Chapter 175: Chloe

"Mommy, who was that man?"

Chloe's heart twisted at Tommy's question. He hadn't called her'Mommy' for a couple of years, so it showed just how frightened he was to have reverted to the more childish name. Licking her lips, she hesitated, searching for an answer she could give him. No way was she going to blurt out that Dawson was his father.

As far as Tommy knew, she had parted ways with his father before his birth, and before the other man had known about him. That was the truth, but she'd made it sound a lot more romantic – and a lot longer – than the one-night...whatever that was that she'd shared with Dawson.

Chloe snorted softly. Shared. Yeah, good one.

"Mommy?"

With a sigh, she said, "He's someone I used to know, honey. I just...uh...didn't want to talk to him again."