Never Say Never (7 page)

“Good morning buddy.” Lucas put his arms around Owain.

“I’m glad you’re still here.” Owain looked up at him. “I was thinking we could…”

“Baby, why don’t you go get some cereal for us?” Hayley interrupted and Owain nodded obediently.

She turned to Lucas and looked at him. “I don’t want to keep you. You can go if you want to.”

“And disappoint that little man. I wouldn’t think of it.” Lucas smiled at Owain.

“Listen, Luke, I don’t expect you to stay…” Hayley frowned.

“Well, then leave your expectations behind
for now. I want to stay.” Lucas smiled at her and walked over to Owain. “Let me help you with that, buddy.”

Hayley looked over at Owain holding a bowl and Lucas was pouring cereal into it. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall,
a hint of a smile on her face.

“Does he really have to go?” Owain frowned and looked at Hayley and then at Lucas. “Do you really have to go?”

Lucas knelt beside him and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’ll see you again. I promise.”

“Really?” Owain asked and Lucas nodded. “When?”

“Baby, can you go inside please?” Hayley touched Owain’s shoulder and he nodded.

“Bye Luke.” Owain put his arms around Lucas’ shoulders and hugged him.

“Bye buddy.” Lucas smiled and Owain walked back into the house. “Poor kid.”

“Lucas, I want to thank you for staying with us last night. It meant a great deal to the both of us.” Hayley crossed her arms and smiled at him.

“You’re welcome.” He smirked. “I had fun.”

“So did I. We should do this again sometime.” Hayley nodded.

"Why don't I take you and Owain out to
dinner next week?" Lucas offered.

"Uhm, sure. I have to check which day though. Is that okay?" Hayley asked,

"Yeah, absolutely." Lucas looked at her.

"Owain will be glad to hear that.” Hayley said. “He seems to really like you.”

"Well, I really like him too.” Lucas smiled and dug in his pockets. He took out a card and handed it to Hayley. “Here's my card, you can call me once you’ve checked your schedule.”

“Thank you.” She reached out and took the card from him.

"See you around, Hayley." Lucas nodded at her and walked to his car.

"Wait." Hayley sighed and turned to him.

He looked at her and smiled slightly.

"Lucas, I'm a mom, you know." Hayley frowned.

“I know.” Lucas laughed and walked closer to her. "Hayley, it's just dinner. No expectations."

Hayley looked at him and found herself smiling slightly. "Okay. I’ll call you."

"Good." Lucas smiled at her.

“And Lucas?” She called out to him.

He looked at her and smiled slightly.

“Thank you, for being here, for everything.” She smiled at him.

“Like I said, any time. Call me if you need anything, I’ll be right over.” He gave her a soft smile and she watched him climb into his car. "Bye."

"Bye." She nodded and walked to the front d
oor and watched him drive away.

"She’s really hot." Nick took a beer out of the fridge and handed it to Lucas. "You should definitely see her again."

"I offered to take her to dinner, but she hasn’t said when yet.” Lucas took the beer from him and sat down on the couch. "At least I know where she lives."

"You can’t let a woman like that slip through your fingers, man." Nick shook his head.

Lucas nodded and looked at Nick with a laugh. "You know what she said to me before I left?"

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"She said that she's a mom." Lucas said.

"One good-looking mom." Nick nodded. "She probably meant that with the kid she has priorities."

"I realize that, but I just want to get to know her." Lucas frowned. “And her kid.”

"Noble gesture." Nick frowned.

Lucas shook his head and shoved at Nick's shoulder. "Shut up man. You wouldn't
understand."

"You're right, I don't." Nick frowned and took a sip of his beer. "How do you know there's not a boyfriend or a husband?"

"She wasn't wearing a ring." Lucas said. "And she said no when I asked."

“You asked?” Nick asked him in disbelief.

“Yeah, what’s the big deal?” Lucas looked at him.

"Just because she said there wasn’t doesn’t make it true..." Nick frowned. "Maybe she didn’t want to tell you, I mean, it’s not like she knows you.”

“No, I could tell. She got uncomfortable when I asked about a husband.” Lucas stared at the bottle in his hand.

“She can't be raising that kid by herself. There has to be a guy in the picture. She didn't make the kid all by herself." Nick took a sip of beer.

"Obviously." Lucas rolled his eyes and looked at Nick. “Nothing in her house indicates that there’s a husband, or even a boyfriend.”

“Just be careful man, you know what happened the last time.” Nick warned and sat back in the couch.

"You are my best friend, Nick, but sometimes I wish you would just stop caring so damn much." Lucas smiled at him.

"Sorry man." Nick grinned at him and grabbed the remote control. "So what's on TV today?"

Lucas shook his head at his friend and turned to the television, but he knew no matter how hard he tried, he would not be able to stop thinking about Hayley, or Owain.

“So are you going to call him?” Grace asked over the phone the Sunday morning.

“I don’t know.” Hayley looked at the business card in her hand and sighed.

“Come on, it’s just dinner, Hayley. Besides, Owain will be there.” Grace said.

“That’s exactly what I am worried about. You know how he likes to talk.” Hayley frowned and put the card down on the counter. “What if he embarrasses me?

“Honey, you drove into the guy’s car and let him sleep over at your house, how much more can Owain possibly embarrass you?” Grace laughed.

“Thanks for the moral support, Grace.” Hayley rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“You’re welcome. Let me know if you need help with an outfit.” Grace said.

“I can sort out my own outfit, thank you.” Hayley said with an exasperated tone.

“Yeah, okay.” Grace laughed. “Listen I have to go. Are we still on for the park later?”

“Yes, we are, one o’clock sharp.” Hayley nodded.

“I’ll see you then.” Grace said and she ended the call.

Hayley placed the receiver on the counter and stared at the business card. “Lucas Donovan.” She murmured to herself. She thought of his eyes and his tanned skin, the way the corners of his mouth curled before he smiled, the way he laughed, his muscular arms, the way he smelled when he sat down next to her on the carpet….

“Mom?” Owain’s voice snapped her abruptly out of her daydream and she jumped, knocking the phone off the counter. She scrambled to catch it and looked at Owain. He was still in his pajamas, looking at her sleepily and semi-puzzled.

“You scared me, baby.” Hayley said breathlessly, placing the phone on the counter and walked over to him.

“You’re scared a lot lately.” Owain shrugged.

“Do you want to talk about last night?” She knelt next to him.

“Not really, Mom.” Owain said.

“I gathered as much. I would have been
scared too.” Hayley asked.

“Why do you ask me something if you already know the answer?” Owain asked and rolled his eyes with a sigh.

“Because that’s what moms do.” Haley smiled at him. “You can tell me anything.”

“I was scared.” Owain looked at her.

“It’s okay to be scared, Owain.” Hayley ran her fingers through his hair. “Even I was scared.”

“You were scared too?” Owain asked.

“Of course I was. I was scared something bad happened to you.” Hayley ran her fingers through his hair.

“Then I would have been scared too if I was you.” Owain nodded.

“I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.” Hayley pulled him close and hugged him tight.

“I love you, Mom.” Owain said slightly breathless and Hayley let go of him.

“I love you too, baby.” Hayley smiled at him.

“Can I ask you a question, Mom?” Owain looked at her.

“Of course you can.” Hayley nodded.

“Where’s my dad?” Owain asked and Hayley let out a deep breath. “Everyone else’s dads live in the same house as they do. Where’s mine, Mom?”

“I don’t know where he is.” Hayley rubbed her eyes and inhaled slowly. “We had a big fight and he left.”

“A big fight? About what?” Owain tilted his head to her.

“About you.” Hayley said sadly.

“You fought over me?” Owain asked in disbelief.

“Yes.” Hayley nodded.

“Did he get mad because I was a boy?” Owain asked and looked at her.

“No, baby. He got mad because I was pregnant.” Hayley frowned.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Owain looked at his feet. “If it wasn’t for me, then he would have still been here.”

“Hey, don’t ever say that. Look at me.” Hayley lifted his chin and looked into his chocolate brown eyes. “I would not trade you for anything in the whole world, not even him. We don’t need him. You’ll always have me, and I will always love you, no matter what.”

“I will always love you too, Mom.” Owain put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her.

Hayley felt tears sting her eyes and she closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Mom.” Owain’s muffled voice was softer than usual.

“It’s okay, Owain.” Hayley held him a little tighter and a tear ran down her cheek.

“Mom?” Owain asked and lifted up his head.

“Yes, baby.” She looked at him.

“It was nice when Lucas was here.” He said.

“It was, wasn’t it?” She smiled at him.

“Can we ask him to go to the park with us?” Owain asked, his brown eyes hopeful.

“No, I’m sure he’s busy today.” Hayley frowned.

Owain tilted his head and looked at her with a slight frown. “You don’t like him?”

“No, I didn’t say that.” She frowned.

“So you do like him?” He asked.

“As long as you like him, I like him.” Hayley said diplomatically.

“So that’s a yes.” Owain leaned against the wall.

“Yes.” Hayley looked at him and crossed her arms.

“Good, because I want him around more.” Owain said. “He’s nice.”

“Okay.” She nodded and looked over at him.

“Can I have cereal now?” He asked.

“Sure baby.” She nodded and as he walked over to the cupboard, Hayley breathed a sigh of relief. Relief that he had stopped asking about his father, but for some strange reason, she was relieved that he wanted Lucas around, because secretly, so did she.

“After the babysitter saw me through the window, I made a run for it. It was too risky to hang around. I ditched before she could call the cops.” Carter said. “Luke seemed to have stayed the whole night.”

“What do you mean he stayed there the whole night?” Barry exclaimed loudly and paced around the room. “What was he doing there in the first place?”

“Do you think he knows?” Carter asked.

“I doubt it.” Smitty shook his head.

“Barry….” Al frowned.

“He’s Chad’s kid!” Barry snapped.

“We don’t know that for sure.” Cater frowned at him.

“He’s the splitting image of him, Carter! Are you blind?” Barry bellowed.

“What do you want us to do?” Smitty asked.

“I don’t want you to do anything. I’ll handle this myself.” Barry said.

Barry looked at the three men in front of him and crossed his arms angrily.

“What about Luke?” Smitty asked.

“I’ll also handle him.” Barry snarled and marched out of the room. “Keep an eye on them at all times!”

“Yes sir.” Carter nodded.

“So did you call him yet?” Grace asked when Owain was out of hearing range at the park.

“No.” Hayley shook her head and looked over at Owain.

“Did you tell Owain?” Grace asked.

“No.” Hayley looked at Grace.

“So what did you do for the last day?” Grace asked and looked at the children playing in the park.

“I found out that my child is more attentive than we initially thought.” Hayley looked at Grace.

“How do you mean?” Grace asked. “Did he notice how drunk you were when you got home?”

“He noticed how everyone’s father is around, except his, and he wanted to know why.” Hayley looked at Grace and stretched her legs out in front of her.

“Oh god.” Grace grimaced.

“Yeah, I should have seen that one coming.” Hayley frowned and put her sunglasses on.