No More Secrets

by Cate Beauman

  Kaitlyn grabbed for the charm on Gwen’s necklace.

  “You’ve still got your pinchers, so that’s a good sign.” She moved the charm to her back as she let her head rest against the cushion, her eyes growing wide when she glanced at the wall clock. “Cade. I completely forgot about Cade.” Reaching for her phone, she selected his number in her contacts.

  “You’ve reached Cade Paxton. Leave me a message, and I’ll call you back.”

  “Hey, it’s Gwen. I’m afraid I have to cancel on you tonight. Kaitlyn’s feverish and uncomfortable, so we’re pretty crappy company. We’ll get your new stuff over to the house as soon as she’s feeling better. I’m sorry about dinner and the short notice. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”

  Hanging up, she took a deep breath, glancing toward the kitchen, ignoring the occasional rumbling in her empty stomach. With her busy day, lunch had been more of a snack than a meal, and dinner was looking like it might be the same. Playing with Kaitlyn’s fingers, she let her eyes close as her daughter’s did. “We’ll just rest for a bit,” she murmured, snuggling deeper into the comfy cushion. Life was definitely looking up these days, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t absolutely exhausted.

  Several minutes passed while Gwen dozed in and out, forever soothed by the ebb and flow of the Atlantic rushing against the shore. Without warning, Kaitlyn pulled away and started crying.

  Gwen’s eyes flew open as she sat up. “What’s wrong?” Her stomach sank as she stared into her daughter’s miserable, glassy eyes, recognizing that her fever was moving in the wrong direction. “I think we should recheck your temperature.”

  Kaitlyn’s crying grew louder, her tears falling faster.

  “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.” Fixing her bra and the spaghetti strap on her dress, she stood, starting toward the stairs. She stopped when she heard the quick knock at the front door, then the doorknob turn.

  Cade walked down the hall, dressed in one of his typical slacks-and-golf-shirt combinations, carrying a bag from the inn. “Hey.”

  She sent him a small smile, more than a little happy to see him. “Hey.”

  He held up the bag. “Our dinner. Lobster rolls and garden salads from the inn. I got that balsamic dressing you like on the side.”

  “Oh.” She blinked, feeling her eyes growing teary. He’d brought her dinner, even when he knew Kaitlyn was sick and fussy. And he’d remembered her favorite dressing. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He set the bag down, walking to where she stood. “What’s going on in here?” He took Kaitlyn from her arms, cuddling her against his chest. “You’re having a rough one, are you, Bug?” He kissed the top of the baby’s head, frowning. “She’s hot.”

  “I know.” Gwen placed her palm on Kaitlyn’s forehead, her worry compounding. “She’s burning up. I want to take her temperature again. I think she might need some fever reducer.”

  Cade nodded, kissing the baby again. “Let’s go upstairs and fix you up,” he murmured against the top of her head as they started up the steps.

  Gwen hurried ahead of Cade into Kaitlyn’s room, moving to the shelf organized with the items she considered essential tucked away in a pink-striped fabric basket. “I have the thermometer right here.”

  Cade sat in the glider, rocking Kaitlyn as she continued to cry. “You’re all right, Bug. Mummy and Cade are going to make you all better.”

  Gwen pulled the trigger on the infrared thermometer, wincing as she read the numbers. “One hundred point five. Maybe I should call Brad again. He might want to see her—check on her.” Struggling not to panic, she moved to go get her phone.

  “Hey.” Cade snagged her by the wrist. “What if we try the medicine first? If she’s still hot in an hour, then we’ll give him a call.”

  She nodded, recognizing that Cade was the cool head right now. She could deal with the sleepless nights, but this fever thing definitely set her on edge. “Okay. I’ll get her some Tylenol.”

  “We’ll wait here.” He rubbed Kaitlyn’s back, snuggling her closer against his chest. “Maybe she’ll settle a bit.”

  “Sure.” She walked into Kaitlyn’s bathroom, carefully dosing out the amount Brad had mentioned when she’d called him after the baby started becoming feverish. She checked her measurements twice, wanting to be certain her daughter would get the exact right dosage. “Here we go,” she said, coming back, bending close to squirt the medicine into Kaitlyn’s mouth.

  Kaitlyn stopped crying as her tongue touched the dropper several times, clearly enjoying the flavor.

  Gwen grinned. “She likes it.”

  Cade chuckled. “She certainly doesn’t hate it.”

  “We’ll take this little victory.” She wiped away Kaitlyn’s tears. “Is that yummy, honey?” She stood straight, relieved that the medicine had gone down easily. “Hopefully this will help. Brad wanted me to wait and let the fever run its course for a while, but that was long enough.” She sighed, scrutinizing her baby girl, eager for the medicine to work its magic as Kaitlyn rested against Cade again. “I should write down when I gave her the dose, just in case she needs more.”

  Cade caught her by the hand as she moved to walk off. “She’s doing fine, Gwen. I remember my nieces and nephews getting fevers after their immunizations, too.”

  She nodded, rubbing at the tension squeezing her neck. “I know this is a normal side effect, but I don’t like seeing her hurting. I don’t like that there isn’t much that I can do to make it go away.”

  He stroked his thumb along her skin. “You’re doing awesome. You’re a hell of a mum.”

  She smiled, forever grateful for Cade’s friendship. “Thank you.”

  He stood. “What do you say we go have some dinner before the bread gets soggy? We’ll take turns keeping Water Bug happy if we have to.”

  She nodded, smiling again. “Thank you, Cade.”

  “No thanks are necessary.” He winked. “Come on.” He hooked his arm around her shoulders, walking with her downstairs.

  Chapter 14

  The antique grandfather clock struck one as Gwen sat on the rocking chair in the main bedroom, struggling to keep her eyes open. “I’m starting to think she’s never going to sleep again.”

  “She’s got to give in eventually.” Cade took his turn, pacing the area rug, gently patting Kaitlyn on the back as she rested her head on his shoulder. His gaze locked with Gwen’s as he made his next pass. “Right?”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “I think she’s so overtired she doesn’t know what to do with herself.” Which Gwen had no trouble relating to. She’d been tired before, but this was a whole different level of exhaustion.

  “If we could just get her to close her eyes.”

  “Mmm.” She settled her head against the comfy cushion, willing herself to stay awake.

  Kaitlyn had been up for hours, fussing and refusing to be put down. They’d tried everything to settle her to sleep: a warm lavender bath and cozy jammies after her fever broke; stories while they rocked in the rocking chair; a walk along the beach with a quick stop off at Cade’s house so that he could change into shorts and a tank top. They’d even put her in the Audi for a loop around the island with her favorite lullabies mix, but nothing had worked—not even another dose of Tylenol and a long nursing session when her fever started creeping back up.

  “At least she’s not crying anymore,” he said on a yawn. “I have to believe we’re getting somewhere.”

  “Let me try nursing her again.” Gaining her feet, Gwen took the baby, moving over to the king-size bed. She was dressed in pink joggers and a sleeping bra she’d changed into when they’d decided to bring Kaitlyn upstairs a couple of hours ago. Setting her glasses on the side table, she lay on the mattress with her daughter, exposing her breast, caring little that Cade got a full-on view as he sat on the opposite side. Motherhood and modesty didn’t coincide, particularly at one in the morning.

  Yawning again, he lay back on the pillow, rolling to his side, brushing his fi
ngers through Kaitlyn’s hair as she latched on. “She’s cooling off a bit.”

  Gwen nodded, staring at him in the dim light streaming through the partially opened bathroom door. “You should go home and get some sleep.”

  His hand moved to the baby’s back. “I’ll go when she’s officially settled. I’m not leaving you here to do this by yourself. This has been brutal.”

  She glanced at Kaitlyn, trying not to get her hopes up as her daughter’s eyes finally started drooping. “I think she likes you rubbing her back.”

  “Perfect. Whatever she wants. I’ll stand on my head at this point if we think it might help.”

  Gwen’s grin turned into a yawn as her eyes grew heavier. Unable to fight it any longer, she let them close. “I think we’re good, Cade,” she mumbled.

  “Uh-huh,” he said, his voice as groggy as hers.

  She meant to thank him for staying—for helping her and being her partner tonight, but she said nothing more as sleep finally took her under.

  Cade opened his eyes, blinking as he stared at Gwen sleeping mere inches from him. He’d meant to go home after Kaitlyn finally conked out, but here he was, waking up in Gwen’s bed. He studied her as she breathed deeply, holding her daughter’s hand. At some point, Kaitlyn had spread out between the two of them, cocooning herself against their chests.

  He was exhausted—probably more tired than he’d ever been—but he smiled, forever amazed that he was entirely wrapped up in Gwen Carter’s world. Something had changed between them after their evening at Fisherman’s Cove. He officially had an all-access pass to the woman he wanted most. Ice cream dates, weekend swims, and walks along the beach had become a regular part of his routine, but it was their long conversations and nightly dinners for three that he loved the best.

  The last several hours had been tough—endless at times—but there was no other place he wanted to be. Gwen was an awesome mum, with her unwavering patience when Kaitlyn had been so out of sorts. It was his privilege to help Gwen with her daughter. It was his honor to be the man in their lives that Gwen knew they could count on.

  His smile turned into a grin as he remembered the way her eyes had gotten teary when she’d realized he’d brought her dinner. Then there had been their walk on the beach and the quick stop off at his place—and her laugh when she spotted the humongous unicorn float for the pool blown up in his living room—his silly surprise for the Carter ladies, but mostly for Kaitlyn.

  Because every little girl needed a unicorn.

  Never ever would he have imagined himself regularly buying toys and baby equipment. Never ever would he have imagined himself wanting to spend the majority of his free time with a single mother and her adorable infant daughter. Yet he knew without a doubt that this was it for him—that he needed nothing else but Gwen and Kaitlyn.

  He lifted his arm to look at his watch, wincing when Gwen’s eyes flew open. “Sorry,” he whispered.

  She blinked, squinting as she looked at Kaitlyn, then met his gaze. “What time is it?”

  “Four thirty.”

  “Already?”

  He nodded.

  “You didn’t have to stay.”

  “I didn’t mean to, but I don’t mind.”

  She smiled, reaching for his hand. “Thank you for everything, Cade. You keep turning into my lifesaver.”

  “I don’t mind that, either.” He laced their fingers, sending her a wink. “Have I told you that you’re amazing? I’m continuously in awe of you—of the way you balance everything and make it look so easy.”

  She huffed out a laugh. “There was nothing easy about last night.”

  “You could have fooled me. I’ve decided you’re my hero.”

  Her smile was back.

  He let his thumb slide along the inside of her wrist, lazily stroking her soft skin. “I should head out so you can get some more rest.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You’ll get some more sleep, too? I hate the idea of you being tired because of us.”

  He nodded. “A couple more hours before I head into the office. You’ll call if you need anything?”

  She shook her head. “We’ll be all right.”

  It was his turn to shake his head. “You have no idea what today has in store—how Kaitlyn’s going to feel when she wakes up. Promise you’ll call if you need to. I have a few meetings, but nothing that can’t be rearranged.”

  She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

  “Take good care of our bug,” he said, bringing her knuckles to his lips for a gentle kiss.

  Her fingers tensed against his as she swallowed, nodding again.

  In an instant, their simple moment—his simple gesture—evolved into something entirely different as he realized that this wasn’t just him—that his feelings for her weren’t one-sided. Holding her gaze, listening to her breathing growing unsteady, he nuzzled her fingers, pressing another kiss against her skin.

  Yanking away, she sat up in a rush, hurrying out of bed.

  “Gwen.” Quickly and carefully, he maneuvered his way over Kaitlyn and the mattress, then gained his feet, standing in front of her. “Wait a minute.”

  “Cade—”

  He shook his head, because there was no way he’d just mistaken her response to his touch. “Just wait a minute,” he whispered, staring into her eyes, tracing her jaw with his thumbs.

  She clutched at his wrists, breathing faster.

  Cradling her stunning face, he moved in, watching her eyes close as he touched his lips to hers. Coming back with more pressure, he opened his mouth, finally touching his tongue to hers—finally tasting her.

  She made a sound in her throat, melting against him while her palms slid down his arms to his waist.

  He groaned, intoxicated by her surrender, then took the kiss deeper, opening his mouth wider as she met him stroke for stroke.

  Gaining her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, letting her fingers play through his hair.

  Moments passed while he lost himself in her, touching her, skimming his fingers along the smooth skin of her sides and back until Kaitlyn stirred, fussing on the bed.

  Gwen immediately pulled away, ending the moment as quickly as it had begun.

  He glanced toward Kaitlyn, saw that she was safe in the center of the mattress, then tugged Gwen close again, wrapping his arms around her waist. “What if I want this to happen again?”

  Her cheeks were rosy and her lips swollen as she adamantly shook her head. “It can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’ve been divorced for about a minute.”

  He frowned. “Is there a time frame for moving on?”

  She shrugged, pressing her hand to his chest. “I don’t know, Cade.”

  Kaitlyn rolled to her stomach, fussing louder.

  Gwen freed herself from his embrace, walking to the baby, picking her up. “My life’s complicated. I have a daughter to think of before anyone—and anything—else.”

  He nodded, knowing that this wasn’t the time or place to have this conversation. “Okay. I’m going to head out unless you want me to stay.”

  She shook her head, gently bouncing Kaitlyn. “We’re all set.”

  Moving to where she stood, he kissed the top of the baby’s head. “We need to talk about this.”

  Gwen said nothing, only holding his gaze as the cool guard he recognized from when they first met settled back in her eyes.

  “Soon, Gwen.” Turning, he left, slightly terrified that he wouldn’t be invited back for a long while, understanding that their kiss had changed everything—and that Gwen would try her damnedest to push him away again.

  Chapter 15

  Gwen pulled onto Route 1, exhaling a long sigh as she drove toward Nate and Callie’s house, dreading the coming afternoon. She was always up for lunch with her siblings and their significant others, but today, Cade would be there, too.

  Earlier in the week, she’d been looking forward to the adults-only Sunday barbecue. The origi
nal plan had been to leave Kaitlyn with Mom and Dad, then drive over to Nate and Callie’s place with Cade. But that was before their make-out session in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

  It was safe to say that she no longer had to wonder about certain things. She officially knew that Cade Paxton was one hell of a kisser—and he definitely tasted as good as he looked. As soon as his mouth had captured hers, she’d melted against him. As soon as his hands had started wandering over her skin, she hadn’t wanted him to stop touching her—which was a serious problem.

  It wasn’t like she’d never been kissed before. Of course, she had. She’d been a married woman—and her life hadn’t started the day she’d met Liam O’Leary. But she’d never been kissed like that. Cade was all the things she’d imagined he might be: smooth and skillful, gentle and attentive. Hot.

  And she had no idea what she was supposed to do about any of it.

  She was a newly divorced single mother. Newly divorced single mothers didn’t go around kissing gorgeous, sweet, mouthwatering men, especially while their babies slept mere feet away in their beds. It had been foolish to stare into his amazing green eyes. It had been stupid to let him move in on her. Plain and simple, she’d made a mistake—something she couldn’t afford to do when Kaitlyn depended on her to make the right decisions for both of them. Getting involved with someone when she was still cleaning up her first mess could only end in disaster. But most importantly, she never intended to involve herself with anyone ever again.

  So, why couldn’t she stop thinking about him, then? Why couldn’t she stop replaying the stomach-fluttering moment when his lips had finally touched hers? Shaking her head, she huffed out a frustrated breath, thanking her lucky stars that she hadn’t seen him since her epic blunder.

  Fate had been on her side when work had kept Cade stuck in meetings and in the air for all of Thursday and Friday. When she’d gone out to dinner with Mom and Dad last night, then spent this morning at Carter Island Farm with Kaitlyn and Mom instead of in the Sandersons’ pool with Cade, she’d assured herself that she wasn’t hiding.