It had felt so nice to have some physical contact with Parker. He’d reached out to her and placed his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. For so long she’d ached to have him hold her in his arms. There had been so many lonely nights when she had cried herself to sleep and thought about Parker and everything she’d lost. At the same time Cadence had been forced into living as Mason’s “trophy” wife. She hadn’t felt an ounce of love for Mason and yet she’d been his wife. Marriage was sacred. Ever since she’d been a little girl, Cadence had looked forward to the day she could walk down the aisle in her white satin gown toward her knight in shining armor.
It should have been Parker! That thought continued to haunt her. She should have walked down the aisle toward a man she loved with all of her heart and soul. Instead, she had walked into a living nightmare.
Suddenly, Cadence felt the heat of Jason’s gaze. He was standing in the entranceway, staring at her with an intensity she couldn’t ignore.
“You want to say something. It’s written all over your face,” she said, preparing herself for the worst. Jason had been biting his tongue ever since she’d walked back into their lives. It was best he get it out in the open. She didn’t want any negative feelings to fester.
“Don’t hurt him,” Jason warned. “Please.”
She shook her head. “I won’t. I wouldn’t.”
“But you did.” Jason’s tone was blunt. His expression left no doubt as to his impression of her. It saddened her. Jason had once been a good friend. She still cared about him. He was Logan’s uncle.
“Yes, I did hurt him, Jason. And hopefully you understand the circumstances leading up to it. I hope you know I did what I thought needed to be done to protect Parker and my parents.”
“I know you brought him to his knees in the past. When you cast him out of your life, Parker suffered. He was broken. I’d never seen him like that before, and I don’t ever want to see him look like that again.” Jason shuddered. “And now that he’s seen his son he’s going to want him to be close by. Have you thought about that at all?”
“I understand,” she said in soft voice. “And I want Parker to be geographically close to Logan. I’m still trying to figure it all out.” It hurt that Jason held such a negative view of her. Would he always think of her as the woman who’d broken his brother’s heart? “Perhaps in time you can forgive me.”
“I know you’ve been through a lot. Probably more than you’re even saying. But that guy upstairs means the world to me. He saved me in every way a person can save another human being. When I was at my worst he offered his hand to me and lifted me up out of the depths of drug addiction. In this lifetime I probably won’t ever be able to repay him, but I’m always going to have his back.”
Cadence nodded. “I get it. The two of you are like peas in a pod. Brothers. Best friends. It’s only natural you feel protective of him.”
“I won’t let him get blindsided again,” he said in a clipped tone. His expression said it all. He still didn’t trust her. And she honestly wasn’t sure she blamed him.
Just then Parker walked back into the room. Tension hovered in the air. It was thick and palpable. Parker frowned, then looked back and forth between them. “Is everything all right in here?”
“Everything’s fine,” Cadence said smoothly. “Jason and I were just catching up.”
Parker’s expression was wary. Cadence wasn’t sure he bought her version of things, but she wasn’t going to rat out Jason or cause the brothers to argue about her. That wasn’t her style and it would only serve to make the situation worse.
“I should get going,” Jason said. “I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”
“Night, Jason. Again. Thanks for everything. Not just for helping with the crib, but for helping out in Sonoma. I couldn’t have done it without you,” Parker said, pulling Jason into a tight hug.
“Any time. You know that,” Jason said, turning toward Cadence. “Night, Cadence. Thanks for chatting.”
“Night, Jason,” she said, wishing she could think of a way to bridge the gap between them.
After Jason headed out, there was an electric charge hovering in the air between her and Parker. Cadence couldn’t put her finger on it, but she wondered if it had to do with unresolved romantic feelings between them. She couldn’t speak for Parker, nor had she picked up on any strong romantic vibes, but she knew how she felt about him. She loved him in an epic type of way. Her feelings for him hadn’t changed over the course of the last three years. They’d only grown stronger. She would like to think he felt the same way. Their love had been so strong. Could it have died out that easily?
Even looking in Parker’s direction caused her heart to beat at a fast rate. Forget about looking directly into his cocoa brown eyes. It was like falling over the edge of a cliff. Each and every time she looked at him, she couldn’t help but wonder if he knew she still loved him. And, if so, did he even care?
“We can’t really avoid it much longer.”
Cadence’s pulse quickened at Parker’s statement. Was he going to confront her about her feelings? Lash into her about hiding Logan’s paternity from him?
Cadence frowned. “Avoid what?”
“Going to my parents’ house for dinner. My parents want to meet Logan and they think we should break the news to my siblings over dinner,” he announced, an expectant expression etched on his face. “There’s something you should know first. My parents recently told us they’re separating.”
Cadence let out a gasp. “What? I don’t believe it!”
Parker sighed. “That was the general reaction when they dropped the bombshell announcement on us. It’s been hard to wrap my head around it. I’m hoping they can fix things before things move toward a divorce. But to be honest, once they announced it, it made me realize things hadn’t been okay in a long time.”
Cadence knew her expression showed her shocked reaction to the news. “Your parents are the last people I would ever expect to end their marriage.”
“Me too. I always thought they were in it for the long haul.” He shrugged. “But I can’t judge them. Marriage seems like a hard gig.”
Cadence didn’t respond. She really didn’t know what it felt like to have a real marriage. Her marriage to Mason hadn’t been genuine. In a perfect world she would never have felt forced into a union with him. And she felt a great deal of shame about sharing something so sacred with a man she’d loathed. She imagined God wasn’t very pleased with her, and it made her feel ashamed. She was going to do whatever possible to see about getting her marriage nullified. After all, Mason had used coercion to get her to the altar.
“So, how do you feel about breaking bread with the Donahue clan on Friday night?”
Cadence felt her palms moisten with anxiety. The Donahue brood could be intimidating, especially when they were all together in one group. And if Jason wasn’t too thrilled with her, she could only imagine how the rest of his siblings would feel. It made her feel incredibly sad and a bit nervous about heading into the lion’s den with Logan.
She bit her lip. “Do you think it’s a good idea?
“Trust me, Cadence. I won’t let anyone mistreat you. You’ll be fine.”
Trust me. So far, Parker had never let her down. His word had always been his bond.
“All right then. Let’s go to dinner on Friday night,” she said, sending him a tight smile. “Logan needs to meet his family.”
**
By the time Friday night rolled around, Cadence was a nervous wreck. She hadn’t seen or spoken to the Donahue family for three years. She had no idea how Jude and Penelope would react to seeing her. Cadence had always loved and adored the couple. They had always treated her like one of the family, which made her feel even guiltier about the past. She’d disappeared from their lives like a ghost. Time had done nothing to assuage her guilt.
Parker had assured her that he’d explained everything to them about her marriage to Mason, his role in Keith’s death
and his threats against Parker and her parents. Even though Cadence knew they had the background, it was a very difficult story to absorb all at once. Cadence wouldn’t blame them if they were skeptical about her. And Parker hadn’t said a word to his siblings about any of it. He’d sworn Jason to secrecy. Cadence had no idea how this was going to play out.
She’d spent almost an hour trying to find the perfect outfit among her measly choices. She had picked up a few pieces at a nearby mall, but of course nothing looked right as she tried the garments on. Finally, she settled on a royal blue top with a denim skirt. She eyed herself critically in the mirror. She looked nice but not as if she was trying too hard to make an impression. Logan sat up in his crib and watched her with a perplexed expression on his face. She moved toward him and scooped him up in her arms. “Yes, Logan. Your mama can act a bit kooky at times.” She nuzzled against him, loving the way he threw back his head and giggled.
At moments like this she wished Logan would stay this little forever. But she knew that wasn’t possible. It was her job—and now Parker’s as well—to steer him through life and make sure he grew up into a happy, healthy and God fearing man. They would give him wings so he could one day soar like an eagle.
When they arrived at the Donahue home, Cadence gripped Logan tightly in her arms. He was getting heavier by the day, but he still wanted to be picked up and held a lot of the time. After the confusion of the last few days, Cadence didn’t think it was the right time to stop giving her son what he needed for comfort.
“Maybe you should put him down now and then,” Parker suggested, jutting his chin toward Logan. “He needs to start using those legs of his.”
Cadence tamped down her feeling of annoyance. “He’s been through a lot, Parker. He likes to be held, so I’m going to do it until things settle down.”
Parker eyed her skeptically, which made her bristle. She hoped he wasn’t going to start dictating the way she raised Logan. She counted to ten in her head. Parker had every right to weigh in on the way his son was being reared. She was being overly sensitive, no doubt because she’d spent the past few years protecting her son from Mason. It had all fallen on her shoulders. Old habits were hard to break.
The door of the Donahue household was suddenly flung wide open, which served as a huge distraction to her annoyance with Parker. Jude and Penelope were standing in the doorway, their eyes glued to Logan. Penelope let out a cry, quickly followed by tears streaming down her face. Jude smiled so wide Cadence feared his face might crack.
“Oh, Cadence. What a gift you’ve given us,” Penelope cried out.
“Let’s not stand here on the front steps,” Jude said, beckoning them inside the house. “Come on in with that grandbaby of ours. Don’t stand on ceremony.”
Cadence felt Parker’s hand at the small of her back. He gently guided her up the stairs and across the threshold. Logan looked all around him with wide eyes.
“We thought he might like a little train set,” Jude said, gesturing toward a toy on the living room carpet. Logan began to squirm in her arms and point toward the train. Parker reached out and plucked Logan from her arms and deposited him on the floor. Once he hit the ground he made tracks toward the train set.
“An excellent choice,” Cadence said, smiling at Jude and Penelope.
Penelope moved toward her and drew her into a hug. “Oh, Cadence. It’s so wonderful to see you after all this time.” Cadence closed her eyes and allowed Penelope’s sweet voice to wash over her like a warm rain. How she loved this wonderful, loving woman. Logan was so fortunate to have Penelope as his grandma. And Jude would be the perfect grandfather. She knew they would dote on him as much as her own parents did.
“Stop hogging all the hugs,” Jude teased as he stood beside Penelope, who stepped aside so he could greet Cadence.
Jude pressed a kiss against Cadence’s cheek, then placed his hands on either side of her face. He studied her face for a moment. “You don’t know how good it is to see you again. I’ve thought about you often over the last few years. We’ve missed you.”
“Oh, Jude!” Cadence said, raw emotion evident in her voice. “I’ve missed you also. All of you.”
Jude thumped her vigorously on the back. “You’re engrained in our hearts, Cadence.”
Engrained in our hearts. Cadence felt the same way about the Donahue family. She would never be able to tell them how deeply she’d grieved the loss of them. Each and every one of them. She could feel the heat of Parker’s gaze as he studied her. When she looked up he was staring at her in an intense manner. He seemed to be deep in thought. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. Before she knew it, Jude and Penelope had gotten down on their hands and knees next to Logan. Logan grinned at them and held out a train with his chubby hand. Cadence couldn’t help but notice the satisfied expression etched on Parker’s face as he watched his parents play with his son.
For the next half hour, Jude and Penelope played with Logan while making conversation with her and Parker. They had a lot of questions about the events in Sonoma. Parker and Cadence answered them, being careful not to say anything too revealing in front of Logan. Most of it, Cadence realized, went way over his head. Thank the Lord for sparing him, Cadence thought. She would be forever grateful that Mason’s evil hadn’t robbed Logan of his childhood innocence. He’d taken everything from her with the exception of her son. She hadn’t allowed him to poison Logan’s world. At least she’d done something right over the past three years.
The sound of the front door slamming closed rang out in the living room, quickly followed by heavy footsteps and loud voices. Cadence felt her body freeze up. Parker stood up from the love seat he’d been seated in. It was as if a glass had shattered in utter silence. Everyone’s attention had immediately shifted. Even Logan seemed to sense something was up.
Oh, precious Lord, she prayed. Please give me the strength to handle this situation with grace.
A moment of reckoning was upon her. The Donahue siblings had arrived.
**
Parker had been waiting for the rest of his family to arrive. The moment the front door slammed shut and heralded their arrival, he knew it was important to talk to them before they entered the living room. He wanted to head them off at the pass so they weren’t given the shock of their lives when they saw Logan. He opened the living room door and raced toward the foyer, coming face-to-face with Shayla, who immediately held out her arms for a hug. As usual, she was full of sunshine.
“Hey baby girl,” he said, swinging her up in his arms.
“Hey handsome. Where have you been hiding? You’re a tough person to track down,” she said, her gray-blue eyes blazing with questions. “Jason said the two of you had been out of town, but he wouldn’t give me any details. Was it work-related?”
“It’s a bit complicated,” Parker said in a firm tone meant to prevent his sister from prying any further. She raised her eyebrow at him, but didn’t continue to ask any more questions.
Micah walked up behind her and playfully jabbed her in the side. “In other words, mind your business.”
Shayla let out a squeal of outrage and jabbed Micah back. The two did a little pushing back and forth which Parker knew was comical rather than mean-spirited. Since the two were so close in age, they’d always had an up and down relationship. Although they loved each other tremendously, they also tended to squabble quite a bit.
Daniel rolled his eyes and tried to get past them in the hallway. “You two haven’t changed since you were in diapers.”
Shayla and Micah began making faces behind his back. Jason walked up, shaking his head and laughing. “You two really are goofballs.” Parker looked at Jason. “Caleb just pulled up outside.” As soon as his name rolled off Jason’s lips, Caleb appeared inside the doorway with a big smile on his face. Caleb’s happy-go-lucky personality always lit up the room.
Parker held up his hands and stood so that Daniel couldn’t move toward the living room. Daniel frowned
at him.
“Hey guys. I need to talk to you in the kitchen. Where’s Heath and Nash?” Parker asked, peering around his siblings to see if they were anywhere in sight.
Shayla shrugged. “They were right behind us. Heath’s been acting kind of weird though.”
“How so?” Parker asked. He’d thought the same thing for a while now, but he wanted to hear his sister’s thoughts. He had been praying for Heath ever since he’d returned stateside. Heath wouldn’t talk about his experiences in a war zone, which was troubling to the whole family.
“He’s super moody. And a little jittery. And he broke up with Bella,” Shayla said with wide eyes. Bella Vincente. Heath’s high school sweetheart. They had been together since they were sixteen-years-old. At twenty-six years old, it had seemed to everyone that the two of them were headed toward the altar.
“Seriously?” Jason asked, shaking his head in amazement. “Those two seemed head-over-heels. What happened?”
“They’ve been together since high school,” Parker said, rubbing his hand across his jaw. It made no sense since he knew Heath loved Bella with every fiber of his being. Ever since he’d returned from the Middle East, Heath had been a different man. Something was burning under the surface and Parker needed to figure out what was going on with him before he imploded.
All of a sudden the front door swung open. Nash and Heath walked in, making it a full house.
“Why are you guys standing in the hallway?” Heath asked, his brows knitted together in confusion. Parker took a good look at his brother. He could see the stress and strain etched on his face. He’d lost weight. He didn’t exude a happy vibe. Handsome, blue-eyed and intense, Heath had valiantly served his country as a member of the United States Army. Once everything had settled down with Cadence and Logan, Parker intended to spend some time with Heath in order to figure out what was going on with him. Parker felt for Heath. He’d never served in the military himself. He couldn’t imagine the things Heath had seen and done.
Breathless (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 1) Page 9
