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“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in an agonized voice.
“Oh, Parker. It’s a long story. I think it’s best we don’t talk about it until later,” Cadence said in a low voice. “The important thing now is to find Logan as soon as possible.”
Parker took a deep, steadying breath. The time for shock and awe was gone. He would never forgive Cadence for not telling him about his son, but he didn’t have time to dwell on his feelings. The clock was ticking away. He needed to get some answers from Cadence so he could track Mason’s whereabouts. She was right! He needed to find his son.
He turned toward Cadence. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore were normally soothing to his soul. At the moment every wave felt like an assault on his eardrums. It seemed as if any slight thing might cause him to shatter. He steeled himself to focus on the matter at hand. Finding his son!
He clenched his jaw. Parker wouldn’t allow himself to get distracted. “Let’s get back to the house. I need to know every last detail about your husband and where he might have gone. And what in the world made him take my son.”
**
Cadence felt an incredible burst of adrenaline course through her veins at Parker’s use of the words “my son.” After years of hiding her son’s paternity from the world, she felt like rejoicing. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, a sense of fear gripped her by the throat. Logan! Her son. He was so tiny and vulnerable. And he was out there somewhere with Mason, a man who had never had any use for Logan. Mason had known Logan wasn’t his biological son from the moment he’d discovered she was carrying a child, and he’d used that fact to torment Cadence ever since her baby was born. Mason Price was good at torture. It was his strong suit.
By the time they reached the house, Cadence felt jittery. Time was of the essence. Logan was probably wondering where she was since he hadn’t spent a single day without her in his two-and-a-half years of life. And the man Logan called Papa didn’t know the first thing about taking care of her son’s needs. Mason had no real use for Logan. He had always been more of an inconvenience for him than anything. Logan was proof that Cadence had loved another man. Her son served as a reminder of why Cadence couldn’t or wouldn’t ever love Mason. And that knowledge seared his blackened soul.
Parker motioned with his hand toward a love seat. “Why don’t you sit down, Cadence? It’s going to be a
long night. Would you like something to eat or drink? You look like you need some nourishment.”
She shook her head. “I-I wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. Just the thought of food makes me nauseous.”
Parker frowned. “You’re going to make yourself sick at this rate. That’s not going to do Logan any good. And you need to keep your strength up since I have loads of questions.”
“You’re right,” she said in a low voice. The sound of Logan’s name coming out of Parker’s mouth gave Cadence goosebumps. She knew Parker might never believe it, but ever since her son had been born, she’d wished and prayed for this moment. Sadly, it had only happened because of her son’s disappearance.
Parker walked toward the kitchen. Cadence followed behind him, then sat down on a stool at his counter. She watched as he pulled out a glass pitcher of lemonade. He reached for a glass, then filled it up almost to the top, placing it in front of her. “Drink up. You need fluids.”
She took a swig of the lemonade, drinking quite a bit before placing the glass back down on the counter. She’d been thirstier than she’d realized. Before she knew it, Parker had filled a plate with crackers and cheese, as well as some mini pretzels.
“I know you said you’re not hungry, but you should try and eat something to keep up your strength,” he said in a firm voice. Cadence let out a little sigh. Parker was being so kind. She knew she didn’t deserve it, not after hiding Logan’s paternity from him. If she lived to the ripe old age of one hundred, she didn’t think she’d ever stop feeling guilty about it.
You had your reasons. A little voice buzzed in her ear. But Parker doesn’t know anything about those reasons. He has no idea. And for the last three years she’d needed to keep things close to the vest in order to protect Parker. And in the end, she’d done her best to save Parker’s life, but in the process, she’d been forced to marry a mad man who now held her son’s life in his hands. How could she ever explain it all to Parker? Would he even believe her?
Cadence picked up a piece of cheese and placed it on a cracker. Her stomach grumbled in appreciation as she swallowed it. Although she was still scared to death, being in Parker’s company felt comforting. She trusted him. And she knew how meticulous he was about his job. Parker was one of the best PI’s in the business. She truly believed he could track down Mason and bring her son home to her. If anyone could make it happen, it was Parker.
“What will you do now, Parker?” she asked, reaching for another cracker.
He turned toward her, his eyes filled with determination. She’d seen this look enough times to know he had already started to formulate a plan. “I’m going to reach out to Jason and ask him to come over. He can help us. When I get off the phone with him, I want you to tell me everything. The good, bad and the ugly. Anything and everything about your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” Cadence admitted. Parker’s eyes widened. He was trying to play it cool, but she knew he was stunned by her announcement.
“You’re divorced?” His question rang out in the stillness of the kitchen.
A sigh slipped past her lips. “The paperwork was just finalized. That may be the catalyst for why Mason took Logan.”
Parker held up his hand. “I want to hear everything, but first I need to get Jason over here so he can help us out. He’s the best PI I have on staff. He’s an amazing asset.”
Cadence nodded. She felt as if she’d just been given a slight reprieve. She had so much to tell Parker, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Giving him a recap of the last three years of her life was going to throw him into a tailspin. On the upside, knowing Jason was going to be assisting Parker in finding Logan made her feel an additional boost of confidence. She’d always loved Jason. He was charming and funny and as loyal as the day was long. They had always shared a nice friendship, until the very night she’d broken up with Parker. Cadence winced as she recalled the telephone call she’d received from Jason the very next day. It was a miracle that her ears didn’t still ring from the blistering words he’d hurled at her. It had broken her heart. And she hadn’t blamed Jason one bit.
Parker spoke into the phone. “Hey, Jason. Sorry to wake you up, but I have an emergency over here. I’m going to need you to come over right away.”
Parker seemed to be listening intently to whatever Jason was saying on the other end.
“I’ll see you in fifteen,” Parker said, a look of relief washing over his face.
As close as Parker and Jason were, Cadence knew there was nothing that would have kept Jason away once Parker told him it was urgent.
“He’s on his way,” Parker announced after ending the call.
