Page 72 of Loving Kai

“Come in here and hold on to this damn thing. It’s rusted together.”

Abe tucked the letter into his pocket, then went to help John remove the cap from an old water tank. “Why do you need the cap off? This thing looks useless.”

“Nothing is useless, son. Everything, even trash, can be used for something.”

With a few more bangs from the hammer and a couple of swear words, the cap dropped to the floor. Abe stepped back and looked at the rusty water tank. “I’d love to know what use you have for this.”

John set the tank on a shelf full of a collection of other stuff Abe would definitely label junk. “I’ll know it when the time comes.”

“Okay.” Abe took the paper from his pocket. “We got the results of the paternity test.”

“Hmm.”

“Would you like to read it?”

“No. I know what it says.”

Abe smiled. “You do, huh?”

“I knew that boy was a Buchanan the minute I laid eyes on him.”

“Even though he’s the only blonde in the family?”

“Even so. Milo was quite fair as a child. Not as blond as Kai. But not dark like the rest of you.”

“Mom says she doesn’t have a favorite son. How about you?”

John cocked his head. “My favorite child is whichever one is out in this garage with me or in the orchard at any given moment.”

“So, currently…”

“You would qualify.”

“Yes.”

John smiled. “I’m sure it’s comforting to get the confirmation from the lab, but that boy was yours from the moment you took him in your arms.”

“I don’t know why everyone is so confident of that.”

John wiped his hands on a towel. “How do you feel when you’re holding him?”

“Like…I could kill anyone who might mess with him.”

“There you go.” He held up a finger. “But of course, you can’t literally do that.”

“Right. Maybe I could just mess them up a little bit.”

“Abraham.”

“Just kidding.”

“Now, get back inside and fawn over all the stuff your mother brought home.”

“She kind of overdid it.”

“That’s your mother.”

When Abe returned to the house, Kai was sitting in the middle of the room crying while Allie picked up the various items he’d pulled from the bags.