A Mother's Secret by Janice Kay Johnson Read Free Book Online Page A

considered her for a moment, frowning. At last he gave a stiff nod. “All right. How are we going to do this?”
    This . Rebecca felt sick. Daniel Kane wanted to talk about the mechanics of her giving up half her child’s life.
    She sought to calm herself. He had a right to be angry. And honestly…giving Daniel visitation rights to their son wasn’t the end of the world. It might feel like it right this minute, but surely, surely, he would help her make this easy for Malcolm. He wouldn’t be like her own father, who was more interested in waging war with his ex-wife than he was in the welfare of his two daughters.
    She clasped her hands tightly together and said quietly, “Would you please sit down? So I don’t feel as if you’re trying to intimidate me?”
    For a long moment he didn’t move. But at last he gave a choppy nod and sat in an easy chair facing the sofa. Only an old wooden trunk she used as a coffee table separated them.
    “Thank you.”
    “Is this the beginning of another plea for me to stay the hell out of my son’s life?”
    “No. I’m going to ask if…if maybe you can get to know Malcolm before we tell him. He’d be so scared…” She stopped before her voice could break. He would think she was trying to manipulate him.
    Again those eyes narrowed for a flicker. “He didn’t look shy to me.”
    “He’s not. But he is only four and a half years old.”
    “When’s his birthday?”
    “June. June 6.” She drew a breath. “The longest he’s ever away from me is at preschool, and I often walk over to have lunch with him. He’s a little boy, Daniel. If you insisted on suddenly taking him for the weekend…”
    He scowled at her. “You’ve made your point. So what’s the alternative?”
    “Can I just introduce you as an old friend of mine? Maybe you could come to dinner some night, or we could all do something together like go to the beach. Once he knows you, it’ll be different.”
    It was the best she could do. There would still come that first time, when she stood in the driveway waving as Daniel took Malcolm away for the night, or the weekend, and her heart cracked. But she could bear it if Malcolm went happily, if she was the only one suffering. If Malcolm was crying, or had his face pressed to the glass as the car disappeared down the road, she was afraid she’d go running after it until she collapsed in tears and some neighbor had to lead her, shattered, home again.
    Not once had the furrows between Daniel’s dark brows smoothed. They gave his face a brooding cast as he seemed to weigh every word she spoke, examining each suspiciously.
    Which, she supposed, was fair. After all, she had kept her pregnancy from him, kept his son from him. He didn’t have any reason to trust her intentions now.
    But he did finally sigh and scrub a hand over his face. “You win. That seems reasonable. Why don’t I take you both out for pizza? Tomorrow? No.” He shook his head. “Saturday?”
    “I’m afraid I have plans.” Would he insist she cancel them?
    But all he did was give her a skeptical look. “Then Sunday night. Does he like pizza?”
    She managed a small, twisted smile. “He likes pizza.”
    “Six o’clock?”
    “Earlier, if you can make it. His bedtime is eight. We usually eat between five and five-thirty.”
    Another nod. She could see him calculating. “I can make it.” He stood. “Sunday, then.”
    Rebecca scrambled to her feet, too. “Thank you.”
    “Thank you?” His laugh held no humor. “Come on, we both know what you really want is to tell me to go to hell.”
    “That’s not true. This is my fault.” And it was—she’d been foolish enough to stay in the Bay Area. “I appreciate you thinking of Malcolm.”
    “Instead of thinking only about myself, which was what you anticipated?” His dry tone made it plain he believed she was snowing him.
    She pressed her lips together. “I was afraid you’d let your anger rule you.”
    “And, oh, how tempted I