Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Then you go and give him up. Do you know he said he hated you today?”
A sharp intake of breath came across the phone. She was silent again before she spoke. “Maybe it’s better that he does. I’m not sure I can be a mother to him.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“I think he’s better off without me in his life. He’ll be happier, and you and I won’t have to see one another.”
“You hate me so much that you’d walk away from your own kid?” When she didn’t say anything, I asked, “Was I Brooke’s father?”
“Yes, of course you were.”
“Why did you say that to Rhett?”
“I don’t know.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “You don’t know?”
“She is…she was your daughter.”
“Did you at any time think she might not be?” I asked, feeling a sickness roll through my entire body at the thought of Caroline cheating. When she didn’t say anything yet again, I pressed, “Caroline?”
“It was a short affair, and I was lonely.”
My knees almost buckled, and Emeline jumped up and reached for me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Who is that?” Caroline barked.
Ignoring her question, I asked, “You cheated on me?”
“Levi, we were both so unhappy, and the marriage was clearly over. But I broke things off with him, and then I got pregnant with Brooke when we went on that trip to Italy to try to work things out with our marriage. Obviously, it didn’t work. But I found out I was pregnant the next month, so I couldn’t leave. There was no way I could raise two kids on my own, so I stayed.”
“Fucking hell, Caroline. You stayed with me solely because you couldn’t make it on your own? Are you serious? Why not just ask me for a divorce before you cheated? The whole damn marriage was started on a lie! What difference would it have made to end it before another one was started?”
Emeline stepped back and turned away from me. I knew she was debating whether she should leave.
“I could ask you the same thing? Who’s the person with you? Moving on pretty fast, aren’t you?”
I laughed. “Says the woman who cheated! Sign the divorce papers and stay the fuck away from me and Rhett, Caroline.”
Instead of hanging up, I threw my phone across the room against the wall. Emeline jumped and covered a small yelp with her hands.
I dropped to the floor, back against the counter, put my arms on my knees, and buried my face in my hands. I could hear Emeline saying something, but I knew she wasn’t talking to me.
How could Caroline cheat? How could she tell our son she didn’t want him?
“Levi?”
When I finally looked up, it was to see Caden standing there. Glancing around the kitchen, I didn’t see any signs of Emeline. “I thought you were riding with Rhett?”
“Emeline called me to come back. Gatlin’s with Rhett, and Emeline left to catch up with them. What happened?”
My head dropped back against the counter. “Caroline cheated on me right before she got pregnant with Brooke.”
Caden sat down next to me. “Oh damn. Were you Brooke’s father?”
I nodded. “She said she broke it off a few months before she found out she was pregnant. She got pregnant in Italy, on the trip we took to try to mend our marriage.” Glancing at Caden, I said, “She wanted to leave the marriage, but when she found out she was pregnant, she stayed because she knew she couldn’t make it on her own,” I said with a bitter laugh. “She only stayed because she couldn’t afford to raise two kids.”
Caden sighed. “We really know how to pick ’em, don’t we?”
“At least you didn’t get married to Rachel and have kids with her. Consider yourself lucky in that area.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I asked. More than once.”
“Should have been a clear red flag, my friend.”
His smile grew wider, but I could see the pain in his eyes.
My head fell back again. “I don’t love her, Caden. I did, a very long time ago. She used me to get out of River Falls, and I knew that, but I thought what we had was the real deal.”
“You know what we need to do?”
“What?”
“Go out this Friday night. Get drunk and let off some steam.”
I was about to agree when I closed my eyes. “Shit. Friday night, I’m going to this perfume-making thing with Emeline. I doubt it will take that long, so maybe we can go out afterward.”
His brows rose. “I’m sorry, did you say you’re going to make perfume?”
“Her friend, Lilibeth, owns that shop on Main, and you can make perfume and candles. She’s going to be teaching the kids at summer camp.”
He rolled his eyes.
“You should come with us.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “You want me to go to a perfume-making class?”