Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“Weed, baby.” Camden points to where Coral lies in her stroller.
“Cam, your baby cousin missed you,” Bellamy coos to him, expertly unfastening him from the stroller and placing him on her hip. “Hey, Baker.” She waves and then pushes Coral’s stroller toward the toddler-sized activity center that has a slide, a tunnel, and so many other things my son loves. They have a larger one for the bigger kids, and he often cries to play on that one, but he’s too little. I have no doubt he’ll be chasing after the big kids soon. He’s growing up too fast.
“You should have told me you were coming for a run. I would have joined you.”
“I have Cam.”
“And I could have brought Coral. I need to get me one of these.” He pushes my running stroller back and forth. “I’m sure my baby girl would love it. And,” he says, giving me a pointed look, “Bellamy would have been happy to keep an eye on Cam while we got our run in.”
“It’s the weekend, and I’m not pawning my kid off on someone else while I run.”
“Back the fuck up with that,” Reid says. “We’re not just anyone. We’re family, and you know my wife loves him. Hell, she stole him away as soon as you got here,” Reid tells me.
“Yeah, I know,” I say, running my fingers through my hair. “It’s fucked up that his own mother doesn’t want to be around him, but his aunts by love and friendship do.”
“Blood doesn’t make you family, Sinclair,” Reid says, his tone hard.
“Fuck, I know. I didn’t mean that. I’m just trying to wrap my head around this Natasha bullshit,” I tell him. “She’s fucking missing so much of his life, and she has zero fucks to give.”
I’ve been in a state of anger since she called and skipped her entire week with him. She does it all the time, but fuck me, I hate that she cares so little about our son. I move to sit down on the bench, my elbows digging into my knees as I cover my face with my hands.
“I don’t know, brother,” Reid says, taking the seat next to me. “I want to call her all the bad names, and trust me, I can get creative, but that’s his mom, and I love that little boy as if he were my own. So, instead, I’ll say this. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent. Too self-absorbed or just no motherly or fatherly instincts—honestly, I’m not sure, but do you know what I do know?”
“What’s that?” I ask, sitting up and resting my back against the bench. Camden squeals with delight as he slides through the tunnel slide. Bellamy claps and cheers him on, then spots him as he climbs back up to go again.
Reid turns to face me, holding my gaze. “I know you’re an incredible father. I know that not a single day in that boy’s life will he ever question that. You’re doing all you can do, Baker. Natasha has chosen her path, and I’m certain one day she’ll regret it.”
“I want better for him.”
“Then go find him better,” he says.
I scoff, but his expression doesn’t change. “I’m serious. When’s the last time you took a woman out?”
“Natasha was the last date I was on.”
“You’re still a man, Baker. You have needs.”
“He needs me. He has one parent who doesn’t give a fuck. He won’t have two.”
“I understand that. I do. But dating doesn’t make you a bad father.”
“I don’t have time to date.”
“Do you or do you not have a full-time nanny? Do you or do you not have four best friends, three incredible ladies, and two bonus ladies that would watch him at the drop of a hat?”
“He’s mine.”
“And Coral is mine, but I still let Coach come sit with her for a few hours while I take my wife to dinner.”
“That’s different.”
“How? Go ahead, explain it to me. I’ve got time.” The cocky bastard crosses his arms over his chest and smirks.
“It just is.”
“It’s an excuse. I get it, Baker. You want to make up for her misgivings, but at what cost? That little man is loved. He’s happy and healthy. You did that, man. You give him everything he needs, but you also need to take care of yourself.”
“How did this conversation turn to me and dating?” I grumble.
“We need to get you back out there, my man. You need the love of a good woman.”
“Cam is all I need.”
“He’s not,” Reid argues. “It’s going to take the right woman to come along to prove that to you.”
“Whatever,” I grumble. I won’t admit that I miss the companionship of a woman, but my life is different now. I didn’t hook up frequently before, but now, it’s not just me. My son is involved, and I think about him in my every action. Bringing a woman into his life, only to leave like his mother has, I can’t do that. I won’t do that. I’m just fine. My hand has been taking care of my needs. Sure, it’s not the same, but it’s what I’ve got, and if I’ve learned anything since that night when Natasha showed up at my door, it's that you have to play the cards you are dealt, and this is my hand.