Page 96 of Wrangled Love

He glances over, his face lighting up when he sees me.

“Come here, sugar,” he whispers, patting his thigh.

I eagerly obey, and when I get close, he pulls me onto his lap, winding his arm around my waist.

“Any other updates for me?” he asks Beth.

“Dawson had the hearing moved to this coming Tuesday,” she replies.

Jensen blinks, pulling up his calendar on his computer screen. “Wasn’t that scheduled for the end of the month?”

“There was a cancellation on the judge’s docket, so he filed a motion to move it up, and it was granted.”

“Your custody hearing?” I ask softly.

Jensen nods, pushing his glasses up his nose.

A sharp pang presses on my chest. He mentioned that he has temporary custody of Caleb, with a final hearing scheduled to grant full custody once they get back to New York. I never imagined the hearing would be moved up by several weeks. We were supposed to have the rest of August together, and now my mind spins with all the possibilities of what this could mean for us.

“I’ll be in touch with the flight information once I have it, and make sure the penthouse is cleaned and fully stocked before you arrive,” Beth informs him, pausing briefly, the sound of her keyboard clicking in the background. “That’s all I have for you. Anything else you need?”

“Not at the moment,” Jensen answers. “I’ll reach out if anything comes up. Thanks, Beth.”

“Always here to help, Mr. Harding.”

The call ends, and he sets his phone on the kitchen table.

Neither of us speaks as he draws me into his chest. I wrap my arms around his neck, rest my head on his shoulder, and focus on steadying my breathing, trying to quiet the panic rising in my chest.

Jensen tilts my chin to meet his eyes. “I want you to come with Caleb and me to New York next week.”

I absently trace the stubble along his jawline. “You do?”

“Of course.” He lifts my hand to kiss my palm. “It’s a big moment, and I want you there to share it with us.”

“I want to be there more than anything. I’ll just have to check with my brothers to make sure they can cover the cabins for me.”

I’ve never taken more than a day off, let alone been on a plane, so this is a foreign concept to me.

“I understand. Talk to them and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help make this happen. It would mean the world to Caleb if you were there… and to me. You’re important to us both, and it wouldn’t be right without you there.”

It’s the most honest he’s been about his feelings, and his words send butterflies fluttering through my stomach. The fact that he wants me there for such an important day means a lot.

Yet I can’t shake the idea that they might cut their time short in Bluebell and stay in New York after the court hearing, even though summer isn’t officially over.

The conversation we’re about to have was inevitable, and although I decided earlier that I wanted to address it sooner rather than later, now that it’s here, I’m not sure I can bring myself to ask the questions I’ve been avoiding.

I exhale deeply, raising my eyes to meet Jensen’s. “I need to ask you something first.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“After the hearing, are you and Caleb planning to come back here?” I manage, swallowing past the tightness in my throat.

Regardless of his answer, I plan to go with them to New York for the hearing, but I couldn’t wait a second longer to ask the question that’s been lingering in the back of my mind for weeks.

Jensen runs a hand through his hair, waiting a beat to reply.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” His voice falters, and the conflict in his voice is unmistakable.

---