Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 57201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“Yay, okay. I’ll go check on Grandma.”
“Christ, Katie,” Jake growls once the door closes.
“Jake, I know you’re upset.”
“You’re damn right I’m upset. This was the perfect time to tell Lennon that I’m his father and you stepped in and stopped it. You can’t keep doing that. My son deserves to know the truth. I deserve to be able to call him my son. I want my name on his birth certificate and I want all the secrets out. I want to be able to tell my son that I love him. I don’t want to hide the truth from him any longer.”
“Jake, your name is on Lennon’s birth certificate. It always has been.”
“What?”
“His name is Lennon Reed Ryan.”
“You named our son after Reed?” I growl.
“Will you stop?”
“I guess I should be glad he’s not named after my brother.”
“And there’s the asshole Jake rearing his head again,” I mutter.
“Our next son is going to be named after me, Katie.”
“Our next son? Don’t you think you need to slow down here? We’re not together, Jake,” I ask, ignoring how pleasure and fear war inside of me.
“I think you need to tell Lennon who he is. Does he even realize what it means that his last name is Ryan?”
“No. He doesn’t understand that yet. I figure now that he’s in school full-time it will. It didn’t matter so much with kindergarten because those were only half days and three days a week. Still, kids are smart. I know that’s going to change.”
“Which is exactly why you need to tell him,” Jake argues, clearly upset.
“I plan on telling him, Jake. I always have.”
“I mean today, Katie.”
“I plan on telling him soon. It’s just not a topic that I want to rush into. I want to make sure that when we do it, it’s done in a way that won’t hurt our son.”
Jake lets out a breath and shakes his head. “Not telling him the truth is already hurting our son, honey. I get that you don’t trust me, but you’re going to have to come to terms with the past and take the leap into the future because I’m not letting you go and I’m not leaving.”
“And you need to slow down. I mean, you basically told Lennon that you’re moving in here. We haven’t even discussed any of this. You’re just throwing too much at me all at once, Jake.”
“Katie, maybe you haven’t been paying attention, but I have moved in. I live here. I have since you got home from the accident.”
“Jake—”
“All my stuff is here, my vehicle is in the garage, and my horse is out in the barn. My horse trailer and all my equipment are in the old shed.”
“They are?” I ask, my heart thudding against my chest.
“Yeah, sunshine and as soon as I do repairs to that ancient barn out front, I’ll be bringing my other horses here.”
“You’re what?”
“Stop it, Katie. It’s time you finally come to terms with the fact that I’m not leaving. In fact, as soon as you are able to take the trip, we’re going to my apartment and packing everything up and bringing it here.”
“Jake, you can’t just move in somewhere you’re not invited,” I huff, my voice full of panic and fear.
“You need to stop denying me and challenging everything I say before I spank your ass. I mean, I’d enjoy it, but I don’t think you’re in the shape for it just now.”
“So, basically, you’re just telling me you’re moving in with me and I don’t get a say in it?” I demand, not quite believing what I’m hearing.
“Of course, you do.”
“I do?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. You get to decide if we’re going to keep my furniture or keep using yours.”
“Jake—”
“Well, all except my bed. It’s a king size and yours is way too small.”
“Small? I have a queen size bed.”
“Exactly. It’s small.”
He’s annoying me and I’m more than likely in shock. That can be the only reason I’m not throwing him out of the house. As proof, all I can think to say is the one thing that is bothering me most about his bed.
“I’m not sleeping in a bed where other women have been, Jake. It’s not happening.”
“Then you will understand why I’m not sleeping in a bed my brother has been in,” he grumbles.
I narrow my eyes at him, instantly upset. “Jeff hasn’t been in my bed here. I wouldn’t expose Lennon to having a man stay over. He’s too young to understand and it just felt wrong.”
I figured this would upset Jake, too. Because it’s talking about Jeff, but it’s also letting him know that we won’t be sleeping together either. Instead, the idiot is smiling.
“It’s interesting, isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“How you agreed to me sharing your bed last night. You didn’t even hesitate.”
“That’s different and you know it,” I huff, wondering why trying to talk to him is frustrating as hell.