Page 49 of Outlaw Heartstrings
Alba speaks up, her voice trembling slightly. “Well, Easton and I have something we want to tell you. Something big.”
Jagger’s little brows pinch together as his eyes dart back and forth between his aunt and me.
“You ever noticed that you and I look a lot alike?” I start.
“Yeah, like the same hair?” Jagger reaches up to pull on one of his messy brown curls.
“Exactly. And our eyes and dimples, too,” I add.
His demeanor shifts, growing serious. “But, why?” He tilts his head to the side, observing my face closely, like he’s seeing me for the first time.
“Jagger, sweetie,” Alba jumps back in. “You look like Easton, because he is more than just your friend.” She holds her breath. “Easton is your dad.”
“My dad?” Jagger echos, his eyes round.
I nod, my throat closing up.
“I…I have a dad…?” The little boy immediately breaks down in tears. So does Alba.
Fuck.
The backs of my own eyes burn so bad. I feel like I’m about to lose it, too. But I hold my emotions in, trying to be strong for them both.
Jagger wipes at his eyes and looks up at his aunt. “Does that mean Easton will move into our house? And what happens when he gets better and starts to play hockey again? Will we all move to Sin Valley with him?”
She sends a panicked look my way. “Oh, I don’t think there will be any big changes right now. Maybe none at all.”
“We’ll figure it all out,” I interject. “You know, not all families live together. But when I’m playing hockey, we’ll definitely still see each other. I’ll make sure of it.”
Alba holds my gaze, like she’s begging me to live up to that promise. The truth is, even though I don’t know what my future holds, I know Jagger is going to be a part of it. Iwon’t abandon him. I refuse to be anything like my own deadbeat dad.
Jagger accepts our answer with a little nod. I imagine the poor guy has so many questions, but it’s clear that he needs some time to process it all. Heck—we all do.
Alba reaches over to rub his shoulder. “You don’t need to worry. There are a lot of details Easton and I need to sort out. But the important thing is that you have a father who cares about you.”
Jagger’s eyes land on me. “Should I still call you Easton?”
“You get to decide.” My voice cracks on the words. “You get to call me whatever you’d like, okay?”
He considers my answer thoughtfully, sitting there, scratching his head. “Okay. I would like to call you ‘dad’.”
Ah, hell.
“Come here, Buddy,” I say over the rock in my throat.
He scoots up from his seat and meets me halfway. Dropping to my knees, I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
I can hear Alba sniffling behind me, even before Jagger looks up at me, saying, “I love you, Dad.”
That’s when I lose it. Those tears I’ve been trying to fight let loose, and that’s how I know I’ll never be the same from here on out.
“I love you, too, son.”
18
ALBA
“And that, my friend, is how you execute one hell of a bodycheck.” Plopping back against the couch, Easton grins at Jagger who’s staring at the television screen in fascination.
