Page 21 of Kent's Honor
“I don’t know. I just said you would be gone all night. I didn’t know it would upset him. I’m sorry.” Elle chomped down on her fingernail.
“It’s okay,” Dixie said, patting the boy’s back. “You had no idea he’d react this way. Come here.” She tried to pull him, but he wouldn’t let go of Kent’s neck.
“Why don’t you two start breakfast while Nicky and I go have a man-to-man.”
Dixie shook her head, her hands still tugging at her son. He understood her concern, but Nicky had a death grip, and he figured if he didn’t handle it, Nicky would make the assumption this was just another man who was going to walk out of his life.
Well, Kent wasn’t going to do that.
“We’ll just be in the family room.” He leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, which caused his daughter to gasp and then chuckle. He wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he was going to have to talk to Elle anyway. He hugged Nicky, rubbing his back, trying to get him to stop sobbing so they could have a little chat, though having real discussions with three-year-olds were generally not too deep.
“Nicky? Do you know what I do for work?” Kent asked.
“No,” he said with a quiver in his voice.
“I’m a firefighter.”
“Really?” Nicky snapped his head up as Kent sat down on the sofa. “You ride in a red truck?”
Kent laughed. “I do, and you see, if I don’t go to work and someone has a fire, who will be there to put it out?”
“But why all-night work?”
“It’s just the way we do it sometimes. I’ll be home tomorrow morning, and if it’s okay with your mom, maybe we can go fishing.”
Nicky nodded his head wildly as he wiped his own tears away. “I don’t want you to go away like my daddy where he only gets to think about me.”
Well, for fuck’s sake. Kent did all he could to not punch the wall. This kid deserved better and eventually he’ll figure out the truth about his father, but hopefully not until he’s ready and mature enough to understand this wasn’t his fault.
“How about we go get some pancakes?”
Nicky nodded.
Kent stood and made his way back to the kitchen with a heavy heart. Getting involved with a woman with a deadbeat ex and a toddler was going to be complicated as hell.
“Smells good in here.” He handed Nicky to Dixie, who hugged him like an overprotective mother, which made Kent chuckle. Sitting down at the small round table, he placed a napkin in his lap and a fork in a stack of fluffy pancakes.
“Daddy, wait for the rest of us.”
“I’ve got ten minutes, Buttercup.”
Elle put one hand on her hip.
“Fine,” he muttered. “Elle, I’ve got ten minutes before I have to be out the door, so let me stuff my face.”
Elle smiled sweetly, setting a couple more plates on the table. Nicky climbed up on his knees, waiting for his pancake.
Once Dixie was seated at the table, Elle patted her father’s leg. “A nice, romantic meal, sort of,” she said.
He dropped his fork.
Dixie choked on her juice.
Nicky covered his mouth, giggling.
“Come on, Dad. I saw you two kissing out there. And at Uncle Rex’s place.” She smiled like she just won first prize in the spelling bee. “You’re dating.”
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