Our platinum wedding bands were simple, but matched. I traced over his. “What time do we pick up Avajean?”
He looked at his watch. “I told her grandparents we’d be there after breakfast. We probably have a couple of hours.”
I smiled. “I miss her on these weekends. But I love spending extra time with you. And I think it’s good for her to see them more than just a few times a year.”
I had done my best not to alter things too much once I became Avajean’s stepmother. I was cautious at first, but eventually found my footing. I thought it was important that she had a relationship with Gene and Shelly. They had welcomed me as well. It was surprising that we all fell into an agreement so easily. I knew that was because everyone loved Avajean.
The day we met at Big Bear, all my worries dissolved. We spent the afternoon making blueberry muffins and watching old Wonder Woman re-runs. We had an instant bond. Ashe joked that he sometimes felt outnumbered, but I knew he was happy we were close.
With award season behind me, and our elopement announced, I could focus on my pregnancy and being Avajean’s mom. We had a summer ahead of us that would take us to the East Coast as much as Asher wanted to be in his office. I was taking at least a year off for this new phase of my life. As reigning best actress, I could afford that luxury. I was going to take advantage of it.
We still hadn’t decided on a permanent home base. I still joked that Kansas was the happy middle. I knew we would land in the right place to raise our family. We would know it when it happened. And if I knew anything about my husband, it would be the safest and most secure house to ever be constructed.
That morning, we stayed in bed as the sun started to peek over the horizon. There was plenty of time to get up and go for a run before collecting Avajean. Asher’s empire could wait. The Journey Tessier world wouldn’t fall apart.
Right now, we were home. We were a family.
And nothing else mattered.
* * *
Thank you for reading Pretending She’s Mine. Don’t miss my latest steamy romantic suspense series.
Sounds Like Obsession
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Sneak Peek of Sounds Like Obsession
His fingers curled around mine. Tight and strong as if he was offering to let me siphon his strength. If we could hold on a little longer this would be over.
Over.
It was a word that had fractured us before. Now, it was more threatening and severe. A finality I hadn’t been willing to face. Not when he slipped out of my life. Not when darkness consumed me. Not when I struggled to carry on. Not when everything barricaded my next step.
He squeezed again. I looked down at the way our fingers threaded through each other’s. It was as if they belonged that way, tangled and meshed. As if they fit together. As if they had never held any other hands but these.
Maybe he clasped with such a fierce grip to siphon my strength. He needed me as deeply as I always had needed him.
Was that our connection? Had it always been? Was it give and take? Need ingrained with want? Or something so consuming we drained each other?
The suitcases and crates rattled across from us. We were wedged in a corner. Our backs against the metal cavern. Our feet tucked under us in an awkward position. I was grateful I wasn’t alone, but I didn’t want it to be like this.
I lifted my eyes to AJ.
There was no explanation for why he was here now. For how we had collided in this cruel joke. It almost didn’t matter. I had gotten past the shock. Enough to realize we weren’t going to have a happy ending.
“I’m sorry, Syd.” The words sounded bitter and full of regret.
I nodded. I didn’t think I could put it into a sentence. “I know,” I whispered. “I know.”
“I should have told you sooner. I should have—”
I stopped him. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“If only I had—”
“No,” I snapped. “Just no.”
“I haven’t given up,” he replied.
“And if I have?”
The only light came from a crack under the door. Our ankles were bound with zip ties. Any movement and they pinched together, cutting into my tender skin. The blood had seeped through my jeans. A few droplets oozed into my shoe.
My head pounded. The cut over AJ’s left eye looked vicious. He needed stitches. I knew the skin over his brow was thin, and the bleeding was naturally worse in that area, but it looked like something out of slasher film. For the time being it had crusted over enough to keep the blood from running into his eye.
That was how I was measuring our wins down here. The breaths I could still take. The beats my heart could still make. The pain my body still felt.
Pain was good.
Pain meant we hadn’t died.
Yet.
Sounds Like Obsession
Available Now.
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Pretending She’s Mine Page 11
