Free For the Sake of Their Son by Catherine Mann Page A

challenge—finding a way to parent while Elliot competed in the Formula One circuit. A different country every week—Spain, Monaco, Canada, England. Parties and revelry and yes, decadence, too. She felt guilty for enjoying it all, but she couldn’t deny that she’d missed the travel, experiencing different cultures without a concern for cost. Plus, his close-knit group of friends gave them a band of companionship no matter what corner of the earth he traveled to during racing season.
    She sank deeper into the luxury of the leather sofa, the sleek chrome-and-white interior familiar from their countless trips in the past, with one tremendous exception. Their son was secured into his car seat beside her, sleeping in his new race car pj’s with a lamb’s wool blanket draped over his legs. She touched his impossibly soft cheek, stroking his chubby features with a soothing hand, cupping his head, the dusting of blond hair so like his father’s.
    Her eyes skated to Elliot standing in the open bulkhead, talking to the pilot. Her former best friend and boss grew hotter with each year that passed—not fair. That didn’t stop her from taking in the sight of him in low-slung jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Italian leather loafers. He looked every bit the world-famous race car driver and heartthrob.
    How long would Elliot’s resolution to build a family life for Eli last? Maybe that’s what this trip was about. Proving to him it couldn’t be done. She wouldn’t keep his son from him, but she refused to expose her child to a chaotic life. Eli needed and deserved stability.
    And what did she want?
    She pressed a hand to her stomach, her belly full of butterflies that had nothing to do with a jolt of turbulence. Just the thought of kissing Elliot last night... She dug her fingers into the supple leather sofa to keep from reaching for him as he walked toward her.
    “Would you like something to eat or drink?” he asked, pausing by the kitchenette. “Or something to read?”
    She knew from prior trips that he kept a well-stocked library of the classics as well as the latest bestsellers loaded on ereaders for himself and fellow travelers. In school, he’d always won the class contest for most books read in a year. He told her once those stories offered him an escape from his day-to-day life.
    “No, thank you. The brunch before we left was amazing.”
    True enough, although she hadn’t actually eaten much. She’d been so caught up in replaying the night before. In watching his friends’ happy marriages with their children and babies on the way until her heart ached from all she wanted for her son.
    For herself, as well.
    Elliot slid onto the sofa beside her, leaning over her to adjust the blanket covering Eli’s legs. “Tell me about his routine.”
    She sat upright, not expecting that question at all. “You want to know about Eli’s schedule? Why?”
    “He’s my son.” His throat moved with a long swallow of emotion at the simple sentence. “I should know what he needs.”
    “He has a mom, and he even has a nanny now.” The British nanny was currently in the sleeping quarters reading or napping or whatever nannies did when they realized mothers needed a breather from having them around all the time.
    Elliot tapped Lucy Ann’s chin until she looked at him again. “And he has a dad.”
    “Of course,” she agreed, knowing it was best for Eli, but unused to sharing him. “If you’re asking for diaper duty, you’re more than welcome to it.”
    Would he realize her halfhearted attempt at a joke was meant to ease this tenacious tension between them? They used to be so in tune with each other.
    “Diaper duty? Um, I was thinking about feeding and naps, that kind of thing.”
    “He breastfeeds,” she said bluntly.
    His eyes fell to her chest. The stroke of his gaze made her body hum as tangibly as the airplane engines.
    Elliot finally cleared his throat and said, “Well, that could