Fucking Tate.

  She was standing on the other side, my mother next to her. Helen (who was my mother in case that needed to be explained, and that said something right there) looked perpetually confused. She was looking between Malinda and Tate and back again. I noticed she was not looking at Taylor.

  Fucking Helen. Seriously.

  And Tate was now looking at me, and fuck her because I saw the smug look in her gaze.

  She was the one my dad impregnated? I was thinking hell no to that whole story, but just as I was heading for Taylor, the screen door opened and Mark Decraw walked in.

  “Mom!” he yelled, but he wasn’t alone.

  His woman came in behind him, or I thought she was still his woman? Cassandra was glaring right alongside him, but at Tate, who hadn’t stopped looking at me since noticing I was here.

  Malinda was saying, ignoring her son, “I am their mother! How can you stand by her side? How can you not know the history?”

  Helen’s frown deepened, but then all eyes snapped to me, and I ignored everyone, going right to Taylor.

  Brandon saw me and moved aside.

  I moved in, taking Taylor into my arms—or I would’ve.

  She shoved off of me, looking over me. “You are a piece of work. Piece of work. This whole thing was fabricated. I don’t believe for a second that you had James Kade’s children. It’s a scam. I can’t believe you. Fucking desperate. You still want Logan? Is that it?”

  “Logan, get your woman under control—”

  I whirled around, finding my mother who had said that. “Shut up. You don’t ever talk about my wife like that—”

  There was a group gasp, or what sounded like one.

  “Wife!”

  No clue who that was.

  “What?”

  Or that.

  Heather whispered, almost in awe, “This is so epic.”

  “Logan.” Taylor’s hand dropped to my arm, her eyes big.

  I winced but pulled her close. “Sorry. I let it slip.”

  “No.” She shook her head, her hand sliding around to the back of my neck. She moved in closer, and our foreheads rested against each other.

  I needed this. I needed her.

  Just a touch. A moment. I needed to connect to her.

  Taylor was my anchor, and as I got older, it only grew with every day.

  I dropped my voice low. “Are you okay that slipped out?”

  The anger was gone, and she moved her head up and down gently. She was watching me back, intently. “I’m always okay doing what you want to do, but the secret’s out.”

  I closed my eyes, feeling a ball of tension start to unfold inside my chest.

  It’d been there for a while, ever since we found out what my dad had done, but we hadn’t known who then. It didn’t matter. It took me away from her, and it felt like forever since I had been on the same page with her. I knew something was up, but she didn’t want to talk about it last night.

  I hadn’t pushed.

  Now, though. Now our time was done. Everyone would want to know everything, and I didn’t want to do that. It was our secret, ours—no one else’s. It ceased just being yours when you shared that information, and I wanted to whisk Taylor off.

  I wanted to get in the vehicle and drive all the way back to Boston.

  I could technically do it.

  Nate was here. We could call in favors or just let James deal with his fuck-up.

  God.

  I was so tempted to do it, let someone else deal with the shit for once.

  I pulled Taylor into my chest. My head was buried in the crook of her neck and shoulder, and my arms were wrapped tightly around her. I felt her start to tremble, and her hands slid up the front of my chest, taking hold, forming fists in my shirt. “Logan.” She turned her head, her whisper coming out in a rasp next to my ear.

  She almost sounded agonized. Her body kept trembling, and without thinking, I smoothed a hand up her back, going to cup the back of her neck.

  Whatever it was would be all right.

  Anything.

  I loved her. It didn’t matter—“I’m pregnant.”

  19

  Earlier

  My phone was ringing. The clock showed that it was five-thirty in the morning.

  I was going to kill my brother.

  Grabbing it on the second ring, right as Taylor started to move around, I meant to decline.

  A second later, Mason’s voice came from my nightstand, “Logan?”

  I growled but hurried out of bed, taking the phone with me. “Shh.”

  The boys had wanted to stay in the room with us last night, and both were on the bed.

  I paused, staring at them for a second. Usually, Natty liked to be on the bed while Matty was content to be on the floor. He didn’t like our feet moving around. Both usually left with whoever was up first. Taylor had an evening shift, so I was the first up, but my god, I was hoping to get back to bed. I had another hour I could rest.

  This morning, though, neither of the boys moved. Both remained right where they were. I had moved so Natty moved to stretch out where I’d been, but they watched me as I left.

  Okay then.

  I pulled the door closed and went to the guest bathroom, then hit speakerphone as I closed the door. “Why the fuck are you calling at five in the morning?”

  I stood over the toilet as Mason answered, “Uh—” He laughed. “Gonna admit that I forgot that normal people don’t get up at this time of the day. Sorry. Wait—”

  I started pissing.

  “Are you pissing right now?”

  “You woke me up. Deal with it.” I let it flow. Be free, pee. Be free. “What do you want?”

  “Christmas is coming up—”

  I finished pissing.

  Mason paused, then continued as I flushed, “James sent me an email last night inviting us out there.”

  “Nope.” I went to wash my hands.

  “I know, but shut up. Let me finish. I’m not calling because of that. I’m calling because he never asks us out there. I think something’s up.”

  I paused, right before turning the sink back off, and then grabbed the towel. “Last time he had issues, it was with his business.”

  “He never asked us for a holiday for that.”

  I was starting to get a bad feeling in my gut. “I don’t like this.”

  “Me neither, but a heads-up, I guess. Anyways, since you actually answered, Sam wants to do Christmas the day after my game.”

  “You play on Christmas, right?”

  “Yeah, and Sam’s heading to the game. She’s thinking of inviting Nate and Quincey.”

  I was nodding and remembered he couldn’t see me. “Cool, cool. That sounds good to me.”

  “Can you guys bring the meat?”

  “Sure.” I grabbed up the phone again. “Is this really the reason you called? A heads-up at five in the morning because something might be up with James? And to ask about Christmas Day meat?”

  He laughed. “I’m really sorry. Nash is sick, so I’ve been up since four.”

  I groaned. “Love you, brother, but I’m done with this call. I want to hold my woman for another hour.”

  “Love you. Bye—”

  I ended the call and checked my volume levels before heading back into the bedroom.

  I caught a glimpse of Taylor’s ring. She didn’t like taking it off, not yet, and any dread I had washed away. Honestly, fuck any worries because right here, this morning, in this room, I had everything I needed.

  I slipped under the covers, moved Natty aside, and pulled Taylor into my arms. She shifted to her side, and I moved up behind her, my hand falling to her stomach.

  “What did Mason want?” she asked around a yawn, her hand falling to cover mine on her tummy.

  I turned mine around, lacing our fingers, and moved in even closer, settling. “Nothing important.” I pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder. “I love you. Sleep, babe.”

  Her whole body shuddered on a jerk, and I heard another yawn slip out from her, then she was dozing a second later.

  Home. She was my home.

  20

  Present

  “It was that day.”

  The dogs. It was when Mason called me with the first warning about James.

  I pulled back, looking at her face. We were still at Manny’s. People were yelling around us, and I was pretty sure some were yelling at us, but right now, it was only Taylor and me, and I was remembering.

  “When did you know?”

  She was so pale, and she bit down on her bottom lip. “That morning, Mason called at five? That day?”

  The dogs wouldn’t leave her side, not to even piss.

  “It was that day. You knew that day.” My tone was coming out harsh, but I didn’t mean for that. My mind was whirling. My blood was buzzing. I had so many emotions crashing through me, and my hands were starting to shake.

  Holy fuck.

  Taylor was pregnant.

  And she was still shaking in my arms.

  I cursed, looking and finding Nate and Heather watching me, their faces set in concern. I gave a slight shake of my head to them. “I’m heading out.”

  Heather started for us. “Wha—”

  Nate cut her off, “Sounds good.”

  The unspoken context was that Heather thought I announced we were married, and she didn’t know what the hell was going on. Nate knew something else was going on, and it took precedence over this stupid shit drama.

  I took Taylor’s hand but pressed a kiss to her forehead, cupping the back of her neck. I whispered there, urgently, because holy hell, everything was changing after today, “I know you’re shaking. I don’t know why, but I love you.” I squeezed her hand. “I love you.”

  I started forward, guiding her in front of me, our clasped hands resting low on her hip. Usually, I’d take the lead, but not today. All these people were behind us. I wanted as much of an actual block to whoever was going to come after us.

  “Logan.”

  I swallowed a curse because we weren’t even out of Manny’s back section before Tate was trying, whatever she was going to try.

  I stiffened, but then a presence moved in swiftly from the right. “Leave him alone, Tate.”

  That was Nate, and as I guided Taylor forward, stepping through to the front section, I spared a look over my shoulder. Nate was blocking her way, but then we were through, and I moved, taking the lead. I kept Taylor’s hand in mine. We went fast through Manny’s until we were in the parking lot. The door banged shut behind us.

  “Logan—” Taylor started.

  I shook my head. “Stop. Just wait. Wait.”

  I drove so Nate would get a ride with someone else, and I was hurrying Taylor into the front seat, then I was around and in the driver’s side. After that, fuck. I had no clue where James would be. We had him in his old room at the house, but knowing my disastrous dad, he was probably banging someone new by now.

  Either way, I wanted total and complete privacy. I wanted no one to be able to find us.

  I made a decision, hitting the turn signal.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere no one will look for us.”

  “Logan,” she started again.

  My heart broke because she sounded so sad, so resigned. Cautious.

  I did that.

  My hands started shaking, so I gripped the steering wheel harder.

  Me. I put that there, in her.

  The fear, sadness, resignation. She was cautious with me. Her. My teammate. My life partner. Forget the fucking roles of husband and wife. She was mine. I signed up to be beside her for life long ago, and she was scared right now because of me.

  I had wholly and royally fucked up.

  I spoke low and raw, “I am not angry with you, but give me some time. I need to digest some things and figure out the best way to say what I have to say.”

  She choked out a sob, so I reached over and entwined her hand in mine. Our fingers laced together.

  I held her hand the entire drive.

  21

  Logan

  “Why are we in Cain?”

  I drove and just kept going until I figured out where I was taking her. Then it all made sense. I squeezed her hand, “Hold on. Please.”

  “Logan.” A sigh from her, and that sadness was still with her.

  Pain sliced through me. “Just hold on. Please.” I was saying it gently. Tender. I needed to be delicate with her, handle her with care. She felt like she was going to break. I could feel it in her, just under the surface.

  I did that. Fuck me. I did that.

  I turned off, heading into a different section of town.

  “Oh my God, Logan.” She sat up, seeing where we were going.

  I pulled in, went to the buzzer, and put in the code. The gates started to open and I asked, “You remember this place?”

  “It was the old amusement park.”

  I drove in. It’d been abandoned back then. It wasn’t anymore. “James kept us abreast of the changes. He wants Mason and me to take over his company, and maybe one day, we will, but when he was deciding what to do here, I asked him to refurbish the roller coaster, bring it up to date so it can still be used.”

  “You did?”

  I shot her a grin as I pulled into a parking slot. “He didn’t, but a couple of years ago, I invested, and I brought it back.”

  “Logan!” Her eyes wide, her voice in awe.

  I had to take a moment, just a moment.

  She was so beautiful. She always had been, always kind. It was the kindness that undid me.

  “You forgave me.”

  “What?”

  “Back then. You forgave me, and that’s the day I realized I loved you. But I decided to fight for you on that roller coaster. I wanted you to rip me apart, and you didn’t. You did the opposite. I’m a fighter. It’s what I’ve known all my life, and you never gave me that fight because it’s not what I needed. Since then, you’ve let me call the shots. You let me set the pace, and I don’t know where I fucked up”—my voice cracked—“you’ve always let me be me, and I’ve always needed you. I leaned on you, and you let me, but fuck, Taylor. I have made a complete mess of everything if you—”

  I had to stop.

  The years started flashing in front of me.

  Our first Christmas.

  Graduation.

  After graduation.

  Moving to Boston.

  We followed Mason there, all of us. Taylor came with. She did that for me.

  “I’m so fucking sorry.”

  “Logan, no.” She started to reach for me, but I stopped her.

  I caught her other hand, now holding both of them, and I shook my head. “I didn’t want to grow up. I didn’t want to lose what I had. You should’ve left me long ago.”

  “Logan, stop.” She was crying.

  I was doing it again, causing her pain.

  “I am so sorry.”

  “Logan, stop!”

  “You were terrified to tell me you’re pregnant.” Not okay! I took her in, seeing the love there, the sadness for me, and I looked down at her stomach—my kid. My kid was in there. I dropped my voice low, barely a whisper, “I thought for a long time, and I wasn’t quiet about it. You let me be me, but I wasn’t letting you be you, and I have failed you. I’ve failed to be a partner in the way I should’ve been because I was so scared of failing to be a partner to you in the way James has been. That’s on me. I have fucked up, but Taylor…” I couldn’t look away from her stomach. Right there. In there. A part of me and a part of her, and holy hell, I was going to be a father.

  A kid.

  Wait.

  My chest tightened. “It’s not twins, is it?”

  She laughed. “No, at least I don’t think so.”

  I released my breath. “Thank God. I love Mason’s kids, but the twins are little shits.”

  She laughed again. “Maddie called them that too.”

  I grinned, reaching over and brushing one of her tears away. “You thought I’d be mad?”

  She paused, stilling, then nodded. “Yeah.” The word left her in a rush. “I knew how scared you were to have kids, and yeah…” She drew in another breath, holding it. “You’re not mad then?”

  “No. God no.” I reached over, letting go of her hand to place my palm over her stomach. “It’s different now. Everything’s different.”

  She stilled under my hand.

  I leaned down, resting my head on her stomach, almost wanting to feel the kid, whomever he or she would become.

  My God.

  A mini-me?

  Maddie was already enough, but she had mostly Mason in her.

  I looked up. “If it’s a boy, he’s going to be a demon.”

  She laughed, more of her tears falling free. I was hoping they were from relief, and she combed her hand through my hair, cradling my head. “I’m prepared. We should set aside a bail fund.”

  Yeah. That sounded about right.

  Man.

  I’d never felt this. Not when Taylor first kissed me. When she told me she loved me. When we moved in together. Not even when we married. That’d been my best night, or I thought. Nope. Today was. Today was the best day of my life.

  I looked up at her. “We’re having a baby.”

  She smiled down, tracing her hand down the side of my face. Her eyes were tender. “We’re having a baby.”

  It was done.

  I was complete.

  I took her hand, pressing her knuckles to my mouth, pressed a kiss there, but then I reached up. I pulled her down. Her lips found mine, and my entire world shifted.

  22

  Logan

  “Logan,” Taylor asked much later, on a laugh when I lifted my mouth finally from hers. We’d moved to the back of the Escalade, and well, I hadn’t totally changed. I was still me. She sat up, brushed her hair back, arranged her top, and looked around. “What is this place?”