Skylar was maternal in a way his mother had not been. She was civilized with antiquated charm. She was everything good, and he wanted to bask in the light she’d brought into their world.
After lunch, they chatted for a little longer, and he resented having to go back to work. She and Addy were making Christmas cards today, and he wanted to stay and watch them work.
He’d always taken an interest in his daughter’s life, but before Skylar, that interest had mostly revolved around her safety and security. He never wanted her to feel ashamed of who she was. As a parent, his priority had always been making sure she had nice clothing, a safe home, and food in her belly.
But, to Skylar, caring for a child was so much more. She covered the basics, such as food and shelter, but she brought something more to the table, something he didn’t know how to deliver. Everything Skylar did, no matter if it was something as simple as making a sandwich, she did with love.
Skylar loved. She injected love into every task and every chore. She listened with love in her eyes and spoke lovingly when she addressed others. The girl emanated love, and he, once again, felt like a thief because he was stealing all that love she offered with no chance of offering anything quite as valuable in return.
He was empty, unsure where people found such affection. Sooner or later, she’d discover the hollow secrets he hid. She’d learn that, like Jasper Falls, the illusion of normalcy was just an impression. Beneath the surface, he was nothing more than a basic man—a greedy one at that.
“The other night…”
Her words stole his attention and he held his breath waiting for her to finish her thought. He grinned when her face flushed with a fiery blush.
She drew in a breath and glanced at her lap. “You said that we…wouldn’t see other people. Did you mean that?”
Hot-blooded male ego thrummed through his veins. He’d never been a territorial man. Never had a right to anyone that he could be territorial with.
“I won’t share you.” It wasn’t sensible and he had no right to be so demanding, but something dark and greedy inside of him knew he’d kill anyone who tried to take her away from him.
Rather that appear concerned by his possessiveness, she smirked. “Well, I don’t want to share you, either.”
“You won’t have to.” All she had to do was accept him for who he was. It wasn’t a tall order, yet no one had ever accomplished such a feat. Paranoia crept in. “Just…be honest with me.”
She nodded. “Maybe now is a good time to discuss our past. I know you’ve been with Addison’s mom, but I don’t know if there’s been anyone else.”
His mind thrust a wall up, as if he could somehow protect himself from her questions. He stood and put on his coat. “It’s getting late. I have a meeting—”
“Then we can finish this conversation after work. I want to know you, Rhett.”
An uncomfortable knot formed in his gut. He briefly pressed a kiss to her lips and carried his plate to the sink. He didn’t want to have this conversation now and he didn’t want to have it after work.
“There’s nothing to know.”
“Sure, there is. Who were you before you were the mayor of Jasper Falls? Where did you live? Who was Addison’s mom? Were you married? Did you love her?”
Love… The word landed like a grenade, pin pulled and spoiling the peaceful moment with the impending threat of disaster. Time to go.
“I worked with hedge funds before moving here and I lived in a lot of different places, none of them half as nice as Jasper Falls. I’ve never been married and Addison’s mom is a person who lives in my past where she belongs. She didn’t love me and I didn’t love her, but she’ll always be Addy’s mother and that means something. Now, I have to go. Thanks for lunch.”
He could see his cold, blunt response hurt her feelings, but he’d given her as much as he could manage. He hated feeling vulnerable and her questions left him exposed.
Why couldn’t she just accept him, no questions asked? Why did she have to probe into his past? If she dug too deep, she’d end up like all the rest and he wasn’t ready to lose her.
He hesitated at the door, looking back and reading the confusion in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just not…good with sharing.”
“Okay.”
But it wasn’t okay. He felt like a total jerk. He wished he could give her something but he wasn’t sure he had anything of real value to give. She deserved better.
Walking back to her, he kissed her softly, letting his affection come across in the caress. She smiled, the expression genuine and full of forgiveness he didn’t deserve.