by McCade's Way
“I’ll get some coffee and see what I can find to eat,” Gen said softly, giving his stomach another loving pat.
“That would be wonderful. I’m afraid Catherine’s urgency didn’t allow time for a decent breakfast,” Pastor Paul said with a smile in Genevieve’s direction.
That smile faltered under Trey’s glare.
“Coffee will be more than sufficient,” Trey said. At his wife’s hesitation, he met her eyes and added firmly, “Don’t go to any trouble, darlin'. They won’t be staying long.”
“Yes, Trey,” she murmured, her long lashes sweeping freckled cheekbones in obedient acquiesce.
“I’ll help you in the kitchen,” Adrienne said, excusing herself with a little nod in Trey’s direction and hurrying after her friend.
Trey laid an arm over the mantle and sipped his coffee as everyone removed their coats. Tension hummed. He watched Catherine fuss with the baby. Her movements were jerky and impatient. The coffee burned a hole in his gut. He studied the child’s features. He’d dug out his mama’s old photo albums last night and poured over the few baby pictures. Though Cole wasn’t as broad as he was, and Nate much slimmer built yet, people had always said they all bore the McCade stamp. He’d seen it in the pictures. There were similarities that couldn’t be denied. He didn’t see any of that in her.
“Catherine admits that she must shoulder part of the blame for your marriage not working out the first time. However, regardless of the past, as a man, you need to step up and take responsibility for your child, Trey,” Wade said.
His uncle’s condescending tone made his stomach churn in rage. He shook his head. Had the man really said the first time? Bile burned the back of his throat. Were they really expecting him to abandon the new life he’d started and crawl back to that hell? He bit back the wounded roar that threatened.
“When was she born?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a simple question. When was the child born?” Trey asked, ignoring his uncle and locking his gaze on Catherine. Her hand trembled on the babe’s head.
“Her name is Catherine Elizabeth. I call her Lizzie.”
“I didn’t ask what her name is, Catherine,” Trey said, his voice smooth with forced civility. “What is her birth date? Unlike you, I tend to remember when I have sex. I’d like to do the math.”
The pastor choked. Catherine’s pale face flushed in anger. The coffee service rattled as Gen eased it down on the table. Trey tried to rein in his anger, wishing there had been a way to spare her this. It was too late now.
“Or should I just request to see her birth certificate? Who did you put down as the father anyway?”
“Why are you being such a cold bastard?” Catherine hissed.
“I’ve already been cuckolded,” Trey snapped back. “I won’t be duped into raising another man’s child because the well went dry on your rich playboys.”
“That was uncalled for, boy,” Wade protested, sitting forward on the couch.
“I ain’t your boy!” Trey bellowed, making his uncle shrink back. “And I’ve had enough of this bullshit. Either answer my questions or get out, Catherine.”
“Trey, baby, I’m so sorry. You don’t understand. When Wade forced himself on me, I just wanted to die,” Catherine cried.
Trey froze. Gen hissed as she sloshed hot coffee on her shaking fingers. He could see the fear and something else on her face as she backed away, abandoning the carafe. Tears trickled down Catherine’s face. Wade stared at Catherine, his face twisted in disbelief.
“You lying bitch!”
“You made me!” Catherine screamed. “Just like you tried to make his new wife, and that’s why he broke your hand!”
Gen made a strangled noise behind her hand, and her head shook back and forth. She was deathly pale. Trey reached for her, suddenly afraid she’d fall.
“He told me he had a dalliance with Catherine. I thought he meant—”she whispered, sitting down on the hearth ledge.
“Made you?” Wade snarled. “You couldn’t get enough of me! You complained that sex with the boy was like being mounted by a bull.”
Pastor Paul shakily tried to rise from his seat beside the fire, his arm outstretched in entreaty, but Cole gently pushed him back into the chair.
“It’s safer this way, Pastor.”
“I told you sex with Trey was painful. That didn’t necessarily mean I wanted you!” Catherine snapped as she slapped Wade’s reaching hand.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Everyone’s eyes flew to Trey as his voice broke on the question.
“I—I—baby, I didn’t think you’d believe me. Wade is your uncle. I know how important family is to you.”
Trey’s head fell back, and he beseeched the heavens for guidance. His big fists clenched repeatedly as he tried to control his temper. What the hell did you do when you didn’t believe either of them?
“Who is the father, Catherine,” he asked with every bit of patience he had left. “And I swear to God if you lie to me, you will regret it.”
“Trey, I love you. Leaving you was the stupidest thing I ever did. I was afraid Wade would come ba—”
“Answer the damn question!” he roared.
“I don’t know!” she screamed back, pain raw in her voice. “I don’t know who the damn father is!”
Pastor Paul muttered a prayer as he slumped back in his chair.
“But it’s not me?” Trey asked quietly.
“No,” she whispered. “God I wish it was. I made so many mistakes with you, Trey. You gave me everything. Please give me another chance. I know I made mistakes, but I was young. I didn’t understand what I had in you.”
Trey looked at the pleading, teary face and shook his head. How had he ever thought he loved this shallow, selfish, manipulative woman?
“It’s too late for that,” he said with a decisive headshake and then gave a snort of amusement. “Hell, maybe I should thank you. I found the right woman this time. She knows I’m not perfect, but she loves me anyway, and I love her.”
Catherine’s incredulous gaze snapped to Genevieve and Trey’s followed. Gen was staring up at him, her grey eyes shimmering with a love that was humbling. A lump tightened his throat at the weapon he’d just handed her, but he offered her a smile and a wink. It was time she quit taking all the chances.
“What’re you going to do with him?”
Trey pulled himself from the snare of his wife’s stare with difficulty. Cole had moved to block the doorway between the foyer and the living room. Wade stood in front of him. He glanced from one brother to the other.
“If I had my way, I’d beat him to death with my bare hands,” Trey said softly. “But I have too much to lose to go to prison for this animal.”
Wade slumped in relief and then backed away as Cole smiled at him and said: “But I don’t.”
Cole’s advance on Wade was stopped short by Adrienne’s touch on his arm.
“If you play your cards right, you might have more to lose than you know,” she whispered in a sultry tone that threatened to turn the men in the room inside out.
Cole blinked and somehow managed to glance uncertainly at Trey who was looking at Adri in bemusement.
“I don’t know that it will be enough, but if you want to go to the police, I will testify as to what he said to me and what he did,” Gen whispered to a stunned Catherine.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because Trey is right. He’s an animal, a predator.”
“As much as it pains me to say, my dear, with no prior report, and this long after the attack…I’m sorry,” Pastor Paul said, shaking his head with soft regret.
“There was no attack,” Wade snapped in disgust. “If you found me so terrifying and objectionable, why did you seek me out after my nephew divorced you? You were willing enough to continue our dalliance until I refused to bankroll your apartment and shopping habits.”
Catherine turned her teary face back to Trey, despe
ration etching her fine features. “That’s not true.”
“Rose will confirm she was in Richmond.”
“Trey, baby,” she pleaded, reaching out a hand.
“Don’t,” Trey growled, flinching away from her touch.
Gen stepped between them, her expressive eyes suddenly hard and flinty. Catherine shrank back from the unspoken warning.
Cole broke the tense silence. His normally gentle voice dropped a full octave and when he spoke; his tone was dangerous and hard.
“Get out,” he growled, taking a step toward Wade. His fists clenched into tight balls at his sides. “Get out and take that faithless whore with you,” he snarled, glancing Catherine’s way with a hatred that made her tremble. She slumped when his pale eyes turned back to bore into his uncle. “Maybe you don’t remember the last time we spoke, but my memory isn’t as lacking. I swear on my mama’s grave I will put that buckshot in your gut if I ever see your face again. You aren’t worthy of being a McCade—either of you. You never were.” He prowled closer, pinning Wade against the back of the couch. He looked down at the older man with a disgust that was palpable. “You have two minutes to get your asses out of this house and off my brother’s property, or so help me God; I will hunt you down and make you feel every ounce of pain and suffering you have caused him.”
His steely glare flickered to the pastor. “God’s good grace or not, I highly suggest you do the same. I’m done watching my brother take cheap shots from you and this town.”
Trey cleared his throat. The quiet gesture commanded the attention of the room. “I think what my little brother here is trying to say is you need to leave, and now would be the time to do it. What happened in the past is no longer my concern. The child is not mine, and I refuse to be dragged down into this filth and disgrace any longer. You know where the door is. I believe it would be best if you see yourselves out.”
Wade didn’t bother with his coat or Catherine. He slipped away from Cole and made a beeline for the door. Catherine scrambled to her feet, grabbing awkwardly for her coat as she juggled her daughter. The pastor stepped forward to help her before grabbing his own overcoat and Wade’s. He escorted the shaking woman to the door and then turned back, a mournful expression giving his jowly face a hangdog look.
“Trey, I’m sorry if—”
“Now’s not the time, Paul,” Trey said simply.
The pastor looked like he was going to say something else, but his shoulders slumped and he nodded. Shuffling out the door, he closed it behind him.
Gen turned into his chest, and Trey enfolded her in a hug, resting his cheek against her silky copper hair. Silence hung over the house for a long moment. It was Cole that chose to break it again.
“Do you want to tell me what that was about?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at Adrienne.
“It was your family drama, stud. I was just an innocent bystander,” Adri answered, lips twitching in amusement.
“You’re never innocent,” he said with a chuckle. “Seriously, what made you change your mind?”
“No one said I did.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “What made you decide to give me a chance?”
“I had an interesting conversation last night when I couldn’t sleep,” she said, blushing as she shot a look in Trey’s direction out of the corner of her eye. “There is a possibility that I may have misunderstood your sincerity the other day in the barn.”
“A possibility?” Cole asked dryly.
Adri smirked and shrugged a dainty shoulder.
Trey kissed the top of his wife’s head. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s go make some breakfast while the kids work things out.”
Gen’s giggle held a tinge of relief mixed with happiness. She kept one arm wrapped around his middle as they left the room. He wasn’t sure the other two noticed their departure.
“You had a talk with Adrienne?”
He smiled down at his wife. There was no jealousy in her tone, just an overwhelming curiosity.
“She couldn’t sleep and came looking for the magic ingredient for a little Irish coffee. I have a bottle of whiskey in the den, and we talked while we shared a drink.”
Gen shook her head with a smile.
“What?”
“Nothing.
“What’re you shaking your head about,” he asked, tilting her chin up.
“You’re full of surprises,” she whispered, her smile telling him that was a good thing.
“So are you. Don’t think I missed that look you gave Catherine, Mrs. McCade,” he teased, needing this after the morning they’d had.
“As long as you grant me that title, this body is mine to touch,” Gen said, stroking his belly possessively. “No one else’s.”
“I love it when you touch me,” he said, covering her hand with his. “I’m sorry you had to deal with all that.”
“I’m sorry you did too,” she said softly. Her expression hardened as she outlined his hand with the index finger of her free one. “I hate to see you hurt. I agree with Cole. I’m done biting my tongue while people take shots at you. If they mess with one McCade, they’re going to get us all.”
Trey couldn’t help it. He laughed at his firebrand’s fearsome expression. “I was right that first night. You keep life interesting.”
Gen giggled and blushed lightly, but pulled her hand loose so she could wrap her arms around his waist. “I love you.”
Trey closed his eyes, soaking in the love that radiated from this strong woman. It was so much more than words with her. The emotion resonated in her every action, her every look. She fearlessly loved with everything that she was. Her courage humbled him.
“I don’t know that I deserve you, but I love you too, darlin'.”
His wife smiled up at him with that look that made him feel like he could conquer the world. He stroked his fingers through her still drying copper hair and cupped her freckled face in his hands.
“I don’t promise to always get it right, but I do love you, and I’m going to do it the only way I know how. The McCade way,” he said hoarsely.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”