He was biting back a grin but sobered and nodded in the direction of the house. “Where’s your dad tonight?”
I snorted. “Ironically, David’s on James Kade babysitting duty.”
Nate’s eyes got big. “Analise’s ex-husband is helping to watch over the current husband? I knew it was bad when you first called me in, but man. I had no idea it was that bad that even Malinda and David got pulled into this shit.”
I sighed, remembering the first phone call, and my gut tightened. “If he had only cheated on her, it might not have been this bad, but it wasn’t just a cheat. It was a full second family. Mason and I have two little brothers with another mother who wants nothing to do with James, Mason, or me. And Helen is her fucking best friend, spewing only God knows what hatred for our dad.”
“He didn’t just lose 100k. He lost the whole fucking bank, in other words.”
I nodded, feeling my gut shriveling up and tightening and starting to try to swallow itself.
I wasn’t James Kade.
I wouldn’t be James Kade.
I’d never do that shit to Taylor.
Ever.
I just needed to believe it now.
But first things first, I stood and glanced at Nate. “I need to figure out what’s going on with my woman.”
He gave me a slight nod back. “Why the fuck are you still standing here? Do an eighth of what that woman does for you and take care of her. Clean her jar.”
I threw him a frown because what the fuck?
He just smiled at me, tipping his beer back and taking a drag.
Okay then.
Mission Clean Her Jar was about to commence, whatever that meant.
13
Taylor
Logan was coming my way, and I knew that face. He realized something was ‘off’ with me, and he was coming to fix it, no matter what it was.
No, no, no.
I needed to tell him about the baby, but not tonight, not here, not in this way.
I knew. I just knew he was feeling certain ways because of the recent James Kade drama, and I could see the second-guessing eating at him.
He was scared he would hurt me how his dad had hurt the women in his life, but Logan never got it. Not completely.
Logan would never do what his dad had done. And because he was so scared of that, he went overboard sometimes helping others because he didn’t want to be his dad in any way.
I didn’t want to tackle that issue tonight.
I didn’t want to be the one to turn the tables and scrape away his struggles, but I also didn’t want to tell him about the baby.
I wanted that night to be amazing and perfect, and tonight in Fallen Crest, when we weren’t alone, it wasn’t that night.
I don’t know. Maybe I was being stupid. Perhaps I should just blurt it out, but Logan didn’t want children. He had told me going into so much detail about how he never wanted to do to his children what his parents had done to him and Mason.
I got it.
So yeah. I was still hoping for the perfect night, though. But I was starting to think that night would never happen.
He came over and pulled me to my feet. He took my drink, handing it to Quincey as he said something to her. I assumed it was something along the lines that we were going to bed for the night. I didn’t know. I wasn’t listening. My heart was pumping so loud in my ears that I couldn’t hear anything he was saying.
My blood was coursing through my body.
My vision was blurring.
I was so nervous, so scared.
What would he do when I told him?
How would he react?
We were married.
Would he want to get unmarried?
I couldn’t tell him. Not yet.
Just not yet.
One more night.
It’d be a better tomorrow.
Yeah. Tomorrow.
He took my hand, lacing our fingers together, and I smiled at the gesture because I always loved that so much.
He led me back into the house, to our room, and before he could start his questions, I moved into him. I silenced him and tonight was my night. I wanted to feel him all night long.
I’d tell him tomorrow.
14
Earlier
Mrs. Logan Kade.
I couldn’t get over that. My new name would be Taylor Kade.
“Morning, Wife.” Logan came in, carrying coffee for both of us, and handed one over as he got back into bed.
I took it, sipped, and knew there was a whole cheesy glow all over me. “Morning, Husband.”
His eyes darkened. He tugged me over to him, taking my coffee and setting both of ours on his bedside stand. Then he turned to me and brushed some of my hair from my forehead. “I don’t want to go back.”
We were supposed to fly back today. We would need to head to the airport in a few hours.
“I know. Me neither.”