Page 32 of (Un)Spoken

Victoria turned to Cameron. “They were concerned because I took off without saying goodbye.” Her amber eyes met mine. “I told Cole, but it was because Emilia was sick. She needed me.”

I nodded, trying not to overthink the relief flooding over me. It wasn’t because of me. I hadn’t fucked up Cole’s chance to get to know her again. Cameron just smiled at her side, oblivious to all the tension filling the room. “I was just coming to get the girls for dinner. Ma made some new casserole she wants you to try. But,” heglanced at us, “maybe it’d be better if I brought down a few servings.”

Cole shook his head. “We don’t want to be a burden.”

“Nonsense,” Cameron said. “My mom always cooks like she’s feeding the whole army. It's part of ranch life, she always says. We’ve got plenty for everyone.” He nodded over his shoulder. “Cole, you want to help me out? I know she’d love to meet you. Em, you wanna come say hi to Gram?”

Cole glanced at me, and I motioned to the coffee table. “I’ll clean up here. Least I could do after such an amazing party.”

“That was me,” Emilia smirked. “I was a good host, just like Mommy taught me.”

“Of course, you were, baby,” Cam answered, pulling her up onto his shoulders. “Let’s get some food, and then we can all get to know each other a little better.”

As the patio door swung closed behind them, I suddenly realized I had made a monumental mistake. Standing only a few feet from Victoria, all I could think about was how her body felt in my arms and how sweet her lips tasted.

Victoria shuffled forward, resting her hands on the back of the threadbare couch. “I owe you an explanation.”

EIGHTEEN

“I owe you an explanation.”

That was probably the understatement of the century. From the moment I saw Cole and Adam standing on my doorstep, all I could think of was how to explain everything to him. It was bad enough seeing the look on my brother’s face when he put the pieces together. I hadn’t even dared to look at Adam.

Since I landed in Texas, I’d drafted fifteen different text messages to him and started so many calls that I ended before the phone ever rang. I told myself it wasn’t worth it, that when he saw the real me, the real obligations in my life, he’d never want to talk to me again.

I hadn’t counted on him showing up here.

After my heart-wrenching conversation with Cole, my emotions were wrung out, and I had little energy left. But after our time together, I owed Adam an explanation—or at least some closure so we could both move on.

I toyed with my fingers, trying to figure out how to start, but Adam beat me to it. He shook his head, tucking hishands into his pockets. “You don’t owe me anything, Victoria.”

Victoria. It was funny to hear my name cut through me. Adam rarely called me by my full name. After the first day together, I was always Tori, and recently, he’d called me trouble. I never thought I’d relish hearing my childhood nickname, but with Adam, it took on another meaning. It made me feel like I was testing his control as much as he was testing mine.

“I should have told you about Emilia.” I rubbed my stinging eyes on the sleeve of my cardigan. “It probably makes me sound like a selfish jerk?—”

“You don’t.” His words were almost forceful, and I made myself meet his eyes. I was expecting some hostility and anger at the secrets I had kept from him, but instead, all I saw was understanding. He tilted his head, giving me that side smile I’d grown attached to already. “You don’t owe me your secrets, Victoria. If you want to hold some things close to your chest, I get it after everything you’ve been through. Do I hate that Cole found out this way? Of course. But I was right there with you during the worst of his dark period. I get wanting to make sure things were good before bringing him into your daughter’s life.”

My jaw dropped, and I stared at him like I was seeing him for the first time. He was the only one who understood my reasoning without question. Not even my parents agreed with my choice, thinking I was being too hard on Cole. And maybe I was, but I had to see him for myself. Anyone I brought into Emilia’s life had to be in it for the long haul, and Cole had proven that during my visit. It was tempting to tell him before I left, but something like this needed to be a real conversation, not something quick to squeeze in while I was packing.

To be honest, this surprise visit was a blessing in disguise. Cole got to meet Emilia, and we had the opportunity to sit down and have an honest talk about what had happened years ago. While there were still a lot of things I was holding back, it felt good to have this secret no longer hanging over my head.

But I never thought Cole would bring Adam along.

While we were talking, I couldn’t help but watch him with Emilia. She was just as enchanted by his easy presence as I was. I kept expecting him to ask for space or find excuses to get out of her game. My daughter was my pride and joy, but I was under no illusion that she was a little angel. She’d developed quite a sassy attitude for her pint-sized frame, and as much as it taxed us sometimes, Cam and I didn’t want to squash any of her spirit. So, as long as she was kind, we could take a little sass from time to time.

None of that seemed to phase Adam. Instead, he sat on the floor, listening to her tea party demands. My heart almost burst out of my chest when she gave him her favorite tiara. He wore it like a badge of honor, not having any idea how much that dinky piece of plastic meant to her.

I ducked my head down, not wanting Adam to see the adoration written on my face. These feelings shouldn’t be there, at least not yet. After all, we’d only spent a few days together and shared one magical kiss. That shouldn’t be enough to feel this pull.

But standing here, in my disorganized living room, all I wanted was to run into his arms, to let him kiss away all my anxieties from the past few days, first with Emilia being sick and then trying to figure out what I was going to do about Adam. Even though I tried to leave my feelings behind in Saint Stephen’s Lake, they refused to let go, daring me to call him and tell him all my concerns.

Closure, I told myself.This is just closure.Adam was a movie star, with his pick of every beautiful woman on the planet. There was no way he’d ever want to stick around now that he knew I was a mom and tied down to his hometown. The best thing to do was clear the air and then forget what happened between us. I chewed on my lower lip, sparing a look at the front door before continuing, “Look, about the kiss…”

“It was amazing.”

My eyes widened as I looked at Adam. He shrugged his shoulders, and an easy smile graced his lips. “Last time, I fumbled my words, and you got the wrong idea, so I didn’t want to take any risks now.” He stepped forward, lowering his voice. “That was the best fucking kiss of my life, Tor.”

“It was?” My voice came out almost screechy, and I was sure I must be dreaming. That was it. I was still in bed, trying to catch up on two days of horrible sleep.

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