Although he’d initially had a hard time wrapping his head around Cadence’s revelation about his best friend’s death, he now knew it all made sense. Keith had always been a careful driver. Parker had initially been incredulous about the cause of Keith’s death. Why hadn’t he investigated it? He had looked at the police records and there’d been no evidence of the car having been forced off the road. Had Price paid someone off in the police department? At this point he wouldn’t put anything past him.
All he knew was that he needed to be on guard. And, God willing, he would get his son back today.
**
Stillwater Cove Park was a beautiful area. Everything was lush and green. Upon entering the park, signs announced camp grounds and a family picnic area. In different circumstances, Cadence imagined she would be able to fully appreciate the magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean and the wooded trails stretched out all around the area. At the moment, all she could think about was Logan. Was he already here? Were they close by? Would she be able to hold him in her arms before she went away with Mason?
As they drove up toward the designated meeting area, Cadence sat silently in the back seat. There was a toddler car seat next to her for Logan. She twisted her fingers, nervous about what was about to happen.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to pull it off. Parker would be absolutely furious, she imagined. But it was the only way she could get Logan back. And that was what mattered most. Her baby boy. Cadence knew Logan would be safe with Parker. That’s all she needed to know to get her through this ordeal. Once Logan was safe, Cadence would plot her own escape from Mason. Never again would she live under his control.
Parker parked in the spaces about twenty feet away from the bridge. Cadence kept her eyes peeled for any glimpse of Mason and Logan. Minutes ticked by. Agonizing minutes during which she began to wonder if Mason was playing a game of cat and mouse with them. No one spoke in the car. Parker idly drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Jason kept fidgeting in the front seat. Somehow it made Cadence feel better to know she wasn’t the only one dealing with nerves.
Suddenly, a dark green car pulled up on the opposite side of where they were parked. Cadence didn’t know a lot about cars, but she did recognize this particular car as a Jaguar. Mason’s favorite. He owned several. This one had dark tinted windows which made it hard to see inside. The driver’s side door slowly opened and legs swung down to the ground. A man dressed in a dark shirt and grey slacks stepped out, wearing dark sunglasses. She felt goosebumps pop up on her arms. There was no mistaking his identity. It was Mason.
“That’s him,” Cadence said, her throat as dry as sawdust. A feeling of anger rose up inside her at the sight of her ex-husband. She craned her neck looking for Logan. Where was he?
Jason pulled out his binoculars and looked in the direction of the car. “I see some movement inside. I think it’s Logan.”
Joy speared through Cadence. She let out a deeply held breath. Logan was within reach.
“I need to go get Logan,” Cadence said, leaning forward in her seat and pressing her hand on Parker’s shoulder.
“That’s not going to happen, Cadence. Frankly, you pretty much talked me into even allowing you to come along. It’s not safe to approach Mason. Who knows what he has planned?”
“It needs to be me, Parker. For many reasons. Logan will be frightened if he doesn’t see me. And with the way Mason feels about you, Parker, it’s not wise to rile him up. He knows your Logan’s father.” She let out a sigh of frustration. “We have to act quickly before he decides to leave or switch things up. All he has to do is get in his car and drive away with Logan. He knows this area like the back of his hand.” Cadence could hear the panic ringing out in her voice. She was well past being calm. She wanted her son back in her arms.
“She has a point, Parker,” Jason said in a low voice.
Parker swung his gaze toward his brother. “It’s not safe.”
“Then stand a few feet away from us,” Cadence suggested. “Trust me, Parker. I’ll get Logan back safely.”
Parker let out an agonized groan. “We’re both going to get out of the car. I’m going to watch you from a few feet away. I’m carrying a gun. If anything looks off, I’m coming over.”
“Thank you, Parker,” she said, relief sweeping through her. Once she laid her hands on Logan she would make sure he was safely in Parker’s arms.
Cadence got out of the car and walked over toward Mason. He was leaning against his car with his arms folded across his chest. He grinned at her, an eerie smile that didn’t look at all genuine. In truth, it creeped her out.
She reached for the handle of the door. Mason moved in front of her so that she couldn’t open it. “Now, now, my lovely Cadence. All in due time.”
“I want to see my son,” she demanded.
He made a tutting sound. “Temper, temper.” He swung his gaze up and scowled as he looked over at Parker. “I see Donahue is here.”
“I want to see Logan,” she repeated.
“Your wish is my command,” he said snidely, waving his hand with a flourish.
Mason opened the car door and bent over as he looked inside the vehicle. In a few seconds he emerged with Logan in his arms. When Logan saw her he let out a cry. “Mama. Mama.” He held out his arms and reached for her.
“Logan!” she called out, grabbing her son and rocking him against her chest. She wasn’t sure if she would ever let him go. She pressed a kiss on his temple, inhaling the sweet smell of him.
Dear Lord. Thank you for keeping him safe from harm. He’s my entire world.
Mason leaned toward her and whispered, “I hope you know I have a gun in my back pocket. And if you change your mind about exchanging yourself for Mason, I won’t be afraid to use it.”
Cadence’s pulse quickened. She’d come this far to protect her son. This wouldn’t be over until Logan was safely far away from Mason. “Let me hand him over to Parker,” she said.
He reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, his nails digging in to her skin. “Don’t try anything. Tell him you need to come back to tell me something.”
She broke away from him and began walking with Logan in her arms towards Parker. How was she going to pull this off? A part of her wanted to just ride off into the sunset with Parker, Logan and Jason. But Mason had told her he had a gun. For all she knew he might shoot her in the back the moment she reached Parker’s side. That’s how unstable she believed her ex-husband to be. She locked eyes with Parker, whose gaze was trained on Logan.
The expression on his face was powerful. He was looking upon his son for the very first time. And she could see his joy despite the tense circumstances.
When she reached his side, she looked from Logan to Parker and said, “Parker. Meet your son.”
“Hey there, buddy,” Parker said. He reached out and grabbed Logan’s fingers.
Logan looked at him with big eyes and pulled his fingers away.
“I know you don’t know me at all, but that’s all about to change,” Parker said in a soft tone.
“Parker, why don’t you hold him?” she asked, her mind whirling with a hundred different thoughts. If Parker and Jason could leave the park and keep Logan safe, all would be right in her world. As a mother, her instinct was to protect her son at all costs. She’d been handling Mason for three years. Somehow she would find a way to get away from him later on. But for this moment in time, she needed to go with him.
She shoved Logan toward Parker, who stared at her with a slight look of fear etched on his face. “Cadence, I don’t think he’s quite ready for me to hold him.”
She darted a quick look behind her at Mason. He was still resting against the car. He patted his pocket when she met his gaze, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he had a weapon. She took a step toward Mason, only to feel herself being forcefully pulled back by strong hands.
Parker looked down at her with a frown etched on his face. “What are you doing? It’s time
to go.” His features were tense. His tone crisp and no-nonsense. “What’s going on?”
She was tongue-tied. “I-I forgot to get Logan’s things. I’ll be right back.” She quickly turned her back on Parker and Logan and proceeded to walk away. The sound of Logan calling out to her was heart wrenching.
Suddenly, two dark cars came speeding toward the parking lot. Mason, clearly startled by the sound, and the sudden intrusion, stumbled as he tried to pivot and get back in the car. He fell hard to the ground. Parker moved forward and grabbed Cadence by the arm and gently pulled her toward his car. Jason was beside him, holding a squirming Logan in his arms.
Before Cadence could figure out exactly what was happening, the two cars surrounded Mason’s car. Men jumped out of the cars and hauled Mason to his feet. Although Cadence couldn’t hear what was being said, she watched from a distance as Mason’s hands were pulled behind his back and he was handcuffed.
“Stay here with Jason,” Parker instructed as he walked toward the scene. Jason pulled her closer to the car and handed Logan over to her. She cradled him against her chest and watched as Parker shook hands with one of the men and began having an animated conversation with him. One of the men pushed Mason into the back of his car.
A few minutes later Parker rejoined them.
Cadence felt her eyes widen as the dark cars roared off, taking her ex-husband with them. Her eyes trailed after the cars. She felt like pinching herself. Had Mason just been arrested before her very eyes?
“What happened? Who were those people?” she asked. Clearly, Parker knew some of the individuals who had carted Mason off.
“The feds have been watching Mason for a while now. One of the reasons he fled Florida was because he knew he was going to be arrested. He probably figured he would lay low here in Sonoma until his lawyers could sort things out,” Parker explained. “Plus, he’s now being investigated in relation to Keith’s murder. The guy he hired to run Keith off the road has been talking from inside a prison cell. He’s trying to cut a deal by turning evidence against Mason for hiring him to kill me and actually killing Keith by mistake.”
“You arranged for them to be here?” Cadence asked, still in shock.
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “They’ve been staking out this area for hours. They were ready to take Mason down.”
Cadence let out a cry of joy. “I can’t believe it. He’s finally going to have to face up to his actions.”
“He’s going away for a long time,” Jason added. “He’ll never hurt you or Logan again.”
“That’s a promise,” Parker said, locking gazes with Cadence.
She cradled the back of Logan’s head as he nuzzled against her. “This is such a blessing for us. We can finally move forward with our lives without having to look over our shoulders.” She almost wanted to pinch herself. Could this really, truly be over?
“He’s going down, Cadence. Trust me when I say that,” Parker said. His confidence made her believe. “After everything he’s done, I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”
For the first time in a very long time, Cadence felt hopeful. The nightmare was finally coming to an end.
“Nothing means a thing in this life if you don’t have people to share the journey with you.”
Shayla Donahue
Chapter Seven
Everything was right in Parker Donahue’s world. After tying up some loose ends in Sonoma, he, Cadence, Jason and Logan headed back home to Pelican Bay on the first flight he could book for the four of them. He’d never been so ecstatic to be on Florida soil. California was a beautiful state, but there was truly no place like home. And he was chomping at the bit to let every last Donahue know about Logan. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
He was a father! It was still a little tricky to wrap his head around his new reality. God had blessed him by giving him Logan. And by keeping him safe from all harm. From this moment forward, nothing would ever be the same again. His imagination danced with a hundred different ideas about raising a little boy. Did Logan like the water? He’d love to take him out on the water in Daniel’s boat and show him all the beauty stretched out before them on the shores of Pelican Bay. It was a Donahue family tradition after all.
At the moment he was sitting on the couch with Cadence, who had their son nestled against her chest. He wasn’t sure if Cadence would ever let go of Logan again. He couldn’t say he blamed her after she’d been separated from him for the past few days.
Parker knew how fortunate they were to have Logan right here with them. He couldn’t get enough of him. He knew he was staring at his son, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Logan was perfect in every way imaginable, Parker realized. Such innocence and goodness. Thank God Mason’s hatred hadn’t robbed them of their son. He still had a chance to raise Logan, to buy him his first baseball bat and take him to his first cub scout meeting. Even though he’d lost a huge chunk of time with his boy, it wasn’t too late to connect with him.
“You keep staring at him as if he might disappear,” Cadence noted in a light tone.
“To be completely honest,” he said in a low voice, “I still can’t believe he’s mine.” He reached out and lightly touched one of Logan’s little fingers. Logan was so soft and vulnerable, but he had a sturdiness one couldn’t ignore. Parker had seen a few signs of Logan’s feistiness, which reminded him of himself as a child.
“You became an instant father, Parker. I know that can’t be easy.”
“It’s a blessing,” he said, looking over at Cadence. She seemed to be studying his expression, perhaps trying to determine how he felt about being Logan’s dad. He took a deep breath and continued. “I’m not going to pretend the circumstances haven’t been a bit overwhelming, but finding out I’m this little man’s father is one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever known. I can’t even put it into words.”
Cadence blinked back tears. “I’m so happy you feel that way. I’m terribly biased, but he’s the sun and the moon and the stars all wrapped up in one little boy.”
“He’s really something else isn’t he?” Parker asked, reaching out and running his hand alongside Logan’s cheek as he peacefully slept.
“He’s everything and then some,” Cadence said, pride ringing out in her voice.
“I won’t argue with you on that,” Parker responded, his chest tightening with a feeling he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “I’m feeling a bit impatient to bond with him. I want him to know he’s my son.”
“Of course,” Cadence said, her blue eyes wide with sincerity. “I want that too, Parker. And believe me, I know it’s long overdue.”
“Like Jason said, he’s still young. Kids are resilient. Thank the Lord.”
Cadence ran her hand lightly over Logan’s head. “For so long I’ve hated Mason for everything he did to me, but now all I feel is sadness. The hatred is gone. I had to let go of it before it took me down with it. He was sick, Parker. Twisted. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt Logan. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“Me too,” Parker said, heaving a gigantic sigh. He didn’t even want to dwell on what might have happened. It was too grim. “It might take me a while to feel anything but anger toward him, but I know we’re blessed that things ended the way they did. God was with us.”
“He sure was,” Cadence said, grinning at him. Her smile went straight to his soul.
“I want the two of you to stay here until you figure things out.” He let out a sigh. How could he tell her he wanted her to relocate to Pelican Bay? It wasn’t as if there was anything romantic between them. Mason had destroyed their love story.
On impulse, Parker placed his arm around Cadence and pulled her close to him. A feeling of protectiveness washed over him. He looked down and gazed at Cadence holding their son so lovingly against her chest.
Logan. His beautiful son. A gift from God. It was amazing how he had just been introduced to him, yet he already felt an enormous burst of love tow
ard his mini-me. It was strange to feel instant love for someone, yet empowering. It was true what everyone said about falling in love with your children. Although he knew the circumstances of his birth hadn’t been ideal, Logan was still an immense blessing.
From this point forward, he would take whatever steps necessary in order to build a relationship between the two of them. He wanted his son to be a permanent part of his life. He hadn’t said a word about it to Cadence, and he prayed she wouldn’t have any objections. Logan was his son. He was a Donahue. And he would do whatever it took to encourage Cadence to stay put in Pelican Bay so he could foster a bond with Logan. From the moment he’d learned he was a father, Parker’s life had been forever altered.
**
Cadence curled up on the couch as Parker carried Logan upstairs to the guest room. Earlier this afternoon Parker and Jason had gone out to the store and purchased a crib for Logan. Cadence had sneaked a peek as the two brothers assembled the elaborate mahogany crib. It had brought tears to Cadence’s eyes to see Parker so committed to building something for Logan.
Being teary-eyed seemed to be a constant state of being for Cadence. Every little thing brought on the waterworks. There were so many emotions and feelings welling up inside her that she hadn’t yet been able to express. And a lot of them revolved around Parker. Strong, gorgeous Parker. He’d saved their son’s life, and if she hadn’t already loved him with all of her heart and soul, it would have caused her to love him till the end of time.
Breathless (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 1) Page 8