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“Do you understand? Do you forgive me?” I had to know.
“I understand, but this morning when we were watching cartoons together, I was angry thinking about all the time I’ve missed with him.”
“Angry with me?” I breathed out, while my heart plummeted. Although I knew darn well I deserved the ire.
“Yes, and at myself. I own pushing you away, and hurting you to the point you felt like you couldn’t tell me the truth. For that I am sorry. But, yes, there is anger there.”
I rubbed my chest with my free hand. “Do you want to break up?” I swallowed hard. This would be my shortest relationship ever—not by much, but still the winner by at least forty-five minutes.
He pulled my hand up and kissed it. “I can be angry with you and still want you.”
“Then for the record, I’m still upset with you for trampling my heart.”
“As you should be.”
“So let me get this straight: we’re mad at each other, but we’re still a couple.”
“Sounds like most relationships.” He squeezed my hand.
“I assume eventually we’ll make up?”
“I do look forward to that.” He flashed me an impish grin.
“You have no idea,” I purred.
His jaw dropped.
I reached up and gently closed his mouth. “Just remember that, when you find yourself still being angry at me.”
He blinked several times. “Hell, you’re sexy.”
I settled back in my chair, pleased with myself. At least until I remembered that I was a terrible mom for lying to my son. My son, whom I unexpectedly heard calling my name down the hall. Izzy and Jameson were back a lot earlier than planned. I jumped up and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to hide the fact that Drake had undone my messy bun when we were getting all sorts of tangled up.
“You look beautiful.” Drake grinned, obviously enjoying my flustered state.
This was new for me. I hadn’t dated anyone since Jameson was born. Much less his father—one of the most eligible bachelors on God’s green earth. I had ample reason to be flustered.
Jameson didn’t even knock before he busted through the door. We were going to have to talk about that, especially now that I was in a relationship. The last thing I wanted to do was scar my child for life.
“Mom! Mom! Mom!” He flew into my arms.
I wrapped him up tight, a bit worried. “What’s wrong, honey?”
Izzy appeared before he could answer. She gripped the doorframe, a bit out of breath. There was no catching Jameson when he put his mind to running away from someone. When he was little, he could strip and run at the same time. He was talented like that.
Something in Izzy’s eyes made my blood run cold.
“Mom, there were guys taking pictures of me. Aunt Iz had to yell at them.”
My blood went from cold to boiling. “What? Where? How?”
“At the store and outside the inn,” Izzy informed me.
I rushed to the window.
“They aren’t there anymore,” Izzy said, still trying to catch her breath. “I told them they were trespassing and threatened to call the police.”
“Who are they?” I grabbed my chest.
“Who do you think, Char?” She gave Drake the evil eye.
“Damn it.” Drake threw off the covers and jumped up like he hadn’t spent the night in the emergency room—and wasn’t using a strainer when he urinated. Who knew they made you collect the stone? “Where’s Martez?”
“I haven’t seen him since he left late this morning, saying he needed to run an errand in town,” Izzy answered. “That was a few hours ago. I didn’t see your rental car when we pulled up, but I was preoccupied with a slimeball reporter,” she hissed.
“I need to call him.” Drake marched toward the dresser, looking like he might decapitate someone.
Meanwhile, I was ready to hyperventilate. Izzy didn’t help when she pointed at Jameson and mouthed, “They know.”
I didn’t need to ask what they knew. But how did they know? I fell back on the chair, grabbing Jameson and holding on to him for dear life.
“I forgot to charge my phone,” Drake lamented.
“Drake,” I could barely say. My mouth felt like I’d swallowed the Sahara Desert.
He turned, and every blood vessel in his face seemed to have popped.
“How much do you trust Martez?”
“As much as anyone.”
“So not much,” I inferred.
“Charlotte, what are you getting at?”
“My secret is out.” I clung to Jameson.
It took him a second to comprehend what I was saying. He stared blankly at Jameson while leaning back against the dresser. Yes, this had just gotten real.
Izzy gave me a sympathetic look. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Love you.” She shut the door.
This wasn’t how I’d envisioned this going down. I pictured an ice cream sundae, maybe a puppy—not Drake in his pajamas and the media already alerted by his traitor assistant. I was sure it was Martez. And to think he’d made out with Izzy. We were going to have a talk later about who she let in her mouth.
