promised. "Funny thing, your mother forgot to tell me your name."
"Michael."
Sean looked over at Valerie's pale face. "Michael?" he questioned softly.
"All of my name is Sean Michael Hunter, Jr.," Michael said proudly, unaware of the tension between the two adults. "I'm named after my daddy." He jumped out of the car, skipping toward the entrance, then breaking into a run for the stairs.
"Michael, be careful," Valerie called after him, anxious to break the tension.
Sean's steely grip held her back. "You have a lot to make up for, lady," he said through clenched teeth. "It's ironic that you wouldn't tell me about my son, yet you named him after me."
She wrenched her arm free, her green eyes blazing with anger before walking ahead of him. At the apartment door, Sean took her key, inserting it into the lock and opening the door.
"Go get your pajamas on and brush your teeth," she told Michael before turning to Sean. "I'll be in in a few minutes." He merely nodded as he sat on the couch, looking entirely at home.
Valerie quickly made a phone call to Mrs. Rogers, who told her she'd be over in twenty minutes. Val had been tempted to tell Sean she couldn't find anyone to watch Michael, but she knew he wouldn't let her escape so easily.
Since he was dressed in casual slacks and shirt, she chose a pair of powder-blue slacks and a cream-colored shirt with faint blue stripes running through it. She quickly freshened her makeup and ran a brush through her dark hair. After quickly spraying some perfume around her, Valerie walked into the living room, surprised to see Michael, in his pajamas, sitting cross- legged on the couch talking animatedly to Sean. He turned around, grinning at his mother.
"I brushed my teeth," he informed her. "He has the same name as me." He pointed to Sean.
"As I, and don't point," Valerie corrected. "I suggest you get into bed—now."
Michael slid off the couch and turned to Sean, his small hand outstretched. "Good night," he said solemnly.
"Good night, Michael," Sean said gravely.
Michael then walked to his mother, arms out for a kiss, before going into his bedroom. Valerie was relieved when the doorbell rang, dispensing with the need for any conversation with Sean. Mrs. Rogers' sharp eyes looked Sean over, noticing the resemblance to Michael. "Don't worry if you're late, dear." She smiled warmly at Valerie, her eyes still on the handsome man standing nearby. "I have no plans."
Valerie groaned inwardly, reading Mrs. Rogers' thoughts on seeing her with the man who must be Michael's father.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice." She smiled, preceding Sean out the front door.
In the parking lot, he courteously helped her into the car, his touch impersonal. Valerie was surprised by Sean's knowledge of the city as he drove through an older section of town, stopping at a Mexican restaurant famous for its fine food. She had never been there, as Craig, on their occasional dates, preferred to take her to American-style restaurants. Here she could appreciate the quiet simplicity of the low, fat red candles burning at each table and the old-fashioned black-and-white photographs, depicting the early days of the city, on the walls.
When they had been seated, the waitress asked if they wanted drinks before dinner, and Valerie quickly requested a vodka-and-tonic. Sean asked for a particular brand of Irish whiskey. After the waitress took the rest of their order, she left them and Sean laced his fingers in front of him, resting his elbows on the table. "Were you afraid I'd forget you're of age now?" He cocked an amused eyebrow.
"I wouldn't expect you to remember anything at all about me." Her voice sounded calmer than she felt.
A hardening of Sean's features was the only sign that he had been affected by her remark. "You seem to have acquired the look of someone who's been around. They'll believe you're of age," he said cruelly.
Valerie whitened under the ruthless gaze. She began to rise from the table,
"Michael."
Sean looked over at Valerie's pale face. "Michael?" he questioned softly.
"All of my name is Sean Michael Hunter, Jr.," Michael said proudly, unaware of the tension between the two adults. "I'm named after my daddy." He jumped out of the car, skipping toward the entrance, then breaking into a run for the stairs.
"Michael, be careful," Valerie called after him, anxious to break the tension.
Sean's steely grip held her back. "You have a lot to make up for, lady," he said through clenched teeth. "It's ironic that you wouldn't tell me about my son, yet you named him after me."
She wrenched her arm free, her green eyes blazing with anger before walking ahead of him. At the apartment door, Sean took her key, inserting it into the lock and opening the door.
"Go get your pajamas on and brush your teeth," she told Michael before turning to Sean. "I'll be in in a few minutes." He merely nodded as he sat on the couch, looking entirely at home.
Valerie quickly made a phone call to Mrs. Rogers, who told her she'd be over in twenty minutes. Val had been tempted to tell Sean she couldn't find anyone to watch Michael, but she knew he wouldn't let her escape so easily.
Since he was dressed in casual slacks and shirt, she chose a pair of powder-blue slacks and a cream-colored shirt with faint blue stripes running through it. She quickly freshened her makeup and ran a brush through her dark hair. After quickly spraying some perfume around her, Valerie walked into the living room, surprised to see Michael, in his pajamas, sitting cross- legged on the couch talking animatedly to Sean. He turned around, grinning at his mother.
"I brushed my teeth," he informed her. "He has the same name as me." He pointed to Sean.
"As I, and don't point," Valerie corrected. "I suggest you get into bed—now."
Michael slid off the couch and turned to Sean, his small hand outstretched. "Good night," he said solemnly.
"Good night, Michael," Sean said gravely.
Michael then walked to his mother, arms out for a kiss, before going into his bedroom. Valerie was relieved when the doorbell rang, dispensing with the need for any conversation with Sean. Mrs. Rogers' sharp eyes looked Sean over, noticing the resemblance to Michael. "Don't worry if you're late, dear." She smiled warmly at Valerie, her eyes still on the handsome man standing nearby. "I have no plans."
Valerie groaned inwardly, reading Mrs. Rogers' thoughts on seeing her with the man who must be Michael's father.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice." She smiled, preceding Sean out the front door.
In the parking lot, he courteously helped her into the car, his touch impersonal. Valerie was surprised by Sean's knowledge of the city as he drove through an older section of town, stopping at a Mexican restaurant famous for its fine food. She had never been there, as Craig, on their occasional dates, preferred to take her to American-style restaurants. Here she could appreciate the quiet simplicity of the low, fat red candles burning at each table and the old-fashioned black-and-white photographs, depicting the early days of the city, on the walls.
When they had been seated, the waitress asked if they wanted drinks before dinner, and Valerie quickly requested a vodka-and-tonic. Sean asked for a particular brand of Irish whiskey. After the waitress took the rest of their order, she left them and Sean laced his fingers in front of him, resting his elbows on the table. "Were you afraid I'd forget you're of age now?" He cocked an amused eyebrow.
"I wouldn't expect you to remember anything at all about me." Her voice sounded calmer than she felt.
A hardening of Sean's features was the only sign that he had been affected by her remark. "You seem to have acquired the look of someone who's been around. They'll believe you're of age," he said cruelly.
Valerie whitened under the ruthless gaze. She began to rise from the table,
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