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He cared for Catie. Maybe he didn’t love her yet, but he sure as hell felt a lot more for her than he had for any other woman.
An urge to barge into the guest room and force her back into his bed overwhelmed him, but he resisted. He scribbled out a note to leave on the counter in the kitchen. He had to go out of town on business and would be in Denver overnight. He’d leave before she was up in the morning. He checked the coffee machine to make sure Brenda had set it for six a.m. Yep, good. He left the note for Catie and then made his way to his bedroom and flopped onto his big empty bed. He inhaled Catie’s scent on the pillow. Mmm, raspberries and lime. His wife. His wife who should be in his bed. Though he was hard as granite, he was determined to leave her alone. He hadn’t been easy on her.
One thing was for sure, though. When he got back from Denver, they’d have a serious discussion about their marriage. This was going to work, damn it.
* * *
Catie took a deep breath before she knocked on the door of the modest house on Cherrytree Street in the small town of Applewood, Utah.
It was Saturday, and she hoped Rhine, L would be home. Sure enough, a pretty blond woman answered, smiling.
“Yes, may I help you?”
“Are you Linda Rhine?”
“I suppose that depends on who wants to know.”
“I’m Caitlyn Bay…I mean McCray. Caitlyn McCray.”
The woman’s smile faded. “Oh. You’re Chad’s wife.”
“Yes. May I come in?”
She sighed and her cheeks reddened. “Of course. Yes. What can I do for you?” She held the door open. “I’m sure this isn’t really what you’re used to.”
Catie forced her lips upward. No reason not to be pleasant. “Don’t be silly. It’s lovely.” Small and modest, the home was clean and decorated beautifully. Linda clearly loved plants. Greenery adorned every table and nook.
“Is—” Catie cleared her throat. “Is your son here?”
Linda fidgeted with her hands. “Yeah. He’s up in his room playing.”
“I’d love to meet him.”
“Of course. I’ll go get him. Please make yourself at home.”
Catie sat down in a hunter-green recliner. Tiny hooves danced in her tummy. She swallowed, forcing back nausea. So Chad had a son. No big deal, right? He wouldn’t be the first man to knock up a woman out of wedlock. Heck, he’d done it twice now.
Why hadn’t he told her? Why hadn’t Annie? Instead, she’d looked Catie straight in the eye and said Chad had checked out all the women who claimed to be pregnant with his child.
Linda returned with a pretty little blond boy who looked nothing like Chad. He was a dead ringer for Linda, though, so he could still be Chad’s kid. Heck, she herself didn’t resemble Wayne at all.
“He’s very handsome, Linda.”
“Thank you.”
“He’s about the same age as Chad’s nephew, Sean.”
“I don’t know about Chad’s nephew. But Jack’s four.”
Catie smiled at the little boy, and he smiled back.
“So Chad told you about us, huh? Last night, when I spoke to him, he said he hadn’t yet.”
“We don’t have any secrets,” Catie said, wishing to the stars that she spoke the truth. “I wanted to come up here to meet you and his—” The words stuck in her throat like peanut butter. “Jack.” She’d almost said son, but couldn’t.
“Oh. Can I offer you anything?”
“No. I won’t stay long.”
