Chapter 81 UNEXPECTED DATE
Kelvin’s POV
“Jaxon? What are you doing here?” Nancy asked, confusion clearly spreading across her face.
I frowned slightly.
Since when did they become close enough for her to call him by his first name?
“Uncle Jaxon!”
Before I could even react, Renna slipped her small hand out of mine and ran straight toward him.
Jaxon bent down and lifted her easily into his arms, holding her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
My jaw tightened.
Just moments ago, everything had been perfect.
After leaving the hotel, the day had finally started looking up. Watching Renna’s face light up when she saw both her mother and me arriving just before her little performance on stage had made the entire trip worth it.
She had been glowing with excitement as she showed us the things she had learned while working on the farm with her grandmother—explaining every little detail proudly to us and the other parents.
Then afterward, we had gone for ice cream.
She talked endlessly about her birthday tomorrow, her eyes shining with so much excitement that it was impossible not to smile.
For a moment…
Everything felt simple.
Peaceful.
Like we were finally a family.
But then Jaxon appeared.
And just like that, the peace was gone.
The sight of him standing there, holding Renna so comfortably, made something ugly twist inside my chest.
Anger.
Hot. Sharp. Unwelcome.
It boiled inside me knowing he was getting closer to them.
Closer to my family.
And the worst part?
It was all because of me.
Because of the things I had done.
And I had had enough of it.
Nancy’s POV
My eyes moved from Jaxon to Mom.
Jaxon’s full attention was on Renna, so I turned to Mom instead, silently asking her with my eyes what was going on.
But Mom simply stood there smiling.
Brightly.
Almost… strangely.
I didn’t understand it.
She kept glancing from Jaxon to Renna and then back to me, that same cheerful smile never leaving her face.
It only made my confusion grow.
“Hey, princess,” Jaxon said softly.
Renna immediately began excitedly telling him about everything that had happened today.
Every little detail.
Every moment.
He listened carefully, his attention completely focused on her.
And when she proudly showed him the gold medal hanging around her neck, his face lit up with genuine pride.
“You did amazing,” he told her warmly.
Watching the way he praised her…
The way Renna’s face brightened even more under his words…
Made something inside my chest ache.
A deep, painful ache that had been haunting me all day.
Because for the first time…
I was seeing something I had tried so hard to ignore.
The role a father could play in Renna’s life.
The joy.
The pride.
The support.
And yet…
I was the one depriving her of it.
“Nancy, can I have a chat with you for a moment?” Mum said before heading toward the poultry house.
I followed after her, leaving Jaxon and Renna behind as they continued talking.
“Mum, were you the one who called him over?” I asked, my gaze still fixed on Jaxon from a distance.
The way he was dressed immediately told me he had been heading somewhere important. His suit was too formal for a casual visit.
So why was he here?
And more importantly…
Was he feeling better now?
“No, I didn’t,” Mum replied casually. “He’s either here to see you or he’s here to finalize the buying of the ranch.”
But even as she spoke, I couldn’t bring myself to look away from Jaxon and Renna.
Especially when Renna suddenly burst into giggles at something he had said, covering her face shyly as she laughed.
The sound was so pure… so carefree…
That I couldn’t stop the small smile that formed on my own lips.
“Do you like him that much?”
Mum’s voice broke through my thoughts.
For a moment, my brain didn’t even register what she had said.
Then her words finally sank in.
My head snapped toward her in shock.
While I stood there stunned, Mum only smiled—wide and knowing.
I couldn’t understand her.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw my mother look at me like that… with so much warmth and curiosity.
“I must confess,” she continued with a soft chuckle, “he’s really good with kids. I mean, even with that expensive suit of his, he doesn’t seem to mind that Renna’s dusty shoes are staining it.”
She moved toward the feeding crates and began pouring food for the chickens as if she hadn’t just said something that completely threw me off balance.
“Yeah… he is,” I admitted quietly.
“But I only have business with him. Right now, the only thing between us is figuring out how to save the ranch.”
But even as the words left my mouth…
They didn’t sound convincing.
Not even to me.
Just then, I noticed Kelvin walking toward us from the house.
“Mum, I’ll go see Mr. Lennox and find out what he wants,” I said quickly. “I’m pretty sure he’s here to pick up Alba.”
She nodded, but just before I could walk away, she added—
“Invite him over tomorrow for Renna’s birthday.”
I froze.
“What?” I turned back to her, completely baffled. “Why would you say that?”
“Because he’s Renna’s friend,” she said with a shrug. “And I’m sure she would like him around.”
“Mum, he’s a busy man,” I replied, shaking my head. “I can’t just invite him over like that.”
Without waiting for her response, I turned and walked toward Kelvin.
He looked… upset.
Tired, maybe.
“Thank you so much for today, Kelvin,” I said sincerely as he handed me the chocolate cake Renna had insisted on getting after winning her class performance. “I owe you one.”
“Nah, I didn’t do anything,” he replied with a small smile.
“I only made a promise… forgetting how smart Renna can be.”
I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
I could tell he had something else he wanted to say, but he was clearly hesitating.
“You can say what you want to say, Kelvin,” I told him, offering him a small knowing smile.
His jaw tightened slightly before he finally asked,
“Why is he here?”
There was a hardness in his voice that hadn’t been there before.
“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “But I’m about to find out.”
Together, we began walking back toward Jaxon.
But the moment I stood in front of him, I realized something that surprised even me.
The first thing on my mind wasn’t the ranch…
Or why he had suddenly shown up.
It was his health.
“Are you here to pick up Alba?” I asked as he gently set Renna down.
But before he could respond, Renna grabbed onto his left hand and looked up at him with one of her dramatic pitiful expressions, tugging lightly at his fingers.
“As a matter of fact, no,” he said slowly, his gaze locking onto mine. “I was actually going to ask if you could take care of Alba one more day. I’ll come pick him up tomorrow.”
His eyes didn’t leave mine as he spoke.
Even now, he still looked a little pale.
Though some color had returned to his face compared to earlier… when he had collapsed.
“Yes, I’m sure Renna would love having Alba around,” Mum’s voice suddenly came from behind me before I could answer.
Even then, Jaxon’s questioning gaze remained fixed on me.
Waiting.
“Fine,” I finally said, shooting Mum a brief side glance. “You can come pick him up tomorrow.”
Renna was the first to react.
She practically jumped with excitement.
“Come on, Renna,” Mum said, calling her over while taking her hand. “Let’s let the adults have their conversation. Why don’t we go make dinner?”
But just as I thought that was the end of it, Mum suddenly stopped and turned back toward Jaxon.
He had already muttered a quiet thank you to her.
“You know tomorrow is Renna’s birthday,” Mum added casually. “And you’re invited.”
I froze.
“Maybe you and Kelvin could get to know each other and become friends,” she continued with a bright smile. “You know, someone could easily mistake you two for brothers.”
Kelvin stiffened beside me.
“See you tomorrow,” Mum said cheerfully before adding, “and we’ll talk about the ranch next time.”
Then she walked away with Renna.
Leaving me completely stunned.
I stood there staring after her, completely baffled.
What had gotten into her today?
Her behavior was… unusual.
Very unusual.
Shaking the strange feeling away, I decided it would be best to dismiss both men so I could finally get some rest.
It had been a long day.
And the tension between the two of them was impossible to ignore.
“Kelvin, let’s talk later,” I told him. “I’ll call you in the morning so we can go shopping.”
“Will you be okay?” he asked.
His eyes briefly shifted toward Jaxon, giving him a not-so-friendly look before returning to me.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I assured him softly. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
He nodded slowly before turning to leave.
But not before throwing Jaxon one last knowing look.
Well…
I guess I’m not the only one angry at Jaxon about the ranch.
Even though he had already offered to help save it.
“Well,” Jaxon suddenly said, his gaze still lingering on Kelvin’s retreating figure, “looks like you’ve got yourself a personal bodyguard.”
A teasing smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“How wonderful.”
“How are you feeling?” I asked, finally dragging my attention away from the tension between them. “Are you sure you’re fit to attend the opening?”
“I feel fine,” he replied. “Though I wish I could skip the opening… unfortunately, I can’t.”
“Well, you better get going then,” I told him. “Or you’ll be late.”
He immediately checked his wristwatch before giving a small nod.
“Yeah… I better get going.”
But the way he looked at me made it clear there was something else on his mind.
Something he wasn’t sure how to say.
I watched as he started walking toward the gate.
Halfway there, he suddenly stopped.
Then turned around.
And walked back to me.
“I didn’t come for Alba,” he said quietly.
Our eyes met.
“I came because I wanted to see you.”
Something shifted in his eyes as he said those words.
Something intense.
Something undeniable.
That same pull.
That same dangerous tension I kept telling myself I wasn’t supposed to feel.
Yet there it was… staring right back at me from his eyes.
But his next words only made everything worse.
“Would you be my date tonight?” he asked softly.
“I don’t think I can make it… if I go alone.”