Page 40 of Caleb

The thought chilled her. She didn’t want to believe he would, but fear gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. She didn’t have the resources to fight a man like Caleb Burnett if it came to that. And if he evenconsideredtaking her son from her, it would destroy whatever fragile feelings she still harbored for him.

Her fingers tightened around the coffee cup in her hands, the weight of her worry pressing down on her like a heavy storm cloud, dark and unrelenting, refusing to lift.

Hopefully, her son would become an accepted Burnett. That was all she wanted—for Liam to be embraced by the family he’d never known. She wasn’t naïve enough to think it would be simple, but the look in Caleb’s eyes yesterday gave her a glimmer of hope. He’d seemed determined to do right by Liam, and for now, she had to trust that.

Yesterday, they had agreed: one step at a time.

But as she sat there in the quiet of the morning, she couldn’t help but wonder—what would that next step be? Would it be something minor like Caleb coming over for dinner again? Or would it be something bigger, something neither of them was ready for?

Taylor sighed, her gaze drifting up the stairs to Liam’s bedroom. Whatever came next would have to be what was best for her son. She just hoped Caleb would keep his promises.

Her mother’s voice broke the silence, pulling Taylor from her thoughts.

“Sweetheart, you’re going to burn that coffee with how hard you’re staring at it.”

Taylor looked up to see Grace standing in the doorway, her expression soft with concern. Her mother carried a plate of toast and slid it onto the table before sitting across from her.

“I didn’t even hear you come in,” Taylor admitted, forcing a faint smile.

Grace studied her for a moment before reaching over and gently squeezing her hand. “How’s Liam?”

“Still sleeping,” Taylor said. “He’s okay, thank God. But I’m keeping a close eye on him. No more strawberries.”

Grace nodded, her brow furrowing. “And how about you? How areyoudoing?”

Taylor sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t know, Mom. Everything feels... messy.”

Grace’s gaze remained steady, waiting for her to continue.

“Caleb knows now,” Taylor said, her voice barely above a whisper. “About Liam. About everything.”

Grace didn’t react with surprise; instead, she nodded slowly as if she had expected this moment. “And how did he take it?”

Taylor let out a bitter laugh. “About as well as you’d expect. He was angry—hurt too. He kept asking why I didn’t tell him sooner, and I don’t know... I don’t know how to make him understand. He left, Mom. He wasgone. What was I supposed to do?”

Did Caleb think she’d enjoyed being single and pregnant? Did he think she’d been fine walking into every doctor’s appointment alone, answering the same silent questions with a brave face while everyone around her whispered about the baby without a father?

It had been the most painful, isolating time of her life.

First, she’d lost Caleb, the man she thought she’d build a future with, and then she’d discovered she was pregnant—carrying his child—with only the help of her Mom. Those months had stretched endlessly, a lonely haze of heartbreak and fear.

She hadn’t had anyone to share her joy or her fears with, no one to feel the baby’s first kicks or to hold her hand during sleepless nights. It was a dark, relentless time, and no matter how much she loved Liam now, nothing could erase how devastating it had been to realize she’d have to do it all alone.

Grace leaned forward, her voice calm and steady. “You did what you thought was right at the time, Taylor. You were young, scared, and alone. It’s not easy to carry something like that.”

Taylor blinked back the sting of tears. “But now he’s here, and he’s trying. And I don’t know how to feel about that.”

Grace studied her for a moment, her expression thoughtful. “Maybe the better question is what are you feeling?”

Taylor hesitated, her fingers tightening around the mug. “Confused. Angry. Relieved. All of it, all at once.” She paused, her voice softening. “And scared. Mostly scared.”

“Scared of what?” Grace asked gently.

“Of letting him in,” Taylor admitted, her voice trembling. “Of letting myself believe that he’s changed, that he’ll stay this time. What if he doesn’t? What if Liam gets attached, and then he walks away again? I don’t think I can handle that, Mom.”

Grace reached across the table, taking Taylor’s hand in hers. “Taylor, I can’t promise everything will be perfect, but I’ve seen Caleb with Liam. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

Taylor glanced up, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”

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