by Cate Beauman
“Good for you.”
Gwen frowned, definitely not expecting her mother’s approval. “You’re condoning your thirty-two-year-old daughter sneaking into the house after a booty call?”
“I’m condoning my daughter living her life.” Mom sat down on one of the steps in her cotton pajamas, patting the empty space next to her. “I want her to be happy, because she deserves that more than anyone I know.”
Gwen smiled as she sat down, taking her mother’s hand.
Mom gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “You and Nate made mistakes with your first spouses. I see some of that as my fault.”
Gwen adamantly shook her head. “No, Mom—”
“Let me say what I need to say.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Liam was wrong for you. He was wrong for you from the very beginning, and I didn’t speak up loudly enough about that.”
Gwen opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but closed it when Mom’s eyebrow arched again.
“There was never any sparkle in your eyes the way there is now. Nate found his partner the day Callie came over on the ferry. Maybe you can finally say the same for yourself about Cade.”
Gwen shook her head. Because even when everything was wonderful between her and Cade—even when her skin was still warm from his and smelled like him—she couldn’t allow herself to hope that she would ever have what Nate and Callie had. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Mom. I nearly messed everything up tonight.”
“Did you fix it?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Life’s messy, Gwenyth. I know you like everything tidy and organized, but things rarely are. You and Liam were always so civil and agreeable. Where was the passion?”
Gwen looked down, because Mom was absolutely right. There’d rarely been a cross word between herself and her husband, because neither of them had cared enough to fight for what they’d had. “Cade yelled at me.”
“Did you yell back?”
She grinned. “Yes.”
Mom winked as she smiled. “That’s my girl.” She hooked her arm around Gwen’s shoulders, kissing her temple. “My darling daughter, follow your heart for a change.”
Gwen let herself rest against her mother, savoring the comfort of having her close. “I’m afraid.”
“Give it a try, anyway, especially when it comes to a man who so clearly adores you and that little girl upstairs.”
She sat up again. “But it’s all happening so fast. This wasn’t supposed to be a part of the plan I made for Kaitlyn and myself.”
Mom sighed. “You and your plans and timetables.” She shook her head. “Do you think I didn’t hand you the airport job on purpose?”
She blinked her surprise. “What does that mean? You were trying to set Cade and me up?”
Mom shrugged. “I had an initial meeting with a kind, successful, gorgeous man who oozed integrity. It was up to the two of you to decide where things went from there.”
Gwen frowned. “That was sneaky.”
Mom jerked her shoulders again. “‘Mother knows best’ is a saying for a reason. I know that you get fixated on your schedules—that you’re looking for something ideal, honey, but ideal doesn’t exist. You often speak of your perfect childhood—of wanting Kaitlyn to have what you did. But let me tell you something. As one of the adults in that dream you’ve woven, I can assure you that life was far from perfect when you were younger.”
Gwen’s frown was back. “What do you mean?”
“Dad was gone a lot, particularly during the summer months. I love you kids to pieces, but I won’t pretend that there weren’t days when I was sure I would pull my hair out or that I didn’t resent having to put my career and life on hold.”
Gwen swallowed with the shock of Mom’s words. “I didn’t realize that.”
“I’ve treasured every minute with my babies. I’d do everything again exactly the same way. But stop pretending that Dad and I were perfect. Stop trying to be perfect. Live your life, honey. Let the messes come and be happy despite them.”
Gwen nodded.
Mom tucked her hair behind her ear. “Promise me you’ll try that.”
She smiled. “I promise.”
“Oh, honey, I love you.”
Gwen wrapped her up in a hug. “I love you, too.”
Mom kissed her cheek. “Now, go get some sleep before Kaitlyn wakes up. She went down early, so she’ll be looking for you sooner rather than later.”
“Okay.” Gwen stood, then started up the steps. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her.”
“You know it’s our pleasure. And Gwenyth, Cade doesn’t have to sneak out of the house in the mornings.”
Gwen laughed, rolling her eyes. “You saw that?”
“I did. So did your father. That man’s sort of hard to miss.”
She laughed again, heading for Kaitlyn’s room, checking on her little girl, who was still deeply sleeping. Eager to turn Mom’s advice into action, she stepped into the hall, pulling her phone from her purse, finding Liam’s contact information, then typing him a text.
Please add one more to our reservation. Cade will be joining us after all.
She snagged her lip with her teeth, worrying a little as she pressed send. But Liam was going to have to get used to Cade being in her life. She’d found a way to be civil to Jessica. Liam would have to do the same with Cade.
Heading to her room, she made quick work of brushing her teeth and washing her face before she got into bed, pulling up the covers, wishing Cade was lying next to her. If she had her way, she would be falling asleep in his arms tomorrow night.
Chapter 22
Gwen put another puff on Kaitlyn’s high chair tray, grinning when her daughter picked it up to feed Cade. He made the appropriate noises, nibbling tiny baby fingers with his lips as he took the puff from her hand—the latest game he and Kaitlyn played at breakfast every morning.
The baby laughed, babbling her da-da-ba-ba sounds as she smooshed her little palms to his mouth, still thoroughly entertained, which was a good thing because Liam and Jessica were twenty minutes late.
“Do you want to send him another text?” Cade asked, peeking at his watch as he picked up his water glass, washing down the strawberry-apple flavor of Kaitlyn’s snack.
Sighing, Gwen glanced around Annie and Cletus’ charming, crowded dining room, hoping to spot her ex so that they could get this over with. Her stomach had been off all morning while she waited to see what Liam wanted now. “Yeah, I guess I should. He’s usually punctual—obsessively so.” Picking up her cell phone, she found his contact information.
Are we still expecting you for brunch?
She set the phone back down, burying her annoyance. Clearly, Liam didn’t understand that babies were only patient for so long. “We’ll wait a few more minutes.”
Cade nodded, digging into the diaper bag, handing Kaitlyn her Peek & Play Book—the latest toy he’d picked up when he’d been over on the mainland. “Here you go, Bug.” He pressed the button for a cheerful song as Kaitlyn went after the elephant’s crinkly ears. “This will keep you happy for a bit.”
Gwen smiled, loving the way Kaitlyn’s brow always furrowed when she concentrated. Her baby girl looked extra cute in her blue-and-white-striped tie-shoulder romper. The bow clipped in her hair only added to her sweetness. “I’d say you picked out another winner.”
“Of course, I did.” Grinning, looking mouthwatering in a black golf shirt and gray slacks, Cade reached across the cozy table, taking Gwen’s hands, playing with her fingers the way he had last night while they’d lain wrapped up together in his bed. “Do you think he’s a no-show because I’m here?”
She nodded as she held his gaze, wanting to be honest. Her issues with Liam weren’t going to ruin her relationship with Cade. “It might be.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“I’m trying to be. I just need all of this to be okay for Kaitlyn. She’s all that matters in this equation.”
/> He nodded, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. “I completely agree.” He tugged her hands to his lips, kissing her. “What else is going on inside of that head of yours? What are you thinking?”
Her first instinct was to fake a smile and deny that anything was bothering her at all, but that never worked with Cade. She also remembered Mom’s advice to let life be messy—and be happy anyway. And Cade made her happy. “I’m frustrated that we’re spending our Sunday morning waiting for a man who has no respect for our time.”
“Luckily, the Carter ladies are excellent company,” he said with a wink.
She smiled before it faded. “I’m sad that Kaitlyn will look at her father today and have no idea who he is. I hate that he doesn’t care that he has a daughter—that he can’t see that she’s the most beautiful, wonderful little girl in the world.”
Cade tightened his grip on her fingers. “He’s a fool.”
She swallowed, ready to share more of the worst parts of her story. “Kaitlyn wasn’t planned. She was a fantastic, wonderful surprise after a birth control mishap.”
He nodded, staring into her eyes, giving her his undivided attention the way he always did.
“I’m not sure that Liam ever planned to have children. Whenever I brought up the idea of trying to get pregnant, he would say that it wasn’t the right time. He was obsessive about wearing protection—making sure it was never an option. But it happened, and now that she’s here…”
Gwen looked at Kaitlyn as her baby girl picked up her new book to chew on one of the fabric peekaboo flaps, loving her so much that she blinked back tears. “She’s the best. The absolute best.”
Cade kissed her fingers again. “Of course, she is, Gwen. You make sweet, beautiful babies.”
She closed her eyes, touched by his lack of hesitancy and matter-of-factness before she looked at him again, bringing his hand to her lips this time. “I can’t tell you how much I wish he could love her the way you do.” She swallowed again. “Kaitlyn’s nothing more than a bump in income to her father, and it destroys me to know that.”
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Liam and his older brother are the beneficiaries of a trust. Their parents died when he was fourteen. Liam’s Uncle Aiden is the trustee. He wields his power over his nephews, rewarding them for living their lives the way he sees fit—the way their father would have wanted them to. Go to college, get a bump in your annual payout. Get married, enjoy another bump. Pretend to be a doting father, Uncle Aiden will hook you up.”
Cade clenched his jaw. “So, the trip to Boston back in June?”
“Was a photo opportunity to show Uncle Aiden that the extra payout was money well spent.”
“And I’m assuming Kaitlyn received zero percent of the distribution?”
It shamed her to admit the truth. “Apparently, it’s been tucked away for Kaitlyn’s future—her Princeton education.”
“Bullshit,” Cade said as his eyes grew hot.
She nodded. “Exactly.”
Sighing, he stroked her skin. “I’m sorry, Gwen. You deserve more than that. Kaitlyn deserves more than that.” He lifted the baby from her high chair, snuggling her up, kissing the top of her head before he rested his cheek against her hair while she continued fiddling with her toy. “I want to help you give her everything.”
Her eyes filled, touched beyond measure by his words—but more importantly, by his sweet gestures. Talk was often cheap, but there was no denying that Cade adored her daughter. “How are you here? How are you mine—ours?”
“Because I’m supposed to be.”
She sniffled. “It doesn’t seem like it should be that simple—so effortless.”
“In this case, it is. I was never supposed to come to Carter Island.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
He adjusted Kaitlyn to settle her on his lap. “The Carter Island Expansion was Dad’s project. Originally, Buzz and the council were working with him.”
Her brow furrowed again. “I didn’t realize that.”
He nodded. “I took the meeting because Dad came down with a nasty bug the day before he was set to arrive. I got a call in the middle of the night—Dad filling me in and asking me to fly out to some tiny Massachusetts island first thing that morning. I wasn’t exactly thrilled, but Buzz and the council were concerned about delays and the potential fallout to the high season after the Sandersons’ scandal.”
Gwen nodded, remembering the shock waves and worry after the media nicknamed Carter Island “Murder Island.”
“But everything changed when I was coming in for my approach.” He smiled. “I flew below the cloud cover, and there was this charming little town. When I deplaned, I breathed in this huge breath of cold ocean air, and I knew that Cadence would have loved the hell out of this place.”
Gwen batted her long lashes. “Because she had good taste, too.”
He grinned. “Cadence always told me that life whispers to you.”
She smiled back at him. “I like that.”
He nodded. “Although, over the last few months, I’ve realized that sometimes, it screams.”
She frowned again. “How do you mean?”
“Dad had planned to head out this way when he started feeling better, but things were clicking, so we decided I would stay on and head things up for the time being. Eventually, Buzz mentioned that he’d been trying to sell the airport and Carter Island Air. He’d found a couple of buyers, but the deals kept falling through.”
She grinned, loving his story. “Because it was meant to be yours.”
He nodded again. “I made some calls and snatched up the airport and airline within forty-eight hours.” He snagged her hand, lacing their fingers. “I thought that was why I was meant to come here—for a fresh start—but then I walked into the grocery store a couple of months later and spotted you.”
She smiled, remembering the moment she turned to see a gorgeous giant of a man offering to help her grab the last package of spinach.
“There was something about you, Gwen—something I recognized. Cadence said I would know when I found someone important. And she was absolutely right. You and Kaitlyn have changed my life.”
Gwen stood, holding his gaze as she walked around the table, cradling his cheeks in her hands, kissing him before she touched her finger to his heart, knowing without a doubt that hers belonged to him. “You’ve changed everything for us, too.”
“Come back here,” he whispered, kissing her again. “Let’s get back to our life. I’m not interested in waiting for him any longer.”
She nodded, stroking the scruff along his jaw.
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you up for brunch?”
She nodded again, smiling. “I am.”
“How about a swim with Bug before she’s ready for her nap?”
She smiled again. “I think that sounds perfect.”
“I can walk around with her if you’re willing to make us both a plate. I’ll cut up some of her banana when you get back. Maybe she’ll let us eat together.”
“Okay.” Gwen walked to the buffet line, glancing toward the entrance, trying to stay in the moment and enjoy her morning with her little family—to savor Cade’s beautiful words. But even as she looked back and grinned as he made her daughter wave to her, she worried. Liam was a no-show for now, but she knew he would surface again sooner rather than later.
Uncle Aiden would be getting impatient for more pictures.
Chapter 23
Gwen stood next to Cade as she scrutinized Jeremy’s handiwork in the airport’s newly renovated women’s bathroom. Navy-blue accent walls, pale-gray mosaic tiling, brand-new dark wooden partitions, backlit mirrors, vessel sinks, marble countertops, and classy overhead lighting had completely transformed the space.
“This is amazing,” Cade said as he turned a slow circle while his eyes trailed around the room. “Fucking fantastic.”
“So, you like it then?” Gwen teased, as ex
cited as he was after the big reveal. The room looked even better than she’d anticipated when he’d signed off on the official plans several weeks ago—and she’d had high expectations.
“I love it.” He hooked his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side, kissing the top of her head. “You were right on, Gwen.”
She returned his embrace, locking her wrists around his waist. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Let’s go with ecstatic,” he said with a wink, holding her gaze.
She smiled. “We’ll take ecstatic.”
“It’s a damn pretty space,” Jeremy added as he rubbed at a smudge on the marble. “The crew and I will get started in the men’s room after lunch. We should have most everything gutted by day’s end tomorrow. I’m estimating that we’ll have you open again by late next week. We’ll get to the final two bathrooms after that.”
“A hell of a job, mate,” Cade said, shaking Jeremy’s hand. “I appreciate the hard work.”
Jeremy nodded. “It’s been my pleasure. Once we get things sorted out with the flooring, I’m looking forward to getting started out front.”
Gwen felt her nostrils flare as Jeremy spoke of their first official renovation headache—and it was a big one. “I’ll be putting in a call to the manufacturer today.” Just one of the many things on her to-do list—which was total chaos and appeared to be the running theme for this week. “Mom sent me her contact’s information on my drive over. Now that I have a name, I’ll be getting to the bottom of this.”
Cade winced. “It sounds like someone’s about to have a rough day.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t get me started. This has been ridiculous. They’re almost two weeks late on delivery, and we’ve heard next to nothing.”
He lifted her arm in a premature victory. “My money’s on you, champ.”
Chuckling, she rolled her eyes.
“Better you than me,” Jeremy said as he gave the room a final once-over. “I’m heading over to Molly’s for a sandwich so I can get back.”
“Thanks again,” she and Cade said at the same time.