Page 58 of I Replaced His Husband
It wasn’t any of his business, but I needed to make it clear where things stood.
"He’s not lonely anymore."
They both stared at me with a strange intensity. They were older than me, maybe in their thirties, shorter and stockier, and they looked like they might’ve been drinking.
"Oh. That’s unexpected," one of them huffed.
The other let out a raspy chuckle. "Or not. He’s a total catch. Still, gotta say, it all happened pretty fast, huh?"
A growl rumbled low in my throat. "What exactly are you trying to say?" My voice rose, but they just laughed it off.
"Relax, man. Nothing. Just good to know someone’s fucking him during all this drama."
That really pushed my buttons. I clenched my jaw. "You could show a little more respect. He lost his husband. And whatever’s going on isn’t your business."
"Yeah? Maybe, but these questions just come up on their own, since I can smell his sweet scent all over you!" He tilted his head, eyes locked on my neck. "Did he mark you or something? That’s… odd."
I’d had enough. I turned and walked off, too wound up to keep dealing with their crap. This could’ve turned ugly fast, and I didn’t even know who they were. Maybe they really had been friends with Maurice and were just being weird about Kay. Maybe it was a small-town thing, and I didn’t want to get into it with some drunk, crass locals. Jaw tight, I headed home without looking back.
When I got back to the house, I was still in a foul mood. Kay was already up and in the shower, so I decided to take one too. Afterward, I went down to the kitchen to talk to Adam or Marcoabout what happened, but neither of them was around. Adam was on the phone out on the terrace, and Marco’s car was gone.
So, I made breakfast and brought it up to Kay’s room. I hesitated—wasn’t sure if I should tell him about the two guys. I didn’t want to upset him. But in the end, I figured he needed to know.
"While I was out jogging, I saw two guys on the shore. They asked about you. Said they were friends with your hu… with Maurice. One of them even commented that I smell like you. Two alphas, looked like they were in their thirties. Gave off a pretty bad vibe."
Kay raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. "No idea who they could be. What were they doing?"
"Just sitting on a rock. Looked a little drunk. Acted kind of cocky."
"Maybe the Dawsons or the Smiths? They’ve got lots nearby," he said, mostly to himself, then added, "Adam’s land runs about fifty yards each way along the shore, but past that it’s county land. Anyone can go there. Sometimes high school kids camp out."
"They weren’t teenagers."
"The Dawsons have a few cabins they rent out half a mile from here. Not great ones. Their family’s in the hotel business, but… let’s just say they’re not thriving."
"Anyway, they seemed interested in your situation. That’s why I brought it up."
Kay turned toward the window. "Alphas are always interested in me, Rain. Nothing new. You don’t know how often I get catcalled or hassled. That’s why I never go out alone."
I stared at him, kind of shocked. He really never went out alone? That sounded exhausting, and pretty sad. But before I could say anything, Adam knocked and walked in.
"Hey, the Sanderses called. They’re coming by to apologize and are happy with what the doctor said. Danny sounded genuinely sorry on the phone."
Kay shrugged. "Let them. I need to talk to them about Maurice’s cars anyway."
And that ended our talk about the drunk guys.
When the Sanderses arrived, I stayed out on the terrace, not wanting to get in the way like I did last time. I could hear their conversation though, and as Adam said, they were pretty apologetic and seemed happy Kay was feeling better. Danny even sounded sincere when he said, "I’m sorry we doubted your judgment. It won’t happen again. You have our support. I hope the pregnancy stabilizes now."
Most of the rest of the talk was about the house Kay had shared with Maurice. From what I gathered, John Sanders had added the property to his hotel’s rental listings. Kay got paid without having to worry about bookings or upkeep, since the hotel staff handled all that.
When they left, I stood in the doorway and nodded at them, and they nodded back. I guess we had a truce. I was glad for Kay, at least now he didn’t have to stress about his in-laws and could enjoy the pregnancy a little more.
After Kay’s midday wave, I was still feeling kind of drained. My gland was bothering me again, spongy and sensitive, so I decided to take a nap. I dozed off pretty quickly, but about an hour later, I woke up in a strange state of panic, my heart racing.
I looked around, but Kay wasn’t there.
A jolt of fear shot through me, and I jumped up, rushing to the window. In the distance, I saw him standing in the shallow water, wearing only his swim shorts. And next to him were the same two alphas from the shore!
