Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Thank you,” I tell him. “Will you call the others?”
“Already done,” he says. “They’ll be checking in with you later. I’m headed out on another call. You get better.”
“I’ll do my best,” Polly says with a smile as Chase leaves.
“Did you guys…talk?” Jake asks.
“He knows,” Polly assures him, and Jake offers me his fist for a bump.
“Isn’t it cool? We’re having a baby. I’m gonna be a brother. Sorry that I found out first, but the EMT asked in the ambulance, and I was there. I swore I wouldn’t say anything, though. It’s gonna be totally cool. Did they spring us? Can we go home?”
I lock eyes with Polly, who’s grinning from ear to ear.
She may be conflicted, but it’s clear that she loves Jake and the fact that they shared a secret, even for a little while.
“Yeah, we can go,” I tell him and then turn to Polly. “I’d like to take you to the ranch.”
“I’d like to go to the ranch,” she replies and holds her hand out for mine, which I immediately take and kiss her knuckles. “Thank you.”
“We’re going to figure everything out,” I assure her.
“I’m going down to the stables,” Jake says later, after we get Polly situated on the couch with an ice pack on her knee. “Do the afternoon chores.”
“Oh, Jake,” Polly says with a frown. “Did you miss practice?”
“It’s okay,” he says with a shrug. “No big.”
“You’ll have to sit out of the game tomorrow,” she says. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry.”
“Seriously, it’s okay,” he assures her, then smiles. “I had to stay with you. It was way more important.”
Then he’s off, and I finish making sure Polly is comfortable and lay a cool pack on her forehead.
“I’m going to run outside for a second. I’ll be right back. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she assures me and lifts her chin so I will kiss her lips. “Thank you.”
“Christ, I could have lost you today.” I can’t resist pressing my lips to her cheek as every worst nightmare runs through my mind.
“You didn’t.” She cups my face in her hand and smiles up at me with so much love, it takes my breath away. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. I’ll be back before you know it. There’s something I have to do.”
I texted Axel a few minutes ago and asked him to meet me by the garage. I don’t want to do this in the house where Polly could hear me.
Axel is waiting for me when I approach.
“What in the ever-loving fuck am I paying you for?” I want to punch him in the face, so I stop twenty feet away, where he’s out of reach.
“Mr. Wild, we had no reason to think that Claudia would come here.”
“She’s been erratic in the past,” I remind him. “Why wouldn’t you have kept eyes on her after the incident in Paris?”
He blows out a breath and hooks his thumbs in his pockets. “It didn’t occur to us.”
“And it almost killed Polly!” I’ve never been so fucking livid. “The entire security detail is on notice. If any one of you so much as sneezes wrong, you’re out of here. This was a mistake that will not be tolerated.”
“Sir.”
I can see the anger radiating off him, and it only fuels my own.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, sir.”
“Then explain to me why you look pissed off right now.”
“Because you’re right.” His hard eyes find mine. “We fucked up. I fucked up. I know better, and I should have anticipated it. If you want my resignation, I’ll give it to you.”
I pause, watching him.
“Ten minutes ago, I would have taken it.”
He doesn’t flinch.
“Don’t you ever fuck up like that again.”
“No, sir.”
I’m on my way back to the house when my phone rings, and I see that it’s Remington on the screen.
“Hey.”
“How is she?” he immediately asks.
“She’s going to be fine,” I reply, emotion running through me. Jesus, I’ve never felt like falling apart the way I do right now. “It was scary, but she’s okay.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that. Do you need anything?”
This. This is all I’ve needed from Rem for the past six years. “I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.”
He’s quiet for a heartbeat, and then, “I’m not good at apologies. You know that.”
I swallow hard and sit on the steps that lead up to my front door. “Yeah, none of us are.”
“You’ve apologized,” he disagrees. “And I’ve been a jerk about it. I’m not sorry about the way I reacted back then. My feelings weren’t wrong.”
“I get that.”
“But I’m tired of being pissed off at you, and I miss you. So, I’m sorry for not working things out before this.”
I clear my throat, glad that no one is around to see the tears fill my eyes.
“Thanks for that.”