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He smiled. “What’s not to understand? I’ve been an idiot, little bit. I love you. It just took me a while to figure it out. First, I thought you were too young. I couldn’t get it out of my mind that I knew you when you were four and I was fifteen.”
“Chad—”
“No. Let me finish. I’m so sorry I wasn’t with you when you miscarried. I should have been. I should have been there through all of this. I should have treated you like the wife you deserve to be, instead of a call girl available only for my pleasure. Can you ever forgive me?”
Catie fought the warmth that threatened to glow within her. Chad had a lot to answer for.
“I want to forgive you. I truly do.” More tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. “But there’s so much I need to understand. I went to see Linda.”
“I know.”
“You should have told me, Chad.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
Had she heard right? “Uh, having a child by another woman is definitely something your wife should know.”
Chad’s dark eyes widened. “What? You mean Linda didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? We met briefly. She seemed like a perfectly nice person. I met Jack. He’s a beautiful little boy, though he doesn’t look anything like you.”
“There’s a good reason for that.”
“Which would be?”
“He’s not mine, Catie.”
“What? I saw the DNA results in your file.”
“So you did a little snooping?”
“Yes. Yes, I did. But only after I got a phone call from Linda, and I intercepted some IMs on your computer.”
“I’m sure sorry about that, sugar. I wish you’d have come to me.”
“How could I? You were treating me like a common whore. You ignored me during the day, screwed me during the night. I should have…”
“You should have what?”
“I should have turned you away at night. I wanted to. I just couldn’t.”
“Because you wanted me as much as I wanted you.”
“I’ve always wanted you, Chad. I don’t seem to have any control where you’re concerned. Yes, it started as puppy love, but it never went away.” She sighed. “Four years in France, and it still didn’t go away.”
“Aw, sugar.”
“Don’t start sweet-talkin’ me. You still have a lot
of explaining to do about Linda.”
“Frankly, sugar, I’m a little insulted.”
“Why on earth should you be insulted?”
“Because, if Jack were truly my child, do you really think I’d let him live in that little cow town with Linda and her crazy parents? Don’t you think I’d have him on the ranch with me, giving him the best of everything? Everything my pa gave me? God, sugar.”
“Crazy parents? I don’t know anything about that. And I didn’t think about…the other stuff.”
