Hold On to Me (Return to Haven 3)

“Jade said I could take a couple and share with Dad.” Piper reached out and snagged two, then turned to Livie. “I promise to share.”

Livie nodded and blew out a sigh. “That’s fine, but let’s get a paper plate to put them on so you don’t have them all over my car. Jade, you can take the rest. I don’t care where you take them, but they aren’t going to my house, and Melanie said she didn’t want them either.”

Of course. Everybody was suddenly aware of their waistlines and Jade was stuck with the goodies.

She put the rest of the petit fours in the box they’d come in. What was she going to do with all of them? There were almost two dozen tiny cakes.

And looking at all that icing had Jade thrust back to last week, and chocolate cake and Cash’s talented hands and mouth.

They still hadn’t discussed a full-blown relationship. They both had gone on about their ways, keeping everything secretive where she’d sneak to his house and stay late, then leave before morning.

But she hadn’t been able to shake that moment when he’d looked so insecure, so vulnerable when he’d voiced his thoughts about wanting more. No, he hadn’t necessarily said that, he’d said she deserved more. Jade truly believed he meant that. She worried he felt he wasn’t offering enough, but she’d never asked for more, and she certainly didn’t expect it.

Cash was everything she needed at this moment in her life. He made her laugh, challenged her, threw her off guard in all the good ways, and was a complete gentleman in the midst of all that.

Melanie came back into the room holding a swaddled Knox. “Well, he’s asleep again. Eat, sleep, poop. Babies have a simple cycle.”

Jade put the bakery box on the table and glanced at her friend, who was still glowing over being a new mom. Mel and Livie had both found love and were mothers, and Jade couldn’t help but wonder about her own future and whether motherhood would be on her path of life.

“Hey, you okay?” Melanie asked. She shifted to stand closer to Jade as she patted Knox’s back. “You looked lost in thought.”

Jade put each of the cakes back into the box. “I’m fine. Just thinking how much stuff you got. I can’t believe one little person needs so many things.”

Melanie glanced into the corner of her living room that was piled with boxes and clothes and toys and books. There were even little totes with Knox’s name embroidered on them, which was seriously impressive, considering people had had less than a week to get those gifts together.

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” Melanie agreed, glancing down to the sleeping baby in her arms. “But he’s so worth it. I never knew love like this.”

Jade’s throat clogged with emotion. She couldn’t help but wonder what her birth mother had been like. Had she not wanted children at all, or had she been forced to give up her child? Maybe she couldn’t afford kids and just wanted a better life.

At one time, Jade had thought about finding her birth mother but opted against it. She didn’t want to intrude on someone’s life who maybe didn’t want the reminder from the past. Besides, Jade had a good life, she’d turned out just fine. Her mother may not have been the most loving—at all really—but Jade’s nana was absolutely everything.

“Can I take baby stuff to the nursery room?” Piper came bouncing back into the room and headed straight to the toys. “I want to make it pretty for him.”

“Honey, maybe Mel wants to do that,” Livie said as she followed her daughter to the corner.

“She’s fine.” Melanie crossed the room and leaned over to where Piper was digging through the new toys. “You can take whatever you want to Knox’s room. That would be a big help.”

Jade had just put the lid on the box when her cell vibrated in the pocket of her sundress. She’d been careful to keep track of her phone, especially when she was with others. Anytime she’d been in public, she’d made sure to keep it in a pocket; she couldn’t risk anyone seeing her texts again.

As Piper and Livie carried things down the hall to the nursery, Jade pulled out her cell and glanced at the screen.

Your mother wants to come for a visit. I’ve tried holding her off, but . . . heads-up!

Jade read the message from her nana three times and still couldn’t process it. Why did her mother want to visit? She hadn’t shown interest in Haven since she left after Jade’s graduation.

Piper’s giggle filtered down the hall, and Jade glanced back to Melanie, who had taken a seat on the sofa and was smiling down at Knox. Jade fired off her own frantic text, because she didn’t want her mother here.

What does she want?

She slid the phone back in her pocket and finished cleaning off the table. The box of pastries

went into her trunk and the tablecloths and décor were put into a storage tote and placed by Livie’s car.

Jade checked her phone again, but nothing. Nana couldn’t just drop that warning and then not give an explanation. Jade wondered why her mother hadn’t bothered calling or texting herself. Or maybe she was just discussing it and Nana had overheard.

Regardless, the fact that a trip to Haven was on Lana McKenzie’s radar didn’t sit well with Jade.

While she had her phone in hand, Jade pulled up Cash’s. She squinted against the late-afternoon sun toward the porch and noted she was still alone.