“Do you think that is wise? You are going to have to start working on the edits, sooner or later.”
Sierra propped her chin on her hand as she answered. “Yes, but now is not a good time; he has just agreed to me staying here instead of in the guest home and I don’t want there to be any excuse for him to kick me out.”
“Do you think he would do that?
She shrugged her shoulders. “To tell you the truth. I don’t know. Since I have been back, he has been sharp and distant, still keeping me at arm’s length. But recently he has seemed more amicable and listens to what I have to say, even when he doesn’t like it.” She gave Valeur a rueful smile.
Sierra took in Valeur’s frown. “So no real change or reconciliation then.”
Sierra sat back in surprise. “No, nothing like that, but it is not the same between us. He has changed too, he is more patient, can be reasonable at times.” She muttered the last part under her breath and Valeur grinned.
“That’s it?”
“No, he is more relaxed and lets down his guard. He is goofy and funny around Kaitlyn.” She smiled at the memory of Jacob getting down on all fours and putting Kaitlyn on his back and moving around the room like he was a horse. They both laughed and shared a look when Kaitlyn was giggling so hard she could barely hold on. That moment had been so precious to her, but as if sensing that, Jacob became closed off again.
She glanced down as she remembered he would soon be calling to check in on them—no, Kaitlyn. But she still looked forward to hearing his voice as he spoke to their daughter; she missed him while he was away.
“Still got it bad?”
She scowled as Valeur gave her a knowing look. “Let—”
Valeur turned her head, and she could hear her friend’s door creaking open. “Mommie, I’m hungry.” A grouchy boy’s voice said before she saw kinky curls over Valeur’s desk.”
She watched as Valeur’s face softened and she bent down low to pick up her four-year-old son. “Say hi to Sierra, Cass.”
She smiled into dark brown eyes and watched his thumb come out of his mouth and his toothy smile.
“Hi, Si.”
“Hi, little one.”
Her heart melted at his cute grin, and she suddenly pictured a little boy with Jacob’s features. Her heart stuttered and she shut down the image. Because that was not about to happen no matter how much she wanted it to.
“I’ve got to go, little man’s belly is empty.” And she rubbed his belly, making him laugh.
“Okay, talk later. Bye, Cass.” Sierra waved and he smiled back and waved before Valeur ended the video chat.
She picked up her phone, getting up, and distracted herself with thoughts on how Vegas was going with Jacob and hoped he was having a good time.
Chapter 22
He should have had a relaxing good time in Vegas, but with Abbott walking in with a ring on his finger and his sleepless night thinking of his ex, he was tired and grumpy as he made his way through the airport to catch his flight to head back home.
Their first night there, they’d all had dinner together at the Jewel with Coco’s friends and his brothers and Colin’s friends.
The dinner had started and ended in friction with Abbott and Jackie, Coco’s best friend. Jackie had been in a mood and was talking snappishly at Colin, then both her and Abbott exchanged heated words. The waiter had been in the midst of bringing over their drinks when Jackie had suddenly gotten up from the table and to his surprise, Abbott followed close behind.
Both he and Colin had glances with each other, then his brother shrugged before paying attention to his fiancée.
Feeling weary from the dinner and drinks, he decided to bow out of the partying going on later and made his way to his room for the night. It was too late to call Kaitlyn, so he got settled in bed and opened up his phone and pulled up pictures of her. He smiled when he saw the ones of her grinning up into the phone as he snapped the pictures.
He stiffened in bed when he came upon the most recent one. It was one of Kaitlyn and Sierra together, their heads resting against each other with Sierra’s arm around Kaitlyn’s shoulders. They both smiled happily into the camera, wearing identical expressions of happiness.
And his heart kicked up as he traced Sierra’s features and got lost in staring into the brown eyes looking back at home from the phone.
He cursed and shut down his phone. Though he turned off the lights and willed himself to sleep, images of her laughing, her impish look when teasing their daughter, her brows furrowed in thought when she was processing something, her sleep-tired expression from having a long day and then to how she used to look when he would take her in bed. Her eyes dark, her lips swollen, the hitched sound of her breath, the way her body accepted his and moved against his, wanting more.
He jerked up in bed and turned on the lights.
