raining. Something happened, Jay. I know it did. Because afterward you were so different. So I had to do something. I had to.”

“So you got pregnant?” He’d suspected, of course, that she’d gotten pregnant on purpose. Yet he couldn’t have been happier to be a father.

“I didn’t mean to get pregnant by both of you! I came home to get away and yes, I slept with Dale. I was feeling so bad about us and our relationship. I saw the way you looked at her. I saw how she avoided looking at you. I couldn’t stand it.”

Jay ran trembling fingers through his hair. She’d married him knowing that another man could be the father of her children. Only by chance had paternity been split down the middle. “How long have you known?”

She swiped tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t know right away, I swear. I knew what I’d done, but I hoped the babies were yours. They were twins, for heaven’s sake! I only suspected the truth a few months after they were born. Because of the differences.”

That’s when she’d no longer allowed him to touch her, when her focus became the boys and he was treated like an outsider in his own home. All along he’d thought it was postpartum symptoms. He’d tried to be understanding, but in reality it had been her own deception keeping them apart.

“I didn’t want to think about it,” she whispered brokenly. “I pretended it wasn’t true, but when we learned Marco was colorblind, I couldn’t avoid the truth anymore. Two years ago we had DNA tests done on both boys, to be sure. Dale is Marco’s father.”