Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Linc. He was in my head. In my life. He always seemed to throw it off-balance. Change its course.
“I didn’t come here to ask you to understand. I came to tell you the truth and to apologize.” I unclenched my hands and slid the diamond off my finger. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you doing?” he asked me, his tone no longer angry but softer.
“I can’t keep this,” I told him. “And I left the car at your house. I have the fob for you.”
He shook his head and grabbed my wrist, then put the ring back on my finger. “You aren’t taking this off. He wants to know his daughter. I’ll live with it. But he doesn’t get to have you too. I love you, and we are getting married. We’ll wait a year. That’s fine.”
“He lives more than six hours from here, Hudson.”
“I don’t care. I’ll drive to you. We can meet halfway. But I will not lose you, Branwen. I won’t.”
I stared up at him, baffled by this. I hadn’t expected this outcome.
“He is going to want us to live close to him when the year is over. He wants to see Stevie regularly.”
“Divorced parents do this all the time. There are ways to make it work. We have a year to figure it out. But this ring stays on your finger. That car is yours. You will still need a car. Take it with you.” He let go of my hand and cupped my face with both of his. “You lied. I forgive you. I will always forgive you.”
This wasn’t good. My gut told me it would prolong the inevitable, but right now, I was too emotionally drained to keep fighting. I simply nodded, knowing I would regret this.
Eighteen
Branwen
There was no way to stop him unless I made a scene. I had to let him walk me out to the limo. But it should be fine. Linc wasn’t jealous of Hudson because of me. He just didn’t want Stevie calling him Dad.
This was not how I had seen today going. The way he’d reacted? Yes, that was pretty spot-on. But not breaking things off with me? That had been a surprise.
I had already convinced myself that he was going to call off the wedding and I’d realized that he deserved someone who loved him. However, he was not listening to me, and if I stayed in here any longer, I feared Linc would come looking for me. Stevie was going to get hungry, and Linc also had a plane waiting on us. What harm would it do to leave here with things like they were? Hudson knew the truth for the most part—at least what I could tell him—and when this situation became too hard, he could break it off. A long-distance relationship with me living in Linc’s house was a long shot.
I waved at my fellow coworkers and told them hello as they called out to me. Hudson held my hand in his as we went outside the building. My heart was racing, but there was no need. Hudson was my fiancé after all. Linc knew that. Just like he knew I wanted to marry Hudson. He didn’t care.
“There.” I nodded toward the Bentley.
Hudson squinted against the bright sun. “The limo?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He shifted his eyes to me. “Does he always travel by limo?” There was a mocking tone and expression that came with that question.
“No. He normally drives a truck. He just didn’t want Stevie to be uncomfortable on the long drive,” I explained.
“It’s six hours. Not fifteen.”
I shrugged. “I know, but…” What was I supposed to say to that?
He was right, of course, but Linc was going to spoil his daughter, and I couldn’t seem to stop it.
Hudson slid a finger under my chin and tilted my head back, as if he were taller than he was and it was necessary. “It doesn’t matter. He can do what he wants for Stevie. I’m just worried about me and you. That’s all I care about.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Typically, I could enjoy his kisses, but the way he had once again blown off Stevie, as if she and I weren’t a package deal, bothered me. When he straightened, a smug smile touched his lips, as if he’d won something. Had that been for Linc to see?
“Come on,” he said and began walking toward the Bentley.
The driver-slash-bodyguard stepped out of the car and went to stand in front of the back door with his arms crossed over his chest.
“What’s with the Secret Service?” Hudson asked sarcastically.
He had noticed the driver wasn’t your typical chauffeur, but then it was hard not to with his towering frame and build.
“Like I told you, he is powerful,” I whispered.
“Looks pretentious to me. Besides, how dangerous can he be if he needs his own bodyguard? I’d think he could defend himself.”