“He’s signed his rights away, and don’t get me wrong I’m glad about that and I know Sirena is, but it had to be a low blow regardless of her feelings about him.”
“Does she still have feelings for him?” I shouldn’t ask but I want to know just what I’m dealing with when I tell Sirena to screw the age difference.
“She married him because she was told not to. She’s stubborn and doesn’t do well when told not to do something . . . so be warned.”
Moving toward Charlotte, I shove my hands into my pockets and smile. “That’s a good warning to have, I also know how to make her do what I want when she’s being stubborn.”
Charlotte rolls her eyes and laughs. “Yeah, well, she’ll figure you out soon enough.” She meets my gaze. “It was nice to see her smile, Garrett. For the first time in months I saw her really smile and that was when you walked in here and held her hand. It reached her eyes, and until I saw that last night, I hadn’t realized it was missing . . . tell her I’ve been by and I’ll go by the lake house and pack her some things.”
“Thank you, but why are you doing this? Pushing us together? I assumed that you wouldn’t want us together.”
Charlotte glances at the bathroom door before turning back to me. “Sirena already relies on you more than she does me. Although I’m not sure she realizes that yet.” She shakes her head. “I’m going before she comes out. Just take care of her, and when you swing by for her clothes, I’ll give you my number.”
I nod as Charlotte walks out and leaves me alone with my thoughts, and anger. How the hell could anyone want to give up his rights to his child? I’ll never understand anyone who does that. At my age I’d give anything to have what her husband had.
8
Sirena
Garrett’s home is beautiful, with nothing but rolling hills of greenery for company just outside of Lexington, Kentucky. The large house is painted white with a wraparound porch that I love especially when I spot two rocking chairs to the left of the front door.
“What do you think?” Garrett asks.
I turn to face him and smile, feeling so happy and finally free to be myself—something that I’d always struggled with while being with Harry.
Taking his hand that rests on his thigh, I intertwine our fingers. “Your home is beautiful, and it reminds me of my grandparents farm.” I kiss his knuckles and bring his hand to my cheek. “I feel as though I can finally breathe here with you.”
He frowns and to my relief, changes the subject with his question, “Are you hungry?”
“I might be.” I smile.
He grins and the smile crinkles the corners of his eyes, making my heart thump in my chest. “Stay put while I come around and get you.” He quickly comes around to my side and opening the door, he slides one arm beneath my legs and the other around my back. “Doctor’s orders.”
“I’m not about to complain.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “I love being this close to you.” I nuzzle into his neck causing him to stumble.
“I think you better stop that before I drop you.”
“You won’t drop me.” I know this is the truth.
He doesn’t say anything else until he’s placed me on the sofa. “You need to let me go,” he says because my arms are still around him.”
“I don’t want to. I think you need to come down here with me.”
His eyes heat and the hands on my hips tremble. “Sirena,” he moans, closing his eyes.
“I’m still going to be here when you open those mesmerizing eyes.”
“Mesmerizing, huh?” he grins and crouches between my legs. His arms rest against the side of my thighs and his hands slide around to my bottom. “I have a feeling that having you here is going to cause me a whole lot of trouble, not to mention, keep me in a permanent state of arousal.”
I chuckle and tease. “Arousal? I like the sound of that.”
“You would,” he mumbles, shaking his head while backing away from me his eyes full of mirth. “I need to go and grab your things from the car.”
“I’m curious as to how long you told Charlotte I would be here because three suitcases is a lot, even for me.”
He watches me carefully and a delightful blush coats his cheekbones. “We’ll see.” With those two words uttered, he dashes out of the front door and a few minutes later I hear him placing the cases by the door.
Settling back into the soft cushions of the cream sofa, I kick my shoes off and curl my legs under me. Right now I feel that everything is new and exciting, but at the same time there is a nervous flutter in my belly wondering what’s going to happen in the future. In three months I’m going to have a son or daughter to look after and I can’t get past the fact that it would be a lot to ask of anyone to take on with me.