Page 106 of I'll Carry You

“The one and the same. And with the news breaking about his involvement with the Cavanaugh Metals scandal, it’s been a media circus for Amanda’s family. Amanda doesn’t want the stress of it all to affect her pregnancy, so she’s decided to move to the area to ride out the storm. She’s planning on coming down to hunt for a place after Christmas. So at least for the time being, she and the baby will be close by.”

His ex-wife was moving here, too?

Jen couldn’t picture that. Or how that would work. “And you all are—”

“Completely and totally done. We signed the divorce paperwork while I was back in town. The whole thing should have been a lot faster, but she got a bit carried away with the inheritance question and sending a PI after me.”

Celebrating his divorce seemed strange, but she couldn’t help the relief his words brought her. “You swear it?”

Jason chuckled. “I swear. And I’m going to do my best to never lie to you about anything again if it helps. By omission or not. In fact, you’ll be so sick of hearing the truth from me you’re going to probably wish I would lie to you. Fortunately, you’re a superb cook so you never have to hear me tell you how much I don’t like something you made.”

“Um, you can fib to spare my feelings about food. You’re also welcome to use the phrase ‘you’re absolutely beautiful’ to any question I have about my appearance in any circumstance. Like when I was pregnant with Colby, I had serious cankles—”

“But youareabsolutely beautiful in every circumstance.” As they exited the lake area, Jason pulled over to the side of the road. He shifted into neutral and pulled up the parking brake. “Don’t mind me. I’m going to take off my pants.”

She laughed as he wiggled out of his soaked corduroys. Then it didn’t seem like a half-bad idea, and she joined him, taking off her own pants. “When they pull us over for fleeing from a tow truck, they can drag us pants-less into jail.” Her thighs were ice cold, her skin feeling unnatural. She reached over and playfully flicked his bare thigh. “If you hurry, I can guarantee a steamy shower will be waiting for us.”

Jason unlatched her seat belt, then pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. His eyes settled on her lips, then he dipped his mouth to hers.God, she’d missed this.The taste of him, the way their mouths fitted together so perfectly, how quickly he made her melt into a puddle that just wanted more of him. He groaned, then pushed her back. “You know, I’m fully committed to continuing our visits of all the best side-of-the-road locations for hot car sex. But first, I want to make sure I’m not dreaming and heard you say you love me back in that lake. Because it was freezing. And I’m not sure my brain didn’t stop working.”

His words made her own desire for him lurch, and her heart ache for him. Whatever tough exterior he’d shown, asking her to tell him she loved him showed a vulnerable side. He craved to hear it just as much as she’d needed it. Her lips curved over his, delicately, intimately, so featherlight tingles rushed up her arms. “I love you, Jason Cavanaugh. I love you . . .” She kissed his forehead. “I love you . . .” She kissed both of his closed eyelids. “And I don’t know that I can stop loving you.”

His warm breath mixed with hers as they kissed again. “Dammit, woman, I’m serious about not being able to restrain myself.” His eyes glinted as he shifted his hips so she was pressed against his hardened length. “Although it feels like you want me, too.”

She smiled, her lips brushing his jaw and neck. “Did you ever stop to think that the fact that my underwear is wet might be because your boxers were just in a lake, and I’m sitting against you?”

He gave her a mischievous grin, then pushed himself past the fabric of her underwear and between her legs. As he slid against her wetness and inside her, she let out an electrified moan, sinking her mouth onto his collarbone. “You want to stick with that story?”

She shook her head, kissing his jaw. Lifting her face, she met his eyes and shook her head slowly. “Welcome home.”

Epilogue

Jen covered Jason’s eyes.“Keep them closed. I’m serious.” She positioned him near the door of the bakery.

She’d closed it for the day, even though it was so close to Christmas. Baked goods could wait. This couldn’t.

While she’d stuffed the bakery with balloons, Amanda had done her the favor of watching Colby. After the birth of Blake, Amanda had been a lot like a deer in headlights, unsure of how to do anything. Jen wasn’t sure Amanda had ever even been around children before. Unlike Jen, who’d spent most of her teenage years babysitting, Amanda had never even changed a diaper.

But like so many things the past year, Amanda had surprised Jen. She’d adjusted to life in Brandywood beautifully and been humble enough to ask for help, and not just from Jen. Mom had helped Amanda a lot, too. Her parents blended families in a way that made Jen proud and had treated Blake’s birth like the birth of a grandson. After all, he was Jen’s stepson now.

Amanda and Blake would even be at the surprise party tonight. She’d gone from here to Bunny’s, where Jen’s parents and family were setting up.

But Bunny’s could wait. This moment with Colby was something Jen had been dreaming about since she’d set eyes on her baby boy. She pushed Jason into the bakery, then flipped on the main light.

Jen winked at Colby, who stood on the counter of the bakery, and released Jason’s eyes. “Surprise!”

Jason did a double take. His eyes flitted from the white and blue balloons to the streamers, to Colby, who held up the sign Jen had given him proudly, a big smile on his face.

I Love You, DADDY!

Jason took an almost involuntary step forward, his jaw dropping open, and looked back at Jen. His eyes looked red-rimmed. “Does this mean . . .?”

Jen’s hand came up to her throat, her own eyes filling with tears. She nodded. “The paperwork all went through. He’s Colby Cavanaugh now.”

Jason leaned over and pressed a swoon-worthy kiss to her lips before releasing her and flying over to Colby. He swung him up into his arms. Jen couldn’t hold the tears back, and she ran toward them, catching them in a hug.

After a year of Jason having to do battle in the courts, first with the Cavanaugh Metals trial and bankruptcy, then with Colby’s inheritance issue, where they’d managed to get Jason named as the trustee, then the sale of his grandfather’s mansion—this was the first time all year that news from the courts wasn’t something that had taken a battle.

Not that the entire year had been tough. With Jason and her father’s help, Jen had secured a loan and spent all spring getting the bakery ready. And thanks to Peter Yardley’s endorsement, her website had crashed from orders the day it went live.

---