Page 133 of Finding Forever

“I won’t say a word. I promise. But I think you have to trust Cade and tell him.”

“I’ll consider it,” Fern promised.

“Now tell us more about your orientation. On a scale of one-to-smoking… how hot were the boys?”

“And girls,” Lucy added.

“They were all a good ten years younger than me.” Fern laughed. “Babies compared to my fifteen out of ten, smoking-hot husband.”

“Ugh, newlyweds always gross me out. You’re always perpetually horny for each other. It’s disgusting. Spare a thought to those of us getting none, thank you very much,” Lucy intoned.

“Play your cards right with that new girl, Zoe, and that could be you,” Beth said.

“Nah, I’m a rolling stone and all that.”

Fern smiled, allowing their banter to fade into the background while she contemplated her upcoming meeting with Granger. She didn’t like keeping the news from Cade. But she knew him well enough by now to realize that he’d insist on being present. And the meeting would turn into a testosterone fueled, dick measuring contest. Fern didn’t want that.

She needed this to behermoment.

Then again, maybe she should do as Beth had suggested and trust him to have her back and be the support she needed. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do.

These last three weeks with Cade had been truly amazing. He was attentive, sweet, considerate, and their lovemaking justgot more and more off-the-charts explosive. They couldn’t get enough of each other.

They hadn’t yet revisited their discussion about the future, but Cade had—just two days ago—talked about finding a house on a beach with the perfect beach view room for Casper.

Life would be perfect if Fern wasn’t so riddled with uncertainty. She hated that she couldn’t simply enjoy what they had. But it wasn’t enough. Because it didn’t feel real.

And Fern knew, she couldn’t delay making that decision about her—their—future for much longer. She just couldn’t continue to live in limbo.

Cade’s conversationswith his father had been strained ever since the night Fern had refused to acquiesce to the old man’s demands that she call him Niall.

His father was in the country again for the first time since the beginning of January, ostensibly to discuss the next phase of what they’d unofficially dubbed theirGoing Greenproject. They had their next potential acquisitions already lined up. An innovative fairly new rainwater harvesting and irrigation company as well as a provider of energy efficient smart home systems.

Cade already had his acquisition strategy worked out, he also had alternative options lined up, in case their first choices didn’t work out. His father knew that and Cade wasn’t sure why the old man hadn’t simply called.

“How’s Fern?” his father asked, after only most cursory of business conversations.

“Fern?” Cade watched his father carefully, not sure what the old man was up to but positive he wasn’t going to like it. “She’s fine. She and Casper are both doing well.”

“She’s a good lass.”

“I know.”

“You seem happy now. With her.”

“I… am.” Cade confirmed warily, not sure where his dad was going with this.

“I can tell. You smile whenever you talk about her. And the bairn.”

He did?

Cade froze as he realized that he’d been smiling just a moment ago, and that it was only fading now as he considered his father’s words. He hadn’t known that that was something he’d been doing.

“Aye, I noticed it whenever we have the video calls. You’ve been doing it for a while. You only recently started grinning like a Cheshire cat over the bairn. A few weeks ago.”

He didn’t know where his father was going with this.

“Okay?”

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