Page 83 of Wed to You-
Chelsea sighed. “Kaden, if Miss Z comes in and fusses about the cookie sheet we haven’t washed yet, tell her I’ll be back after my meeting with Jagger.”
“’Kay.”
“I’ll help finish up.” Mrs. Stanton appeared from nowhere. Chelsea always wondered how she knew she was needed.
Chelsea dried her hands on a cloth and then followed Grayson to Jagger’s office. She felt like she was in trouble and being sent to theprincipal’s office. She wracked her brain, trying to determine why he and Miss Z disliked her so much. Even Mrs. Stanton was cool toward her. Did they think she was low class? Were they suspicious of the quick wedding? They couldn’t think she’d trapped Jagger as she’d been clear she wasn’t pregnant. Maybe they thought she was using some other ploy. Of course, that would mean they believed Jagger could be duped, but he was too worldly for that. So maybe they thought she was a gold digger, or were just overprotective of Jagger.
Regardless, she was Jagger’s wife. Shouldn’t that come with some base level of respect from them? If she could pretend to be in a loving marriage, they could pretend to be respectful.
Except, she wasn’t in a real marriage. Chelsea realized she wasn’t any different from them. Jagger had even said so. “I’ve paid a fortune to have you act as my loving wife.” She worked for Jagger just as they did. The only difference was she was sleeping with him.
She groaned at her stupidity. She’d told herself to keep the relationship businesslike, to not muddy the waters, but she’d tossed that aside when he’d looked at her with those mesmerizing devilish blue eyes that promised sensual delights beyond her wildest dreams. She should regret having wild, wonderful sex with him, but she couldn’t muster it. Every woman deserved to experience spectacular sex at least once in their life. She’d had her brief fling and now she needed to put the kibosh on it.
Grayson knocked on the door, opening when Jagger invited him in. “Mrs. Talbot, sir.”
She was being announced to her husband. How surreal was that? She held back a snort. Grayson acted as if Jagger was king of the world.
“Send her in, Grayson.”
Plastering on a smile, Chelsea entered Jagger’s office. He stood from his desk when she entered, looking like a ruthless businessman, despite the fact he was in jeans and a T-shirt. An older woman withsmart shrewd eyes dressed in a light blue tailored suit turned from her chair.
“Chelsea, this is Mrs. Monroe, my attorney in Kaden’s case.”
“Mrs. Talbot.” Mrs. Monroe stood and took Chelsea’s hand in a firm handshake.
“Mrs. Monroe.”
Jagger motioned for Chelsea to sit in the chair next to Mrs. Monroe as he moved to stand behind her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and she couldn’t decide if it was meant as a loving, husbandly gesture or a way to let her know her role in this situation.
“You were just making cookies with Kaden?” Mrs. Monroe sat.
“Yes. I’m sorry, I should have brought you some.”
“I’m on a new no-sugar diet. My family says it makes me grumpy.”
Chelsea smiled but wasn’t interested in small talk.
“This is just the type of thing we need to make sure the court knows about. All the wonderful enriching activities Kaden has living with you. A mother who is a teacher and bakes cookies—”
“I’m not Kaden’s mother.”
Jagger’s fingers dug into her shoulders.
She tried not to wince at the pressure. “I just...I know his birth mother isn’t able to raise him, and I enjoy caring for Kaden, but I don’t feel comfortable erasing the fact that another woman brought him into the world.”
“He sees you as his mother.” Jagger kept a firm grip on her shoulders.
She tilted her head up. “He sees me as a mother figure and you as a father figure.”
“That’s what’s important,” Mrs. Monroe said. “You’re the only parents he knows. That will count for something, especially since his mother abandoned him.”
“I’m certain he doesn’t remember her,” Jagger said.
“Quite a way to start a new marriage, eh?” Mrs. Monroe said.
Chelsea nodded, unsure how to respond.
“Being married to you, a woman with deep roots to the community, a teacher, no less, can only help his case.”
