Page 84 of Mr. Infuriating (Mister #1)

Gabe

I hugged Jake, thanked Gretchen for helping Brayden—I still needed to be polite in front of the kids, then went out to the truck and waited for Brittany and Brayden to come out.

I watched Britt give Jake a hug on the porch, then Gretchen. Then Brayden and Jake did some weird handshake, and finally my son wrapped Gretchen in an embrace that lasted a while.

I could see her lips moving as she hugged him back, and finally he pulled away with a smile and a nod and turned to follow Britt toward my truck.

Gretchen tried to discreetly wipe her cheeks as she watched the two go.

Our eyes locked and after a beat, she gave me a sad smile and wave.

I knew she was saying goodbye.

And I hated it with every cell in my body, so I refused to wave back. I just offered a fake smile in return that morphed into a real one when Britt opened the rear passenger door.

“Hey!”

My daughter barely looked at me when she got in and grumbled, “Hey.”

Brayden mirrored his sister’s long face when he got in the front passenger seat and shut the door.

“You guys ready?”

Brayden responded with a clipped, “Yep,” as he looked out the windshield at Gretchen and Jake going inside the house before putting on his seatbelt .

I backed out of the drive and didn’t say anything until we exited her community.

“How’d tutoring go?”

“Fine.”

I wasn’t keen on his one-word answer, so I tried engaging him again.

“Do you think it’s helped? Are you ready for finals?”

He shrugged, still not looking my way.

“My grades are up, and we’ve got Sunday to get ready for finals.”

“So, do you—”

“You should have seen what a jerk Gretchen’s ex-husband was,” Britt lamented from the backseat, effectively cutting me off. “She kept telling him he couldn’t just drop in whenever he wanted, but it was like he didn’t even care what she had to say.”

Brayden sat up straighter in the passenger seat and puffed out his chest. “I thought I was going to have to ask him to leave.”

I hated that my son was put in that position, but I was proud of him for being willing to help Gretchen and step up.

“I should have waited in the truck in her driveway.”

Brittany demanded, “Why would you do that and not just come in?”

“We thought it was best if I started to limit my time with Jake. She’s worried he’s going to get confused.”

“About what?”

“Well, he does call me Bandit. And now that his dad is coming around…”

Brayden grumbled, “You’re a way better father than her ex, that’s for sure. ”

“But I’m not Jake’s father”

Brayden abruptly turned his body in his seat toward me and burst out, “Why are you letting her asshole ex-husband get her back? She and Jake belong with us.”

I didn’t chastise him about his language, just asked, “Why do you think he’s trying to get her back?”

“He said so! He said he’s going to prove himself and get his ‘little family’ back.”

He did what, now?

I gripped the steering wheel tighter as I choked out, “Well, I know she wants to have more children.”

“She shouldn’t be having kids with someone she’s worried how Jake is going to act around.”

“How do you know she’s worried about that?”

“She said so! She told her friend on the phone they’re going to Mickey’s tomorrow, and she said she was nervous Troy was going to rush Jake into liking him. And she hoped Troy wouldn’t get mad if he didn’t right away.”

“You can’t make a two-year old like you.”

“Dad?” Britt asked from the back.

“Yeah?”

“Shouldn’t a two-year-old already like his dad?”

“You’d think so, huh?”

“He likes you.”

I thought about how happy Jake always was to see me and couldn’t help but smile.

My eleven-year-old got it. Why hadn’t I?

“I like him, too.”

Brayden asked, “What about Gretchen?”

I let out a long sigh .

“That’s a little more complicated.”

“Why? You love her, don’t you?”

There was no point in denying it with these two.

“Yes.”

Britt’s voice was urgent. “So, get her back, Dad! They belong with us!”

I shook my head. “She wants more kids.”

“Mom told us you always said you wanted a basketball team.”

Yeah, I had said that. More than once. But that was a long time ago.

“I think that dream died with Bodhi, guys.”

My too-wise-for-his-own-good teenager remarked, “Maybe it didn’t die; maybe it was just delayed until you found Gretchen and Jake.”

Britt piped up, “They need us, Dad. And we need them.”

I shook my head.

“It’s not that simple, kiddo.”

“I can’t believe you’re just going to give up,” Brayden groused.

I couldn’t either. But I knew it was for the best, at least for her.