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While I may allow him to see more glimpses of my life, the full story is more than anyone else should have to bear.
After six hours in the car with Jovan, I’m ready to get out and walk around. While the drive to the cottage has been nice, I’m not a fan of being trapped in a car for a long period of time.
“Jovan turns off the main road and onto a dirt one. Trees line either side of the road and the scent of wildflowers enters the car on the breeze. The sun is shining overhead, even though it is still early in the morning.
“Do you want to go for a nap?” Jovan asks as a large stone and glass house appears in front of us. “I know you worked a long shift and you haven’t slept in the car at all.”
“Maybe,” I say, leaning forward in my seat to get a better look at the towering house. “This is what you’re calling a cottage?”
“Yes.” He grins and reaches over to put his hand on my knee. Based on the way his thumb is absentmindedly stroking my bare skin, I’m not sure that he knows he’s even doing it.
That simple touch is enough to make butterflies erupt in my stomach. It’s the kind of casual touch that speaks volumes. Even when he isn’t paying attention to what he’s doing, he’s reaching for me.
Panic rises along with the butterflies as my mind spirals about what this could mean.
Calm down, Hadley. You’re here to talk about what all of this means and where the two of you are going to go from here. Get out of your own head and just start talking to him.
“It’s a gorgeous house,” I say as he parks the car. “Did you buy it or did you build it?”
“A little bit of both.” He points to a wooden part of the house. “That part was built by my grandfather when he and my grandmother first retired out here. He said that he always wanted to build his own little log cabin.”
“So, you got it and you added to it?”
Jovan nods and gets out of the car. I reach for my door handle but he is already there and opening the door before I get my seatbelt off.
“Thank you.” I put my hand in his and allow him to help me out of the car.
If we are going to spend the next few days up here, I may as well try to go along with his plans. I don’t want us to have a horrible relationship if we are going to be bringing a baby into this world together.
I want our child to have the best example of co-parents that they can.
You could be more than just co-parents if you allow yourself to open up to him and go after what you want.
I decide to let the chips fall where they may this weekend. I’m going to let everything play out before me instead of getting wrapped up in my own mind about the what ifs and the maybes.
I owe it to us to give this thing a chance.
“If you have a gorgeous place like this, why bother living in Miami at all?”
Jovan shrugs and gets our bags from the trunk. “My business is in Miami. Running it from out here isn’t possible. Even if it was, I wouldn’t want that shit to bleed into this part of my life. This little cottage is the only thing I have left of my family.”
My heart aches as his voice sounds a little choked up. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He looks at me and arches an eyebrow. “Do you really not know what happened with my family or are you playing a game with me?”
I grab one of the bags from him and sling it over my shoulder. No sooner do I have the weight comfortable settled on my body than Jovan takes the bag back and starts heading for the house.
“I make it my mission to stay as far away from the cartel and their business as possible.”
“Why do you have such an aversion to the cartel? As far as I know, you have no true connections, other than Carlos. And he is just a high level dealer. Nobody of any standing.”
I wait while he opens the front door, trying to come up with the right words to describe the way I feel about the cartel without giving away too much.
“The cartel touches everything in Miami and it taints it. I wanted to keep my life as untainted as possible. My parents put me through enough hell when I was younger and I was determined to avoid all of it as I got older.”
“You know, I sense a story there that I’m dying to hear.”
“Maybe later,” I say, yawning through the last word. “I could really use a nap, though .I should have slept on the drive up here but I have a hard time sleeping in cars these days.”
