Page 104 of The Only Goal

“But Tammy and Hudson are adults now. They can do whatever they like.” Anger simmers through me as I spit out the words.

Grace scoffs. “Bax, the Tans and the Clarks are not like your parents. They’re Gladstone parents. They’re controlling and manipulative, and they will peck away at Tammy until there is nothing left. No matter how old she gets, they’re always gonna be up in her grill making her feel bad about her life choices. Could you honestly live with that?”

“What, so she just has to settle for a life of purgatory? That’s not fair!”

“Tell that to the Tans,” she huffs. “Look, I don’t know why you’re suddenly asking all of this stuff, and I probably shouldn’t have told you that Tammy seems sad. I don’t want you to worry. I know how much you care about her.”

“Grace, she’s my girl. She always has been. She always will be. I need to know she’s happy.”

There’s a long, drawn-out silence. It’s filled with sadness and lost hope.

“Oh, Bax,” Grace finally whispers, her voice wobbling. “I wish you’d told her that when it wasn’t too late.”

“I have told her that,” I whisper, forgetting she can hear me.

“When?”

“Last week, when she was staying with me in Nolan. I told her… and she still went back to him.”

“She left Hudson?” Her voice picks up. “How? Why? When?”

“A few weeks back. Must have been just after her visit to Gladstone. She found out he was cheating on her.”

Grace gasps. “Oh my gosh, that’s huge! She must be so relieved. She’s got the perfect excuse to leave him now!”

“She went back to him, Grace.” My voice sounds as dead as I feel.

“But why would she—” She gasps again. “Kai. Hudson must be threatening to take Kai from her or something. She’d do anything for her boy. She’d give up everything for him. That’s got to be it. She knows that if she tries to divorce Hudson, the Clarks will make her life hell, and her parents will be no help either. You should hear them going on about how wealthy Hudson is and what a good life he’s giving their daughter. They never got that marriage was supposed to be about love, too, because their marriage is so freaking duty-bound.” She lets out a disgusted huff. “She’s probably making this huge sacrifice so that Kai isn’t put through a custody battle or forced to choose between his parents. She’s doing all this to protect him.” Her voice quakes, and I wonder if she’s about to start crying. Grace always was a softy. “Baxter, I don’t know what you can do, but… maybe this might help you understand why she’s gone back to him. She probably feels like she’s got no choice.”

CHAPTER 50

TAMMY

Kai was so exhausted after a busy playdate that I had no choice but to put him to bed for an afternoon nap. He doesn’t usually sleep in the afternoon anymore, but he was lethally grumpy, no doubt spent after an entire morning of interacting with other little people. He’s an introvert at heart, and I must remember that shorter playdates work better for him.

We could have avoided the meltdown while buckling him into the car if I’d just left an hour earlier.

Wiping down the kitchen counter, I ring out the cloth, then drape it over the edge of the sink to dry. I’ve got some laundry to fold while he’s sleeping, and maybe I should get a head start on dinner prep. Anything has to be better than last night’s frosty meal. The food was hot, but the atmosphere was glacial. Hudson barely spoke, and I had to work overtime, forcing conversation for the sake of Kai.

I guess I’m not used to having Hudson around at mealtimes. He usually works until after eight or goes out for “business meetings”—a.k.a. drinks at the bar with clients. Kai is always settled for the night when he gets home. More often than not, he’s already eaten, so he’ll walk in the door, pulling off his tie and settling on the couch for some TV time and a glass of bourbon.

That worked for us for so long, because it meant we didn’t need to interact too much.

But now he’s putting in all this effort, and it’s making things so much harder.

Thankfully, he’s at work right now, and half of me is hoping he’ll text to say he’s going to be late.

My stomach pinches at the thought of that message popping up on my screen.

Is he ever really working late?

Or is he meeting up with some blonde with big, pinchable boobs?

I snap my eyes shut, not even wanting to think about it. Or consider the fact that I’m hoping my husband will get home late. What kind of wife does that make me? What kind of couple does that make us?

The phone starts ringing, and I’m almost relieved for the interruption, until I hear Mrs. Clark’s voice down the line.

“Ah, Tamara. Glad to hear you answering the phone, dear. Hudson told me you were back.” Her tone could not be more unimpressed if she tried.

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