Page 41 of Hers to Hold
They stared at one another.
They had forty-eight hours to fix this.
Chapter 17
She knows.
Kady grinned widely at Mary Kaye, whose gaze had barely left her from the moment she walked into the woman’s home. Her husband, Steven, wasn’t home, leaving the Kaye women to enjoy an evening together. The only Kaye sister who wasn’t present was Keke, who was still filming a series in California.
Mary’s gaze remained steady, but she offered Kady a close-mouthed smile in return.
She definitely knows.
Kady had introduced herself as Kadynce Martin, and Mary had seemed surprised by her last name. The older woman remarked how lovely she was and that she looked familiar. Kady claimed, truthfully, that she’d never been to Springfield, but she probably saw her working at the bakery. Mary agreed that was probably the reason why Kady looked familiar, but her dark brown eyes retained its skepticism.
Maybe it was motherly instinct.
Kady’s mother used to claim a special power known as “mother’s intuition.” Different from a woman’s but equally as powerful. They knew—without direct evidence—when their children were lying or in trouble without being in their presence. It was a superpower Kady loathed, although her mother never had to rely on it often claiming, “You have an abnormally high sense of integrity and idealism. Never be ashamed of that.”
So, how did she end up being such a liar?
Her eyes scanned the interior of the lovely cape cod home that sat on a half an acre of land abutting a golf course. Mary’s style was a warm farmhouse, with throw blankets, wood and iron accents, and plenty of colorful flowery plants. The Kaye sisters didn’t grow up in this home, but Kady found herself wanting to stay for an extended weekend.
Kady shifted her gaze from Mary to her half-sisters who sat across from her at the dinner table. Kori said something funny about her recent visit to Kat’s show, and Kady quickly shoved a forkful of stuffed shells into her mouth to keep from responding. She chased it down with a generous piece of garlic toast. She could see where Kat got her love of cooking. Mary wasn’t half-bad in the kitchen. Kady couldn’t wait to dive into the peach pie cooling on the counter.
“What about you, Kady? Do you have anyone special in your life?” Mary asked.
All eyes turned to Kady.
She gulped down the toast and reached for her glass of wine. When did the conversation switch to romance?You really need to pay more attention.
Kat grinned mischievously. “Of course she does. He works for Drew.”
Kady coughed.
Kori laughed heartily and set the same grin her sister had on Kady. “Kady picked a good one.”
“Quit leaving me in suspense!” Mary cried.
“It’s Wesley,” Kori offered.
“Ooh, Wes! Oh, Kady, Kori’s right. Wes is a good man. He’s been through a lot with deploying and his baby momma giving him trouble—”
“Did you hear she ran off with her boyfriend,” Kat said in a shocked tone. “I couldn’t believe—well, no, I could. She was always irresponsible.”
Mary shook her head, her frown dragging down her entire face. “I had heard. Caroline wasn’t ready for children.”
Kady snorted. “Don’t think she should be a mother at all.”
“Sadly, I agree.” Mary nodded. “Some women shouldn’t be mothers. At times, it pushes the really selfish heart to learn selflessness, but other times, it just increases one’s self-centeredness. Both Wes and his daughter deserve better than that. I feel so bad for that little girl. A girl needs her mother.”
“At least she has her father,” Kori remarked. “I know it’s an adjustment for him, but Wes loves her enough for two parents.”
Kady silently chewed on her food. Did Kori really believe what she said? That Chastity needed her father? Would she have been willing to share her own father with Kady?
“That little girl has plenty of people who love her,” Mary said. “Steven dotes on her, and soon she’ll have a little cousin to play with.” Mary reached over and tenderly touched Kat’s growing belly.
Kady would’ve been surprised at the mention of Steven, if she hadn’t discovered Gregory Kaye’s…reputation. The Kaye sisters rarely spoke of their father, choosing to frequently mention Steven and how wonderful a husband he was to their mother. So Kady went to work, asking around the bakeshop, and even stopping by Kat’s old place of employment and casually striking up a conversation with the owner, Susie, who didn’t have one good thing to say about Gregory.
