Page 208 of Guardian Daddy

“Baby, why did you leave? You know I wanted you to stay on the sofa,” Ethan said as she walked out of the closet.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Something was going on inside that big brain of hers. He guessed that was understandable with everything that had happened.

But he didn’t like that she’d run away from him instead of coming to him.

“Cate, tell us what’s going on,” Rhodes pressed.

“I don’t want to.”

“Shit,” Rhodes muttered. “Am I pushing you too much? Ethan thinks I’m too overprotective and that I’m too scared of you getting hurt that I smother you.”

“I didn’t say it exactly like that,” Ethan said dryly.

“Do I?” Rhodes asked gently. “Do you want me to back off?”

“I love you. You’ve always taken care of me. I don’t want you to go anywhere.” Moving to him, she hugged him tight before pulling away. “I love you. You’re the best brother I could ever ask for. But I don’t want to be a liability.”

Fuck.

He knew she would take what Kevin said to heart. And that was on top of Rhodes kicking Samantha out.

Yeah, his girl took too much on her shoulders. Took the blame that people heaped on her when she wasn’t at fault.

“You are not a liability,” Rhodes told her fiercely. “Fuck Kevin. He was being a complete asshole. You know all he cares about is money. He doesn’t understand family or loyalty or love because he’s never had it.”

“It’s just that sometimes I worry I’m holding you back. I know you said that you don’t want to risk loving and losing someone. But is that all of it? I don’t want to be the reason that I never have nephews or nieces.” She managed to smile at him. “We both know I won’t have kids, so my hopes all rest on you.”

Rhodes made a scoffing noise.

“You don’t want children?” Ethan asked.

She stared over at him. “Does that make me less attractive to you?”

Ethan’s eyes widened. “No. Why would it?”

“Well, biologically, men are driven to mate in order to procreate?—”

“You know what. I don’t think we need to speak about procreation,” Rhodes interrupted her.

Ethan had to resist smirking at the other man’s discomfort.

“Just so you know, nothing could make you less attractive to me,” Ethan told her firmly.

Her mouth opened. “I, um, it’s not that I don’t want children, I’m just not sure I have the emotional capacity to give a child what they need. Plus, children are known to make loud noises and to be very needy. What if I got involved in something and forgot about them? No, it just wouldn’t work.”

“Hey, no one says you have to have children,” he soothed, seeing how upset she was getting. “And it doesn’t have to be decided right now.”

“All right. I suppose. I don’t think I will change my mind. If that means you no longer wish to be with me, I understand.”

Ethan studied her. What was going on? She was pushing him away. She hadn’t spoken to him in that cold, emotionless voice for a long time.

Was it the talk about children? Or did it go deeper than that?

“Cate, I don’t want you to blame yourself for what happened with Samantha or Kevin, understand me?” Rhodes said. “Everything they said or did is on them. Not you.”

“I guess so.”

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