by McCade's Way
“Right now I’m going to enjoy dinner with my wife. Anything that we have to talk about has waited this long. It will keep a little longer,” Trey rumbled, and turned his back on her to lead Gen through the murmuring crowd.
“Don’t you want to at least meet your daughter?” Catherine asked, drawing another horrified gasp from their audience.
Trey paused and rolled his shoulders. Gen saw the muscle in his jaw tick and held her breath. He turned back toward the petite beauty without relinquishing his hold on her.
“You don’t really want to start this conversation, here, now, in a church, do you?” he drawled pointedly.
Her painted lips pressed into a tight line of displeasure, but she stayed silent. He gave her a curt nod and spun on his heel. Cole joined them, his expression worried, but Trey just gave him a tight shake of his head and two simple words: “Not here.”
Lunch was tense. All around them the whispers carried their names, but yet no one attempted to involve the McCade group in the conversation. The food like sawdust in her mouth, Gen kept her head high. Her hand slid under the table, and she stroked Trey’s corded thigh. His hand covered hers, giving her fingers a squeeze before lacing his fingers through hers. When it came time to clean up, he kissed the inside of her wrist before releasing her with a tight smile and a nod.
Even the normally blunt Adrienne kept her mouth shut as they worked with the other ladies in the fellowship hall’s kitchen. Gen kept an eye on Trey through the doors as the men started to mingle and socialize. Only Cole tried to talk to him. When his attempts were met with silence, Cole slouched in his chair, his leg bouncing in barely restrained aggravation or anxiety.
Skirting the group of young women surrounding Catherine and her daughter in one corner of the kitchen, Gen bit the inside of her cheek. She peeked at the little girl, searching for any sign of a McCade family resemblance. She was the spitting image of her mother. Discreetly rubbing at the dull throb in her temple, Gen tried to guess the tot’s age. Her stomach churned as she remembered the look in Trey’s eyes when he’d talked about children. How many times had she thought to herself what a great father he was going to make? There was no doubt in her mind. The only question now was if they’d be hers.
Trey wove his way through the tombstones, a deep frown carving his features. He felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under him. Just seeing the bitch had turned his world upside down. Sure, he’d considered how he’d react if he ran into her again, but the baby had never been part of the picture. He’d wracked his brain all the way through lunch, trying to pinpoint the last time she’d actually deigned to have sex with him. He snorted. Sex with her husband hadn’t been high on Catherine’s list of priorities. She’d whined that it was painful no matter what he did. It didn’t seem to be a big issue with Gen. He shook his head. She’d had every excuse in the book, and most of them his fault. Little had he known, she was scratching that itch somewhere else.
“Trey?”
He spun at the sound of his name. He sighed when he spotted the pastor working his way across the cemetery, but paused to wait for him. The gregarious man joined him and they continued walking.
“I take it you have some doubts about little Catherine?”
Trey grimaced. “I have doubts about a lot of things. My ex-wife happens to be at the root of many of them.”
“Are you denying the child?”
Rubbing at the back of his neck, Trey shrugged. “I don’t know. I have questions, doubts. I’d sure like the chance to do the math.”
“No man or woman is perfect, Trey. That is reserved for our Lord.”
“I’m aware, and I will accept a portion of the blame for our failed marriage. I’m not perfect.”
“Yet you expected Catherine to be.”
Trey glared at the portly pastor, his jaw jutting in anger. “I never asked her to be perfect, just faithful.”
“I’m just saying, son—”
“Well you can stop saying, and I ain’t your son,” Trey growled.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. Please accept my apologies.”
“What is it you think I should have done differently? Was I supposed to let her sleep with half the town and turn the other cheek? I guess I’m not that strong of a Christian. You’re damn lucky you weren’t officiating at a couple of funerals.”
“I’m not condoning her behavior at all, Trey, but there is a child—”
“I don’t deny that the child is innocent, but Catherine’s shown her colors. It will take a lot more than her word to convince me that child is mine.”
“All I’m asking is that you listen and consider all involved before you do or say anything rash,” the pastor soothed.
Trey shook his head with a harsh bark of laughter.
“You know what I find interesting? How about the fact that she broke the marriage vows, but I’m the one that everyone stares at and avoids like the village hunchback? And while you’re worrying about the innocents in this mess, don’t forget about Genevieve. I think I’ve tolerated about all the socializing I can handle for one day. I’m going home,” he said and walked away without another word.
The sharp crack of snapping fingers made the kitchen fall silent. Trey didn’t bother with niceties.
“Let’s go.”
Pulling her hands from the dishwater, Gen gave them a shake as she searched fruitlessly for a towel. Abandoning the thought, she gathered her roaster, piling the pie plate and the folded towel on top. Adrienne met her at the door, surprisingly without comment on their abrupt summons. Gen kept her head held high and nodded politely to any who would meet her gaze, wishing all a happy Thanksgiving. Trey’s hand in the middle of her back kept her moving, and within minutes they’d gathered coats, hats, and Cole and were walking down the front steps. She lengthened her stride, struggling to keep up with her husband, but Adri had to break into a trot. Cole rescued her, whisking her from Trey on the fly.
Gen’s foot barely touched the truck’s running board as Trey thrust her in. She shot Adrienne a worried look as she scrambled in from the other side. Cole’s door closed as they pulled out of the parking lot. Gen peeked up at her livid husband. Corded muscle stood out in his thick neck and along his jaw-line. His hard eyes carried a glitter that sent a chill down her spine. She swallowed hard and laid a tentative hand on his leg. Tension vibrated through his taut muscles. Without saying a word, she offered her support.
Images of the tiny china doll on Catherine’s hip stuck with her. The child was an absolute angel. What must’ve been going through Trey’s mind? As much as he despised his ex-wife for what she’d done to him, Gen couldn’t imagine this strong and moral man denying his child. What was he going to do? Would Catherine allow him to be part of the child’s life without being part of hers? A lump in her throat made it difficult to breathe. His anger was understandable. No one liked to be backed into a corner and a man like Trey even less than most.
Fighting a sudden wave of self-pity, Gen bit the inside of her cheek. There was a child involved. This wasn’t about her. Part of what she loved about Trey was his strong sense of right and wrong. She would never ask him to compromise that, just like she’d never ask him to choose between her and his child. If push came to shove, she would have to free him to be where he needed to be. The thought made swallowing all the more difficult. Blinking, she took a deep breath and nodded resolutely. Trey wasn’t the only one that could do the right thing.
He helped Gen from the truck and kissed the top of her head. The pain in his chest intensified as she pressed close, offering him a warm hug he didn’t deserve at the moment.
“I’m going for a ride. Don’t wait dinner on me.”
“Alone?” she asked softly, her eyes worried as she searched his face.
“I’ll be fine, darlin'.”
“I could go with you. I’ve been wanting to get more experi—” she started, but fell silent at the press of his forefinger to her lips.
“I’ll be fine, darlin'
,” he repeated.
She nodded mutely and turned toward the house at a gentle pat from him. She suddenly spun in her tracks.
“I’ll be right back. Please don’t leave yet,” she begged and turned and ran for the house.
His brow furrowed in a frown at her antics, but he headed for the barn to saddle up.
“Would you mind some company?”
“I’d rather ride alone. I’d appreciate it if you’d stay here and look after the girls,” he said, grabbing his saddle without looking back at Cole.
“You don’t know that she’s yours.”
“Nope, and I don’t know that she ain’t.”
“You can’t believe a damn thing that comes out of that bitch’s mouth, or any other part of her,” Cole spat in disgust.
Trey stayed silent. He didn’t disagree with a word his little brother had said. It didn’t change the fact that he needed to know if he was the father of that little girl.
“Why don’t we go in, break into that good bottle of whiskey you got in your office, and we can talk?”
“I need to clear my head, not add to my confusion,” Trey said with a little chuckle.
“It’ll get cold out there when the sun goes down.”
“I’m going to change out of my Sunday clothes before I go. I’m a big boy. It’s not my first Virginia November.”
“Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?” Cole asked in exasperation.
“It’s a McCade trait,” Trey said, leading Bowie out of the barn with his brother trailing along behind.
Gen looked up from furious preparations when he walked into the kitchen. He looked over the sandwich fixings and smiled. She blushed prettily.
“I’m going to change and then I’ll head out, darlin'.”
“I’ll have things ready when you come down,” she promised.
Genevieve watched her husband swing up into the saddle. The easy grace with which he moved never failed to amaze her. The leather creaked as he shifted, and she admired the fine figure he cut. She tried to cover the tell-tale twitch of her lips. With a holster strapped to his hip and his black cowboy, hat it brought to mind the Old West legends. Fashionable or not, the look was sexy on Trey. She stepped forward and touched his leg.
“Be careful. I’ll be waiting,” she said, not sure where the second part of the statement had come from, but it seemed important.
“I’ll be home tonight, darlin',” he said. Touching the brim of his hat, he nudged the dappled grey into an easy lope.
Brutus came to the edge of the porch and watched after him, a muffled whine sounding in the back of the dog’s throat.
“Go with him,” Gen ordered. The dog quivered, but didn’t move. “Go on! Go with Trey,” she begged, pulling the beast off the porch and shoving him after the departing horse. He looked back at her uncertainly and she stamped her foot, pointing emphatically. “Protect Trey.”
Finally he trotted off, looking back over his shoulder one more time before breaking into a run to catch up with his owner. Cole was standing at the door when she turned.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course,” she lied, forcing a smile.
“We don’t know she’s his or what’s going to happen.”
“No, we don’t. Whatever happens, I’m sure Trey will do the right thing. He’s a good man.”
“What does that mean?” Cole asked, his brow crinkling in worry and confusion.
“It means that I have confidence your brother will find out the truth and do what needs to be done. That’s who he is.”
Chapter Sixteen
Gen turned the door knob slowly. It wasn’t locked. Glancing down the hall, she slipped inside and locked it behind her. The top of her husband’s head was visible over the shower curtain. His arms were braced against the front wall, eyes closed and his head bowed under the deluge of water. It had been a long night. Sleep and conversation had been elusive. When he’d joined her in their bed, he’d opened his arms and she’d snuggled close. They had laid there, listening to the other’s heart beat in the dark.
Letting her robe slide off her shoulders, she shivered and stepped into the shower. Not wanting to startle him, she pressed to the back. Her eyes ran over his strong body in appreciation. Though she’d certainly never seen them naked, she couldn’t help drawing a mental comparison between the greasy photographer, the slender pretty boy Cole had identified as Catherine’s hotel lover, and her strapping sexy husband. In Gen’s eye, everything about Trey screamed pure male. What had caused Catherine to go looking when she had Trey at home?
He straightened and turned. Smiling, she stepped forward and kissed his chest. Water droplets dotted the broad expanse, some breaking free and racing down the hard lines of his ribs and stomach.
“Well, hello there,” he rumbled, wrapping his arms around her.
She just smiled against him and pressed closer. Catherine was crazy. Her hands splayed across his back, stroking the water-slick skin. She gasped as he picked her up. Wrapping her arms around his neck and legs at his waist, she accepted a long slow kiss. The sweet taste of him was addictive. She got lost in his kisses. Her back arched at the shock of cold tiles as he pressed her against the wall.
Fingers tangling in her hair, he tugged until her head tilted back. She moaned as his mouth trailed over her throat with open kisses and gentle nips. Hips rocking against her, he rode the channel between her thighs. The gliding stroke was maddening. She writhed, her body desperate for the friction or fullness to push her over the edge. His lips brushed over her ear, panted words encouraging and praising. Her body tightened as he finally pushed into her. She pressed her lips into his bulky shoulder, stifling her cry as she slowly stretched around him. The feeling of fullness was heaven.
Shrugging her higher, he rocked into her and nearly pulled out before sinking deep again. Trey kept the pace slow, his forehead pressed to hers as their breath quickened. She clutched at his broad back, loving the play of his muscles under her hands. The power he harnessed to pleasure her was humbling. He ground into her until her body ached for the release just out of reach. When she thought she could take no more of the sweet torment, she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered just two little words: “Please, Trey.”
His mighty body shuddered as he thrust hard and deep in response to her plea. A sense of power flowed through her as his muscles rippled and bunched under her hands. It was like unleashing a force of nature. She cried out as he shifted, changing the angle. Her nails bit into his back. Each snap of his hips wrung a breathless scream from her until her head thrashed against the wall and her body clamped around him. She shattered in his arms, her throat raw with the screams she checked into his shoulder. She barely heard his guttural growl as he threw back his head and his body jerked helplessly against her.
He held her tight, his chest heaving against hers. Their hearts thundered in unison. She shivered at the touch of his lips on her face, over her throat, and nuzzling her ear. The whispered words of love that left his lips made her heart soar. She felt beautiful, desirous, and loved. If she could’ve stayed right there she would’ve never needed to hear the words, but it was like God was testing her, testing them. A knock on the bathroom door shattered their cocoon. Cole’s voice sounded strained.
“Trey, you need to get downstairs, now. We have company.”
Brutus’s lips were pulled back, his gleaming fangs flashing in the early morning light as he faced down their visitors. The snarl riding Trey’s lips as he stepped out the front door was no less intimidating. He didn’t waste time with small talk.
“What the hell do you want?”
“Is that any way to greet guests?” Wade asked.
Trey snorted, his cold gaze raking over the ragtag group of Wade, Pastor Paul and Catherine shivering in the morning mist.
“I didn’t invite any of you out here.”
“Your father would be ashamed of you at the moment. Show some respect for your elders and for a lady,” Wade snapped.
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“You don’t get to tell me what my daddy would’ve done, said or thought. He never respected you,” Trey growled at his uncle. “Say what you came to say and get the hell off my property.”
“Catherine has asked me to assist her as a mediator in this awkward situation.”
“And that’s not awkward at all seeing as if there is anyone I hate nearly as much as my ex-wife, it would be you.”
Wade’s face flushed with anger. He winced as he instinctually tried to fist his injured hand and Trey smirked.
“Let’s just keep focused on what is important here. This child is innocent in anything that has happened in the past,” Pastor Paul said firmly. “Why don’t we all just sit down and discuss the situation calmly and rationally?”
Trey rubbed a calloused hand over his nape, a low growl of frustration rolling up the back of his throat. A flash of copper out of the corner of his eye made his heart swell and ache at the same time. Gen was the other innocent in this. Her willowy body shivered as she slipped around his side to offer a steaming mug of coffee. Taking the rich brew in his far hand, he wrapped his arm around her and molded her close, kissing the top of her wet hair. Her fingers slid over the flat of his belly in a comforting petting motion that made his lips curl in a little smile. She always sought to ease his temper with her gentle touch. He remembered Mama doing the same to his daddy. Some women had a knack for soothing the savage beast. His gaze went back to Catherine. And some women just liked to poke it with a stick.
“You need to know the truth to know what needs to be done,” Gen whispered, her lips like butterfly wings against the hollow of his throat. “Please let them in and get this over with, for all of us.”
He sighed. As much as it pained him to let them in their house, she was right. “Let’s get this over with,” he growled and turned for the house, snapping his fingers at Brute to stand down.
Cole looked up from where he knelt in front of the hearth nursing the fire to life. His jaw set seeing their uncle. Trey didn’t miss the animosity rolling off the two men. Adrienne stood from her seat nearby, skirting the furniture to clear the way for the supposed guests.