Page 218 of The Archer Brothers

CHAPTER9

NATE

It’s hard to get mad at someone for doing their job. But then, if that someone is the woman you love, and she has a dangerous job, and that job entails going to visit one of the sickest men you’ve ever come across, you get mad. Yet, when you’re so damn proud of her for following her gut, the anger turns into something else. When Cara called me from Colorado to tell me where she was, I was livid. However, after talking to Evan, he reminded me that it’s her job to track down and rid the world of vile humans like Ted Lawson, and if she had to speak to him to do this, I had to be supportive. Still, I would’ve rather gone with her than her flying there by herself. The odd thing is, if she had been in Las Vegas and this happened, I probably wouldn’t give this a second thought, but the fact remains that she’s pregnant, and we still haven’t come to a decision on our future. Well, I have. She hasn’t. And it pains me to think she might not keep the baby.

I haven’t seen Cara for what feels like forever when it’s been a little over a day. She arrived back from Colorado just as I left for work this morning. She was going to shower and take a nap before going to the office. I wanted to suggest she stay home and rest, but those would’ve been the wrong words to say to her. Instead, I asked her to meet me after work because I wanted to show her something.

Now, I find myself leaning against my car and staring at the pale green, three-story home we are scheduled to see. I haven’t told Cara why we’re meeting here because I want this to be somewhat of a surprise. I found the listing on base and drove by the night before. As soon as I saw the house and the neighborhood, I saw us raising our family here.

Cara pulls up and parks a few spots away from me. I go to her car and hold the door while she gets out. “Is this work?” she asks after she kisses me.

“For once, no.” I take her hand in mine. “Come here. I want to show you something.” I resume my earlier position of leaning against my car, but position Cara in front of me. With my arms around her, I rest my chin on her shoulder and place my hands over her stomach. She doesn’t move them, even though I fully expect her to. Instead, she puts her hands over mine and leans into me.

“It’s for sale,” I tell her. “It has three bedrooms with three and a half baths and three floors, and I think it’s perfect for the three of us.”

Cara turns slightly and looks at me. “Nate.”

“Let’s look at the house first, and then we’ll talk. Okay?”

She nods.

I open the tall privacy gate and wait for her to enter the patio area. The owners have it tastefully decorated with a fire pit table, a built-in grill, and fake greenery which they’ve added to the walls to give them more privacy from the neighbors. Something I know Cara would want. We head up the wide plank stairs to the porch, and I knock.

The owner opens the door and greets us. “Nate and Cara? I’m Louise.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say as she steps aside to let us in. I place my hand on Cara’s back and guide her in. She gasps. The pictures I saw do not do the place justice.

Louise chuckles. “I’m going to let you have a look around. I’ll be out back if you have any questions. Feel free to open the cabinets.”

“Thank you,” I say to her.

Cara stands in the living room and looks around. The walls are a beige color with white wainscoting throughout.

“Plantation shutters,” Cara says quietly. “I’ve always loved those. And I love how wide the steps are.”

“Me too,” I tell her.

“The kitchen is small,” she says.

“The grill out front is staying. We’d only use the kitchen for cooking if the weather was bad and for breakfast.”

“True.”

We continue the home tour and are surprised to find a finished basement with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Cara loves all the storage, while I love the third-story balcony. The main bedroom has a private bath, which is a must. When we finish, we go outside and thank Louise, and I tell her I’ll call her later.

“I really like the house,” Cara says as we walk down the steps.

“I do as well, but there’s something else I want to show you.” I take her hand, and we walk down the street and around the corner. One more block, and then we stop, and I point. “That’s Evan and Ryley’s house.”

“We’d be so close.”

I nod and walk us toward the beach, another two blocks away. “We’d give up our view, but we’re still close to the beach.”

“Apartment life is easy,” she says.

“It is, but it’s not what I want. I want a home, something that is ours. And I want you,” I tell her. When we get to the sand, I stop and pull her into my arms. “I know your career is important to you. I get it. Mine used to be as well. And then shit changed. I changed. I want a family, and I want it with you. I can see us raising our kids here. I can see us growing old here. We’d be close to Evan and Ryley, which would allow me to rebuild our relationship. I’d like for us to buy the house and start our family there.”

Cara’s eyes fill with tears, and she shakes her head. “I don’t know if I can, Nate. The ugliness that I see—it would be unfair. And my job . . .” she pauses. “I know I look selfish, but I just got the promotion.”

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