“Not one of my finer moments.” Trey nodded. “But I had to do something. Because sitting still and doing nothing would’ve killed me faster than a support beam falling on my head.”
“I’ve been working,” Cade retorted.
“Yourself into the ground. That isn’t going to help.”
“Nothing’s going to help.” Cade shook his head in misery. “I’ve never been so…”
“Lost?”
“Yes.” Cade shrugged. “Pathetic, right?”
“No, that’s good.”
“How?” Cade demanded in a strangled voice.
“You found something worth having. Worth keeping. That’s once in a lifetime stuff right there.”
Cade scowled. “Thanks for the pep talk. I feel so much better.”
“Nothing anyone says can do that. It’s just something you have to get through, so when she does come back, you’re ready to do whatever it takes to make things work. Especially when you’re going on thirty six hours without sleep, trying to soothe a screaming baby, and chasing after two rug rats who don’t speak English who’re bent on destroying your house and stealing food from the fridge at three a.m. because they’re afraid it won’t still be there in the morning.”
The poignant moment caught in his chest. My God, those poor kids. A swell of pride filled Cade knowing that Trey and Devon had chosen to remove these innocent souls from a life of abject poverty. “I’m really proud of you, man.” Then he added, “To think, you left me out of all the excitement.”
Trey groaned. “It’s…something.” He offered a tired smile, but his dark eyes glowed with powerful emotion. “Then I look at Devon. She’s covered in baby vomit. Up to her eyeballs in dirty diapers. A comb hasn’t touched her hair. And I love her more now than ever. More than I thought was possible. Even when I tell her she’s beautiful and she throws a pillow at my head.”
“Sounds like heaven,” Cade murmured, no sarcasm in his response.
“It is,” Trey said. “Just when I think it can’t get better, it does.”
Cade sighed. “So you’re trying to convince me purgatory is a good thing?”
“It makes you appreciate what you have. Even through the rough spots.”
“I want the rough spots,” Cade admitted, his heart twisting. “I want the good and the bad. I want it all. With Kylie.”
“Then trust it. Hold onto that. Somehow it all works out in the end.”
“I hope you’re right.” Cade smacked his brother’s knee. “God, I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you too, little brother.” Trey stood. “Listen, why don’t you clean yourself up, finish whatever you’re working on today, and come over this afternoon to meet the kiddos.”
Excitement coursed through Cade, but he asked cautiously, “It’s not too soon?”
Trey rolled his eyes. “No time like the present. By then, baby Lily will need a nap, Devon won’t be far behind, and you and I can chase the two hellions around the yard.”
“Count me in.” Cade lumbered up from the couch and walked his brother to the door. “Thanks for coming by.”
Trey clasped Cade’s shoulder and sent him a fond look of compassion. “Anything for my kid brother.”
For the first time in a week, Cade had something to look forward to, even if it wasn’t Kylie walking through his door. He almost felt human again. Almost.
*
Kylie glanced up from her law book to see her sister struggling to enter the door of their second floor apartment. She sprang off the couch and tossed the book aside, offering to lend a hand.
Propping the door open with her elbow, Lindsey shoved a fresh bouquet of flowers into Kylie’s arms. “Delivery number one thousand,” her sister said, rolling her eyes. “Would you call the guy already? I’m sick of hauling bushels of these things up all those steps. I’m about to stand out in front of our house and sell tickets to our own botanical garden.”
With a sheepish shrug, Kylie glanced around their apartment wondering where to put the latest arrangement of stunning blossoms. Bouquets covered every available surface in their place. She had no choice but to set the vase on the floor beside her book.
“Why don’t I just buy some bags of dirt and patio stones from the hardware store and we’ll make a garden path?”
Kylie sighed. “It is a bit…much.”
“A bit much? He’s spent a fortune on you in roses alone. He might as well have purchased a floral shop. Probably would’ve been cheaper.”
Kylie sent her a wry smile. “Cade doesn’t do anything halfway.”
“Except he offered to meet you halfway. So?” Lindsey set her hands on her hips. “Where do you stand on the option? Have you purged the logic from your system yet, so you can run into his arms and go live happily ever after?”
“I’m getting there.”
Lindsey released a long suffering sigh. “If you don’t get there soon, I’ll go meet the poor man halfway and ride off into the sunset with him.”
Kylie shot her sister a withering glare.
Erupting in giggles, Lindsey nodded with satisfaction. “That’s what I thought.” Her sister plopped down on the cushion beside her. “It’s been a week. That man is clearly in love with you. What’s the problem?”
“Flowers don’t mean he’s in love with me,” Kylie said, stunned by the thrill that tingled inside her at the possibility.
“That’s not enough proof? Okay, how about the chocolates? And the sappy greeting cards? Oh, and don’t forget the gushy texts he’s sent.” Lindsey grabbed Kylie’s phone and scrolled through the lengthy list of messages.
“Give it back,” Kylie demanded, chasing her sister through the apartment.
“‘Thinking of you.’ ‘Missing you.’ ‘Wish I was holding you.’ Oomph!”
Kylie tackled Lindsey on the kitchen floor and took her phone away from her meddling sister. “I know, okay! Cade is wonderful. Amazing. Perfect. Too perfect.”
As Lindsey dusted off her knees, she paused. “Oh. Ooooh. I get it now.”
“What?”
“He’s perfect. And you’re not.”
Kylie frowned. “You don’t have to rub it in.”
“I’m not,” Lindsey said. “I think you’re fabulous. Clearly, he does too. Why don’t you believe you deserve him?” Her sister sighed. “A classic case of low self-esteem, coupled with deep-seated denial.”
“Do you have to make it sound so clinical?” Kylie snapped.
“Oh, sweetie.” Lindsey grabbed her hand and led her back to the sofa. “He’s crazy about you. He wants to be with you, and the only thing standing in the way of your own happiness is yourself.”
Kylie smoothed a silk rose petal between her fingers. “That’s not the only thing.” She stared at the petal’s textured veins, so delicate and fragile beneath the gossamer surface. “I just got you back. After I feared I’d lose you. The thought of never seeing you again made me die inside.”
“Hold up.” Lindsey lifted her palms. “If you’re trying to pull me into your list of excuses, you can stop right there.”
“You’re not an excuse.” Tears filled Kylie’s eyes. “You’re my family. You’re all I have left.”
“Don’t you see?” Lindsey handed her a tissue. “You’re not in it alone anymore. You have a chance to make your own family, with Cade.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
Lindsey expelled an exasperated breath. “Who said you had to?”
“If I go…with Cade…who’s going to be here for you? Who’s going to take care of you?”
“Um, okay, let’s make this really easy.” Lindsey stood and spread her arms. “What do you see when you look at me?”
As she absorbed the sight of her sister, whole and lovely and full of life, emotion swelled in Kylie. She adored the pale golden freckles sprinkled across Lindsey’s nose, slightly upturned at the tip like their mother’s. The mischievous twinkle in her almost-shaped turquoise eyes. The golden hair that naturally curled at the ends.
The flash of several rings on her fingers. The layers of beaded necklaces that didn’t match the paisley swirls in her flowing top. The swish of her long hippy skirt.
God, she loved her sister more than life, from the top of her golden head down to her crimson polished toes. “I see,” Kylie began, then cleared the lump in her throat before continuing. “I see a smart, beautiful person who has everything going for her. I see the girl who used to eat her toast upside down, even though the grape jelly splattered everywhere, because it tasted better that way.” A tear ran down Kylie’s cheek. “I see the girl I raised who, in spite of my cluelessness parenting skills, has turned into a confident, self-assured woman.”
Lindsey’s chin wobbled. “Don’t you dare make me cry. That’s not fair. I’m trying to prove a point here.”
“Sorry,” Kylie whispered.
Lindsey took a fortifying breath. “And my point is, you did great. You were all I had, and you were more than enough. Without a single complaint, ever, you stepped into a role you never should’ve had to fill. You’re remarkable, Kylie. And I’m all grown up now. I don’t need you to be my mother, I need you to be my sister.”
“Don’t ask me to separate the two.” Kylie swallowed hard. “I can’t.”
“But you have to, sis. I’m responsible for myself now. You gave up your childhood to save mine, and you darn well deserve some happiness. Someone to love you and take care of you for a change.”
A little dazed at the notion, Kylie admitted, “The concept seems so foreign.”
Lindsey nodded. “It might be an adjustment, and take some getting used to. I get that. But just think how easy it’ll be to start a family with Cade. You’re a pro at raising kids. Look how well you did with me?”
“Way to give yourself a compliment,” Kylie snorted.
Lindsey grinned. “Can’t argue with the truth.”
“You may have a point.”
“Ha! See?” Lindsey gave her a gleeful hug. “I knew I could talk some sense into you.”
Kylie released a watery laugh. “It might be working.”
“Let him love you,” Lindsey said softly. “Let him shower you with roses and rainbows and happiness. You’ve been deprived of those things long enough.”
Kylie wrung her hands, mirroring the twisting of her heart. “What if it’s too late?”
With an exaggerated eye roll, Lindsey gestured at the room. “When we’re tripping over heaps of petals, and it looks like we’re walking down a wedding aisle because we have no room left in the apartment and bouquets are cascading down the back steps…then it might be too late.” She sent Kylie a wry glance. “Until then, I think you’re safe.”
“You’re probably right.”
“So it’s settled? You’re going back to Denver?”
Kylie massaged her temples. “I want to, but…would you come with me? To Denver?”
“I’d consider it.” Lindsey nodded. “It’s not like we have much left here in Las Vegas but memories. And technically, like we’ve already discussed, you can complete your degree from anywhere. I think our future lies on the other side of the mountains.” Her sister rubbed her stomach. “Are you hungry? I’m starved. Convincing you of what’s best for you is hard work. Want some takeout?”
Kylie laughed at her sister’s abrupt change of subject, as if they hadn’t just exchanged a life altering, heart to heart conversation. “Sure.”
A few minutes after her sister left to pick up lunch, the doorbell rang.
Had Cade sent yet another bouquet? Good grief.
Anticipating another floral demonstration of Cade’s undying commitment, she hefted the book off her lap again, adjusted her glasses and traipsed downstairs.
She opened the door and her jaw dropped.
“Sorry to swing by unannounced. I happened to be in the neighborhood. Mind if I come in?”
It took several moments for Kylie to find her voice. “Oh, my gosh. Slone! Yes, of course, come in. I definitely didn’t expect to find you on my doorstep.”
“Yeah, kind of a last minute thing.” His voice echoed up the staircase as she led him to her apartment. He stepped one foot in the door and stopped. “Holy mother of…roses.”
“I know.” She invited him to have a seat in her crowded living room. She took her spot on the couch, and he went to the nearby chair, an antique flea market find her sister had picked out. He dwarfed the seat. “What brings you to Vegas?”
Slone opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. He shook his head. “Look, I suck at small talk. So I’m getting right to the point. You need to come back to Denver.”
Surprised, she blinked and hesitated. “Why?”
“Cade is a goddamn mess. He hasn’t gone home since we flew into Denver—last week.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“He says he can’t sleep there because everything he looks at reminds him of you.”
“Oh.” A ripple of panic seized her. Cade couldn’t stand to be in his own home because of her? Had she and Lindsey decided to change their lives for nothing? “That’s awful.”
Slone let out a groan. “You don’t know the half of it. He barely sleeps. He barely eats. He yells at everyone for no reason. He punched Adam in the jaw.”
“What?” she gasped.
“Yep. He’s pretty much a walking nightmare without you.”
“Wi-without me?”
“No one can stand to be in the same room with him. And he can’t stand to be in any room without you.” Slone’s gray eyes pinched at the corners. “This is serious, Kylie. He’s going downhill fast. You need to come back to Denver and rescue us.”
“Rescue you,” she said with total disbelief.
“Yeah.” Slone grinned. “How’s that for a change of pace.” He shrugged. “The way I figure it, I took shards of glass in the back and a throwing star in the forearm for you. You owe me.”
A puff of laughter left her lips. “I can’t argue with that,” she conceded.
“Then you’ll come back and put the rest of us out of our misery?”
She failed to hide a smile. “It looks like I might have to.”
“Oh, thank God.” Slone collapsed against the back of the rickety chair like the weight of the world had been lifted. “There is light at the end of the nightmare.”
She dismissed his claim. “He hasn’t been that bad, I’m sure.”
Slone sent her ferocious look. “Worse than you can begin to imagine.”
A bubble of pleasure rose inside her. “Really?”
“Yes,” he muttered, “and you don’t have to act so damned happy about it.”
“I’d never be happy about another’s misfortune. But I had no idea…”
“That the man loves you and can’t live without you? Pretty much.”
She peered at him. “So you weren’t just ‘in the neighborhood’ stopping by.”
Slone considered that for a moment. “More like on a mission. To restore sanity to Soren Security.”
With a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, she asked, “Did Cade send you?”
“Hell no.” Slone scowled. “He’s probably put my head through a wall if he knew I was here.”
“No private jet? No limousine?”
“Nope. Just me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a printed boarding pass. “And a one-way ticket to Denver.”
Then…Cade truly did respect her boundaries and her wishes. He hadn’t tried to coerce her decision. Even though he’d taken out his frustration on his cousins and colleagues. “Do you think he loves me?”
“Think?” Slone looked at her dumbfounded. “I know he does. God, woman, how much more proof do you need?”
Overtaken by compulsive excitement, she rushed at Slone and gave him a huge hug. “Thanks for the confirmation. I needed that,” she whispered.
“You can thank me on the plane.” His voice sounded hoarse beneath her boa constrictor grip around his neck.
“When does the flight leave?”
He checked his watch. “In an hour.”
She threw him a mock glare. “Rather certain of yourself, weren’t you?”
“Nope. Just desperate. I would’ve resorted to begging if it came to that.”
She pulled back and tapped her chin. “I should’ve held out.”
He glared at her. “Don’t push your luck.”
“I’ll pack quickly.”
“Good. The cab’s waiting outside.”
She glanced skyward. “Way too sure of yourself.”
Practically skipping to the bedroom, she threw a change of clothes and her essentials into a suitcase. Cade wanted her. He loved her. He loves me. Happiness infused every pore.
The second she slid into the cab beside Slone and shut the door, she sent a text to Lindsey. You’ll have to eat alone, slow poke. I’m getting on a plane bound for Denver.
Her sister’s reply text made her smile. Yaaaaaay!!!!! :-D About time!! I’ll catch a flight tomorrow. Be right behind you .
*
Cade returned to the office that evening completely fatigued.
How could two small children require so much effort? No wonder Trey and Devon were perpetually exhausted.
A smile lingered on his lips, recalling Trey playing with the two older kids. The man had been born to be a father. Just maybe not all at once, Cade thought, shaking his head in amusement. But they had come as a package deal, a sibling group, so Devon and Trey had adopted all three without hesitation.
The afternoon spent with baby Bethany, little Benjamin and precocious Kristin had smoothed the rougher edges of Cade’s demeanor. He wasn’t better, he wasn’t whole, but he’d seen the glimmer of hope Trey had talked about that morning. He coveted it like the last candle in the apocalypse.
He hit save on his laptop and shut it down for the night. He didn’t want to work. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t even want to drink. He just wanted one minute of peace from the festering cloud of agony that haunted his every waking moment.
A knock sounded on the conference room door. “What?” he called wearily.
Slone stepped inside wearing a stupid grin on his face. “Special delivery for Cade Soren.”
The Billionaire's Prize: Taken & Tempted: (Book 3 Billionaire Bodyguard Series) Page 22