Page 47 of I Choose You

He took my hand, and the simple gesture jarred me. It was affectionate, yet not. His warm fingers closed around mine, almost comforting and grounding me. With the tugging pull he exerted on my hand, I figured he’d only done it to guide me and keep me with him in the bustling, elegant restaurant.

“Brooke, this is my Dad,” he said as we reached the table.

I was all smiles, relying on something more like professional politeness. “Pleased to meet you,” I said as I shook his hand. Then I was introduced to Margaux, the lady about to become Kaden and Kody’s stepmother. The younger woman who stood to the back was her daughter from a previous marriage, Mercedes.

“Nice to meet you,” she told me, smiling quickly at Kaden. She exaggerated looking past him. “Are we waiting on Kody, too?”

“No.” Kaden licked his lips and forced a quick smile, apologetic. “He won’t be coming after all. Prior commitments he couldn’t break.”

Mr. Wagner grunted and rolled his eyes. “Right. Well, let’s be seated.”

It didn’t escape my notice that Kaden held my hand all the way until I sat.

And I had no idea what to make of it.

The dinner was lovely, and the company was pleasant. The more we chatted, the more relaxed I became. Margaux, Mercedes, and I spoke about all sorts of things, while Kaden and his dad split to their own conversation. As such, I forgot about any plan to seek revenge. It would have been a shame, too. The food was delicious. The staff was attentive and kind. And I was having too good of a time to want to ruin anything.

Mr. Wagner and Margaux were sweet, doting on each other without their affection being too much for the rest of us present. It was clear they were a couple who’d founded their relationship on real love. Still, I noticed that Kaden seemed subdued. I wouldn’t say he was aloof, but both he and Mercedes seemed quiet.

Afterward, Kaden led me back to his SUV. He didn’t take my hand, and I felt like I spent much too long trying to figure out why. That led to me wanting to scold myself for wishing he did.

I wanted revenge but also liked it when he gripped my hand? Could I be any more contradictory?

In the SUV, my curiosity got the better of me.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Huh?” He glanced at me. “Sure. Yeah. Why?”

I shrugged. I couldn’t claim to know him well enough that I could read him. Still, I wasn’t blind. “I don’t know. You seem quiet.”

He rubbed his jaw and furrowed his brow. “I’ll admit I’m not sure about my dad and Margaux.”

“They seem like a cute couple.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah. I guess. And I can tell Margaux makes him happy. I just worry they don’t know each other well enough. They’ve only been dating for a few months, and now they’re rushing into a wedding.”

How long is long enough? Kaden and I had known each other for years—back then. He had only reentered my life now, but I couldn’t peg him as a stranger. My problem was figuring out if the guy I knew back then had changed into someone else entirely now.

“It makes me uneasy.”

“I understand that. Regardless of how long you’re in someone’s presence, how can you truly claim you know who the other is in the ways that matter? There’s no telling when someone could surprise you and show their true nature.”

If I thought he was subdued at the restaurant, he was stone-cold silent now. I glanced at him, wondering if he was brooding. He kept his attention on the road, but I noticed the frown on his face. As I replayed the words I’d spoken back in my mind, I almost cringed. Picking at the context, I saw how he could have interpreted my reply as a dig if I applied that statement to him.

“That’s the only reason you’re uneasy? The short time they’ve known each other?” I asked.

If he wanted to be moody about what I’d said, fine. I wasn’t going to dwell on my words. And there was never any way to take words back.

“No. Not just that.” He sighed and pushed the back of his head against the headrest.

“What else, then?”

“What if she’s only in it for the money and family name?”

I nodded. “A gold-digger?”

“Yeah.”