Holding You Close (Ex-Con Duet 4)

“Noah had to hide for weeks to keep Jerry and Belinda safe,” I nearly shout. “Since no one knew it was her at the time, he couldn’t risk it.”

She pins me with a stare. “I’m a little surprised you’re defending him so much. You sure forgave him quickly. I know Gabe wasn’t perfect, but Noah—”

“I love him,” I blurt out, my cheeks heating at the confession I’ve hidden from her for so long. “We’re together.”

“Oh.” She swallows hard. “Can’t say I’m entirely shocked, considering how close you two were before the incident. Does Owen know?”

“Yes. But not about that night. And I’d like it to stay that way,” I clarify. “He’s too young to understand.”

“What’s goin’ to happen if he finds out from someone else?”

“I’ll figure that out when the time comes, but for now, there’s no reason he needs to know. It was a very unfortunate accident.”

Loretta huffs, and though this is a hard topic for her to discuss, she keeps her opinions to herself.

“I would never hurt Owen or put him in harm’s way,” she says softly. “I miss him, Katie. Please let me see him.”

As much as my heart goes out to her, I can’t agree just yet. “I’m sorry, Loretta. Until Brittany is caught, he’s staying close to my mother and me.”

“I love him more than anything. It’s why I wanted Brittany out of town. I don’t want him finding out about his dad’s affair any more than you do.”

“Of course I don’t, but he has a half brother. I can’t keep that from him forever.” As much as I don’t want Brittany near any of us, Anthony’s an innocent child who’s suffering from this too.

“Brittany wants Noah to pay. Gabe promised her this whole fantasy life, and she blames Noah for ripping it away from her. From the sound of it, she’ll stop at nothing to make that happen.”

I scowl at the thought of Gabe promising the world to another woman. “Exactly what did he tell her?”

She lowers her eyes and is reluctant to speak. “After she told him she was pregnant, he promised to leave you. Gave her this whole speech about being a family and giving her everything she ever wanted. She was sleeping with him, so he probably fed her whatever she wanted to hear, but either way, she believed him. When she provided us with a DNA test that proved Anthony was his, we were adamant about you never knowing. So she blackmailed us to keep her secret.”

Hearing that is a punch to the gut, but I’m not entirely shocked either. If he was capable of cheating on me when I was pregnant, then he was capable of leaving me too. If he would’ve been up front about not being happy in our marriage, the fight that resulted in his death might’ve never happened.

Or rather, I should’ve confronted him months before that and left him. I stayed because I wanted our son to have a family, but that takes a lot more than two people being married.

“And I’m guessing the money ran out pretty quickly, and she knew she could score the cash to help take out Noah if she blackmailed you again.”

“Yes,” she confirms. “That’s my best guess.”

“I want to believe you had no idea what she had planned, but I have to keep Owen safe. Until she comes out of hiding and can be caught, protecting my son is my priority.”

“I understand that more than you know, Katie. I wanted to protect my son too. His image. His wife and child. I wish I knew why he cheated on you, and I don’t want to believe he told Brittany those things, but regardless, I love him no matter what, just like you love Owen. Whether it was a mistake or he really planned to leave, I’m not sure. Just know my intentions were pure.”

“I believe you, Loretta,” I say, meaning every word. She’s been there for me since the moment Owen arrived, and I’d never second-guess her love for him. However, since I don’t know what Brittany has planned next and how she involved Loretta, I won’t take any chances.

“Thank you. I understand you have to do what’s best for Owen, but please let me see him soon. We miss him terribly.”

I nod. “I’ll consider it, okay?”

“For what it’s worth, I like seeing you happy. I hope Noah realizes how amazing you are.” She grins.

“I appreciate that.” I smile, feeling the weight melt off my shoulders now that it’s no longer a secret. “Owen really likes him too.”

“I’m sure he does. I wish I could forgive and forget like you, but as a mother—”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” I interject. “I can’t imagine that kind of pain. It hurts too much to even think about how I’d cope if I lost Owen. I’ll never put that kind of pressure on you, and Noah will never push those boundaries either. But now you know where I stand and that Noah is in our lives now. Permanently.”