Page 94 of Vengeful Lies

At least she hoped not.

Because she was keeping a secret.

One that could potentially tear Cade and Essie out of her life.

“Maybe we can be that next year,” she suggested, hoping the thread of worry she felt inside didn't seep out into her voice. “After your daddy and I are married for real.”

Shooting her a look that said he knew something was running through her mind, Cade gave his daughter a smile. “And what would you be, pumpkin?”

Essie thought for a moment. “I can be the mini-t.”

“Mini-t?” Cade asked.

“You know the person that makes them married, that says you can now kiss the bride,” Essie explained.

“You mean the minister,” Cade said, pronouncing the word clearly.

His daughter just shrugged. “Okay. I for sure want to do that next year,” she said with all the confidence of a five-year-old who couldn’t imagine changing her mind a dozen times in the next twelve months.

“Alice in Wonderland it is, guess you better keep sewing that White Rabbit costume,” Cade said with a pretend sigh, then tickled his daughter again, making her squeal in delight.

As she started up the sewing machine again and watched the happy father daughter duo, Gabriella sent up another prayer, begging not to have the future and the family she longed for snatched away from her all over again.

That was something she didn't think she could survive.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

October 13th

12:34 P.M.

Gabriella was hiding something from him.

Cade had been certain of it for days, but so far, all his attempts to encourage her to open up had failed.

Whatever it was, she was holding onto it tightly and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to proceed.

Given that he’d already messed up once before and was lucky Gabriella was even giving him the time of day let alone had forgiven him and agreed to date him, he didn't want to push her too hard. So far, she wasn't pulling away from him, if anything they continued to grow closer with each passing day. She reached out to him for comfort during the day and curled into his side in bed each night. She was affectionate and loving, they made love after tucking Essie in, kissed during the day, talked and laughed, and shared beautiful moments with his daughter.

Nothing had changed, well it had but only for the better, but he couldn’t shake this feeling there was something she was afraid to tell him.

For the life of him Cade couldn’t figure out what it could be.

The longer this went on the bigger the knot in his stomach grew. It didn't feel like she was having second thoughts, but what if she was? Although he was confident she loved him and his daughter it was a lot to ask of her to remain in a dangerous situation because of them.

Maybe giving her space was the wrong thing to do. After all, he’d spent years avoiding his feelings, which hadn't done either of them any good.

Mind made up, Cade captured Gabriella’s wrist as she walked past him in the kitchen, packing up after lunch. Her gaze shifted to meet his and her eyes went from curious to concerned in a heartbreaking second.

“Can we talk, sweetheart?” he asked, his tone low and soothing, attempting to show her that this didn't have to be a big deal. Whatever she was worrying about, she could just tell him and he would move heaven and earth to make it better for her.

“Yes,” she whispered, allowing her gaze to drop and he felt helplessness flowing off her in waves. Whatever this was about, she’d no doubt worked it up in her head to be bigger than it actually was.

“Essie, Mom and I are just going into the other room to talk for a bit, you okay in here?” he asked his daughter who had Lego spread out all over the family room floor.

“’Kay,” Essie answered vaguely, too engrossed in her game to worry about what the grownups were doing.

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