Page 49 of Tangled in His Embrace

Taylor nodded.

He set her on her feet and picked up the plates containing the eggs and bacon, taking them over to the table.

“Do you want milk or juice, Taylor?” Gabby asked, going to the refrigerator.

“Juice, please.”

“Jax?”

“Juice works for me, too.” He shot her a grin before he sat down.

After pouring everyone some juice, Gabby sat down at the table and they all began to eat the food Jax had prepared. About halfway through, Jax and Gabby looked at each other. It was time to address the elephant in the room.

Gabby dove in. “Taylor? What do you think of Daddy being here this morning? Do you like having him here eating breakfast with us?”

The reaction from Taylor was unmistakable. Her eyes sparkled and she nodded as she chewed on her bacon.

“How would you feel about Daddy living with us?”

Taylor thought about it for a moment. “Would Daddy have breakfast with us every morning?”

Jax answered. “Yes. That means I’d have breakfast with you and Mommy every morning.”

“Okay.”

She went back to eating her food as if one of the most pivotal conversations of Gabby’s life hadn’t just happened. It had to be one of the easiest conversations she’d ever had in her life.

After breakfast, Jax cleaned up while Gabby got Taylor ready for preschool. She had to say it was nice having another adult around to help. Cleaning up the kitchen was one less thing she had to worry about before leaving the house.

“Ready for preschool?” Jax asked when they emerged from Taylor’s bedroom.

She hoisted her backpack on her shoulders. “Are you taking me to school, too, Daddy?”

“Not today. I have a meeting this morning.” At her disappointed look, he added, “Maybe I can take you tomorrow.”

That cheered her up. “I can introduce you to Mrs. Von. She’s really nice.”

He ran a hand over the top of her head. “I can’t wait.”

Jax gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek then turned to Gabby. She saw so many things in his eyes as he looked at her—things that made her wish they didn’t have an audience. “I’ll see you tonight. If you need me or can’t find something, you have my cell. And there’s an extra key in the nightstand beside my bed.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He took hold of her free hand and brought it to his mouth, letting his lips linger on her skin. “Have a good day at work, honey.”

She laughed, breaking some of the tension. “Thanks. You, too.”

The rest of the day seemed to drag since all she wanted to do was be home with Jax. Gabby kept wondering what he was doing. She must have thought about calling him at least a dozen times, but she’d resisted. He’d call if he needed something.

When she walked in the front door later that evening with Taylor, Jax was sitting on the couch, glasses on, his feet propped up on the coffee table, and his laptop resting on his lap.

Neither Jax nor Gabby got a word out, however, before Taylor was running across the room and jumping onto the couch beside him. He almost dropped his laptop on the floor when she plopped onto his lap and threw her arms around him.

Gabby chuckled as she removed her coat and hung it up in the hall closet. It didn’t seem as though their daughter would have any trouble adjusting to her father being there all the time.

That night after putting Taylor to bed, Gabby tidied up the house while Jax loaded the dishwasher. In some ways, it was as if no time had passed and they’d picked up where they’d left off three years ago. Could it really be that simple?

“I stopped by my apartment earlier and picked up enough clothes to last me till Saturday,” Jax said as he wiped off the counter.

She straightened the rug by the front door and joined him in the kitchen. “Do you think your mom would want to watch Taylor Saturday while we get you moved?”

---