Reckless: A Small Town Marriage of Convenience Romance (A Wildrose Landing Romance Book 3)

by Abby Brooks

  Amelia made a face like her heart was breaking. “Oh, Izzy. I hate to see you hurting.”

  “Me too.” Evie put her hand on mine. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “Talking about it felt really good.” I took a deep breath and let it out. “It’ll probably pass, you know? Like you said, that Hinkle and Mayweather business was pretty awful and Jude’s probably stressed about something like that happening again. I’m sure I’m just being silly and things will get back to normal soon.”

  I’d back off and give him space. That would be a good place to start. Or maybe I needed to apologize for pushing him to talk about his dad when he’d made it clear he didn’t want to. Or probably I needed to do a little of both. Either way, Jude and I would find our way back to happiness again. I just knew it.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Izzy

  “The lawyer’s saying everything looks good. He thinks the court date is just a formality at this point.” Jude dropped a satisfied hand on the picnic table at the park. The sun was almost as bright as his mood and it was so good to see him looking like the man I used to know, instead of the withdrawn version I’d been living with lately. The light had left his eyes. The confidence had bled from his smile. His volume had been turned down and I’d do anything to turn it back up again.

  “Mom was pretty pissed when she got that paperwork in the mail.” Brennen’s eyes went wide. “I thought she was gonna lose it for good, but then her boyfriend stepped in and said some stuff about not havin’ me around to ruin their life anymore and she dropped it. I think they’re gonna be glad to see me go.”

  My jaw dropped. How could a mother not fight for her child? “Well, don’t you worry,” I said. “We’re ecstatic to have you with us.”

  “Damn straight.” Jude bobbed his head. “Even if you do smell like cheese.”

  “Me? Cheese?” Brennen arched a brow. “If only you knew what you smelled like, dude. You wouldn’t be sayin’ anything about me.”

  “I know I smell better than cheese.” Jude turned to me and slung an arm over my shoulder. “Back me up, babe.”

  God. That smile. I’d missed it so much.

  “It depends, really,” I said with a wink to Brennen. “How long has it been since your last shower?”

  Jude rolled his eyes. “I see how it’s gonna be. You two ganging up on me all the time. I’ll have to recruit little Lily Bear over to my side as soon as she arrives.”

  Brennen grinned so big, I was afraid his face would crack. “I can’t believe I’m gonna be an uncle. Or, like, if you adopt me, am I a brother? A brother uncle? That sounds kinda wrong.”

  We laughed and joked for a bit until I shrugged out of my coat with a sigh. “Oof. I didn’t think it was gonna be so warm today.”

  “Yeah.” Brennen picked at his thumbnail. “Sucks, really.”

  “You like winter?”

  “Nah. If you think my jeans were bad, what with bein’ kinda short on me and all? You don’t even wanna know how long it’s been since I got new summer stuff.” He laughed. “Do you really think you can hire me at your store? I don’t wanna be pushy, but maybe I could start kinda soon. Go on a shopping spree with my first check.” He rubbed his hands together with a grin.

  This kid. How could his mom be so wrapped up in herself that she couldn’t see how great he was?

  “I will definitely have a job for you, but it might have to wait until you live with us. It’s a little far to ride your bike.” I glanced at Jude. “There are some pretty busy roads between here and there.”

  “She’s right,” he said with a decisive nod. “It’s too far to ride. Why don’t I take you to the mall tomorrow and get you decked out?”

  Brennen held up his hands. “I don’t want you to spend your money on me, man.”

  “What do you think is gonna happen when I get custody? I’m just not gonna provide for you? That’s not the way it works. Besides, you’re already costing me a fortune in legal fees.” Jude smiled in that way of his that said he knew he’d won.

  And damn if Brennen didn’t give it right back. “I have school tomorrow and I know you gotta open the bar.” He raised an eyebrow as if to say, ‘so take that.’

  “I’ll do it,” I said, leaning my elbows on the table. “I can ask Alex to watch Sweet Stuff for a few hours and we’ll hit the mall and get you decked out.”

  Jude didn’t look as enthused with the offer as I’d have liked. “What if Alex can’t get free on such short notice?”

  “He just finished a book, remember? He always takes time off after, to recharge his creative flow or whatever. He’ll be free.” I tried to hide the hurt I felt at Jude’s pushback. Did he not want me to get to know his brother?

  “I just don’t want to get Brennen’s hopes up and let him down, that’s all. Alex has a life. I doubt he can drop everything to sit at the store with less than a day’s notice.”

  “Here, I’ll text him now and lock him in, so we know.” I pulled out my phone, my bottom lip caught between my teeth. Why did even the simplest things get hard lately?

  Me: Hey big brother. Can you watch the store for me tomorrow? From 2ish until close? I’ll pay you in jellybeans.

  Alex: Sold. See ya then.

  I shared the conversation with Jude and Brennen, then put my phone away, feeling oddly victorious even though we hadn’t been fighting. “We can meet here after school lets out. I’m yours for the evening.”

  “I’m just…this is so cool. Thank you so much.” Brennen stood and swiped at his pants. “I should probably get going. But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  We finalized our plans and I added his number to my contacts in case things changed. After a round of hugs, Brennen climbed onto his bike and pedaled away. As he disappeared down the street, I glanced at Jude. “Why didn’t you want me to take him shopping?”

  “Why would you ask that? Of course I want you to take him shopping.”

  “You didn’t seem all that happy when I suggested it.” I picked up my coat and draped it over my arm as Jude chewed on my statement.

  “I was afraid Alex wouldn’t be available,” he finally answered. “You saw how excited Brennen got and I’d hate for something to happen to let him down. Maybe in the future you shouldn’t say anything until you’re sure. That kid has had enough disappointment in his life, you know?”

  I nodded, trying not to let myself be hurt by the insinuation. Jude’s protective instincts were strong when it came to his brother. To all of us really. He was just being extra cautious, wanting to know that Alex was actually available before I promised to take Brennen shopping.

  “That makes perfect sense,” I replied, before deciding to move the subject to lighter topics. “You told me you were ashamed of your dad. That you were afraid you were gonna let people down the way he let you down. Look at who Brennen is. That’s how you come across, Jude. Nothing but good.”

  “I don’t know how he does it,” he replied, shaking his head. “Growing up like that and not letting it affect him.”

  He hadn’t acknowledged my compliment, but after my conversation with the girls, I was paranoid about pushing. I nodded my agreement. “He’s pretty special,” I replied, and I wasn’t just talking about Brennen.

  Jude took my hand and gave it a kiss, then led me to the truck. The exhaustion that hit me in February had returned and I fell asleep on the drive home. When we were safely back in the garage, Jude woke me and I staggered into the house, dropping my purse near the door.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m just gonna lay down awhile.”

  “Whatever you need, babe.”

  I headed for the hallway, then paused. “I’ll sleep in my room, err, the guestroom, whatever it’s called. That way you can come and go and not worry about bothering me.”

  “Sure. Whatever’s best.” His smile was wrong and he seemed even more distracted than usual, but I was too tired to worry about it, so I put it out of my mind and crawled into bed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWOr />
  Izzy

  I dragged myself back to consciousness the next morning, feeling like I’d woken on another planet. My head hurt. My eyes wouldn’t focus. My body ached. My brain felt so foggy I couldn’t organize my thoughts to save my life. The fact that I was in the wrong room didn’t help.

  Everything seemed…off.

  Even the light. It was too bright…

  …because the sun was way more up than it was supposed to be.

  Shit.

  I reached for my phone to check the time, only it wasn’t on the bedside table where I always kept it at night. A vague memory of me dropping my purse by the door surfaced and I raced into the kitchen to check the clock on the microwave.

  “Shit.” I was so late.

  Scooping up my purse, I yanked out my phone and found a text from Jude. The timestamp said it came in last night.

  Jude: You looked so peaceful in there, I just let you sleep. Good night beautiful.

  That touch of sweetness brought a surge of relief through me. Maybe everything was okay after all. I put the phone on the counter, brushed my teeth, yanked on clothes, swiped a brush through my hair, and then raced out the door.

  The disjointed start to the day had me feeling discombobulated all morning. Thankfully, the store wasn’t super busy, probably because we’d had a couple days of nice weather and everyone was thinking about swimsuit season and beach bods. Chocolate, candy, and fancy soda didn’t really add to that equation. I tidied up my displays, then decided I’d check with Alex and see if he wanted to come in early to keep me company.

  Only…my phone wasn’t in my purse.

  “Aww hell,” I said with a sigh. I’d put it on the counter after reading my text from Jude, then just left it there. It wasn’t like I needed it, but damn, I felt naked, knowing I didn’t have it. “This day just keeps getting better and better.”

  A young mom with two toddler-aged children came in. She carried her son in her arms while her daughter twirled around the store and the happiness that radiated off the little family made me sad. A strange reaction, considering how excited I was to meet Lily. How I’d sometimes daydreamed about a Frederick following closely behind.

  What was wrong with me? I shook my head as if I could rattle all the crappy thoughts right on out of there. Maybe I needed to call Amelia because she always knew how to talk me out of a funk…except I didn’t have my freaking phone.

  The children picked out their candy and I rang them up, then took a quick trip to the bathroom after they left. When I shimmied my pants down, my heart stopped.

  Blood.

  In my underwear.

  I balled up some toilet paper and wiped and there was blood there, too. Not a lot, but not a little either and oh, God…

  I put my hand on my stomach, holding my breath as if I could hear little Lily Bear’s heartbeat, feel her life force where it connected to mine. Fear whispered vile things as I cleaned up and washed my hands, then sat down in front of my desktop in the office. My heart pounded as I did a search for bleeding during pregnancy.

  It’s probably fine. No reason to worry. Just…stay calm.

  “Damn it,” I whispered, wishing for my phone. I needed to text Jude. Not because he’d know what to do, but because I just needed the reassurance he brought me. Just that little bit of connection to him would make me feel better.

  Though this was probably nothing. Not worth scaring him to death.

  On the advice of an article I read online, I used the landline to call my doctor—after looking up her number because who remembered phone numbers in this day and age?

  “It’s probably nothing to worry about,” said the receptionist, “but Dr. Windsor would like you to come in. Can you be here by two?”

  I checked the time on my screen. “If I leave right now.”

  With my heart in my throat, I grabbed my purse, locked up, and left.

  “I’ve got good news for you.” Dr. Windsor wheeled her stool back with a smile. “I don’t think there’s any cause for concern. You’ve got a cervical polyp, which is a harmless growth on the cervix.”

  I practically melted in relief. “So the baby’s okay.”

  “The baby’s doing great. I didn’t see any signs to think there’s malignancy, so I’d recommend leaving things alone for now. Some studies suggest the removal of cervical polyps during pregnancy is a risk factor for miscarriage or spontaneous premature birth—”

  I sat up, my hand on my belly, my heart dropping.

  Dr. Windsor held out her palms. “Which is why we’re going to leave them alone. Right now, I don’t see any reason to worry, but let’s schedule a follow up appointment next week just to keep an eye on things. In the meantime, I want you to rest and avoid heavy lifting for a few days. If anything changes, anything at all, call right away. I’m here.”

  My emotions had been so all over the place today, for the last couple days really, I expected tears. Or laughter. Or something. Instead, I felt numb. “Thank you, Dr. Windsor.”

  She put a hand on my knee and excused herself while I dressed. After stopping to make a follow-up appointment, I made my way to my car, when I suddenly remembered I was supposed to meet Brennen to take him shopping. My heart sank and I put a hand on the hood to support myself as tears burned my eyes. The last thing he needed was someone else letting him down.

  Especially after Jude made such a big deal about it.

  This day could just go to hell already.

  “Come on, Prescott. Get a grip.” I swiped at my eyes, then made a sound that might have been a laugh.

  Malone. My last name was Malone.

  I drove home with the words miscarriage and spontaneous premature birth floating around in my head. By the time I pulled into the garage, I just wanted to curl up in Jude’s lap and cry a little. Maybe I wouldn’t tell him that removing the polyps increased the risk of losing Lily. Dr. Windsor said I didn’t need to worry about that and why burden Jude with those words so they’d float around his head too?

  I parked next to his truck and seeing that little bit of him already brought me the comfort I so desperately needed. It wasn’t until I stepped into the house and found him waiting in the kitchen that I remembered he was supposed to be at work.

  “You know,” he said as I put my purse on the table, “you’re the last person I would have pegged to let someone down.”

  He looked downright disgusted with me and it broke my heart.

  I swiped my hair back from my face, fighting tears for the billionth time today.

  “Jude...”

  “It was just yesterday that we talked about Brennen spending his entire life being disappointed by the people who are supposed to take care of him. He doesn’t need it from you too.” His nostrils flared as he stared me down. “I don’t even know what to say. If you didn’t want to take him shopping, you could have just said something.”

  “Is that what you think?” My voice sounded tired and flat and I didn’t have it in me to argue, and I certainly didn’t have it in me to explain where I’d been today. I felt numb. Raw. Vulnerable and confused. If he was this ready to believe the worst of me, then he could go ahead and believe it already.

  “I don’t know what to think. I’m just so…” He growled as he raked his hands into his hair. “This is so not cool, Izzy.”

  “You’re right, Jude. This is so not cool.” I pushed past him to grab my phone off the counter, then went into my room, curled up on the bed, and sobbed into a pillow.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Jude

  When Brennen called to tell me Izzy was late and wasn’t answering her phone, my nerves hit the roof. She wasn’t the kind of person who ran late, and when she did, she definitely reached out. Worried sick, I drove every route she could possibly take to meet him at the park in case she’d been in an accident. Nothing. Not finding her mangled car on the road should have been a relief, except where the fuck was she? I drove home immediately and saw her phone on the counter. The lock screen showe
d a ton of missed calls and messages, but her settings wouldn’t allow me to see who from.

  I paced.

  I worried.

  Just when I thought to call Alex and see if he knew where she was, she walked in the door and this big balloon of frustration popped, flooding my system with a rush of nastiness I wasn’t prepared for. The relief I felt seeing her was immediately replaced by something toxic. Something simmering. Something that had me pacing the kitchen again. First, Izzy had pushed me and pushed me, digging for info about my dad and when I gave her that, she wasn’t happy because what? My energy was off or some bullshit?

  And now this.

  My dad had let Brennen down.

  His mom had let him down.

  Her boyfriend had let him down.

  And now my wife had let him down, and he hadn’t even moved in with us yet.

  The annoyance that had been building the last few weeks exploded. I didn’t let her explain where she was; I just heaved a week’s worth of resentment and vitriol her way. And now that she was in her room, the wrong room…again…I felt like such a fucking asshole.

  My shoulders slumped.

  I looked at the ceiling and sighed.

  Time to apologize. Some more. Seemed like that was all I did nowadays. Feel like an asshole and apologize. Never in a million years would I claim to be a perfect person, but seriously, did I really get it wrong this frequently? If so, I was a lot more like my dad than I wanted to admit. What would Izzy say on the topic? Now that she was upstairs, probably crying to herself in bed. Fuck. Just…fuck.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose as my phone rang. Alexander Prescott calling. Kind of the last person I wanted to talk to right now, but the fact that he’d called instead of texted nudged me to answer.