Page 68
I count the days in my head. I don’t know if I like the math, so I do it again. And again, until there’s very little question in my mind that he could be right.
Eddie returns with a small bamboo cheese board, filled with crackers and fruit and sharp cheddar, a stainless-steel tumbler held casually in the other hand. “Why do you look panicked?” He hands me the cup and sets the board within easy reach.
“Uh… why would I not be panicked? What if… What if…”
“What if we have a beautiful baby and give Evie a little brother or sister? What if we have a beautiful life? What if I build you a bungalow to replace yours? The same, but better. Bigger. More room for babies and gardens and everything you love about yours without any of the bad? What if?”
All the tension, all the stress, leaves my body in one big, shuddering sigh.
God, I hope I’m pregnant.
I get Evie settle in the estate’s nursery with Sophia and Chantal silently vying for control and make my way back to Christophe’s office. Why we all have to cram our asses into this small room instead of gathering in the den where we can spread out and be comfortable is beyond me. But we’re here.
Everyone in attendance, including Garrick and Roux, has a glass of whiskey in their hand—everyone except Winnie and me. Because Eddie had a pregnancy test delivered while I was in the bath, and when I peed on that stick, the two lines were practically glowing. It was like a neon sign flashing pregnant over and over again.
No wine.
No sushi.
No soft cheeses or cured meats.
It’s so not fair.
“Tell me why my daughter was not freaked out when you scooped her out of that highchair and spirited her away?” Eddie asks Roux. The suspicion is heavy in every word. “Why didn’t she cry? Why aren’t you a stranger to her?”
Roux shifts uncomfortably, glances at Christophe, and then seems to find his confidence. “Sir, I’ve been courting Chantal for some time.”
Eddie pulls me into his lap and holds me close while he sips at the whiskey chilling in his glass. “And why am I just now finding out about this? I’m supposed to know who is around my daughter, who has access. Be able to run background checks and vet them.”
He’s perturbed but not angry. Though if there is any question on where he stands on Evie’s safety, that’s a personal problem that needs to be worked out individually.
“Sir, I understand that this news may be jarring. But I assure you, I was there to preserve your daughter’s safety. Amie left Chantal and Evie alone more than you know. I couldn’t, in good conscience, leave them vulnerable. I’m sorry, sir, but I believe in looking out for the woman I’ve claimed as mine. Making sure she’s safe. Protecting her, and those in her charge, above all else. I don’t like that it happened without your knowledge, but I made sure Chantal and Evie were safe when Amie couldn’t be bothered.”
This sweet, stoic young man has peeled open his heart, offered himself up for judgment, and stood by his actions in a way that is both remarkable and noble.
“I looked out for your daughter when her mother couldn’t be bothered. I kept her and her nanny safe.” Roux’s focus is intense, sincere. “I know what it is to be discarded by a mother, sir. I’m not capable of allowing that to happen to another innocent if I can prevent it. I hope you know my intentions were nothing but good.”
Time stretches uncomfortably before Eddie nods. Once. Just a single acknowledgement of acceptance and appreciation.
“So, you and my nanny?” Eddie prompts.
Roux nods. “Yes, sir. And you and the cleaner?” He smiles at me, shyly. Eyes dropping to my belly before meeting my gaze again.
We haven’t said a word. Not to anyone.
Eddie’s focus shifts from the kid to me. It lingers, assessing, claiming, owning, and then he sighs, big, and I think it’s my favorite sigh of all.
“Me and Jess. Yes. And, however many more babies we can manage to bring into this world.”
Chapter 28
Fin
EDDIE
5 years later
The wipers give a final screech as I kill the engine. Raindrops paint a macabre picture of light and distortion against the windshield. The house is dark, the air silent and still as I step from my SUV.
