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“I’ll handle it. I can buy a car if I need to. I’m not worried about it.”
The audible gasp from the front seat came from Bronwyn. “Don’t be silly, Ace. There’s always Uber, or maybe now that Teagan’s husband is home, she can lend hers for a few days.”
Kat’s concerned eyes met mine in the rearview mirror instinctively knowing Bronwyn’s words would sting.
“It will be longer than a few days and I’m tired of living out of hotels and depending on taxis.”
“Maybe I can at least help line up everything before I go home. David is fine because Mom came to stay with him and the kids,” Kat said gently.
My heart dropped into my stomach. I had hoped to tell my parents about Remi myself. “What did you tell her?”
“Only that a friend needed my help with a sick child.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
I nodded. “Good. Please keep it that way. I want to tell the folks myself.”
“Understood. I’ll keep it quite. This is your story to tell.”
I nodded and looked out the window. “Okay. Then I’d appreciate your help scouting an apartment rental or one of those long-term hotel places. Something small will be fine.”
Bronwyn turned and peered at me around the edge of the front seat. She looked perturbed. I met her gaze blankly until she turned around again.
It wasn’t long until we’d arrived at the hotel and I was checking Bronwyn into her own room while Kat waited in the parking lot. Id asked her to take me to see Remi.
Bronwyn’s protests echoed through the small tiled lobby of the hotel, but I justified the decision by telling her I might be coming and going at all hours of the day and night, and I didn’t want to disturb her.
What I really wanted was to figure out a way to get her on a plane back to England as soon as possible. The last thing I needed was her hammering me for explanations regarding my standoffish attitude or my fucked-up emotions. And I didn’t need her hovering at the hospital or arranging impromptu publicity events by calling the press.
I dragged her big piece of luggage behind me with my left hand while loaded down on the right shoulder with two others. How could one woman have so much shit for what was only supposed to be a weekend in Brasilia?
It seemed like it took ten years for her to open the door so I could unload.
I felt her hands on my shoulders and then running down my arms and back. “When will you be back, lovie? It was a nice gesture to be proper in front of your sister, but I’ll move my things to your room when you get back. I’ll wait up for you.”
I left the bags on the floor and walked forward, effectively pulling out of her embrace. “No need. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” I swung the heavy door open and started to walk out.
“Why are you acting so awful to me? I came all this way to be with you. The least you could do is be nice about it.”
I stopped and turned around. She was right. If this were any other situation or even any other tragedy, I would have welcomed any comfort she offered. We’d become a comfortable habit and I shouldn’t diss her or make her feel undervalued, no matter what I was going through. If this didn’t involve Teagan and if I wasn’t feeling so protective, I might want Bronwyn with me. However, I knew she was resentful and angry about current events and I didn’t have the emotional energy to coddle her. The last thing I needed was her tearing into Teagan at the earliest opportunity. Teagan was far from innocent and had many things to answer for, but right now, Remi needed her mother and I needed peace of mind.
I knew both of them, and they were as different as night and day. Bronwyn had claws and Teagan was gentle and giving. At least, that’s how I remembered her.
“You’re right,” I admitted. Stepping back into the room, I took a hold of both of her shoulders and bent to place a quick kiss on her lips. Her chin lifted and her mouth opened, clearly wanting to deepen the kiss, but it felt foreign to me now. I pulled back and kissed her forehead, instead. “I’ll see you later.” I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
I felt guilty; burned; on fire. I wanted out of that room and out of her arms. I had nothing to be ashamed of. I wasn’t being unfaithful to my married ex-girlfriend, so why was my soul and heart screaming?
TEAGAN
Jensen was in the shower and clearly lingering.
He’d been home about an hour but things were awkward. We hadn’t spoken other than when he asked about Remi and went in to check on her. We weren’t exactly lovers, though we’d tried in the year after Remi was born. Through it all, we’d always been friends, and it was incredible how just the idea that Chase was back had changed the dynamic between us. It was clear Jensen felt threatened, and I understood why. I never lied about my feelings for Chase, but over the years we just stopped talking about him, and he’d given up trying to sleep with me.
I was pacing around the house, anxiously waiting for Kat and Chase to arrive when a knock on the door broke into my thoughts and halted my steps. I hurried to the front hall and opened the door. It was solid oak with a window at the top, but I wasn’t tall enough to see through it.
Chase stood there, looking exhausted. His shirt was rumpled and his hair was mussed like he’d run his hands through it ten times, and Kat hovered quietly behind him. Instinct and habit urged me to go into his arms for a hug, but I moved back to open the door instead, my eyes locking with Chase’s. They were stormy; a darker green as he and Kat stood in the yellow glow of the porch light waiting to come inside.
