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To be coddled and pampered wasn’t why she had come, but she had to admit, nursing wounds with people who weren’t going to stab you in the back was a refreshing change from her LA life. She could stay there—okay hide there—until she figured out what to do.
Today, though, her doctor was coming by the estate to give her a checkup. Since leaving Jake’s house, she hadn’t been feeling well. Of course, she’d not been eating a whole lot, either. She made herself eat for the baby, but in reality she probably needed more.
Insomnia had become an unwelcome friend, too. She was in a strange bed, alone and heartbroken, but she’d keep that to herself. The last thing she wanted was pity from anybody. All she wanted was to make sure her baby was healthy and then she needed to confront Jake. As much as seeing him again would kill her, she needed to discuss the baby. He was the father and there was nothing she could do to change that cold, hard fact.
“Maybe just some toast,” Lily told Linda, trying to avoid eye contact with the caring woman.
“After the doctor leaves, I expect you to eat a full lunch.” Linda put a piece of toast into the toaster and turned back around. “No excuses. You need your strength for that baby and to fight that stubborn man of yours.”
“He’s not my man.”
Linda laughed. “Oh, honey. Of course he is. He made some major mistakes, but you love him. You just need time and so does he. He should suffer for what he’s done, I agree with you there, but don’t make any major decisions right now.”
Lily took another drink and smiled. “I couldn’t agree more about the suffering, but I don’t think time will make this hurt any less. He lied to me, Linda. Twice. I can’t forgive that.”
The toast popped up just as Damon entered the kitchen. The man looked about as rough as Lily felt. His silver hair was a bit disheveled, the dark circles beneath his bright eyes proved he wasn’t getting sleep.
Join the club.
“Sit down,” Linda ordered. “I want to talk to you, too.”
Damon jerked his gaze toward her, but Linda wasn’t looking at his shocked expression as she was lathering a generous amount of butter onto the thick slice of toast.
The older man remained standing, crossing his arms over his chest. “Say what you want to say so I can get out to the stables.”
As calm as you please, Linda crossed to Damon, pointing her finger in his face. “You are being pigheaded. I know Jake hurt you, that’s understandable. However, have you thought about what you would’ve done in his situation? Would you have opened up to your greatest rival and bared your soul? No. You would’ve treated it like a business move. You would’ve been just as calculating and secretive.”
Guilt churned in Lily’s stomach. So many people were hurting all because Jake felt he’d had no other choice.
“Maybe I would’ve.” Damon nodded slightly. “But we’re not talking about me.” His attention turned to Lily. “What about her? What excuse does he have for deceiving her?”
Linda’s eyes softened as she took a slight step back from Damon. “She was an innocent bystander who got caught up in the family drama. Jake loves her, I’ve seen how he looks at her.”
Linda smiled, resting her hand on Damon’s cheek. “Just as he’s come to care for you and all of us. He’s hurting, too, Damon. Can’t you reach out to him? See if there’s any way you can work on this relationship? He’s your son. You can’t forget that.”
Lily cupped her stomach with both hands, wanting this nightmare to be over, wanting to go back in time and make Jake open up to her. But he hadn’t trusted her enough to let her in. Hadn’t trusted what they had together to share his life in full.
“Why are you so hell-bent on being in Jake’s corner?” Damon asked.
With a slight shrug, Linda moved to take Lily’s now-empty glass and put it in the sink. “I’m on the outside looking in. I can see people I care about in pain and I don’t like it. This family is too close and life is short. You above all people should know that.”
Lily winced as Damon’s shoulders fell, and he blinked his eyes as if trying to gain control of his own emotions. Linda had gone straight to the heart with that veiled hint at Rose’s unexpected death.
The doorbell rang before anyone else could say a word. Lily was all too eager to step away from this emotional battle because beneath all of this chaos, Linda and Damon shared something much deeper than the standard employer-employee bond.
“That will be the doctor,” Lily said as she escaped. “I’ll get it.”
