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Who bought a four-year-old a large ice cream and soda? An idiot, that’s who He was beyond stupid There was no way in hell he should be allowed out with his son on his own This tiotten hiry, he scrubbed the kid’s arms, then his hands Gabe’s shirt and shorts were clean, but his shoes weren’t, so Matt wiped the that his plan to suck Jesse in, destroy her and take the kid had a massive flaw While he wanted his for the child inHe had to--

A sht his attention He looked at Gabe and realized big, fat tears rolled down his cheeks

Matt dropped the paper towel and grabbed hi? Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital? Tell me What is it?"

Gabe cried harder Matt crouched down in front of hiotta tell me, buddy," he said "I can fix it, whatever it is Your stomach? Does it hurt?"

Gabe shook his head

Okay, not that "Your head? Your back?" What else could hurt on a four-year-old?

"You’re m-mad at me," Gabe sobbed

"What?" Mad at hi me" He pointed to a red spot on his arm where Matt had scrubbed a little too hard "You l-look mad and you on’t talk tosobs

Matt felt like shit Total and co himself up, he hadn’t paid any attention to Gabe Yet another way he was a danger to his son

"I’ Jesse was here and could take over But she wasn’t He was on his own He knelt on the ceers "I’m not mad at you" He deliberately made his voice calot Gabe’s attention The boy wiped his nose with the back of his hand "Why?"

"You got sick because I bought you a big ice crea you’d like, but I didn’t think that you’re still growing I didn’t knoould make you throw up The soda didn’t help, either I felt bad and then I gota good tih his tears "Me, too," he whispered, then threw himself at Matt

His body was s against hi what else to do, he hugged the boy Skinny arms wrapped around his neck He could feel Gabe’s heartbeat

This was his son, he thought, understanding dawning for the first ti alive

He tightened his hug, then quickly relaxed, not wanting to accidentally hurt hi?" he asked

"Okay," Gabe said "Tired"

They’d been at the aquariuh

"Want to go home?" he asked

Gabe nodded

Matt waited, but the kid didn’t let go That was going to make it hard to walk Then he said, "Want ain

Matt carried hi to let go Matt held hi that no matter what, he would protect this child Take care of him Unfamiliar eot his attention the er for all that he’d lost

GABE SLEPT MOST OF the way home He woke just as Matt pulled up in front of Paula’s house Matt helped him out of the car seat then watched as Gabe ran to the front door where Paula waited and began talking about his trip Jesse appeared, hugged him, then walked toward Matt

She looked tired Hiswith plenty of Internet orders Jesse was taking the early shift, arriving at work around four and staying at least twelve hours

"He sounds like he had fun," she said as she approached

"He got sick I gave him too e, it’s a pretty developed reflex Did he get better right away?"

Matt nodded

"Then he should be fine," she told him "Were you freaked? I should have warned you that could happen"

She was beautiful, he thought The long blond hair that had haunted him for months after she’d left Her blue eyes The shape of herabout herlove with her should have been nothing more than a way to further his plan, yet he’d been sucked in to thethe frustration and anger boil up inside of him "I should know"

She looked confused "How could you? You haven’t spent any tiht I haven’t Whose fault is that? Who et to know my son?"

She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest "You did," she told him "You refused to believe the baby was yours, so don’t put this on me" Only she didn’t sound totally convinced of what she was saying

He had a reputation for being a ruthless bastard and he’d earned it by never letting a o unexploited

"It’s aze "You knew there was no way I would believe you after what I’d found out"

"No," she snapped "Not found out After what you’d been told I never slept with Drew, reht You kneouldn’t believe you after what I’d been told You knew I’d think you’d gone back to your old ways--if you’d even given theain? Did you bother to get in touch withfor me You didn’t bother to find out"

"I wasn’t the one as pregnant," he yelled "You had a responsibility to give me the chance to be a father You took that from me You stole four years of et that back You didn’t have the right, Jesse"