“Getting my 'hooks' in him?” Amanda scowled at him. “Excuse me, but I don't think—”
“Amanda,” Cole said, putting his hand on her knee.
She frowned at him, biting back her harsh words. She wanted to yell at his father, to tell him that he had no right to accuse her of something like that. Not after all the years she'd spent raising James alone, with no support from Cole or anyone in his family. But the look on Cole's face kept her quiet. These were his parents. It was his place to tell them.
“Mom,” Cole said. “Dad. There's something I need to tell you.”
“Oh God,” his dad said. His frown deepened.
Cole's mother just sat back on the couch, folding her hands in her lap.
Cole took a deep breath. He looked to Amanda. She smiled at him and put a hand on his knee.
“Amanda and I didn't just get together,” Cole said. “What I mean is, this isn't the first time we were together. Back when we were in school, there was a...well, I mean we...”
Cole's father turned and looked at James.
Amanda cleared her throat. “Cole and I spent a night together,” she said. “Five years ago.”
Cole's mother turned as well, looking at James. James sat off to the side, eating a sandwich and looking through one of his books. He didn't seem to be paying much attention to what the adults were talking about.
“Cole,” his father said. “Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?”
“Well,” Cole said. “Mom, Dad. You're...well, you're his grandparents.”
They looked at James again. He finally looked up from his book when he realized everyone was staring at him. “What?” he asked.
Cole's father scowled. His mother started to beam, covering her mouth with her hands. She got up and crossed the room, kneeling by James's chair and stroking his face. “Oh,” she said. “Oh my. My precious little angel.”
“Cole,” his father said. “Are you sure about this? I mean, we could have a paternity test done...”
“Dad, come on,” Cole said, rolling his eyes. “Believe me, I'm sure.”
“I wouldn't lie about this,” Amanda said. “If I had wanted to, I wouldn't have kept it secret for so many years. But I didn't want to be a burden.”
Cole's father rubbed his chin. He got up and started pacing around. “Well, if this is how it is. I mean, if you're sure, and you're sure this is what you want.”
Cole squeezed Amanda's knee, a wide smile on his face. “I'm sure, Dad.”
His father stood over Amanda, looking her up and down. “Well, then. I suppose I should welcome you to the family.”
Amanda smiled, feeling a warmth spreading in her chest. She got up and gave Cole's father a hug. Then she picked up James and explained to him that these were his grandparents.
They spent the rest of the day catching up. Cole's mother asked a million questions about James, wanting to know every little thing about his life. His father focused mostly on practical concerns: how was his health, and was he showing signs of proper development. When Amanda explained that she hadn't been able to afford to take James to the doctor for years, he insisted on setting up an appointment with a pediatrician, promising to take care of the bills.
By the time they left that night, James was tired from all of the attention, though he seemed excited to know that he finally had grandparents, and a real dad. Cole and Amanda took him home and tucked him into bed. Then Amanda took Cole's hands and led him into her bedroom.
She pulled him into bed, her movements slow and sensual. She was filled with warmth and desire, and she was finally starting to accept that everything was going to work out.
She made love to Cole, basked in the moonlight that streamed in through the window. She held his hand against her chest, their fingers intertwined, while he filled her and pleasured her. Their bodies were as one, and it was everything she could have hoped for, everything she could have dreamed for.
And she didn't give a single thought to using protection, for even though she knew she might get pregnant again, she was more than ready to bring another child into the world. They were a family now, and their family bonds were growing with each passing week. She could already see the future, and she knew that she and Cole were meant to be together. It had taken them a long time to get to this point. They had missed out on a lot of time together, years lost that could never be regained. But now that they were building their relationship, they were going to do it right. And when James, one day, had a little brother or sister, that child would grow up in a house with two parents who loved each other, who needed each other, and who would provide their children with every opportunity that they could possibly imagine.