Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
When I got home I carried Elara in and took her up to her crib. Hale wasn’t home and I didn’t know if I should call him or make dinner or what, so I texted him.
I’m sorry.
An hour passed and he still hadn’t responded.
The longer I waited, the more I felt like a complete schmuck. What was wrong with me? He treated me to a fantastic day and ended it with a brand new car. What kind of woman turned that into a fight?
That damn prenup was making me crazy. Why hadn’t he told me about it yet? Was it a power play to wait until the last minute? I hated the thought that he might have a strategy—mostly because such toxic thinking had more to do with my own personal insecurities than anything Hale had done, but I’d taken it out on him all the same. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the contract, but I hated that he was keeping secrets.
I tore through three slices of cake and called Elle. But there was only so much I could explain in regard to Jasmine, so she didn’t understand why Hale got so triggered.
“That seems like an extreme overreaction to mentioning his ex. They broke up. She married his dad. He’s got you. Maybe the issue should be why he cares so much about a woman he’s no longer with.”
He cared because it was much more complicated than hopping Davenports. Jasmine had used Remington to get pregnant when she learned Hale wasn’t the sort of man to make such careless mistakes. Then she’d used Elara to blackmail the Davenports. But she didn’t stop there. Once she saw Hale emotionally invested in Elara, she went for the jugular. Remington’s offer of marriage was the only thing that stopped her from bleeding Hale dry.
In my opinion, Remington owed his son that much, but Hale hated that his father had once again involved himself where he didn’t belong. Either way, those details were top secret. No one, not even his other two kids knew that Elara was really their sibling and not Hale’s biological daughter.
“I can’t believe he bought you a car.”
“And I ruined it.”
“No, you didn’t. Couples fight. He’ll come home and you’ll explain why you said what you said.”
“I hate feeling like the last to know.”
“Ray, surprises are meant to be secretive. That’s the point.”
“He wants to let reporters into our wedding.”
“No, he doesn’t. You said no and he said fine.”
“I know Hale. If he doesn’t want something, he’s direct and to the point. He would have told them no right away if he wasn’t considering it on some level.”
“He was just weighing options, Rayne. It’s sort of sweet he was thinking of your mom.”
“Don’t you get it? He’s trying to keep our finances separate. That’s why he wants me to have this money.”
“I think you’re reading way too far into this. It was just an idea.”
“It sounded more like a suggestion.”
“What does it matter? You said no and he dropped it.”
I licked my spoon, jumping between the ganache frosting and the butter cream. “He’s going to spring that prenup on me. I know it.”
“Did you ask him about it?”
“No?”
“Why not?”
I didn’t have an answer. “What if he has it because he doesn’t fully trust me? Why else would he have a backup plan? If he needs an escape route, maybe we shouldn’t get married in the first place.”
“Hale trusts you, Ray. But he has a lot of assets and divorce can get really messy.”
“Gee, thanks.” This conversation wasn’t helping. I wiped my eyes and stared over the box of mini cakes at the bedroom door, my feet under my knees. “This isn’t like him. We both have to travel this week. Where is he?”
“He’s angry. Give him time.”
I didn’t have time. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to New York with me?”
“Ray, I can’t.”
“Are you sure? Barrett’s there on an underwear shoot.”
“I can’t.”
I sighed, hating how needy I felt at the moment. “There’s something else I have to tell you.”
“What?” Elle asked uneasily.
“I contacted my dad.”
“Rayne, no!”
“I know, I know. But it doesn’t matter. He didn’t respond and I’m over it. I just couldn’t get married without at least trying.”
She sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I sniffed and dashed away a tear. “I’ll be okay. I know the drill.” A few days of feeling bad for myself, a week of eating my feelings, then anger, then distraction. “Look at it this way, when I get to the angry stage, you could probably get me to take one of those kickboxing classes at the gym with you.”
She didn’t laugh and neither did I. “Did you tell Hale?”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I was a big, fat, secret-keeping hypocrite.
“Maybe that’s why you were so prickly with him this afternoon.”
My head snapped up when I heard the front door open.