Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 154728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 619(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 619(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
“First of all, no more children. One and done,” she playfully scolded Kip. “Second, stop talking so much about sleep. Avery doesn’t need that bullshit. Better to be blissfully unaware of the horrors that await you.” She smiled at me. “Kidding. Kind of.” Fiona’s sharp gaze returned to Kane. “And I am not distracted by all this to decide I like you just because my husband seems to go all douchebag bro over you. Actually, that’ll be a strike against you, not that you need any more. So even though my husband seems to know, I’m going to ask you… Where have you been?”
Fiona was quite obviously a dog with a bone. Again, despite my complicated feelings toward Kane right then, I opened my mouth to speak up for him, to save him.
“I’ve been in prison,” Kane answered before I could. There was no edge to his tone. No irritation at having to explain himself to a woman he didn’t know. “I went there because I beat a man half to death. A man who laid hands on Avery, and that was after he tried to assault her. A man who did much worse in the past before I was there to protect her, but that’s her story to tell.” He grasped my hip tighter. “My piece of shit manager spouted poison in her ear that he will never finish paying for, not even when worms eat his corpse, so I didn’t know about the baby until last night.”
His hand drifted to my stomach, rubbing my bump protectively. My heart did cartwheels.
“And trust me, I’ve been wondering for the past thirteen or so hours whether I would go back and not punish the bastard who laid hands on my woman and stole these months from me or if I’d do it again to make absolutely sure he paid.”
Kane spoke the words quietly but with confidence, with emotion that seemed to seep from every vowel. Violence, guilt, anger, and determination all mixed together.
Fiona stared at him, struck silent for a handful of seconds before she recovered. “Okay, I like you,” she decided, as if she heard heartfelt declarations every day. She reached under the counter, getting my croissants. “Now, I’ll get you coffee ready and whatever other sweet treats your badass heart desires. We’ll have you over for dinner one night, but be forewarned: we eat at five on account of the tiny terrorist.” She pointed to the baby carrier. “I have a feeling you’re gonna get on just fine with the badass dad crew.” She jerked her head at her husband who for some reason was grinning wildly. “Rowan will like you.”
“We’ll bring you the coffee,” she said, pushing the croissants across the counter. “You two obviously have a lot to talk about, and now I have to gossip with my husband about you.” She winked, and I took the croissants and walked away, more out of shock than anything.
Kane was close behind me as I sat in the one table that was free, Kane pulling out the lush, bright-pink chair for me.
We sat in silence for a bit as I stared at my croissants.
“Pink bakery,” Kane observed, looking around at the space that was indeed decorated in shades of pink.
Everything was simple, white framed art on the pale-pink walls, elegant, charming and definitely girly.
“Not something I think would be your style,” he continued, eyes darting to me. There was a familiar, playful glint in them that made my mouth dry like it had in the beginning.
I pushed one of my croissants over to him.
“Taste this, and you’ll understand why it’s everyone’s style.”
He looked from me to the croissant. “I’m not eating that. It’s yours, you need it.”
I quirked a brow, looking down at the two remaining croissants in front of me. “I’ll be just fine with two, and those will change your life.”
Kane’s playful glint was gone. “I like my life exactly how it is, don’t need to change shit, and I’m not takin’ food from my woman and baby.”
My smile died on my lips. I didn’t know how to cope with the new Kane who yo-yod back and forth so quickly.
So I didn’t say anything, I just ate my croissants.
Fiona was right, we had a lot to talk about. But we didn’t speak the entire time we were at the table.
Nineteen
The energy in the car ride home was heavy. Oppressive. Just like the air this morning after the storm.
I kept going over the speech he’d given Fiona, the way he’d offered so much information so freely. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like he wasn’t saying all of that for Fiona’s benefit or Kip’s. It was for mine.
Kane drove unhurriedly back to my place without asking for directions. First, though, he took a lap of the town, glancing at the streets, shops and the ocean as we drove past. He was taking stock of his surroundings, I guessed.