Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(14)

"But..." the boy sputtered as he was nudged toward the exit.

Ellie opened the door and ushered him out. "You can see Cassidy tomorrow."

"But is he Montgomery Kincaid or not?" he asked, peeking around her to get one last look at Boston.

"He's not," Ellie said and shut the door in his face.

She paused to press a hand to her aching temple. She would've liked to follow Keller out the door and escape too, but this had to be dealt with. Regulating her breathing and repeating a soothing monologue in her head as she turned, Ellie caught sight of Boston skimming through the article about his sister-in-law.

He glanced up and arched a non-impressed eyebrow. "I take it you told her about me but never gave her my name."

Ellie sighed. She'd had to give her daughter something.

Cassidy had been asking about her father a lot lately, and she was as stubborn as all get out. Once the girl wanted something, she worked to get it. And lately, she'd wanted to meet her father. Ellie should've known she'd start looking by herself. She'd definitely gained her sense of determination from Boston, that was for sure.

"If I'd known she was going to pull a Nancy Drew on me, I wouldn't have given her anything."

58

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Boston's gaze iced over. His jaw tightened, but he didn't comment. The boy she'd known ten years ago wouldn't have kept silent. He'd have spat out something sharp and demeaning. But the aged, more polished version of that young man held his tongue.

Instead, he glanced out the window. "Who was that kid?"

Ellie cleared her throat. "Um...that was Keller Young," she answered in a slightly unsteady voice. She noticed a tremor in her hand as she reached for a box of cereal to put away. Not wanting him to see the fear clogging her system, she jerked her fingers behind her back and spun his way as if to check if he noted her anxiety.

She cleared her throat again when she realized his gaze was fixed on her arm tucked behind her back.

"He, ah, he lives next door," she continued, wondering why she was talking about Keller. She needed to get him out of here before Cassie was done with her bath. She needed him gone and as far away from her and her baby as he could possibly get.

But she just kept talking like an idiot. "He and Cass have been best friends since the moment we moved here six years ago."

Boston nodded as if soaking in every detail of his daughter's life he could uncover. "He seems pretty smart for his age."

"Oh, he's a whiz all right," Ellie said. "He could probably pass a high school G.E.D. if he wanted to. All his teachers keep trying to talk him into advancing into special gifted classes. They're always wanting to skip him a grade or two.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

But he refuses. He wants to stay in the same class as Cassidy."

Boston cocked his head curiously at that news. "He's the same age as Cassie? But she's probably a head taller than him."

Ellie couldn't help but smile. "Actually, he's a month older than her. Yet another reason he didn't want to skip any grades. He's already picked on enough for being so small.

Cassidy deflects a lot of teasing for him. I bet he'd come home with a bloody nose every day if it wasn't for her."

"She fights off his bullies, does she?" he asked, looking amused and a little proud.

Something hard and intense thumped into the base of her stomach. But seeing that pleased glint in Boston's eyes made her feel connected to him the way only a pair of proud parents could be. And she couldn't help but remember back to when he'd been her entire world and how much she'd adored him when they'd conceived their daughter together.

Feeling herself soften, she nodded yes. Boston's mouth curved slightly like he was remembering a happier time too.

But a split moment later, he paused as if realizing she was the enemy now. His face stiffened into a cool glare and he glanced away, stuffing his hands moodily into his pockets.

Ellie swallowed and dropped her eyes. "So, ah, anyway.

You probably need to get back to, ah..." Wherever the hell he'd come from.

Boston's gaze zipped accusingly to her face, eyes narrowed. She bit her lip.

"What about Cassie?" he asked.

60

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"What about her?"

His forehead wrinkled. "She still doesn't know who I am."

Ellie didn't think that was a problem. As if reading her thoughts, his scowl deepened. "I want her to know the truth."

Lifting her eyebrows, Ellie said, "Oh, you want her to know the truth, huh? Sure, I'll tell her exactly why we broke up."

An uneasy look filled his face, and he opened his mouth to comment. But Ellie kept talking. "I'll be happy to tell her exactly where things went wrong. And how you were so ashamed of being with me you would never let me meet your family, or—"

"I never—" he started, but she kept talking over him.

"Or how you thought I was just a gold-digging bitch who purposely trapped you into staying with me by getting knocked up."

"I apologized for that." His face turned gray as if remembering his own words made him physically ill. "As soon as I said it, I told you I was sorry."