Page 64 of Unveiled

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

Jaxon checked the rearview mirror for headlights and then whipped the truck to the side of the road. Hopping out, he circled the truck and opened Adalyn’s door. Unclicking her seat belt, he turned her toward him and gathered her in his arms.

Sobs wracked her body, and he held her tight, unsure of what to say. He could feel the heat from her tears seeping into his shirt, and he cupped the back of her head, stroking one hand over her hair. He was furious that she was hurting—but he was so incredibly proud of her for finally standing up to Evelyn.

Adalyn had shocked him this evening. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it wasn’t his sweet-tempered girl finally standing her ground and telling her spoiled, self-centered mother to pound salt. It kind of turned him on.

He knew she was smart and independent, but to see that spine of steel come out was incredibly sexy. She’d let Evelyn walk all over her for far too long, and he was thrilled that Addy had given Evelyn a dose of her own medicine. He’d met the woman twice but had taken an instant dislike to the way she’d treated Adalyn. How a mother could treat her child like that blew his mind. Addy deserved far better.

Adalyn leaned away from him and dabbed beneath her eyes with her fingertips. “I’m so sorry for ruining our date.”

“Sweetheart”—he brushed a thumb over her cheek—“we have a thousand dates ahead of us. I don’t care about dinner or a movie. I care about you.”

“I just… I can’t believe she did that!”

He couldn’t either. Evelyn was so wrapped up in herself she didn’t care who she hurt as long as she got exactly what she wanted. Deciding to keep his opinions to himself, he just let Adalyn vent and get it all off her chest.

“I’m just so mad at her.” Adalyn vacillated between anger and sadness as her tears welled again. “God, she’s such a…” She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. “Why can’t she just be a normal mother like anyone else?”

He didn’t have an answer for that.

“I mean, who does that?” Her hands cut through the air in an aggravated arc. “Like I’m her personal freaking assistant instead of her daughter. She doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and I’m tired of it.”

She let out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping forward. “What am I going to do?”

He rubbed small circles over her back. “About what?”

“I don’t have the money to pay her back.”

He lifted her face to his. “We’ll take care of it Monday, just like you said.”

Eyes still shiny with tears met his. “We?”

“I told you before, sweetheart.” He slid his hand up to cup the side of her face. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. If you want to pay off what you owe, I’m more than happy to help you.”

He knew Adalyn hated to rely on anyone, which was why he’d proposed the original offer he had. He thought she’d be more likely to let him help if she knew the money would go into an account for Jaclyn.

“Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.”

“It’s worth it.” Adalyn had thrown down the gauntlet, and there was a chance that Evelyn would come to terms with what she’d done and apologize. But it was more likely that she’d continue to abuse Adalyn’s good graces and use her as long as Adalyn allowed it. He wanted Adalyn away from that situation. Jaclyn was too young to know better yet, but she deserved far more than a grandmother in her life who tried to buy her love because she had nothing better to offer.

“I’ll need to look at my finances,” she finally said. “The shop does well, but I don’t know how quickly I’ll be able to pay you back.”

“First of all”—he held up a finger—“you’re not paying me back. Everything goes to Jaclyn. You just start putting a little bit away each month, whatever you can afford. It makes no difference to me.”

He wasn’t rolling in money, but he’d saved up enough over the years to be able to afford this with no problems. And if it was better for Adalyn’s sanity, then he would gladly sacrifice the money.

Her glossy eyes welled once more. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

He’d do anything to take that look off her face. He wasn’t sure where her head was at, but he decided to test the waters with a gentle tease. “I have a few ideas.”

She rolled her eyes and sniffled, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “Right. I’m sure I’m super appealing right now.”

“Addy.” Her head tipped heavily against his hand as she gazed up at him, and he studied the pewter depths of her eyes. She put on a brave front, but he saw the insecurity lurking far below the surface, mingling with sadness and hurt. “I always want you—from the first moment you wake up in the morning until the second you fall asleep at night. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out. Laughing, smiling, crying, yelling—I want all of you every way, every day.”

She dropped her chin but didn’t move away from his hand still cradling her cheek. A soft snuffle left her, and he felt the moist heat of a tear trickle down his palm. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he continued. “I just want to put a smile on your face and treat you the way you deserve. I won’t ever take advantage of you, and I’ll do my best not to hurt you. I can’t guarantee we won’t fight or have bad days, but I’ll do my best to make you happy.”