Page 26 of Hers to Hold
Her boss would say it’s business.
Kady shivered as the snake of dishonesty slithered through her belly.
“Cold?” Wes slid closer, putting his arm around her shoulder.
“Um, no. Just a slight chill.”
Deceitfulness never warmed her.
Exhausted from her train of thought, Kady relaxed into Wes’s embrace and stared out over the back lot of Drew and Kat’s home. It wasn’t just business. She really liked Wes.
And she liked the Kaye sisters too. They were fun, warm, genuine people. That was a rarity in her line of work. Being a journalist, she was surrounded by cutthroat people always on the hunt for the next story—and willing to take you out if you got in the way. It was grueling. Until she began working here, she never knew how fatigued she was by the competition.
She inwardly sighed.I want more of this.More of sitting on a back porch swing with a great kisser, sisters close by, and children safe and having fun. Meeting Wes had altered her desires in life faster than a breaking news cycle.
“This might be too soon but…I was wondering if I could see you again.” When Kady met his gaze, Wes said, “Alone. With my daughter, of course.” He arched his brows toward the house. “Without the audience.”
Kady inhaled. “Is that what you want? Are you…sure it’s okay?”
He nodded slowly. “I’m not going to pretend that I don’t know what you mean.” He removed his arm from around her shoulder. “The PTSD.”
She put a hand on his closest arm. “I’m not saying no. But it’s…this has been really sudden for me.”
He smiled. “Yeah, for me too.”
“I want to take things slow,” she whispered and removed her hand.
“Of course.” He took that hand in both of his. “I’m not going to lie, my doc wouldn’t like that I’m even talking to you about…seeing you romantically. He thinks I’m too…” He visibly swallowed. “Vulnerable for this.” He let out a half-sigh, half-groan. “When I met you in the shop, I hadn’t had an episode in months.”
“Wesley—”
He squeezed her hand. “Let me get this out.” She waited patiently while emotions altered his expression from apprehension to frustration and finally resignation. He forced a smile. “My doctor thinks you’re the problem, but I disagree.”
Shewas the problem? All she did was drop his order on the floor. If it wasn’t for the plate dropping, would he have had an episode? Was another one right around the corner? She smirked. “You’re not allowed to be attracted to anyone?”
“Not when it makes me want to give my life for them,” he said solemnly.
She stared at him. That was deeper than she expected. “Then you can’t ever…”fall in love again. What woman could accept a man who wouldn’t want to risk his life for her if necessary?Not me.“What about your daughter?” she asked weakly. “You’d give your life for her. If you’re in danger—”
“I didn’t have her all the time. But believe me, I worry that being her primary guardian means I’ll have more episodes.” He angled his body toward her, his voice insistent. “Let’s take it slow. I…I want to explore this….what’s between us. I can’t live my life avoiding people and emotions because of my past trauma. I want tobeatthis.”
If she could count on anyone to have the strength of will to rise above his circumstances, it would be a Marine. Kady nodded. “Okay.”
“Picnic in the park?”
She chuckled. “Sure. A picnic sounds nice.” And a world away from what was expected of her: discovering the truth about Drew Callaghan’s shady finances.
Kady’s heart sank. She still had a job to do, whether or not Wes gave her the perfect setup to discover the truth.
And she couldn’t let it go. Because she was too close to the truth about her father. All she needed was a little more time with the sisters and their mother. Prove her suspicions about being the reason Gregory Kaye abandoned her.
Then she would confront them all.
Chapter 12
“Chastity!” Wes annoyingly called after his daughter.
As soon as the car door opened and she was released from her seat, she sprinted across the open field of one of the many picturesque city parks. Kites of monochromatic designs in blues, reds, and oranges flew above, accompanied by home-made ones and other wild styles. In the center of the park stood a fountain. Children squealed as they splashed and darted underneath the cascading water.
