Chapter Ten:
Hank smiled to himself as he remembered the look of pure horror on Gwen's face when she laid eyes on Jake last night when he took him home. Covered in mud from head to toe.
Obviously, Gwen had never known the joy of making mud pies as a child, he mused. Getting down and dirty. No, he guessed wallowing in the mud was frowned upon at those high-priced boarding schools. He was relieved Gwen had rejected the idea of sending Jake thousands of miles away. For his education. And to refine him, Rebecca Hotchkiss always said with such disdain. He couldn't stand that woman.
Rebecca had been aghast to learn of Gwen's pregnancy. By Hank Bennett. A commoner. But Gwen stood her ground. And it didn't matter to her that Jake was the result of a one-night stand. A night where they took comfort in each other. Gwen was looking to banish her hurt over Ethan's callous treatment. He was just drowning in self-pity. What a perfect pair they were. Both running from their past hurt. Past mistakes. Maybe their actions had been wrong. But Jake was most definitely not a mistake.
He'd proposed out of a sense of duty. Compelled to not screw up. Yet again. But Gwen had seen right through him and turned him down flat. Determined to make it on her own. Not to make the same mistake twice. So...they became friends. And parents.
Jake had two loving parents. Two loving parents too afraid to fall in love. For Gwen, a second time. He'd never really fallen in love. Until he met his son. The love he felt for Jake was more fulfilling than any romantic love could be, he reminded himself everytime Rebecca lined up a new suitor for Gwen. To erase the damage she'd done to her standing in society. An attempt to make people forget about her indescretion.
How did a man go about telling the mother of his child he thought he could be falling in love with her without sounding like a fool? He was dying to know the answer to that question. Surely, she'd laugh in his face. They were great friends. And as unlikely as it seemed, greater parents. Could they have more?
It was all too much. Too much for him to handle. Too much for him to risk, he thought as he watched Gwen walk through the Book Cafe holding their son's hand tightly. He forgot all his troubles when he saw Jake's toothy smile. Saw his brown eyes light up at the sight of him. All his worries washed away--if only momentarily--as he hugged Jake close. He would think about it later. Right now was all that mattered. He had to make the present count.
Hank smiled to himself as he remembered the look of pure horror on Gwen's face when she laid eyes on Jake last night when he took him home. Covered in mud from head to toe.
Obviously, Gwen had never known the joy of making mud pies as a child, he mused. Getting down and dirty. No, he guessed wallowing in the mud was frowned upon at those high-priced boarding schools. He was relieved Gwen had rejected the idea of sending Jake thousands of miles away. For his education. And to refine him, Rebecca Hotchkiss always said with such disdain. He couldn't stand that woman.
Rebecca had been aghast to learn of Gwen's pregnancy. By Hank Bennett. A commoner. But Gwen stood her ground. And it didn't matter to her that Jake was the result of a one-night stand. A night where they took comfort in each other. Gwen was looking to banish her hurt over Ethan's callous treatment. He was just drowning in self-pity. What a perfect pair they were. Both running from their past hurt. Past mistakes. Maybe their actions had been wrong. But Jake was most definitely not a mistake.
He'd proposed out of a sense of duty. Compelled to not screw up. Yet again. But Gwen had seen right through him and turned him down flat. Determined to make it on her own. Not to make the same mistake twice. So...they became friends. And parents.
Jake had two loving parents. Two loving parents too afraid to fall in love. For Gwen, a second time. He'd never really fallen in love. Until he met his son. The love he felt for Jake was more fulfilling than any romantic love could be, he reminded himself everytime Rebecca lined up a new suitor for Gwen. To erase the damage she'd done to her standing in society. An attempt to make people forget about her indescretion.
How did a man go about telling the mother of his child he thought he could be falling in love with her without sounding like a fool? He was dying to know the answer to that question. Surely, she'd laugh in his face. They were great friends. And as unlikely as it seemed, greater parents. Could they have more?
It was all too much. Too much for him to handle. Too much for him to risk, he thought as he watched Gwen walk through the Book Cafe holding their son's hand tightly. He forgot all his troubles when he saw Jake's toothy smile. Saw his brown eyes light up at the sight of him. All his worries washed away--if only momentarily--as he hugged Jake close. He would think about it later. Right now was all that mattered. He had to make the present count.