Page 12 of Winning the Dad

Of course. “I agree. Smart choice.”

We didn’t get a chance to say anything else as we were invited into the chapel because the ceremony was about to start. I sat next to Jack as Lucas and Romero exchanged vows, and despite the somewhat tacky decor of the wedding chapel, the moment touched me deeply. Watching my son promise everlasting love and fidelity hit me hard, and a little sniff escaped me. A broad shoulder leaned against mine in quiet comfort, followed by a sturdy knee, and they stayed there for the rest of the brief ceremony.

When the grooms kissed, Jack and I applauded, and I discreetly dabbed the tears from my eyes. God, I wished them all the happiness in the world. I was rooting for them, and Jack was also beaming like a proud father.

I hugged Lucas tightly, my eyes moist again. “I’m so happy for you, kiddo. Wishing you both a happily ever after.”

“Thanks, Dad. You showed me how it should be.”

I leaned back. “I did?”

“Even after everything Justin did, you still refuse to speak badly of him to me. You’ve always tried to shield me from the truth, and while that upset me at the time, I can now see it for what it was. You were trying to protect me.”

I blew out a deep breath. “Despite everything, he’s still your father.”

Lucas shrugged. “That’s debatable. In name maybe, but not in any other way. You’ve always been my dad, even before you got divorced.”

He wasn’t wrong, and I’d always wondered why. Was it because I was Lucas’s biological father? Justin had known that from the get-go and assured me he wanted kids, but had he?

“I’ve always tried to do right by you,” I said softly.

“You have, Dad. I didn’t see it at the time, but you did.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

I hugged Romero next. “Please take good care of him. He has such a big, vulnerable heart.”

Romero nodded. “I promise.”

Knowing he was Jack’s son made me feel more reassured than I would have otherwise. If he took after his dad even a little—and now I also knew who Romero had reminded me of because seeing him next to his dad made the resemblance unmistakable—he would treat Lucas well.

“We have reservations for lunch,” Lucas said. “For the four of us.”

“Lead the way,” I said.

Lucas and Romero walked hand in hand in front of us, sneaking loving glances at each other. My belly went all weak.

“They look good together,” Jack said. “Very much in love.”

“They do. I’m glad my son has better taste in men than me.”

“Wow, was I that bad?”

Jack sounded hurt, and it took me a moment to figure out why. “Jesus, not you. I was talking about my ex-husband, Justin. Lucas’s other father.”

“Oh, okay.”

I put a hand on his arm. “You have nothing to worry about. You were”— Special. Unforgettable. The single best hookup I’d ever had—“great.”

“Thank you. So were you, in case I hadn’t told you yet.”

“Mmm, I think the way you screamed my name after you came for the third time was a pretty good indication you were enjoying it.”

Jack made a strangled sound that made Lucas and Romero turn around, so he quickly covered his mouth and coughed loudly. “Damn smoke.”

The boys set off again, and Jack bumped my shoulder. “You can’t say shit like that. Not in public.”

“You want me to say it in private?”