Page 15 of The Forbidden Sitter
“Eight.”
His laugh made me frown as he shook his head. “That’s way too early. I’m almost never home by then. I tried to be early on, as he settled in, but it’s difficult. Find something else for us to bond over. You can do that ritual with him each nightyourself.”
Fire began to ooze through my veins, building up heat inside of me. “Gannon, this isn’t a joke. And just what is so important that you have to go out each and everynight?”
Those blue eyes landed on mine with a blue flash of anger. “Business meetings, often. I work with a lot of companies on different time zones, where my night is their morning. And dinner, Brooke. Yes, I sometimes go out to eat dinner with my friends. It’s not acrime.”
Now I was irate. “Gannon, your son is a lot more important than your friends are. He needs you a thousand times more than any of themdo.”
Gannon folded his big arms over his broad chest. “Braiden seems to be doing just fine with the limited time I’m spending withhim.”
I could see I needed to put things in black and white for the man. “It’s what you did before you had a son to think about. Now you have one, and he needs to be your number one priority. Not a bunch of over-privileged, spoiled rotten, richjerks!”
I earned another frown, which I didn’t much like seeing on his handsome face. But I’d put it there, and now I had to deal with thatfact.
His tone was low, his voice quiet, “Brooke, you’re paid to make him your number one priority. Tell me if that’s not thecase.”
Shaking with raw anger, the likes of which I’d never felt before, I lit into his selfish ass, “He is your son, Gannon Forester. Not mine! His mother threw him away as if he was nothing more than a piece of trash. He definitely is my top priority. And as that, I will make sure his father does right by him. If I have to nag you, beg you, or bribe you to become the father that child deserves, then I will dothat.”
With his head cocked to one side, he looked at me with no expression on his face. “Do you realize how you’re speaking tome?”
I could feel my brows raise in surprise. Had the man never encountered an angry female before? Had he no instinct for self-preservation?
Although I wanted to dart across that large room and smack the man upside the head to get him to snap out of this master-of-the-manor bullshit, I stayed put and took my hands off my hips to avoid the negative stance I’d beenin.
Using my soft-but-firm voice, a thing I’d learned how to use when dealing with rambunctious and bratty young children, I forged ahead, “Braiden needs more from you. I’d like to see you at breakfast each morning. I can have him at the table each morning at whatever time is convenient for you. And dinner in the evening is another good way to establish time you will be spending with him each day—times he knows he’ll see his father, a person he absolutelyadores.”
A smile pulled his chiseled lips up at each corner. “He does, doesn’t he?” Crossing his long legs, he touched his whisker-shadowed chin as he looked up dreamily. “I can see it in his eyes every time he runs to me when I come home. Pure love for no reason at all. He barely knows me, yet we share such a deep and instant connection. It’s unlike anything I’ve everexperienced.”
With his words, my heart started to fill with something close tohope.
Maybe he can be the man Braiden needs in his life afterall.
But then his hand moved and his eyes met mine. “I think the time he and I share when I get home is enough. Fornow.”
And just like that, he pissed me off once more. One hand flew to my hip; the other pointed a finger at him as if it was a pistol. “Now you listen to me, and you listen good. He needs more from you. A lot more than twenty minutes of your precious day. Let me lay this out for you. Breakfasts, dinners, and bedtimes are now added to the time you will spend with your son. Make it happen, Gannon. Or I will.” And with that, I turned and left hisbedroom.
And prayed I hadn’t just lost myjob.
Chapter9
Gannon
Sitting in stunned silence,watching Brooke stride out of my room, I didn’t know how to take the way she’d talked tome.
I wouldn’t call it a verbal assault, but I did feel as if I’d been knocked around a bit. And that wasn’t anything I was used to, after years of being one of the most powerful men in business. I’d earned respect, including how people addressed me. I didn’t like being told what to do. I neverhad.
Walking into Braiden’s room, I stood there for a while, watching him sleep. Brooke had told me he was gradually sleeping more hours without waking from the bad dreams that had plagued him when he first arrived. Still, he occasionally still missed his mom, even if she hadn’t lovedhim.
“I love you,” I said quietly, kissing his soft cheek. “I’ll do better, Braiden. Somehow. Ipromise.”
Drawing the covers more securely around him, I left the room and headed for the shower. I always liked to rinse off the day before hitting thesheets.
The hot water ran over me as I wrestled with feelings of desire and guilt. The guilt was because I knew Brooke was right. I’d fully intended to be a better dad to Braiden, but a combination of trying to do the right thing and keep my hands off Brooke and old habits had waylaid those initial good intentions. I found myself staying out later just to keep away from her, even when I did miss my little boy and thought of him frequently throughout theday.
I’d have to do better, somehow, I acknowledged to myself, letting the water sluice over me. Starting tomorrow, I’d be a better dad. Some tension dissipated with that decision, but another remained firmly in place. Very firmly, as I thought about how cute Brooke had looked in her little shorts and tank top. Pink always looked good on her. The color accentuated her naturally-tan skin tone. Blondes always looked cute in pink. But Brooke took that cuteness to a whole newlevel.
I noticed her toes and fingernails had a light pink color on them too. I had to wonder if she painted them herself or had themdone.
