Page 101 of Finding Forever

He sighed and the sound was laden with exhaustion and tinged with exasperation but Fern wasn’t about to feel bad about that. She needed clarification on this matter, because it made no sense. He couldn’t be serious.

“Well,thatand because…” His brow furrowed as he stared at her in mute frustration.

“Because what, Cade?”

“Your doctor’s there.” His voice softened and Fern’s jaw dropped as she searched his eyes for the truth.

“My doctor’s there?” She knew she was starting to sound like a parrot but she was completely lost. This was the most confusing conversation she’d ever had.

“You like her, right? Dr. Khan?”

“Yes,” she admitted softly.

“And you like the flat? The view and location?”

“I mean, I could do without all those stairs,” she said absently, not really thinking about her reply as she tried to make sense of this exchange. “And easier access to the beach would be great, because right now it feels completely out of reach. But I do like seeing the ocean every day.”

“The company has a branch in Cape Town. If you’re happy there, Fern, we could live there for now. I may have to do a little bit of commuting in the beginning but the bulk of my work can be done from our Cape Town branch.”

“You’re serious about this?”

“Yes, although I’m not too happy about the proximity to Abernathy, and I’m going to be looking into a personal protectionagency to help keep you safe. That’s what Trystan, Mike, and I were discussing last night.”

And after theway she’d simply wandered off last night, Cade felt the extra security was necessary, just for his own peace of mind. Her security detail would never curtail her movements—if she wanted to leave like that again, she could—but at least she’d be safe.

“I think, if it’s what you want, Fern… it’s something to consider.”

“Butwhy? You were so adamant about us living here.”

He shifted his shoulders awkwardly.

“My brothers and Kenny are there as well, and if we’re going to pretend to be a happy newlywed couple, with a baby on the way, it makes sense to do so in a place where one of us has family already. Nesting couples usually require support networks, don’t they? It’ll sell our lie more convincingly.”

Fern searchedhis features in bafflement. He couldn’t seem to meet her eyes and that confused her even further. Yes, she’d told him that she’d prefer to live in Cape Town, but she’d meant livingapartfrom him.

Referring to them as a—albeit pretend—happily newlywed,nestingcouple was the exact opposite of what she’d meant. And he knew that, she knew he did, why else was he being so cagey right now?

“I said I’d be happy to live there alone,” she reminded, just to gauge his reaction. “I’ve created enough upheaval in your life.”

And his rant about her pregnancy last night had reinforced that fact.

“It’s not upheaval, it’s restructuring. And we’re figuring it out. Besides we agreed to lay that matter to rest for now, remember? No separating, at least not in the first year.”

“I don’t recall agreeing to anything,” she denied. “And after last night? Cade, this isn’t working. If you’re having such a hard time with my pregnancy, maybe it would be better for us to separate sooner rather than later.”

His jaw tightened, and he glowered at her through slitted eyes.

“No, we’re not separating, Fern. Not yet. I was in a bad space last night. It won’t happen again.”

“You finally revealed some of your real feelings, Cade. I call that honesty, and I prefer it to the way you’re constantly on guard around me. Watching your words, afraid to smile…”

“I’m not much of a smiler,” he muttered and she waved an impatient hand at the almost surly response.

“Regardless,” she snapped. “You’re never relaxed, always uncomfortable. I hate that I’ve created such tension in your space. I feel like an intruder, tiptoeing around you, while you’re always on your best behavior and scrupulously polite.”

“Would you rather I was rude?” His voice was equally baffled and frustrated.

“Yes, it’s better than trying to guess what you’re feeling. You’re so determinedly neutral and emotionless at all times, it’s hard to live with someone like that.”

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