Page 53 of Cade

“Yes, please.” April settled back into her seat and thought about what she was going to say to Cade when he got home.

She wanted to text him, but he’d already left so many times because of the stuff with her. This wasn’t going to change between now and when he got home from work, so she’d tell him then. The first thing she was going to do was change into comfortable clothes. Then she’d grab a pint of ice cream and find a good movie. This day and that job didn’t deserve anymore of her thoughts on it.

“Mrs. Hawkins, please stay in the car for a moment while I handle this.”

Confused, April unbuckled and slid to the middle seat so she could look out the window. The driver was standing in front of the car having a conversation with an older man. It took her a second, but when the man turned to look in the car, she knew who it was.

Mr. Hawkins himself had come out of hiding. Seizing the opportunity to get what information she could, April got out and walked to the men.

“What seems to be the problem here?” she asked.

“Mrs. Hawkins, I really suggest you return to the car. I cannot get in touch with your husband and he wouldn’t want you out here right now.”

“It’s quite all right,” she assured him. “I’m sure my father-in-law means me no harm, isn’t that right?” She turned her best smile on him.

“Of course not. I just wanted to talk to my son, but I see that he isn’t here. Perhaps you and I could talk instead?” He smiled at her, that wicked up to something smile that sent chills up your spine.

“I don’t see why not,” she forced out. It was about now that her fear kicked in, but the common sense that told her to run was a little late on showing up. “Come inside and I will make us some tea.”

Mr. Hawkins followed her inside. The driver wasn’t far behind them with her boxes. He looked torn about leaving her there with him.

“Please return to get my husband. I know he’ll be happy his father came to see him,” she told him. Hopefully, the man understood that she meant to go get Cade and not to wait for him.

He glanced between them quickly and then backed away. “I’ll see if he’s called back yet.”

“Great, thank you.” April watched him leave before turning to her father-in-law.

“I hope you don’t think that playing the stupid little hostess is going to work for you.” Mr. Hawkins had positioned himself between her and the door. “Once he leaves, you and I are going to go for a drive of our own.”

She’d screwed up. That much was obvious to her now. She’d become one of those characters in a show that was too stupid to live.

Pulling out her phone, she sent a text to Cade before Mr. Hawkins snatched it from her, tossing it across the room.

“None of that is needed. My son will figure things out soon enough and see that you aren’t right for him. You won’t have to worry about it after today.”

Genuine fear, like she’d never known, had her in a chokehold. Turns out her fight or flight response was neither. It was to freeze, rooted in the same spot with the danger.

“The driver is gone. Let’s go.” Mr. Hawkins reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her out the door.

Lots of things went through her head, but she wasn’t able to act on any of them. She could only press one hand to her stomach in the backseat of the car and apologized to her baby. Staying quiet, she watched for where they were headed and hoped that her message to Cade went through, telling him she loved him.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Cade

Cade sat at his mother’s favorite restaurant and waited for her to show up. He hated being in here. It smelled of too much flowery perfume, the kind that older ladies wore, and his signal was terrible.

After almost an hour of waiting, Cade rose, dropped bills on the table to cover at least his drinks and make up for taking the table up for so long. The closer he got to the door to the restaurant, the more insistent the chimes were that were coming from his phone.

He waited until he was outside to open it. Several messages and missed calls from his driver, a few messages from his friends, and one from April. Smiling, he opened hers first.

April: I love you. I’m so sorry.

Instead of making him feel better, he knew that something was wrong.

He called April but got no answer, setting off more alarm bells. Twice more he tried all ringing several times before going to voicemail.

He called his driver back before checking anything else. He was at April’s beck and call today. Cade had driven himself.

---