Page 37 of I Replaced His Husband
"You okay?" I asked gently.
Kay gave a short nod, his eyes still fixed on the carpet. Did he feel anything? Probably not. Maybe I was just fooling myself with this idea of a special connection.
Adam sighed and spread his hands.
"Well, this conversation had to happen eventually. We couldn’t keep your presence here a secret forever. Danny's really involved in the community. Half the town’s gonna know soon."
"It’s nobody else’s business," I said firmly.
Adam sighed again.
"Yeah, but this is White Cliffs. In such a small town, people live for this kind of drama. And the Sanderses are one of the more prominent families around here. They’ve got their fair share of enemies, too. Their hotels bring in more visitors than the local ones, so there are plenty of folks eager to stir up trouble for them."
I looked at Kay and saw him hunch over even more, arms wrapping around himself. That sparked another wave of protectiveness in me.
"If you ever feel uncomfortable here, just know I’ve got a house in my parents’ town. I bought it before Brian and I got married, so it’s available if you need a bit of space away from this town and—"
Adam suddenly looked uneasy.
"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Maybe Danny won’t spread it around. This is about his grandchild, after all."
I nodded.
"Right. We probably shouldn’t be stressing about it right now," I added for Kay’s sake, since his nervous energy still didn’t entirely go away.
Adam nodded back. A pretty tense silence followed.
"You guys had lunch yet?" I asked, trying to shift the mood.
"No, I was just about to start something when the Sanderses showed up."
"Let me make it. I doubt you feel like being in the kitchen right now."
Adam turned to Kay.
"Kay, want to lie down for a bit? You look pale. Rain will bring your lunch up to you."
Kay mumbled something that sounded like agreement and headed upstairs without another word. I really wanted to hold him, but the space between us still wasn’t right for that kind of closeness.
Once he was gone, Adam shook his head with a sigh.
"We’ve tried to protect him from his in-laws, but they’re intense people. Kay’s kid is their only grandchild. They had Maurice later in life, and this whole situation has hit them hard. I do sympathize, but right now, our priority has to be Kay."
"I feel for them too. Losing a child… there’s nothing worse. But they could’ve shown a little more understanding, a bit more respect. I sensed that Kay was overwhelmed, which is why I walked in. Normally, I wouldn’t have."
Adam gave me a long look.
"You felt that? Even without being in the room with us?"
I winced at his sarcastic tone.
"Mock me all you want, but you’re not an alpha," I said evasively, thinking that I probably shouldn’t explain the deeper connection I felt with Kay. I could just chalk it up to those AO instincts.
Adam waved me off.
"Yeah, yeah, the mystical alpha-omega bond we poor betas will never understand." He let out a mocking laugh.
"It’s real," I said with a smirk.
