Say You Will (The Alexanders 5)

Mara leaned back against the wall. “I think my fiancé is cheating on me?”

“Do you guys have kids?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Well, figure it out now. Don’t end up like me. Make note of everything so that the next time it happens no one can say you’re just being hysterical or imagining things.”

"It's nothing. Just a hunch more than anything. And the fact that he's suddenly traveling a lot more."

Katie sat up, the fervor in her voice increasing with every word she spoke. “Even if it's just a hunch, follow it. If he’s flying somewhere, get his flight number. Get the number to the hotel where he’s supposed to be staying. Use seduction to scramble his brain and then ask him questions. Do everything you can to figure this out because if it’s not going to last, it’s better to know that now than after two kids.”

Chapter Three

TRENT PUSHED OPEN the double doors leading to the pediatric wing of the hospital. After a few days visiting Avery and Travis, he’d left for the airport only to get a message from Avery that Travis didn't feel well.

When he'd first read the message, he'd assumed that Avery was just being overprotective. The stress of worrying about when James would come back had made her moody and needier than usual. Then she'd written again to say they were at the hospital. He'd come straight there from the airport, thankful that he'd been running behind and hadn't taken off yet.

There was truly no reason for his heart to be beating so fast or for his pulse rate to feel like it was about to explode. From experience, he knew that it was probably just Travis’s asthma and that the little boy would be fine.

But experience didn’t keep his heart out of his throat.

The nurse behind the desk looked up when he stopped and leaned his arms on the counter. “I’m here for Travis Townsend.”

Her brow furrowed. “Name please?”

“Trent Townsend. I’m his uncle.”

At that she perked up. “Of course. His mother told us to expect you. Follow me.” She rounded the counter and led him down the hall, her shoes squeaking slightly on the linoleum floor. “Your family has been so

generous, Mr. Townsend. The new asthma research study funded by the Townsend grant has made such a difference already. My granddaughter has asthma.”

Trent nodded along but everything she was saying faded away as soon as they crossed the threshold into one of the patient rooms. Travis turned and Trent let out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding.

“Uncle! You came back!” Travis raised one of his hands but it didn’t get far off the bed before he let it drop.

Trent sat gently on the side of the bed and kissed the top of his nephew’s blond head. “Of course I came back.”

He glanced over at Avery. “Is he okay?”

She came to stand on the other side of Travis’s bed. “The doctor just left. He was having trouble breathing and making these strange wheezing sounds. The inhaler only helped a little so I brought him in. They want to do some tests.”

Trent turned around at the sharp tug on his shirtsleeve. Travis watched him with his big blue eyes. “Is my Daddy coming home now?”

Trent swallowed against another tide of anger at his brother. His negligent, party-loving, irresponsible brother. “I’m still trying to find him, buddy. But I’m going to do everything I can, okay? Right now, I want you to just rest for a bit.”

“Okay.” Travis rubbed his face with one chubby hand and then clutched the stuffed elephant he took with him everywhere.

He got up, motioning with his head for Avery to follow. After one last kiss to her son’s head, she came to stand next to him, facing the doorway.

She sniffled and then delicately wiped beneath her eyes. “About what you said… I guess that means he isn’t coming back then?”

In that moment Trent would have given anything to be able to lie to her. Because having to tell one of his best friends that the man she’d loved forever had no intention of being there for her, sucked in a major way.

When she finally smiled, he kissed her on the forehead and released her.

“I’m so sorry to keep pulling you away from home. How does your fiancée feel about all this? And why haven’t you brought her to meet me yet? It’s not like you to be so secretive.”

Trent shook his head. “I’m not being secretive.”