Page 34 of Wed to You

For a moment, she wondered just how far he might go to keep Kaden. She knew Jagger socially, but she didn’t really know what he was capable of. She was starting to get a sense of it.

He smiled, and the dazzle of it blinded her for a moment. “I promise, it’ll be okay.”

Feeling a bit helpless, she nodded.

“Miss Beemer!” Kaden jumped up and ran to her. “Are you staying with us?” She wondered if Jagger had talked to Kaden about their arrangement. Well, not their arrangement, but the possibility of their getting married. Her heart did a little twist in her chest at the word marriage. She was completely nuts.

“She’s joining us for lunch.”

“Yay! Come sit with me.” He sat on the large, thick blanket spread under a grove of trees and patted the spot next to him.

Complying, she sat.

“Miss Z packed our favorites.” Jagger sat across from them and reached into the large basket. “PB and J for Kaden. Roast beef for me. And one more of each so you have a choice.”

“No barbecue?”

Jagger grinned. “We haven’t mastered that yet. Perhaps you’ll be able to make some for us.”

“I’ll have the roast beef.”

“We also brought potato chips and carrots.” Kaden waved a baggie of carrot sticks.

“It’s not a picnic if you don’t have those things.” She put an arm around Kaden and gave him a little squeeze. “I brought cookies.” She reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a large plastic bag with chocolate chip cookies.

“Ooh, can I have one?” Kaden’s bright blue eyes pleaded with her.

“Eat your sandwich and carrot sticks first.” Jagger sat across from them. “After we eat, we can go down to the river. Kaden likes to skip stones.”

“Do you skip stones?” Kaden pulled a carrot from his baggie.

“I do. I’m pretty good at it too.”

“Really?”

“I’ll show you.”

Once they’d eaten, they left their picnic items and made their way to the river. While Charlotte Tavern had some crime, most people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and their picnic items unattended at the park.

As they walked, Jagger took her hand as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Kaden ran ahead, his arms out to his sides, pretending to be an airplane. Once again, second thoughts about their plan swirled through her mind.

“Do you know your brain rattles when you think too much?”

She glanced at Jagger, who bore an amused expression. “There’s a lot to think about.”

He turned his head, watching Kaden disappear around the bend. “Hey, Kaden. Wait where we can see you, buddy.”

Kaden reappeared, flying toward them. “I can see the water.”

“Wait there to make sure it doesn’t go anywhere.”

Chelsea laughed. They caught up to Kaden and then walked with him to the river’s edge.

“Will this rock skip?” Kaden showed Chelsea a rock.

“You want to find flat ones.”

He dropped the round rock and went on the hunt for another one.

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