Page 22 of Cayden

She had relaxed enough that when Marianne spoke again, the shock could not be hidden.

“You’re pregnant.” Marianne gestured towards the tray that Blair had yet to take in. “I asked Maria to include a glass of milk.” A smile touched her coral painted lips at the look on the girl’s face. “My son confided in me.”

“I asked him not to.” The sense of betrayal was too much to bear on top of what they were currently going through and only highlighted the fact that there was no sense of privacy in this household. There were too many people involved in the marriage for it to stand a chance.

“He is concerned.”

“There’s no need for that.” Blair said stiffly as she rose to pace, her mind in a turmoil.

“Isn’t there?”

“No.” She turned to face the woman, dark eyes flashing. “And my husband had no right talking to you about something that concerns both of us.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong.” There was a steely inflexion in the soft cultured voice. “It involves the entire family.” She waved a hand as Blair started to say something. “I have not said anything to the rest of the family yet.” Green eyes wandered over the delicate slender frame, covered by the shapeless smock.

“You did IVF, and I would like to wager that you are now carrying either twins or triplets. Which means there will be complications.” She folded her elegant hands in her lap. “My son has reasons to be concerned about what will happen in the ensuing months.”

“Is that what he’s doing now?” She asked bitterly. “Instead of talking to me, he’s running to you?”

The woman’s face became taut and cold. “Cayden is a very private individual and has always been. I could not help but noticed the tension between the two of you.” Her expression softened slightly.

“You think I am not sympathetic to your plight. I have seen the way each miscarriage weighs heavily on both of you. He never spoke about it, even when I encouraged him to do so.”

“I suppose you are going to tell me that I should have waited.”

The woman surprised her by smiling. Rising gracefully, she brushed an invisible lint from her immaculate attire.

“Let’s just say that I admire your persistence.” She flicked a glance over the girl’s face. “He loves you. For the first time in his life, he is in love and has no idea what to do about it. Because it is the first for him, he is also afraid of losing you. You might wantto think about that.” She left, her delicate and expensive perfume lingering behind.

Blair stood there, watching Marianne's retreating figure, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. The day had taken an unexpected turn, and she struggled to make sense of it all. The tension between her and Cayden had reached a boiling point, and now this revelation from his mother left her feeling even more conflicted.

She walked to the window, gazing out at the garden below, the vibrant colors of the flowers doing little to lift her spirits. The weight of the conversation settled heavily on her shoulders. She knew Marianne's words held some truth, but the way she had delivered them felt intrusive and unwelcome.

Blair's mind drifted back to the early days of her relationship with Cayden. They had been so in love, so full of hope and dreams for their future. But the miscarriages had taken their toll, creating a chasm of grief and unspoken fears between them.

She realized that they had never truly addressed the pain, instead allowing it to fester and grow.

She hated the fact that he had confided in his mother, had spoken to her about their personal business. She had not wanted him to say anything until she was past the worst.

He was barely speaking to her, the weight of his anger and silence was weighing on her. It was as if last night had not happened. Sitting heavily on the stool, she stared at the painting.

She remembered every tiny detail of the cabin, the weathered logs, fading into a dull sheen of brown. The thick wooded area surrounding it. She would have loved to take a walk and explore. She had caught glimpse of what looked like a lake and an old rickety bridge.

Picking up her brush, she dipped it into the paint and made a sweep over the canvas. She had majored in education and minored in art when she was in college and had seriously thought of taking up painting for a living. She had been to several art galleries before she met Cayden and had often admired Jackson Colby’s contradictory works.

The first time she met him she had been speechless. She was not the type to go wild over meeting a celebrity, but Jackson hadbeen her inspiration for years and meeting him in person had floored her.

But his acerbic sense of humor and easygoing manner had immediately put her at ease. It had also amused him that Cayden had deliberately interrupted the conversation between them.

“Need I remind you that I am happily married?”

“It seems that you are the one who needs reminding.” Cayden growled. “Back the hell off – she’s completely mine.”

The memory of that moment brought a smile to her lips. She had been so eager to please him and his family. When they started going out, she insisted on learning everything there was to learn about the business.

“Everything?” He had asked her in mock horror.

“Yes,” she told him firmly. “I don’t want to be sitting or standing in a room with your associates at a function, not having any idea what’s being said.”

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