Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Fern had literally blossomed into a more talkative, more confident version of herself. One who no longer ghosted out of a room when he appeared, one who often challenged him and who was asserting herself more with each passing day.
Even here—comfortable now that she knew everyone better—she smiled more, laughed more with his family than he ever did. He could see the wariness and tension in her eyes, but her natural warmth made it impossible for her to remain aloof in the face of such a genuinely warm welcome.
She continued to resist the idea of inviting Beth and Gideon over for dinner, her mulishness coming into play. She’d also kept Beth at a polite distance since their shopping trip, despite clearly liking the woman a lot. Something Cade acknowledged was his fault. He’d been meaning to have a talk with her about it again.
This was Fern’s way of keeping things impersonal.
It went against her sweet nature. He knew that. He understood that, because of her upbringing, she needed a sense of belonging. She wanted friends, a family, which was why that baby was so important to her.
Cade had a family. Not many—or any really—close friends, but he’d never needed them growing up because his siblings had been his best friends. Then they’d drifted apart… no he had drifted away. And Cade had felt like an outsider. An imposter in his own family.
And he knew why. He could pinpoint the exact moment that sense of belonging and family had deserted him. Leaving him feeling rudderless and betrayed and desperately trying to fill the gaping void that loss had left in his soul.
He’d promised Fern, when they’d first married, that he would take care of her. That his family would be hers. And then he’d ripped it all away with a few cruel words. And—despite their conversation about it at dinner a couple of weeks ago—he’d never actually apologized for those words, or rescinded them.
Gideon was hugging Fern now.
“You’re looking gorgeous,” Gideon enthused as he held Fern at an arm’s length to look her up and down. She went a becoming shade of pink always so damned happy at the merest hint of a compliment. “How are you feeling? Has your morning sickness passed? Beth told me it was quite bad. And the baby? Any updates? Has he started moving yet?”
The last question sent a jolt of shock through Cade.
It wasn’t something he’d ever considered. The baby moving around inside of her, a living, active being, making its presence felt in the real world.
It had always been just this alien thing… there but not. A concept, more than reality. A concept that Cade had never been able to fully wrap his head around.
But soon it would move, kick, prod at the confines of its—his? her?—surroundings… and that recognition quite simply floored him.
He stood there dazed—thunderstruck really—frozen in place as reality finally caught up with, and crashed into, him like a tsunami.
Cade looked strange. Fern watched him in concern as his brother, sister, and Beth took turns to hug him. He seemed to be on autopilot, returning the hugs, smiling grimly in response to their enthusiasm, but very much not present right now.
His eyes constantly returned to her though, intent, almost predatory, and she tried her best to ignore his unsettling stares. Wondering if that possessive look was about what had happened between them earlier. She still couldn’t quite believe it had happened. After weeks of no intimacy, bam, sexy times on the sofa at the most inconvenient moment. And all because she’d told him that she wanted to understand him better.
“Where’s your father?” she asked Kenny, who looked a little strained. Fern still wasn’t entirely comfortable around the other woman. She wasn’t as friendly and easygoing as Beth, but she wasn’t unfriendly either. She was difficult to read and with her husband, Smith, present today she was even less communicative than she’d been the last time.
Smith was a tall, ruggedly handsome man with auburn hair and an easygoing smile. He seemed friendly and very different from his wife. Which could explain why the couple seemed so tense around each other. In fact, they made Cade and Fern look like the poster children for a happy, well-adjusted marriage.
The thought nearly made Fern snort.
“His flight was delayed, he only arrived about forty minutes ago. According to Beth he’s freshening up and will join us soon.”
“He must be exhausted,” Fern said sympathetically.
“He’s used to it,” Kenny said and Fern floundered, not sure how to respond to what was essentially a conversation ending statement. Until Kenny gave the smallest of smiles, showing off her version of the Hawthorne dimples, and added, “He loves making an entrance though. So don’t feel too sorry for him. He’s just an attention hog, milking the moment.”
Fern laughed, pleasantly surprised by the warm, joking aside.