Page 40 of Mr. Kelly

A hot tear trails down my cheek. I don’t move out of her embrace. Instead, I start confessing like she’s my priest.

“I was so hurt and angry. I went there to kill her. I would have snapped her neck. I know people talk about the thin line between love and hate, but I disagree. Those two should never meet for the same person. I stood there in front of God and everyone and promised to love her for the rest of my life. She made me a fucking liar. I allowed her to make me a liar.”

I hate that the stoic yet calm person I was working to present to River is instead exposed and vulnerable, but I feel like this is something I didn’t realize I needed. Is this how real support feels?

“To be fair, the vows saytill death do us part. It doesn’t specify whose death, how they died, or why…” she whispers into my hair.

Laughter breaks through my sadness. Now,that’sreal support. Fuck, Andrea would have tried to marry her for that. My thoughts bring me full circle to a weird conversation I had with him recently.

Sitting up, I steal a quick kiss. “You’re amazing, you know that?” I don’t need a lot of light to know she’s blushing. “I’m going to change the subject for a moment. What did you say to Andrea?”

“About what?”

“The baby.”

Her face scrunches up as she thinks. She snaps when she remembers. “He informed me that he was the godfather. I told him to let our child fight their own battles. He disagreed, and I told him that I wasn’t going to allow him to steamroll me and make decisions in our child’s life. He needs to get his own.”

I laugh and shake my head. It’s sexy that she stood up for herself, but she doesn’t understand the lunacy she’s set into motion.

“What’s so funny?”

“He took you literally and has plucked some unsuspecting woman out of her life until she’s pregnant with his child.”

River falls back and groans. “I got some woman kidnapped!”

“Not kidnapped. I’d say, ‘heavily persuaded’ to stay at his house.”

She huffs and stares at me hard since I speak his language. “You have to help her, Teddy.”

I raise my hands. “I told him it’s not the best way to start a family, but Tesio logic isn’t like everyone else's.” He won’t hurt her. I lie down next to her and pull her close. “Get this. She’s black. He said it was part of the criteria so our kids can match.”

“Oh, God. I may kill him myself,” she grumbles in the pillow.

Her declaration sends me into a fit of laughter until I fear that I won’t be able to catch my breath. It may be infectious because she joins me.

“I’m serious,” she giggles. “That poor woman.”

“I know it sounds crazy, but Andrea's impulsive acts always work out somehow. Maybe his brain moves faster than everyone else’s.”

“I hope so for her sake. We have to visit and make sure she’s okay, Teddy.”

I kiss her forehead and cup her chin so she can look me in the eyes. “Say it again.”

She searches her head for what she said. “We?”

My smile deepens. “I love the sound of it. I can’t promise it won’t be an uphill battle, but I will be here for you, River.”

She smiles as her hand finds my cheek. “Okay,” she accepts. “But you don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep me around, Mr. Kelly.”

I drop kisses on her belly for the baby before my mind goes south. She knows she can turn me on by using my last name. It's something exclusive to her. I don't know if it's because she used to work for me, or if it's that I simply find everything she does arousing.

“I know. I just like giving you things. You appreciate them. Whatever change you need to make it perfect, we'll do it.”

River looks at me while gnawing on her bottom lip. She has something to say but isn't sure how to say it. I learned that about her early in her employment. I always knew when she had a problem.

“Just tell me whatever's on your mind,” I prompt her gently.

She runs her hand over her belly. “You've already given me the best gift.”

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