Page 58 of Broken Warrior
“Fin!” James squeals as he hugs my knees, both his arms and legs wrapped around me so fast I almost didn’t realize what he was doing. “You’re here!”
I can’t help but smile as I shift my tokens of appreciation to one hand, reach down and pull James onto my hip. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”
“Great!” he yells because he forgot he has an indoor voice. “I been waiting for you all day. Mommy kept telling me I hafta be patient but I was so excited ‘bout you coming to my house I couldn’t!” Then he’s hugging my neck, the four-year-old plastered to the front of me with a death grip I couldn’t break if I wanted to, which I don’t. “I missed you so much, Fin! Lots and lots and I am so happy you’re at my house. We can do Legos cause I gots lots of new ones for us. I missed you!”
“I missed you too, buddy.” More than I realized. “And we can definitely do some Legos but how about we get settled inside first?”
James nods and just hugs me tighter.
Fuck, I really missed him.
I missed both of them so goddamn much and it’s more proof that what I feel for Tate and James is the real deal. Nothing makes me feel the way they do; so fucking complete and whole. They’re pieces of me that were missing over the last three months and to be back with both of them feels like coming home.
My eyes flick to the doorway as Tate appears, my dark angel a fucking vision in cut off jean shorts and a black tank top. I love the way she looks all the time but the relaxed, makeup free, smoking hot, slightly flustered mother is my favorite. All-natural Tate makes me hard as a rock—just not when her son is hanging off of me like a monkey.
“Hi.” She smiles as I walk toward her. “You want some help?”
I shake my head and grin like a motherfucker as Tate steps aside to let me in, my boy in one arm and the stuff I want to give them myself in the other. I debate briefly on leaning down to kiss her cheek but decide against it because I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression, namely James.
Since grabbing coffee together last week, Tate and I have been on four official dates.
We went out to lunch two days later, another day date to try to ease back into things, and it was nice to catch up even more. Monday night I took her to a kind of fancy restaurant, a French place closer to Colorado Springs that made me feel awkward as fuck but was worth it, so worth it for how excited Tate was to go out like that—she’d never been on arealdate before, her words, not mine—and damn did she look fucking edible in the little black number and heels.
We went to the movies Tuesday and saw some comedy I can’t even remember because I was too busy watching her laugh and soaking up as much time with her as I possibly could, then we had a more casual dinner Wednesday night at a smokehouse I’m pretty obsessed with. She worked Thursday and Friday, and while I didn’t go to the club because that’s not a good environment for me right now—solely because my drug dealer still works there—Tate called me every time she had a break and wound up asking me if I wanted to come over for dinner tonight. She asked me over for a home cooked meal at her apartment with herandJames.
Of course I jumped at the chance and even with all the dates, the hand holding and hugs, I’m still not entirely sure where Tate is at in terms of whatever the hell we’re doing. A kiss on the cheek might be too presumptuous right now and I don’t want James to think something is going on when it might not be.
Tate closes and locks the door behind me as I toe off my boots, James still clinging to me like I might disappear while I glance around the apartment and smile.
I’ve been here quite a few times, dozens probably, since it’s where Zak lived from the time he made shit official with Blondie, but looking at it now, it almost feels like a different place completely.
All of the furniture is new and different. The cluttered, more rustic vibe Theo had has been replaced by a very organized and bright but super homey one. The table and chairs in the dining room are a white birch, the four chairs big and cushioned, a bright bouquet of sunflowers in the middle of the table. Plush, cream-colored couches with pops of bright colors from pillows and throws. A light gray, wall-to-wall entertainment center with the TV above the fireplace in the middle, tons of shelves and cubbies around them with books and movies, framed photos and knick knacks, some of James’s toys in the bottom. Tate even put up new artwork on the walls, lots of watercolor landscapes and scenes of nature, everything so inviting and bright while still feeling very cozy.
“Your place looks great, Tate.” I finally set James down on the ground so I can take off my jacket and cut, but as soon as I do, his little hand slips into my much bigger one. “I like what you’ve done here.”
She blushes with a smile as she rounds the counter. “Thanks. Can I get you something to drink?”
Which reminds me. “I brought wine.” I grab the bottle of Sauvignon blanc I won’t be drinking, but I remembered she said it was her favorite and didn’t want her to abstain just because of me, then fight the urge to rub the back of my neck because fuck me, I have no idea what I’m doing.
Tate beams at me as she takes the bottle, her dark eyes practically sparkling. “Thank you, Fin.”
I watch her put it in the refrigerated wine rack then I grab my gift for James. “This is for you, bud.”
His bright blue eyes go wide as he climbs up onto one of the dining room chairs so he’s closer to my height. Still not really close but closer for sure. He tears into the box and when he sees what I brought, he all but throws the cardboard and screams.
“Mommy! Fin brought me a new spider.” James jumps up and down. “Look how cool he is! He’s red and black and fuzzy with big eyeballs and fangs. He looks tough just like Fin. Look, Mommy!”
Tate’s eyes mist over for a second before a huge smile splits her cheeks. “That is super cool, buddy. What do you say?”
“Thanks, Fin! Wow, this is so cool!”
I chuckle. “I’m glad you like him. Figured since you gave me Fred it only seemed right for me to give you my spider.”
Tate’s dark brows lift. “Yourspider?”
“Yeah. Had him since I was a little older than James. My dad brought him back from a run for me because I was really into bugs and arachnids for a while.” She looks like she’s going to insist I take him back, but I shake my head. “It’d mean a lot to me if James took care of him. He’s been up in my attic for a long time and while I was going through some stuff, I found him and decided he deserved to be with someone who could give him the TLC he needs.”
“He’s so cool!” James, totally oblivious to the emotions his mother is experiencing, continues raving. “Can I name him?”
