Page 63 of Deception
“So, this is an actual thing now?”
“Yes, sir.”
Her father narrows his eyes. “And this wasn’t a thing before Nolan, right?”
Groaning, Gracie shakes her head. “No, Dad, Kent isn’t Nolan’s father.”
“My dad around?” Kent asks.
“Uh, I’m pretty sure…” Ky stops as Melanie’s cries fill the air, and Gracie laughs when her boyfriend shivers. “I’m pretty sure he’s fucking his girlfriend on the roof of the clubhouse.”
He sighs. “Seriously? He has an apartment.”
“Yeah, and you know how adventurous Mel is. Have fun with that,” he says, slapping him on the arm before heading inside.
They walk around the side of the building, and it’s hard to hold back her laughter when Kent closes his eyes and calls out to his dad.
“Kent?” Jace answers. “I’m a little busy at the moment.”
“If I waited until the two of you weren’t busy, we’d never have a conversation,” he responds. “It’ll only take a minute.”
Melanie’s frustrated groan makes it all funnier, and Gracie presses her face against Kent’s arm to help muffle it as they remain holding hands.
“What’s up?” Jace asks, both of them coming down the ladder with most of their clothes on.
“Ky already knows, but I wanted you to hear it from us. Gracie and I are together.”
“Are you the kid’s father?” Melanie asks.
“I wish, but no.”
Jace studies them for a moment. “Your dad’s okay with this?”
Nodding, Gracie smiles and squeezes Kent’s hand. How he can be so calm confronting both of their fathers baffles her. “He is.”
“And you’re being safe, right?”
“Totally covered,” Kent assures.
There’s no embarrassment, and she’s envious. She’s ready for the ground to open up and swallow her whole because her boyfriend just confirmed to his parents that they’re having sex.
“You know what I’ve told you about dating single mothers, right?”
His arm wraps around Gracie and pulls her close as he nods. “It’s not just her that I’m with. Trust me, I helped her bring Nolan into the world, and I plan to be there for every event that comes afterwards. Someone’s gotta teach him how to throw a ball. We saw Gavin in little league.”
Hearing Kent talk about the future with Nolan makes her heart flutter. Most guys shy away from talk involving the future, especially when they haven’t turned twenty-one yet, but Kent acts like three years from now is no different from tomorrow. It’s just natural for him.
“How do you feel about that, Gracie?” Jace asks.
“I think Kent’s attachment to Nolan is part of what made me fall for him. They’re friends. Well, as much as you can be with a one-year-old.”
“He and I are buds,” Kent says with a shrug. “Plus, I think his mom is hot, so it’s an added bonus.”
She giggles and hides her face from his father. Later, she plans to tell him just how attractive she finds him.
“The one thing I would change about you, though,” Kent says and bends to kiss the top of her head, “would be getting a bit more of your dad’s height. You’re too damn short.”
They laugh and walk into the clubhouse. Jace punches his arm playfully as he leads Melanie back to his apartment, and they spot Gavin.
