Page 22 of Challenging Jayce

"That's why she sought out a hormone doctor."

Shaun nodded his head. "She was obsessed with reversing what was happening with her."

"And you had no idea she was running drugs from Mexico?" he asked for clarification purposes.

"I swear I had no idea she was working with the cartel. I believed her when she said she was going there to meet with a doctor. For a while, she seemed happy, so I didn't bother questioning her. Then the cancer came back and spread. When she said we needed to move to Seattle from Texas because there was a doctor here that specialized in her condition, I didn't argue. I requested a transfer and followed her."

Jayce didn't know what to think about everything he was learning. Shaun was always a pushover and Jasmine clearly wore the pants in their relationship. Not that he was surprised by that. It was what she wanted when they were married, but he could never give to her.

"Where is Michael now?"

He hadn't been quiet when he stormed in the house, but his son never came out to see what the noise was.

"Basketball practice. He'll be home in about thirty minutes."

Jayce nodded his head. "I should get going, I don't want to ambush him again."

"Michael has a basketball game tomorrow night. Why don't you come? You can see how good he is."

"I'd like that. Send me the details and I'll be there."

"I'll walk you out," Kennedy spoke up again.

He followed her out the door and wasn't the least bit surprised when she started on him as soon as they were out of Shaun's earshot.

"Really, Jayce? You come here, guns blazing like that? You have to know Shaun would never put Michael at risk."

"Idon'tknow that, Kennedy. All I know is that people lied to me for fifteen years, and now I have a son who may or may not be vulnerable because of what his mother was doing. I don't have the luxury to make assumptions. I'll be damned if I lose Michael after just finding out he's mine."

Kennedy sighed. "You're right. I know it's hard, but Shaun's not the enemy here. Their marriage was shit, if one could even call it that. They were more like frenemies raising a kid together. Most days Jasmine couldn't stand Shaun but she stuck it out because I think she knew she didn't have a choice. All her talk about love was bullshit. I don't think she understood the meaning of the word. And now after hearing what she did, I think it's obvious the only person she loved was herself."

He couldn't argue with that.

“I can’t lose him, Kennedy.” He didn’t hide the desperation in his voice and she stepped up to him until he took her in his arms.

“I know you can’t and you won’t. Michael has two amazing fathers who are going to keep him safe. He’s a lucky kid.”

A smile spread slowly across his face as he held her tight and rested his head on top of hers. She felt so good in his arms. He never thought another woman would get that honor.

“Thank you for your faith.”

She stepped back just enough that he could stare into her eyes. “Anytime, and I mean that.”

Jayce smiled down at her. “I better get going.”

“Yes, you better. I’ll see you tomorrow at Michael’s game.”

Jayce leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Not the claiming kind he wanted to give her, but a soft barely there touch. That was over too soon.

“See you tomorrow.” He squeezed her arm gently, then pulled away to climb in his truck, but he didn’t take his eyes off the woman who was slowly breaking his heart of stone.

CHAPTER13

She waitedfor Jayce's vehicle to pull away before she walked back into the house. There was so much swirling in her head that she needed a minute to process it all. Shaun was waiting for her when she walked through the house to the kitchen.

"Can you believe that?"

The urge to come to Jayce's defense was strong.

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