Page 119 of Wed to You

Kaden laughed.

“Here are cookies.” Miss Z called from the terrace.

“I want cookies.”

Jagger stopped the swing and the two of them ambled to the terrace and sat in the wicker chairs.

“I wish we had Miss Chelsea’s snickerdoodles.”

“I do too.” Miss Z gave Jagger a chastising glare. How was he now the bad guy?

“Is Miss Chelsea coming back? I miss her.” Kaden grabbed a cookie.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why? Don’t you like her anymore?”

Jagger didn’t know how to answer. His feelings for Chelsea were a messed-up jumble that he couldn’t sort out.

“You were mean to her too.”

Jagger closed his eyes, trying to hide from his guilt that Kaden had seen how vile he’d been to Chelsea. “I was angry.”

“You should say you’re sorry. Miss Chelsea says when you’re mean, you say you’re sorry. But you have to mean it.”

“Jagger?” Tanya appeared on the terrace.

“Yeah.”

“This came for you.” She handed him a manila envelope. He had a profound sense of déjà vu.

The return address was a lawyer in Charlotte Tavern. “Kaden was having some cookies. Why don’t you join him? I need to run back to the cottage.”

“Will you be back later? We can go swimming,” Kaden asked.

For a moment, Jagger watched Kaden. Although the routine had changed, Kaden had adapted very well. Only Jagger was still struggling with the changes. He rubbed the top of Kaden’s head. “We’ll see.” Then he headed to the cottage.

He sat on the chair, not wanting to open the envelope and not sure why. If he was right, Chelsea had done what he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do. They’d agreed to a marriage of convenience. The terms of the deal had been met, and now it was time to terminate the relationship. So why couldn’t he open the envelope? Odds were he simply needed to sign the paper. He’d agreed to the prenup. He doubted she was asking for anything extra. In fact, knowing her, she’d refuse the money. He swore and tore open the envelope. Reading the divorce papers, Jagger’s heart tore in two.

---