Page 171 of Penalty to the Heart

She nods weakly, pressing her palms on his chest.

“Jack should be hiding out with Erin in the kitchen. I’ll let him know that you had to leave,” Caleb explains when he sees the panic in Lawrence’s gaze as he looks into his wife’s eyes.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Come, luv. Let’s get you home.”

Lawrence doesn’t spare us a second glance as he hurries away with his wife.

“I don’t know, kitten. I think you might be wrong. That looks like a man in love to me,” Trent says when they are no longer within earshot.

“It does, doesn’t it?” She chews on her bottom lip. “Maybe Laurie did marry for love after all but hasn’t realized it yet.”

“Oh, he knows. Believe me, he knows. A man who has fallen in love with the woman he intends to spend the rest of his life with knows the second it happens. Isn’t that right, Donovan?” Trent adds, turning his gaze away from the retreating couple and onto us.

Caleb snakes his arm around me and pulls me closer to his side, staring down at me with nothing but love in his eyes.

“I sure did.”

“See, kitten? We all know.” Trent smiles lovingly at Piper before setting his sights back on me and Caleb. “Now, if you two will excuse us, Piper and I need a moment.”

Piper laughs as she walks to the bathroom, Trent quickly following behind.

I’m still stunned speechless as he’s about to close the door on us, only to keep it slightly open to floor me with his next words.

“Oh, and Roxanne, you owe me one. If your first kid isn’t named after me, I’ll be very disappointed.”

And with that, he shuts the door.

“No way am I naming our first kid Trent.” Caleb rolls his eyes.

“I heard that!” Trent shouts from the other side of the door.

“Damn it. He’s got quite an ear on him,” Caleb grumbles, pulling us away from the hall towards the kitchen, forcing me to jump in front of him to prevent him from taking another step.

“Explain,” I order, tapping my foot to show him I mean business.

“Explain what, beautiful?”

“Explain how neither Trent nor Lawrence seemed one bit surprised to see us together? Explain how neither of them threatened to fire me or report me to the medical board. Explain all of it. Now, Caleb.”

“God, you’re hot when you’re angry.”

“Caleb!”

“Fine,” he relents, wrapping his arms around me with that devilishly mischievous smile of his. “Now, remember, Roxie. You love me. So whatever I say next, that can’t change.”

My fury dissipates somewhat at the tiny glint of concern in his eyes.

“Of course not. Nothing will change how I feel about you. But I don’t appreciate being kept in the dark either, so can you please just tell me what happened?”

“Fair enough. Hmm… where to start?” He runs his nose along the length of mine.

“How about you quit stalling and tell me how Trent found out about us.”

“Oh, that one is easy. I told him,” Caleb announces unapologetically.

“You did what?” I slap his chest.

“Easy there, love. I had the best intentions at heart. I knew you were having a hard time telling him about us, so I did it for you.”

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