Authors: Toni Aleo
“My mom makes the best French toast ever,” Aiden said the next morning as they drove to Lucas’ house. It was a foggy morning and it gave all the trees that led out to Lucas’ house a spooky feel, but it was still beautiful. That was the thing he loved most about Nashville, it had such beautiful scenery.
“Your mom made those? I thought Audrey did,” Lucas said as he turned onto the road that would take them out to his house.
“Nope, Mom made them before she left for work. AA can’t cook,” Aiden said with a small giggle. “Mom says that she cooks on burn all the time, but she does make the best cupcakes.”
Lucas chuckled. “I wondered where your mom was this morning.”
Fallon wasn’t there when Lucas and Aiden came down for breakfast. Only Audrey sat at the table with a plate in front of her. Lucas didn’t want Audrey thinking he was stalking Fallon so he didn’t ask where she was as he ate the most amazing French toast he had ever had. Even Aiden didn’t ask. It was as if it was expected for Fallon not to be there that morning. It didn’t really surprise Lucas any either. If he knew one thing, it was that Fallon was a runner and after last night, he knew she would run.
“I think she had meetings this morning.”
Lucas nodded while pulling up to the gate that lined his property. After putting in his access card, the gate opened and Lucas drove through. He drove around the large tan stucco home, down the driveway and into the garage. When Lucas first came to Nashville and saw the 19,000-square-foot home, he thought it was too big for just him and Levi, but now that he knew of Aiden and hoped to be with Fallon soon, the home was perfect.
He loved the Tuscan villa-style home that sat in a private setting away from the road. No one knew he was there unless they drove down the long driveway that took them to the beautiful home. The backyard was probably one of his favorite things about the home. It had two patios, a huge in-ground pool, a pool house, and a really nice grotto. He also had a big field that at first he was annoyed with but now he figured he and Aiden could go out and play soccer, or have Aiden’s birthday parties there.
The house he once was annoyed with was now something he was glad he had.
Aiden jumped out the truck and ran to the back to get his equipment. Lucas followed behind him, grabbing out his bag before handing it to Aiden. Aiden leaned to the side from the weight of the bag and Lucas chuckled as he grabbed his own bag and their sticks. As they walked towards the back door, Aiden stopped at Lucas’ 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8, and looked up at Lucas, smiling.
“That’s a pretty car,” Aiden said, and Lucas laughed.
“Yup, it’s a special car,” he said with a smile. He had gotten the Charger because it was what Fallon used to drive. He had loved that car, and the things they had done in it. Having his own reminded him of the times him and Fallon shared.
Aiden nodded his head. “It's really shinny.”
“Yeah, maybe we’ll go for a ride later?” Lucas asked and when Aiden gazed up at Lucas with excitement in his eyes, Lucas grinned.
God, he loved this kid.
“So we can’t go in the house yet? Aiden asked as they went through the back door to the hall that led upstairs or to the hockey rink.
Lucas laughed again and threw his bag down as Aiden did the same. His eyes were wide as they looked around the rink, and Lucas felt good that he had impressed Aiden. He wanted Aiden to think his house was cool because the following day, Fallon and Lucas were going to tell him about Lucas being his dad. Even though Levi was extremely against telling Aiden without the paternity papers, Lucas felt good about it. There was no doubt that Aiden was his, plus Fallon wouldn’t lie to him.
Hide a child? Yes. Lie? No.
Lucas shook his head as if he was shaking the thought away and started pulling his equipment out the way Aiden was. After getting Aiden dressed, Lucas started to get dressed as he watched Aiden try to skate out onto the ice. It was one of the funniest things Lucas had ever seen — Aiden would skate an inch and then fall down, get right back up and fall again. Lucas tried not to laugh but it was so hard, and he almost fell off the bench laughing at one point. Aiden had fallen so hard that his stick and gloves flew off.
Lucas let out a gut-busting laugh before going onto the ice and skating around Aiden’s little body. He skated around the rink a couple times while Aiden stood up, getting his balance. He looked over at Lucas as Lucas skated over to him, stopping in front of him.
“Alright bud, it’s all in the way you move your feet. Left, right, left, right,” Lucas said, showing Aiden with his own feet.
“Okay,” Aiden said nervously as he tried to throw his stick away but Lucas grabbed it, shaking his head.
“No, bud, keep the stick. It helps with your balance.” Aiden nodded and looked up at Lucas with a nervous look but excitement in his eyes. “Okay, I’ll skate in front of you. Let’s go.”
“You’re gonna skate backwards?”
“Yeah,” Lucas said with a grin.
“That’s so cool,” Aiden gushed as he put his stick down and started skating. Lucas probably encouraged Aiden a little too much as they skated, but he wanted him to be confident. Lucas would probably tell the kid anything as long as it gave him the confidence he needed.
Hell, Lucas would say and do anything for Aiden.
“Alright, I’m going to time you,” Lucas said after watching Aiden skate around the rink a couple times. Once he got his feet right, he was flying. Lucas was having a hard time keeping his cool — even at the age of 30 he was on the edge of jumping up and down while yelling out how proud of Aiden he was. The kid was spectacular.
Aiden took off quick and got around in triple Lucas’ time, which wasn’t half bad! As Lucas smiled widely at him, Aiden tried to catch his breath. “Whoo!” Lucas laughed when Aiden fell back onto the ice, still trying to catch his breath. “I can’t breathe!”
After unlacing their skates, Lucas and Aiden headed up the stairs. Lucas hoped the guys that were putting the hardwood floors upstairs were done as they climbed the stairs. Aiden was talking a mile a minute about everything from skating to shooting. He was a good shot, but Lucas already knew that. The kid was meant to hold a hockey stick and skate on ice.
Aiden was Lucas’ boy.
Just like Lucas was James’ boy.
Just thinking of his dad made Lucas smile. James never made it to the NHL but he was meant to. He broke his shoulder in two places at the finals during his sophomore year and couldn’t shoot a puck to save his life after that. Little did he know, Molly was only a few weeks pregnant with Lucas at the time. James always said it was meant to be — he wanted to be a full-time dad, not travel around a lot while leaving his family behind. It felt like the air was knocked out of Lucas when he realized that he was going to be leaving his son behind. That he was going to be everything his dad didn’t want to be. Lucas looked over his shoulder at Aiden and his heart broke. He hadn’t even left yet and it was already hard to think about.
“I love hockey,” Aiden gushed as they climbed the stairs.
“I’m glad you do,” Lucas said calmly, when really he was screaming inside. Even with the horrible thought of leaving Aiden, Lucas was still so happy. Sharing the greatest game ever with his son was a dream come true for him.
“I’m hungry,” Aiden said as they entered the kitchen, not knowing that the statement he just made had made Lucas’ lifetime.
“Good, since we are in the kitchen.”
Aiden’s eyes went wide as he took in the marble kitchen. Lucas liked the elegant feel the kitchen gave off. It made him feel like he was in the Roman Empire or something. Lucas’ eyes roamed over the kitchen like Aiden’s, taking in the marble island, the large fridge, and huge stove. Fallon was right, he did love big things.
Just like her ass.
Just the thought of her ass brought him back to the night before. He could hold her ass in his hands for days and wouldn’t even care about anything else. He loved it that much.
Lucas chuckled to himself as he pulled out the peanut butter and bread. He felt so normal, so at ease as he made his son a sandwich.
He could do this every day.
All he needed was Fallon to come stumbling into the kitchen in those sexy little shorts and his tee and his life would be complete.
Lucas looked behind him and didn’t like the sound of Aiden’s voice. He sounded confused or nervous. Lucas left the kitchen and headed into the hall, where Aiden stood staring up at the wall. Lucas knew what picture he was looking at before he even came to Aiden’s side, looking at the same wall.
“Is that my mom?” Aiden asked with his eyes wide.
Lucas only nodded as he took in the beauty of his past love. She sat on his bed in all her 19-year-old glory. Nothing on, the only thing that covered her breast was her hair, but it was still a little visible on the side. Only Lucas could tell who the beauty was since only her profile showed, but obviously Aiden knew what his mom looked like.
“How old was she?” Aiden asked.
“Nineteen.”
“She has tattoos now,” Aiden stated as he glanced up at the picture. Lucas had no room in his gym shorts at just the thought of ink on Fallon. He had begged her to get tattoos when they were together and she never would. Oh how he wanted to see them. “She has my name and AA’s on the inside of her arms and then something else on her side.”
“Oh,” was all Lucas could get out.
Nothing was said for a minute as man and son gazed up at the picture of the woman they both loved. Lucas felt Aiden’s eyes on him and he looked down at his wide-eyed boy.
“Yeah,” Lucas answered without even thinking of it and knew that later when Aiden told Fallon, he was going to get an earful. When Aiden didn’t say anything else, Lucas turned and walked away, hoping like hell that Aiden didn’t tell Fallon. Even though he knew Aiden probably would. Lucas went back into the kitchen, thinking that he needed to get lunch on the table and Aiden in there so that maybe he would forget about the naked picture of Fallon.
Lucas wiped his hands on a towel before leaving the kitchen to find Aiden. When he searched the living room and offices with no luck, Lucas headed upstairs to find Aiden in his room. Aiden stood beside Lucas’ bed looking up at the picture of Lucas and his dad. Lucas went around his bed and prepared himself to answer questions about his dad. It was going to be hard, but Aiden was a questions kind of kid. So he took a deep breath and stood beside Aiden, tucking his hands into his pockets.
“Yeah, bud?”
“Is that your dad?”
“Yeah, and that’s me,” Lucas said, pointing to his seven-year-old self. A smile formed on his face as he glanced at the picture, Aiden looked so much like he did when he was a kid. The only difference was the nose, and maybe the cheeks. Everything else was Lucas. Levi was an idiot for thinking that Aiden wasn’t his.
“Yeah,” Lucas said with a nod before looking down at Aiden. Aiden turned and looked up at him, his eyes wide as he blinked twice at Lucas. Nothing was said as the two stared into each other’s eyes, but then Aiden asked, “You’re my dad, aren’t you?”
“Aren’t you?”
Lucas couldn’t speak; he couldn’t even form a thought. The way Aiden was looking up at him — with his face full of fear — scared Lucas shitless.