Page 33 of There I Find Rest

Davis had neatly sidestepped the question to begin with, but she should have known that Todd wouldn’t be so easily brushed aside. Just the fact that he wanted to know if she was married, was almost demanding an answer, made her suspicious. This time, she answered.

“You heard him. The child should have a mother and father. That’s our plan. And we are working together to open up the riding stable again. I think it’s wonderful when married couples work together rather than separately. So many bad things can happen when you don’t spend time with your spouse.”

Todd’s lips pursed as her words hit home. That’s exactly what happened to them. He’d been far more interested in what was going on at work, or maybe who he was hanging out with after work, rather than being interested in what he had at home. Who he had at home.

“I’ll take a look at those papers once my lawyer gives them to me,” Todd said, walking over to where they stood. They shifted just slightly so he could go out the doorway, and Davis’s arm stayed around her shoulders as they followed him to the front door.

“Have a safe trip home,” Davis said as Todd opened the door.

“I’m sure I will,” Todd said before he nodded his head and walked out.

Kim couldn’t hold back her sigh of relief. She hadn’t realized how much tension she’d been holding in her body while he had been in her house.

“Thank you for coming. How did you get in?” she said, turning to Davis and not saying the things she wanted to, likethank you for saving me.Thank you for being here.Thank you for your support.I don’t want you to move because it feels so good to be held by you.

Chapter 14

“Icame in the backdoor,” Davis said, his arm still around Kim. He didn’t want to let it go, liked the way she felt against him too much. Even though there was a riot in his chest that he hadn’t quite gotten subdued because of the small bit of conversation he’d overheard between Kim and Todd.

He’d seen Todd work women before. He was very charming, very sweet, very flattering, which definitely worked to get women interested and warmed up to him. Unfortunately, he never followed that flattery up with any kind of substance. And he ditched them as soon as he got what he wanted. Usually after one night, although it was Kim, and Davis wasn’t sure exactly what Todd wanted with her.

“I saw the back door, but I didn’t realize it wasn’t locked.”

“It was. I forgot to give you the key, and when I saw Todd’s car pull in and realized he was here to talk to you and not me, I grabbed it and walked over. I... I wasn’t sure how you two left things between you, and I didn’t want you to end up here by yourself. I hope you don’t mind I...acted like there was a little bit more between us than what there really was.”

He wasn’t sure whether he should apologize for that last part. He didn’t want her to get the idea that he didn’t want there to be anything between them. He did. He just didn’t want to put her in a situation where she was uncomfortable.

“I appreciated it. I’m not sure what Todd wanted, but it made me wonder if the cottage might be worth more than what I thought it was. He seemed rather pushy, and I’m not so stupid as to believe it’s because he actually wants me back.”

She sounded sad. Like she accepted the fact that a man couldn’t want her for her, he’d just wanted her for her money or whatever she could provide for him. That made Davis angry, but he tried to tamp down the feeling. Because it also made him want to hold her and tell her that not all men were like Todd, and that she was beautiful and precious and amazing and there was so much about her that he couldn’t even think of where to start.

Her character, her desire to do right, her willingness to admit when she was wrong and to want to do better.

As much as he loved the night that they spent together, he loved even more that she felt as guilty about it as he did.

That she was keeping the baby. That she told him about it immediately. She had had to. He might still not know that she was pregnant if she hadn’t said anything.

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